A four kinetic state model of fast axonal transport: Model formulation and perturbation solution

This paper formulates a four kinetic state model for fast axonal transport. The paper further develops the Smith-Simmons model that is based on equations governing intracellular molecular-motor-assisted transport; these equations are extended by considering four rather than three kinetic states for organelles. The model considers plus-end and minus-end-oriented organelles that can be either free (suspended in the cytosol) or attached to microtubules (MTs) (in the latter case organelles are transported by molecular motors). The paper then develops a method for uncoupling differential equations of the proposed model. A perturbation solution of this problem is obtained. The effect of transition between plus-end-oriented and minus-end oriented organelles is discussed. The accuracy of the obtained perturbation solution is evaluated by comparing the zero-order and the first-order results with a high-accuracy numerical solution.     

High-power 880-nm diode-directly-pumped passively mode-locked Nd:YVO₄ laser at 1342 nm with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror

A high-power 880-nm diode-directly-pumped passively mode-locked 1342 nm Nd:YVO? laser was demonstrated with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). The laser mode radii in the laser crystal and on the SESAM were optimized carefully using the ABCD matrix formalism. An average output power of 2.3 W was obtained with a repetition rate of 76 MHz and a pulse width of 29.2 ps under an absorbed pump power of 12.1 W, corresponding to an optical-optical efficiency of 19.0% and a slope efficiency of 23.9%, respectively.     

On the Relationships Between the Moments of a POVM and the Generator of the von Neumann Algebra It Generates

In the present paper, we review some recent results about commutative positive operator valued measures (POVMs) and single out some open problems. We introduce a conjecture about the extension of some recent results and prove some important consequences of such conjecture. In particular, we prove that it implies the universal character of some of the mathematical objects we introduce, i.e., the fact that they do not depend on the POV measure we are considering. We analyze the relevance of this result. Finally, we point out that some of the results we present admit a constructive proof and we show the relevance of this fact to the theory of commutative POV measures.     

Role of quark-interchange processes in evolution of mesonic matter

We divide the cross-section for a meson-meson reaction into three parts. The first part is for the quark-interchange process, the second for quark-antiquark annihilation processes and the third for resonant processes. Master rate equations are established to yield time dependence of fugacities of pions, rhos, kaons and vector kaons. The equations include cross-sections for inelastic scattering of pions, rhos, kaons and vector kaons. Cross-sections for quark-interchange-induced reactions, that were obtained in a potential model, are parametrized for convenient use. The number densities of π and ρ (K and K ^* are altered by quark-interchange processes in equal magnitudes but opposite signs. The master rate equations combined with the hydrodynamic equations for longitudinal and transverse expansion are solved with many sets of initial meson fugacities. Quark-interchange processes are shown to be important in the contribution of the inelastic meson-meson scattering to the evolution of mesonic matter.     

Choice of targets for inertial confinement fusion

We propose a simple target in the form of a miniature torus, in which the heavy shell is used to confine the plasma spread, for a solution of the laser-fusion problem. We achieve a significant decrease of heat losses using an external magnetic field and/or as a result of a self-sustaining magnetic field that is generated in the plasma. We formulate the conditions and determine the energy of the laser pulse (or of a beam of fast charged particles) required to ignite a thermonuclear DD reaction and obtain a positive energy yield. We show that the stopping range of α-particles does not exceed the small radius of the torus within a broad range of the plasma and magnetic-field parameters.     

Fabrication of concave microlens arrays using controllable dielectrophoretic force in template holes

This Letter presents a method for fabricating concave microlens arrays of UV-curable polymer by using the dielectrophoresis (DEP) force. The DEP force, generated by a voltage between the patterned conductive template and substrate, acting on the polymer-air interface, can drive the dielectric liquid polymer into the template holes and change the shape of the polymer-air interface. The upper polymer surface of fabricated microlens is super smooth, which can reduce optical noise. The upper surface geometry is measured approximately as parabolic in general, which can lead to a negligible spherical aberration, compared to spherical surfaces.     

Efficient passively Q-switched laser operation of Yb in the disordered NaGd(WO4)2 crystal host

Efficient passively Q-switched laser operation of the disordered Yb:NaGd(WO(4))(2) crystal is demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge with a Cr(4+):YAG saturable absorber by diode end pumping. 2.05 W of average output power at a pulse repetition frequency of 13.3 kHz was obtained at an absorbed pump power of 7.7 W, with a slope efficiency of 40%. The energy and duration of the generated laser pulse were 154 microJ and 33 ns, respectively, corresponding to a peak power of 4.67 kW. In continuous-wave operation, the Yb:NaGd(WO(4))(2) laser yielded an output power of 5.5 W with an optical-optical efficiency of 51%.     

Spin physics with COMPASS

COMPASS is a fixed target experiment at CERN studying nucleon spin structure in polarised deep inelastic muon nucleon scattering and hadron spectroscopy using hadron beams. The main goal of the COMPASS spin physics program is the measurement of the helicity contribution of the gluons to the nucleon spin, ΔG. This quantity is accessible via the photon-gluon-fusion process which can be selected by open charm production or production of hadron pairs with large transverse momenta. The spin physics program of COMPASS includes also measurements with a transversely polarised target. These allow to measure the transverse structure function.COMPASS has up to now successfully finished three runs with a muon beam of 160 GeV and a longitudinally polarized⁶LiD target in the years 2002, 2003 and 2004. An overview of the physics addressed by the muon program, with an emphasis on the ΔG/G measurement will be presented. The status of the analysis of the highpt hadron pairs, open charm, longitudinal and transverse asymmetries will be reviewed.     

Synthesis,formation mechanism and electric property of hollow InP nanospheres

The present work reports on novel four-layer thermally driven piezoresistive cantilevers implemented in one- and two-dimensional arrays for parallel proximity scanning. There, the heater (metallic meander), the piezoresistive deflection sensor, and the metal actuation film with significantly higher thermal expansion coefficient make up separate layers. Actuation efficiency and cross-talk of the novel cantilever design are studied and compared with two recent designs: thin metallic film and ion-implanted heater. The novel actuator, integrated on a 240 μm long and 3 μm thick silicon cantilever and supplied by V _dc=1 V enables deflections up to 5 μm of the AFM-tip with an actuation efficiency of about 170 nm/mW and suppressed cross-talk between actuator and sensor.