Adaption of a diffractometer for time‐resolved X‐ray resonant magnetic scattering

A new set‐up is presented to measure element‐selective magnetization dynamics using the ALICE chamber [Grabis et al. (2003), Rev. Sci. Instrum. 74 , 4048–4051] at the BESSY II synchrotron at the Helmholtz‐Zentrum Berlin. A magnetic‐field pulse serves as excitation, and the magnetization precession is probed by element‐selective X‐ray resonant magnetic scattering. With the use of single‐bunch‐generated X‐rays a temporal resolution well below 100 ps is reached. The ALICE diffractometer environment enables investigations of thin films, described here, multilayers and laterally structured samples in reflection or diffuse scattering geometry. The combination of the time‐resolved set‐up with a cryostat in the ALICE chamber will allow temperature‐dependent studies of precessional magnetization dynamics and of damping constants to be conducted over a large temperature range and for a large variety of systems in reflection geometry.     

Reversible photomechanical switching of individual engineered molecules at a metallic surface

We have observed reversible light-induced mechanical switching for individual organic molecules bound to a metal surface. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) was used to image the features of individual azobenzene molecules on Au(111) before and after reversibly cycling their mechanical structure between trans and cis states using light. Azobenzene molecules were engineered to increase their surface photomechanical activity by attaching varying numbers of tert-butyl (TB) ligands ("legs") to the azobenzene phenyl rings. STM images show that increasing the number of TB legs "lifts" the azobenzene molecules from the substrate, thereby increasing molecular photomechanical activity by decreasing molecule-surface coupling.     

Neuronal expression of muskelin in the rodent central nervous system

Background  

The kelch repeat protein muskelin mediates cytoskeletal responses to the extracellular matrix protein thrombospondin 1, (TSP1), that is known to promote synaptogenesis in the central nervous system (CNS). Muskelin displays intracellular localization and affects cytoskeletal organization in adherent cells. Muskelin is expressed in adult brain and has been reported to bind the Cdk5 activator p39, which also facilitates the formation of functional synapses. Since little is known about muskelin in neuronal tissues, we here analysed the tissue distribution of muskelin in rodent brain and analysed its subcellular localization using cultured neurons from multiple life stages.     

Time-resolved probing of the ground state coherence in rubidium

We demonstrate the preparation and probing of the coherence between the hyperfine ground states |S(1/2),F=1> and |5S(1/2),F=2> of the Rb87 isotope. The effects of various coherence control techniques, i.e., fractional stimulated Raman adiabatic passage and coherent population return, on the coherence are investigated. These techniques are implemented using nearly degenerate pump and Stokes lasers at 795 nm (Rb D1 transition), which couple the two hyperfine ground states via the excited state |5P(1/2),F=1> through a resonant two-photon process in which a coherent superposition of the two hyperfine ground states is established. The medium is probed by an additional weak laser, which generates a four-wave mixing signal proportional to the ground state coherence and allows us to monitor its evolution in time. The experimental data are compared with numerical simulations.     

Some calculable contributions to entanglement entropy

Entanglement entropy appears as a central property of quantum systems in broad areas of physics. However, its precise value is often sensitive to unknown microphysics, rendering it incalculable. By considering parametric dependence on correlation length, we extract finite, calculable contributions to the entanglement entropy for a scalar field between the interior and exterior of a spatial domain of arbitrary shape. The leading term is proportional to the area of the dividing boundary; we also extract finite subleading contributions for a field defined in the bulk interior of a waveguide in 3+1 dimensions, including terms proportional to the waveguide's cross-sectional geometry: its area, perimeter length, and integrated curvature. We also consider related quantities at criticality and suggest a class of systems for which these contributions might be measurable.     

A continuum model of a solid with a free surface: I. Normal mode analysis of the model

A complete analysis is made of the normal modes of an isotropic continuum model of a solid which occupies the region (0, 0, 0) < (x, y, z) < (X, Y, Z), the limit (X, Y, Z) → (∞,∞,∞) being taken. The surface z = 0 is a free surface and that z = Z is fixed; cyclic boundary conditions are used in the x and y directions. The modal displacements (vectors), modal frequencies (as a function of the wave-vectors), and wave-vector-densities are obtained for all types of normal modes; the work is a modification and extension of that of earlier workers.     

Almost Complex Structures Which Are Compatible with Kähler or Symplectic Structures

In this note we prove that half of all homotopy classes of almost complex structures on M is not compatible with any symplectic structure for a certain class of oriented compact 4-manifolds M. In particular, half of all homotopy classes of almost complex structures on an oriented 4-manifold is not compatible to any Kähler structure.     

Aspects of operator theory in hereditarily indecomposable Banach spaces

We examine certain special features exhibited by various classes of linear operators acting in a hereditarily indecomposable Banach space. For instance, we show that the family of all Riesz operators in a H.I. space forms a closed, 2-sided ideal. We also give further characterizations of the class of scalar-type spectral operators (to those already given in [16]). The final section discusses some properties of the spectral maximal spaces of (necessarily decomposable) linear operators in such spaces. Conferenza tenuta il 16 settembre 1997 The support of the German Academic Exchange Scheme (DAAD) is gratefully acknowledged     

Spatiotemporal stochastic resonance and its consequences in neural model systems

The realization of spatiotemporal stochastic resonance is studied in a two-dimensional FitzHugh-Nagumo system, and in a one-dimensional system of integrate-and-fire neurons. We show that spatiotemporal stochastic resonance occurs in these neural model systems, independent of the method of modeling. Moreover, the ways of realization are analogous in the two model systems. The biological implications and open questions are discussed. (c) 2001 American Institute of Physics.