Demonstration of a Ni-like Kr optical-field-ionization collisional soft x-ray laser at 32.8 nm

We report the first experimental demonstration of a Ni-like optical-field ionization collisional soft x-ray laser. The amplifying medium is generated by focusing a circularly polarized 760 mJ, 30 fs, 10-Hz Ti:sapphire laser beam in a few mm cell filled with krypton. We have measured a gain coefficient of 78 cm(-1) on the 3d(9)4d 1S0-3d(9)4p(1)P1 transition at 32.8 nm, which is here amplified for the first time. This radiation source represents the shortest wavelength optical-field ionization collisional soft x-ray laser ever produced. The influence of the gas pressure and the pumping energy on the lasing output are also presented.     

Description of pulse propagation in a dispersive medium by use of a pulse quality factor

We investigated how the duration of short laser pulses evolves in a dispersive material, using rms widths and a propagation law based on a pulse quality factor. Experiments were carried out with femtosecond pulses (10 to 25fs at the temporal waist) propagating in bulk fused silica. Excellent agreement was found between theory and experiment. This approach does not require complete characterization of laser pulses and eliminates the need for any assumption regarding the interpretation of autocorrelation traces. The method is of general validity, and it can be applied to pulses of arbitrary shape.     

Clustering for routing in densely populated areas

This paper introduces a new approach for generating school bus routes in a dense urban area. First, a districting algorithm is used to determine clusters including appropriate numbers of students. Then, for each cluster, a route and the stops along this route are determined. Numerical results are reported and compared with those obtained previously. Although the algorithm has been developped and tested in a specific context, it could easily be extended to more general vehicle routing problems.     

On Sobolev infinitesimal rigidity of linear hyperbolic actions on the 2-torus*

Let A be a symmetric hyperbolic matrix in SL(2, ℤ) and Γ the subgroup of SL(2, ℤ) generated by A. We aim to study the infinitesimal rigidity of the standard action of Γ on the torus . More precisely, we will consider the Sobolev W^s–infinitesimal rigidity of this action (that is to determine if the cohomology space H¹(Γ,W^s (T M)) is trivial or not), and show that it is W^s–infinitesimally rigid only if 0 ≤ s < 1. A consequence will be that this action is not C^∞–infinitesimally rigid. *I would like to thank A. El Kacimi for introducing me this problem about which we had many fruitful discussions.     

High-resolution gamma-ray radiography produced by a laser-plasma driven electron source

An electron beam from a laser-plasma accelerator is converted into a gamma-ray source using bremsstrahlung radiation in a dense material. The gamma-ray beam has a pointlike source size because it is generated by a high quality electron beam with a small source size and a low divergence. Using this gamma-ray source, the radiography of complex and dense objects with submillimeter resolution is performed. It is the first evidence of a gamma-ray source size of a few hundreds micrometers produced with laser-driven accelerators. This size is consistent with results from Monte Carlo simulations.     

Phase separation in the two-dimensional bosonic Hubbard model with ring exchange

We show that soft-core bosons in two dimensions with a ring exchange term exhibit a tendency for phase separation. This observation suggests that the thermodynamic stability of normal Bose liquid phases driven by ring exchange should be carefully examined.     

Folding and unfolding of an elastinlike oligopeptide: "inverse temperature transition," reentrance, and hydrogen-bond dynamics

The temperature-dependent behavior of a solvated oligopeptide, GVG(VPGVG), is investigated. Spectroscopic measurements, thermodynamic measurements, and molecular dynamics simulations find that this elastinlike octapeptide behaves as a two-state system that undergoes an "inverse temperature" folding transition and reentrant unfolding close to the boiling point of water. A molecular picture of these processes is presented, emphasizing changes in the dynamics of hydrogen bonding at the protein/water interface and peptide backbone librational entropy.     

Spectroscopy of 40Ca and negative-parity bands

We have studied the reactions as well as the binary channel , in order to search for deformed states, which form rotational bands in ⁴⁰Ca. We observe positive- and negative-parity bands. The negative-parity band is proposed to be a partner of an inversion doublet with the positive-parity states being based on 4p-4h configurations. The properties of the positive-parity states are discussed on the basis of the shell model and the parity doublet on the basis of a cluster model with intrinsic reflection asymmetric shapes.Received: 2 May 2003, Revised: 23 September 2003, Published online: 20 January 2004PACS: 21.10.-k Properties of nuclei; nuclear energy levels - 21.60.Gx Cluster models     

Numerical predictions and experiments on the free-plate edge mode

In this paper, te edge mode variation is studied with three different methods: the reciprocal work method, already used by Torvik [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 41 (1967) 346] to model this phenomenon, the S-parameter method and a finite element model that are applied for the first time to the study of the edge resonance. Moreover, laser probe measurements of the edge mode have also been performed and compared to the numerical predictions. The good agreement between the numerical predictions and the experimental data allows full understanding of the resonant phenomenon. The edge resonance is linked to the strong increase in amplitude of two complex Lamb waves, and the edge mode is proved to radiate into the plate as the first symmetrical Lamb mode S(0). Displacements at the edge and away from the edge have been computed and measured to evaluate the spatial and temporal behaviour of the edge mode. The dependence of the edge resonance frequency and amplitude on the Poisson coefficient has also been studied.