Investigating the vortex melting phenomenon in BSCCO crystals using magneto-optical imaging technique

Using a novel differential magneto-optical imaging technique we investigate the phenomenon of vortex lattice melting in crystals of Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈ (BSCCO). The images of melting reveal complex patterns in the formation and evolution of the vortex solid-liquid interface with varying field (H)/temperature (T). We believe that the complex melting patterns are due to a random distribution of material disorder/inhomogeneities across the sample, which create fluctuations in the local melting temperature or field value. To study the fluctuations in the local melting temperature/field, we have constructed maps of the melting landscape T _m(H, r), viz., the melting temperature (T _m) at a given location (r) in the sample at a given field (H). A study of these melting landscapes reveals an unexpected feature: the melting landscape is not fixed, but changes rather dramatically with varying field and temperature along the melting line. It is concluded that the changes in both the scale and shape of the landscape result from the competing contributions of different types of quenched disorder which have opposite effects on the local melting transition.     

Spectroscopic investigations and crystal structure from synchrotron powder data of the inclusion complex of beta-cyclodextrin with atenolol

Inclusion complexes of atenolol with beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) in aqueous solution have been investigated with (1)H NMR and UV-vis spectroscopy. The stoichiometry of this inclusion complex was established to be equimolar (1:1) and its stability constant was determined by UV-vis spectroscopy. The crystal structure of the beta-CD-atenolol (1:1) inclusion compound has been solved from synchrotron powder diffraction data using direct-space search techniques. The crystal structure model and (1)H NMR data are in good agreement and, with support of Hyperchem MM+ molecular dynamics results, suggest which protons are likely to be involved in the inclusion process that leads to the supramolecular architecture of this guest-host complex.     

μ‐Raman spectroscopy of prehistoric paintings from the Abrigo Remacha rock shelter (Villaseca,Segovia, Spain)

The composition of the materials present in prehistoric paintings discovered on the walls of the Abrigo Remacha rock shelter (Villaseca, Segovia, Spain) has been characterised by micro‐Raman spectroscopy. In addition, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X‐ray microanalysis have been used as auxiliary techniques. The results show that haematite (α‐Fe₂O₃) is the main component of the red pigment. Amorphous carbon and paracoquimbite (Fe₂(SO₄)₃.9H₂O) have been detected in the bluish black pigment used in a significant bi‐colour pictograph. This is the first time that this mineral has been discovered in a prehistoric painting. Accretions of whewellite and weddellite form crusts covering most of the painting panel. Different carbonates are the main components of the rocky substrate. The detection of gypsum on the surface of the panel is associated to the flaking process that is affecting the painting panel. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

21Na(p,gamma)22Mg reaction and oxygen-neon novae

The 21Na(p,gamma)22Mg reaction is expected to play an important role in the nucleosynthesis of 22Na in oxygen-neon novae. The decay of 22Na leads to the emission of a characteristic 1.275 MeV gamma-ray line. This report provides the first direct measurement of the rate of this reaction using a radioactive 21Na beam, and discusses its astrophysical implications. The energy of the important state was measured to be E(c.m.)=205.7+/-0.5 keV with a resonance strength omegagamma=1.03+/-0.16(stat)+/-0.14(sys) meV.     

Experimental investigation of the effect of pump incoherence on nonlinear pump spectral broadening and continuous-wave supercontinuum generation

The development of high-power cw fiber lasers has triggered a great interest in the phenomena of nonlinear pump spectral broadening and cw supercontinuum generation. These effects have very convenient applications in Raman amplification, optical fiber metrology, and fiber sensing. In particular, it was recently shown that pump incoherence has a strong impact in these processes. We study experimentally the effect of pump incoherence in nonlinear pump spectral broadening and cw supercontinuum generation in optical fibers. We show that under certain experimental conditions an optimum degree of pump incoherence yields the best performance in the broadening process. We qualitatively explain these results, and we point out that these results may have important implications in cw supercontinuum optimization.     

Accuracy of the multipole expansion applied to a sphere in a creeping flow parallel to a wall

An example system is studied to discuss precision of the multipoleexpansion, applied to determine forces exerted on particlesby a viscous low-Reynolds-number fluid flow. A single spherein an ambient flow (pure shear, quadratic, and modulated shear)parallel to a close plane wall is considered. Forces and torquesexerted by the ambient flow on a motionless sphere are evaluated.Their precision is determined and related to a multipole orderof the truncation. Similar analysis is performed for a movingsphere with no ambient flow and for a freely moving sphere.Relative motion of the sphere with respect to the wall givesrise to strong lubrication interactions. It is analysed howthese interactions affect accuracy of the pure multipole expansion,and what are the smallest distances where it becomes insufficient.An alternative precise method is applied, in which lubricationexpressions are subtracted from the hydrodynamic forces andtorques, and the residue is evaluated as a fast-convergent seriesof inverse powers of the distance between the sphere centreand the wall. The accuracy of this procedure is carefully analysed.     

Raman microscopy of prehistoric paintings in French megalithic monuments

Remains of pictorial decorations in a series of six representative megalithic monuments of Brittany (France) and two French stelae have been studied by micro‐Raman spectroscopy for the first time. Fungal colonies on the painted orthostats made it difficult to obtain in situ Raman spectra of the paint components. Nevertheless, paint micro‐specimens studied in the laboratory by micro‐Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electronic microscopy combined with energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy have made possible to characterise the materials present. The minerals α‐quartz, albite, microcline, muscovite, phlogopite, celadonite, beryl and anatase have been identified in the granitic rocks supporting the paintings, while dolomite and calcite are dominant in the calcareous rocky substrata. Haematite is the main component of the red pictographs, whereas amorphous carbon and manganese oxides/oxihydroxides have been used in the black ones. Calcite, gypsum and amorphous carbon have been detected as additional components of the paint in some cases. Contamination with modern tracing materials (polystyrene and ε‐copper‐phthalocyanine blue) has been detected in several cases. The presence of pigments as decorative elements in megalithic monuments of Western France and its possible relation with those of the Iberian Peninsula create interesting expectations for the knowledge of the European megalithic culture. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Host–guest system of Vitamin B10 in β-cyclodextrin: characterization of the interaction in solution and in solid state

Conventional drugs are usually formulated for the immediate release of the medicinal substances and for obtaining the desired therapeutic effect. The aim of this paper was to investigate the possible interactions between Vitamin B10 and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), to determine the physical-chemical characteristics and the interactions present in the corresponding inclusion compound. The so-obtained compounds were characterized by X-ray diffraction, DSC and FTIR spectroscopy. ¹H NMR and UV–vis spectroscopic methods were employed to study the inclusion process in aqueous solution. The X-ray powder diffraction patterns demonstrate the inclusion compound formation, especially for the lyophilized product where the amorphous phase dominates. The existence of the inclusion compounds obtained by different methods was confirmed by comparing with DSC and FTIR data of the pure compounds and the (1:1) Vitamin B10:β-CD physical mixture (pm). ¹H NMR measurements on aqueous solutions of Vitamin B10 and β-CD in D₂O allowed us to establish the corresponding Vitamin B10’s and cyclodextrin’s protons implied in the complexation process. 2D NMR spectroscopy established the geometry of the inclusion complex. ¹H NMR, UV–Vis and fluorescence data were used to obtain the stoichiometry and the stability constant of the complex.     

EPR investigations of Cu(II) complexes with 5′-CMP and 5′-GMP

Electron paramagnetic resonance investigation of the Cu(II) complexes with guanosine-5′-monophosphate (5′-GMP) and cytidine-5′-monophosphate (5′-CMP) shows the affinity of the Cu(II) ion to interact with the base and the phosphate group. The different modes of the coordination of the metal ion at the nucleotide and the water molecules lead to octahedral species, distorted by dynamical Jahn-Teller effect (g₀ = 2.106) for the Cu(II)-5′-CMP complex and rhombically distorted (g₁ = 2.358, g₂ = 2.126, g₃ = 2.068) or tetragonally distorted (g_∥^′ = 2.299, g_⊥^′ = 2.126) for the Cu(II)-5′ -GMP complex. The compound with 5′-CMP presents also a more stable in time square-planar species (g_∥ = 2.265, A_∥ = 162 G, g_⊥ = 2.076). The local symmetry changes in aqueous solution by coordination of water molecules.