Underwater speech communications with a modulated laser

A novel speech communications system using a modulated laser beam has been developed for short-range applications in which high directionality is an exploitable feature. Although it was designed for certain underwater applications, such as speech communications between divers or between a diver and the surface, it may equally be used for air applications. With some modification it could be used for secure diver-to-diver communications in the situation where untethered divers are swimming close together and do not want their conversations monitored by intruders. Unlike underwater acoustic communications, where the transmitted speech may be received at ranges of hundreds of metres omnidirectionally, a laser communication link is very difficult to intercept and also obviates the need for cables that become snagged or broken. Further applications include the transmission of speech and data, including the short message service (SMS), from a fixed installation such as a sea-bed habitat; and data transmission to and from an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), particularly during docking manoeuvres. The performance of the system has been assessed subjectively by listening tests, which revealed that the speech was intelligible, although of poor quality due to the speech algorithm used. PACS 42.55.Px; 42.60.By; 42.62.-b     

An unusual reaction of terramycin with methyl iodide

An unusual fragmentation reaction was observed when terramycin is treated with MeI in acetone at room temp. The reaction proceeds with quaternization, loss of trimethylamine, fission of bonds 4a,5 and 12,12a with formation of an aldehydo-lactone derived from rings B, C and D. Additionally some transformations of this lactone are described.     

Dissipation rate estimation from PIV in zero-mean isotropic turbulence

Measuring the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate in an enclosed turbulence chamber that produces zero-mean flow is an experimental challenge. Traditional single-point dissipation rate measurement techniques are not applicable to flows with zero-mean velocity. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) affords calculation of the spatial derivative as well as the use of multi-point statistics to determine the dissipation rate. However, there is no consensus in the literature as to the best method to obtain dissipation rates from PIV measurements in such flows. We apply PIV in an enclosed zero-mean turbulent flow chamber and investigate five methods for dissipation rate estimation. We examine the influence of the PIV interrogation cell size on the performance of different dissipation rate estimation methods and evaluate correction factors that account for errors related to measurement uncertainty, finite spatial resolution, and low Reynolds number effects. We find the Re _λ corrected, second-order, longitudinal velocity structure function method to be the most robust method to estimate the dissipation rate in our zero-mean, gaseous flow system.     

Simulations of surface forces in polyelectrolyte solutions

We have simulated interactions between charged surfaces in the presence of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes by coupling perturbations in the isotension ensemble to a free energy variance minimization scheme. For polymeric systems, this method completely outperforms configurationally biased versions of grand canonical simulations. Proper diffusive equilibrium between bulk and slit has been established for polyelectrolytes with up to 60 monomers per chain. A consequence of imposing diffusive equilibrium conditions, in contrast to previous more restricted models, is the possibility of surface charge inversion; ion-ion correlation and the cooperativity of monomer adsorption drive the formation of a polyion layer close to the surface, that overcompensates the nominal surface charge. This is observed even at modest surface charge densities, and leads to a build up of a long ranged electrostatic barrier. In addition, the onset of charge inversion requires very low bulk polymer densities. Due to screening effects, this leads to a higher and more long-ranged free energy barrier at low, compared to high, bulk densities. Oscillatory forces, reminiscent of those found in simple hard sphere systems, are resolved in the high concentration regime. As a consequence of a second surface charge inversion, the system "stratifies" to form a stable polyelectrolyte layer in the central part of the slit, stabilized by the adsorbed surface layers.     

Dependence of DNA sequence selectivity and cell cytotoxicity on azinomycin A and B epoxyamide stereochemistry

Evaluation of the importance of C18/C19 stereochemistry of azinomycin A/B epoxyamide partial structures with respect to DNA alkylation sequence selectivity is reported using a unique assay with a DNA oligomer containing imbedded normal (5'-GGC-3'/3'-CCG-5') and inverted (5'-CGG-3'/3'-GCC-5') azinomycin consensus cross-linking sequences. Both species were found to have unique selectivity profiles and alkylate DNA in a manner distinct from azinomycin B. Computational docking experiments support altered binding modes for the enantiomers.     

Direct asymmetric catalytic 1,2-addition of RZnX to aldehydes promoted by AlMe3 and reversal of expected stereochemistry

Addition of AlMe3 to commercial THF solutions of RZnX (R = aryl, functionalised aryl, vinyl; X = Br, I) simultaneously promotes Schlenk equilibria (leading to competent nucleophiles) and the formation of an Al-Zn-ligand catalyst delivering 80-90% ee for Ar(1)CH(OH)Ar(2) formation from aldehydes.     

Higher-order-compact time-domain numerical simulation of optical waveguides

Time-domain local-operator methods have proven valuable in simulating electromagnetic phenomena from DC to light with simple and complex media. Certain limitations do exist with the time-domain local-operator methods including wall-clock simulation times and cells per wavelength requirements. This work achieves lower simulation times through code optimizations, algorithm optimizations and parallelism. This yields faster simulations times and lower cell per wavelength requirements. The improved method has been applied to a set of optical problems.     

Breitlinien-NMR-Untersuchung der amorphen Komponente von Poly-(trans-1,4-butadien)- und Poly(4-methylpenten-1)-Kristallen, die mit Schwefelkohlenstoff benetzt sind

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Photodissociation spectrum of CH3I+ prepared by multiphoton ionization

Two-photon resonant multiphoton ionization has been used to prepare rotationally cooled and selected CH₃I⁺ ions with controlled vibrational and electronic distributions. These ions are photodissociated by a second laser. The highly simplified photodissociation spectrum displays a clear dissociation threshold as well as bands hidden in earlier spectra. The data suggests corrections to previously determined vibrational constants.     

Na(1.5)Ag(1.5)MO3F3 (M = Mo, W): an ordered oxyfluoride derivative of the LiNbO3 structure

Na(1.5)Ag(1.5)MoO(3)F(3) and Na(1.5)Ag(1.5)WO(3)F(3) have been synthesized by solid state reactions and structurally characterized using synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction. Unlike the vast majority of salts containing [MO(3)F(3)](3-) anions (M = Mo, W) the oxyfluoride groups in Na(1.5)Ag(1.5)MoO(3)F(3) and Na(1.5)Ag(1.5)WO(3)F(3) are orientationally ordered, so that the Na(+) ions are coordinated by fluorine and the Ag(+) ions by oxygen. The resulting structure type, which has not previously been reported, is related to the LiNbO(3) structure, but the combination of Na/Ag ordering and orientational ordering of the [MO(3)F(3)](3-) anions produces a supercell that doubles the c-axis and changes the space group symmetry from R3 to R3. The use of hard (Na(+)) and soft (Ag(+)) cations to direct the orientational ordering of polar oxyfluoride building units provides a new approach to the design of polar materials.