Magnetic measurement of transport AC losses in Bi-2223/Ag tapes

Magnetic nature of the losses in superconducting wire carrying AC current implies that it should be possible to determine these losses in a contactless way. Ribbon-like samples are quite favorable for such an experiment, because a notable portion of magnetic flux related to losses ‘escapes' the sample volume and can be detected by an appropriate pick-up coil. In this case, a model describing the AC current penetration into the tape, based, e.g., on the critical state model, allows one to derive the losses from the pick-up coil signal. Because this signal is proportional to the number of coil turns, extension of the accessible range of measured voltages (and losses) can be achieved. We demonstrate the data obtained on a 1 cm long portion of a low-loss multifilamentary tape carrying AC current with frequency 35 Hz. The pick-up coil technique allowed us to reach loss level more than one order below the experimental limit for direct measurements.     

Studies on terbium activated yttrium based tantalate phosphors

Terbium activated yttrium niobium tantalate phosphors were prepared by solid-state reaction and were characterized by photoluminescence measurements, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Photoluminescence (PL) of Y_0.95Tb_0.05Ta_1?xNb_xO₄ phosphors (x = 0–1) are influenced by the host-lattice composition, degree of crystalline order and particle morphology and size. The effect of the morpho-structural properties on PL characteristics of Y(Ta,Nb)O₄:Tb powders is reported.     

Fundamental frequency of vibration of clamped plates of arbitrary shape subjected to a hydrostatic state of in-plane stress

The present paper makes use of conformal mapping and Galerkin's method to determine the fundamental frequency of vibration of clamped plates of arbitrary shape subjected to uniform in-plane stress. Numerical results are presented for several plates of regular polygonal shape. Frequency curves obtained by means of Lurie's expression are also given for simply supported plates.     

Symmetries of BLT-Sets

We do the tentative beginnings of a study of BLT-sets of generalised quadrangles via their symmetries. In particular, the study of whorls about a line leads us to hyperbolic reflections preserving a BLT-set of Q(4, q).     

Quantum dynamics in ultracold atomic physics

We review recent developments in the theory of quantum dynamics in ultracold atomic physics, including exact techniques and methods based on phase-space mappings that are applicable when the complexity becomes exponentially large. Phase-space representations include the truncated Wigner, positive-P and general Gaussian operator representations which can treat both bosons and fermions. These phase-space methods include both traditional approaches using a phase-space of classical dimension, and more recent methods that use a non-classical phase-space of increased dimensionality. Examples used include quantum Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) entanglement of a four-mode BEC, time-reversal tests of dephasing in single-mode traps, BEC quantum collisions with up to 106 modes and 105 interacting particles, quantum interferometry in a multi-mode trap with nonlinear absorption, and the theory of quantum entropy in phase-space. We also treat the approach of variational optimization of the sampling error, giving an elementary example of a nonlinear oscillator.     

Assessment of environmental noise and its effect on neonates in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

A method for analyzing the influence of noise on newborns is proposed. The method consists of defining three different types of time interval (quiet, noisy and nursing) and, for each period, environmental noise levels, heart rate, mean arterial pressure and oxygen saturation is continuously measured. The statistical analysis of the influence of the equivalent noise level, rather than instantaneous noise level, on the behavior of the physiological variables is carried out. Great influence of noise is found by using this method, which is also easily translatable to other intensive care units as actual noise conditions are used in the investigation. Moreover, episodes of Bradycardia, Hypoxia and Hypertension are easily related to simultaneous direct nursing activity or a short but high enough noise event, suggesting that both sustained noisy environment and isolated peak noises lead to the alteration of the physiological variables.     

The Evolution of High-Throughput Macromolecular Crystallography at Synchrotrons

On May 11 and 12, 2000, the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, as it was then known, hosted a “Workshop on Techniques for Automated Mounting, Viewing and Centering Pre-Cooled Protein Crystals” [1 http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/conferences/workshops/px-robotics/. [Google Scholar], 2 E. Abola, Nature Structural Biology 7, 973–977 (2000).[Crossref], [PubMed] , [Google Scholar]]. The 12 presentations during the meeting all focused on the impact that automation could have on the performance of synchrotron beamlines and thus on research in structural biology. Two principal themes ran through the workshop: (1) robotics to mount crystals on a diffractometer; and (2) methods to place a crystal in the X-ray beam. Five conceptual and prototype robotic systems for automated mounting were described—the original ACTOR from Abbott Laboratories, later modified and marketed by Rigaku/MSC, and the systems which in final form become the ALS [3 G. Snell, Structure 12, 537–545 (2004).[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]], EMBL/ESRF SC3 [4 F. Cipriani, Acta Cryst. D62(10), 1251–1259 (2006). [Google Scholar]], APS/SBC [5 D. Shu, AIP Conference Proceedings 705(1), 1201–1204 (2004).[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]], and SSRL SAM robots [6 A. E. Cohen, J. Appl. Cryst. 5(6), 720–726 (2002).[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]]. By December of that year, the ACTOR had been installed for testing at Sector 32 of the Advanced Photon Source (Figure 1). Within three years, by the end of 2003, several of these robots, plus the commercial MARcsc from MAR Research, had been deployed to handle frozen protein crystals at beamlines for macromolecular crystallography (MX). Currently, at least 13 distinct robot types, not including variants of the ALS automounter, are employed at synchrotron beamlines to transfer crystals from storage to beam position.