Rapid large-scale magnetic-field dissipation in a collisionless current sheet via coupling between Kelvin-Helmholtz and lower-hybrid drift instabilities

Rapid large-scale magnetic-field dissipation is observed in a full kinetic simulation of cross-field current instabilities in a current sheet even when the thickness of the current sheet is at ion scale. The Kelvin-Helmholtz instability caused by the velocity shear between the current-carrying ions and the cold background ions excites the lower-hybrid drift instability at the edges of the undulated current sheet. We show that the nonlinear coupling between these two instabilities is responsible for the observed rapid dissipation. The simulation result presents a new route for magnetic-field dissipation in an ion-scale current sheet and demonstrates the general significance of nonlinear cross-scale coupling in collisionless plasmas.     

In vivo ultrahigh-resolution optical coherence tomography

Ultrahigh-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) by use of state of the art broad-bandwidth femtosecond laser technology is demonstrated and applied to in vivo subcellular imaging. Imaging is performed with a Kerr-lens mode-locked Ti:sapphire laser with double-chirped mirrors that emits sub-two-cycle pulses with bandwidths of up to 350 nm, centered at 800 nm. Longitudinal resolutions of ~1mum and transverse resolution of 3mum, with a 110-dB dynamic range, are achieved in biological tissue. To overcome depth-of-field limitations we perform zone focusing and image fusion to construct a tomogram with high transverse resolution throughout the image depth. To our knowledge this is the highest longitudinal resolution demonstrated to date for in vivo OCT imaging.     

Low-threshold, 12-MHz, multipass-cavity femtosecond Cr4+: Forsterite laser

We report on the development of an extended-cavity, low-threshold femtosecond Cr⁴⁺:forsterite laser operating near 1270 nm. The resonator was end-pumped by a continuous-wave Yb-fiber laser at 1060 nm. The 195-MHz short cavity could be operated with absorbed threshold pump powers as low as about 300 mW. To scale up the pulse energy, the cavity length was increased by using a q-preserving multipass cavity (MPC) consisting of a flat and a curved (R = 4 m), notched high-reflector. Kerr-lens mode locking was used to generate femtosecond pulses and double-chirped mirrors were included in the cavity for dispersion compensation. With an absorbed pump power of 1250 mW, the mode-locked laser produced 4 nJ of pulse energy at an average output power of only 47 mW. The corresponding repetition rate of the extended cavity was 11.7 MHz. The pulse-width was 90 fs and the spectral bandwidth was 23 nm, corresponding to a time-bandwidth product of 0.37.     

Ultra-stable Ni catalysts for methane reforming by carbon dioxide

Methane reforming by carbon dioxide has been studied over ultra-stable Ni catalysts. The catalyst was characterized by XRD, IR and TEM and temperature programmed hydrogenation. The nickel–magnesia solid solution catalyst containing low nickel has shown excellent stability (>3000 h) and no carbon deposition in the methane reforming by carbon dioxide. It was also found that the small nickel metal particle interaction with support surface is effective for the inhibition of carbon formation.     

The Surface Analysis Working Group at the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance,Metrology in Chemistry and Biology: A successful initiative by Martin Seah

Dr Martin Seah, NPL, was the initiator, founder, and first chairman of the Surface Analysis Working Group (SAWG) at the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance, Metrology in Chemistry and Biology (CCQM) at the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM), the international organization established by the Metre Convention. This tribute letter summarizes his achievements during his chairmanship and his long-running impact on the successful work of the group after his retirement.     

Aromatic Monochlorination Photosensitized by DDQ with Hydrogen Chloride under Visible‐Light Irradiation

Photochlorination of aromatic substrates by hydrogen chloride with 2,3‐dichloro‐5,6‐cyano‐p‐benzoquinone (DDQ) occurs efficiently to produce the corresponding monochlorinated products selectively under visible‐light irradiation. The yields for the chlorination of phenol were 70 % and 18 % for p‐ and o‐chlorophenol, respectively, without formation of further chlorinated products. The photoinduced chlorination is initiated by electron transfer from Cl^? to the triplet excited state of DDQ. The radical intermediates involved in the photochemical reaction have been detected by time‐resolved transient absorption measurements.     

Redox regulation of helical structures in short peptides with an intramolecular ferrocenyl cross-linking agent

We redox-regulated alpha-helicity of short peptides intramolecularly cross-linked with a ferrocenyl linker between amino acid side chains. The helical content of the cross-linked peptide was estimated to be 56% in the neutral state of the ferrocene core at 25 degrees C. The addition of an oxidant to the solution of the cross-linked peptide enhanced the helicity up to 75%. The increased helical content returned to the same level as that in the previous ferrocene state by further addition of a reductant.     

Estimation of the persistence length of DNA from the torsion elastic constant and supercoiling free energy: effect of ethylene glycol

Two different methods are proposed to estimate the persistence length ( P) of DNA from the measured torsion elastic constant (alpha) and the twist energy parameter ( E T ) that governs the supercoiling free energy. The first method involves Monte Carlo simulations and reversible-work calculations of E T for model DNAs that possess the measured alpha and selected trial values of P. Comparison of the computed E T values with the experimental value allows estimation of P (or equivalently the bending elastic constant (kappa beta)) by interpolation. A far simpler, though less accurate, alternative is to solve a previously conjectured analytical relation connecting E T , alpha, kappa beta (or P), and an unknown "constant" ( B). The present simulations are used to ascertain the optimum value of B and to assess the validity and accuracy of that relation. Within the simulation errors, P values obtained from the measured alpha and E T via this analytical expression agree with those determined from the simulations and E T values reckoned from the input alpha and kappa beta by this analytical expression agree with the corresponding simulated values. Although B is found to be insensitive to variation in alpha, it appears to decline slightly with increasing kappa beta. The original analytical expression is modified to take this apparent variation of B with kappa beta into account. By using this modified analytical relation to estimate P (from the measured alpha and E T ) or E T (from the input alpha and kappa beta), much closer agreement is obtained respectively with the values of P or E T obtained from the simulations. As specific examples, these methods are applied to determine P in 0 and 20 w/v % ethylene glycol, which has been shown to induce a structural transition in duplex DNA.