Imaging spectroscopy: Origin and future trends

Imaging spectroscopy, a useful tool for modern spectroscopic studies, can embed both spatial and spectral information to a set of images and derive the spectra from that. Such techniques are implemented to diversified fields like space observation and laboratory studies of solid materials. The present article intends to highlight the less noticed but significant fact that today's imaging spectroscopy in physical science originates from hyperspectral remote sensing, a technique for earth science that acquired maturity during the last three decades. It introduces several applications of spectral imaging for terrestrial and extraterrestrial objects and anticipates some future trends in this technique. Implementation of imaging spectroscopy to atomic and molecular physics is hoped to provide an indication of future research in this direction.     

Trimodal Control of Ion‐Transport Activity on Cyclo‐oligo‐(1→6)‐β‐D‐glucosamine‐Based Artificial Ion‐Transport Systems

Cyclo‐oligo‐(1→6)‐β‐D ‐glucosamines functionalized with hydrophobic tails are reported as a new class of transmembrane ion‐transport system. These macrocycles with hydrophilic cavities were introduced as an alternative to cyclodextrins, which are supramolecular systems with hydrophobic cavities. The transport activities of these glycoconjugates were manipulated by altering the oligomericity of the macrocycles, as well as the length and number of attached tails. Hydrophobic tails of 3 different sizes were synthesized and coupled with each glucosamine scaffold through the amide linkage to obtain 18 derivatives. The ion‐transport activity increased from di‐ to tetrameric glucosamine macrocycles, but decreased further when flexible pentameric glucosamine was introduced. The ion‐transport activity also increased with increasing length of attached linkers. For a fixed length of linkers, the transport activity decreased when the number of such tails was reduced. All glycoconjugates displayed a uniform anion‐selectivity sequence: Cl^?>Br^?>I^?. From theoretical studies, hydrogen bonding between the macrocycle backbone and the anion bridged through water molecules was observed.     

A General Synthetic Approach for Designing Epitope Targeted Macrocyclic Peptide Ligands

We describe a general synthetic strategy for developing high‐affinity peptide binders against specific epitopes of challenging protein biomarkers. The epitope of interest is synthesized as a polypeptide, with a detection biotin tag and a strategically placed azide (or alkyne) presenting amino acid. This synthetic epitope (SynEp) is incubated with a library of complementary alkyne or azide presenting peptides. Library elements that bind the SynEp in the correct orientation undergo the Huisgen cycloaddition, and are covalently linked to the SynEp. Hit peptides are tested against the full‐length protein to identify the best binder. We describe development of epitope‐targeted linear or macrocycle peptide ligands against 12 different diagnostic or therapeutic analytes. The general epitope targeting capability for these low molecular weight synthetic ligands enables a range of therapeutic and diagnostic applications, similar to those of monoclonal antibodies.     

Pyridine/Oxadiazole-Based Helical Foldamer Ion Channels with Exceptionally High K+/Na+ Selectivity

Protein channels are characterized by high transport selectivity, which is essential for maintaining cellular function. Efforts to reproduce such high selectivity over the past four decades have not been very successful. We report a novel series of aromatic foldamer-based polymeric channels where the backbone is stabilized by differential electrostatic repulsions among heteroatoms helically arrayed along the helical backbone. Nanotubes averaging 2.3 and 2.7 nm in length mediate highly efficient transport of K⁺ ions as a consequence of hydrophilic electron-rich hollow cavities that are 3 Å in diameter. Exceptionally high K⁺ and Na⁺ selectivity values of 16.3 and 12.6, respectively, are achieved.     

Evidence of a canted magnetic state in self-doped LaMnO(3+δ) (δ?=?0.04): a magnetocaloric study

We report a detailed investigation of the magnetocaloric properties of self-doped polycrystalline LaMnO(3+δ) with δ?=?0.04. Due to the self-doping effect, the system exhibits a magnetic transition from a paramagnetic to ferromagnetic-like canted magnetic state (CMS) at ～120?K, which is associated with an appreciably large magnetocaloric effect (MCE). The CMS is an inhomogeneous magnetic phase developing due to a steady growth of antiferromagnetic correlation in its predominant ferromagnetic state below ～120?K. The stabilization of CMS in this material is concluded from a comprehensive analysis of magnetocaloric data using Landau theory, which is in excellent agreement with our neutron diffraction study. The magnetic entropy change versus temperature curves for different applied fields collapse into a single curve, revealing a universal behavior of MCE. Our studies suggest that investigation of MCE is an effective technique to acquire fundamental understanding about the basic magnetic structure of a system with complex competing interactions.     

Validity of the Generalized Second Law of Thermodynamics in the Logamediate and Intermediate Scenarios of the Universe

In this work, we have investigated the validity of the generalized second law of thermodynamics in logamediate and intermediate scenarios of the universe bounded by the Hubble, apparent, particle and event horizons using and without using first law of thermodynamics. We have observed that the GSL is valid for Hubble, apparent, particle and event horizons of the universe in the logamediate scenario of the universe using first law and without using first law. Similarly the GSL is valid for all horizons in the intermediate scenario of the universe using first law. Also in the intermediate scenario of the universe, the GSL is valid for Hubble, apparent and particle horizons but it breaks down whenever we consider the universe enveloped by the event horizon.     

Exceptional sensitivity to neutrino parameters with a two-baseline Beta-beam set-up

We examine the reach of a Beta-beam experiment with two detectors at carefully chosen baselines for exploring neutrino mass parameters. Locating the source at CERN, the two detectors and baselines are: (a) a 50 kton iron calorimeter (ICAL) at a baseline of around 7150 km which is roughly the magic baseline, e.g., ICAL@INO, and (b) a 50 kton Totally Active Scintillator Detector at a distance of 730 km, e.g., at Gran Sasso. We choose ⁸B and ⁸Li source ions with a boost factor γ of 650 for the magic baseline while for the closer detector we consider ¹⁸Ne and ⁶He ions with a range of Lorentz boosts. We find that the locations of the two detectors complement each other leading to an exceptional high sensitivity. With γ=650 for ⁸B/⁸Li and γ=575 for ¹⁸Ne/⁶He and total luminosity corresponding to 5×(1.1×10¹⁸) and 5×(2.9×10¹⁸) useful ion decays in neutrino and antineutrino modes respectively, we find that the two-detector set-up can probe maximal CP violation and establish the neutrino mass ordering if sin²2θ₁₃ is 1.4×10⁻⁴ and 2.7×10⁻⁴, respectively, or more. The sensitivity reach for sin²2θ₁₃ itself is 5.5×10⁻⁴. With a factor of 10 higher luminosity, the corresponding sin²2θ₁₃ reach of this set-up would be 1.8×10⁻⁵, 4.6×10⁻⁵ and 5.3×10⁻⁵ respectively for the above three performance indicators. CP violation can be discovered for 64% of the possible δ_CP values for sin²2θ₁₃10⁻³ (8×10⁻⁵), for the standard luminosity (10 times enhanced luminosity). Comparable physics performance can be achieved in a set-up where data from CERN to INO@ICAL is combined with that from CERN to the Boulby mine in United Kingdom, a baseline of 1050 km.     

Black holes and Newtonian physics

It is argued that one-way passage is inconsistent with Newtonian physics and thus the dark bodies as thought of by Michell and Laplace cannot be considered as exact analogues of relativistic black holes.     

Dual parton model and the photoproduction of pseudoscalar and vector mesons in the high energy region

On the basis of the dynamical dual model of strong interactions followed from the parton model of hadrons as discussed in an earlier paper, we study here the photo-production of pseudoscalar and vector mesons in the high energy region. To incorporate the concept of duality, it is taken that any two spin $\text{1}\text{2}$ pointlike constituents (partons) can form a π-meson cluster in the structure of a nucleon and the basic interaction involved in MB scattering is the interaction of the incident meson with the π meson in the structure of the nucleon. In this scheme, the amplitudes for the photoproduction of mesons such as γN → Nπ, γN → N?, and γN → Nω in the high energy region can be related with the amplitudes for the process γπ → ππ, γπ → π?, and γπ → πω, respectively. To calculate the amplitudes for the relevant process we also consider a factor corresponding to the structural rearrangement of partons involved in duality diagrams. To obtain the cross sections, we take into account the photon-vector meson analogy, though the naive form of the vector dominance model (VDM) has not been considered here. From a knowledge of the coupling constants $\text{γ?}{}^2\text{4π}$, $\text{γω}{}^2\text{?π}$, , and we obtain the differential cross sections which are in excellent agreement with experimental results. Also we obtain a good fit for the scattering process γN → Nπ at backward angles. For the vector meson production processes, we have contributions from the diffraction mechanism also apart from the amplitudes considered here. In the region where the contribution from the diffraction part is negligible, we obtain the relation

which is in nice agreement with experiments. Finally, it is shown that, though the vector meson dominance is not considered here, the universality of the vector meson coupling with hadrons follows directly from the present model.