Close-coupling elastic and inelastic integral and differential cross sections for Li+ + H2 collisions

The quantum mechanical close-coupling formalism is applied to the study of elastic and rotationally inelastic Li⁺ + H₂ collisions making use of the Kutzelnigg-Staemmler-Hoheisel potential energy surface. Integral and differential cross sections for j = 0 → 0 and j = 0 → 2 are obtained in the collision energy range 0.2 to 0.9 eV and for j = 1 → 1 and j = 1 → 3 at 0.6 eV. A rainbow structure is observed in both the elastic and inelastic angular distributions and a quenching of the fast oscillations is found in the cross sections for j = 1 initially compared to the case j = 0 initially. At 0.6 eV. the calculated quantum mechanical angular distributions are compared to those from a classical trajectory calculation using the same surface and to the experimental ones. The dynamics of rotational excitation in the Li⁺ + H₂ system is contrasted to rotational excitation in systems for which the atom-diatom interaction is predominantly repulsive.     

Cleaning requirements for silica‐coated sensors used in optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy

Optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS), based on the incoupling of laser light into a waveguide sensor by an optical grating, allows for the in situ measurement of protein adsorption. Few reports have described cleaning methods for the surfaces of such sensors, and in this investigation, we compare common methods for cleaning of silica surfaces in relation to their effectiveness for cleaning silica‐coated waveguide sensors used in OWLS. For this purpose, atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis of surface morphology and OWLS detection of protein adsorption kinetics were used to evaluate waveguide sensors before and after cleaning. While AFM line scans showed a substantial increase in average waveguide peak‐to‐valley height after RCA cleaning relative to all other methods tested, chemical etching owing to the alkaline component of the rolling circle amplification method rendered the waveguide unusable for detection of protein adsorption with OWLS. A revised method, based on replacement of the alkaline step with immersion in sodium dodecyl sulfate, was not only effective at cleaning OWLS waveguides off‐the‐shelf but also showed excellent protein adsorption reproducibility after ex situ cleaning. Moreover, the revised method showed excellent reproducibility when applied in situ, between repeated adsorption‐elution cycles. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A rapid heating and high magnetic field thermal analysis technique

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - A new thermal analysis technique is described that allows measurements to be performed on bulk samples at extreme heating and cooling rates and in high...     

Multicomponent,Flow Diazotization/Mizoroki–Heck Coupling Protocol: Dispelling Myths about Working with Diazonium Salts

A single pass flow diazotization/Mizoroki–Heck protocol has been developed for the production of cinnimoyl and styryl products. The factors that govern aryl diazonium salt stability have been examined in detail leading to the development of a MeOH/DMF co‐solvent system in which the diazonium salts can be generated in the presence of all other reaction components and then coupled selectively to give the desired products. Finally the key role of the reaction quench for flow reactions has been demonstrated.     

Spin polarization of semiconductor carriers by reflection off a ferromagnet

We present a theory of generation or alteration of the electron spin coherence and population in an n-doped semiconductor by reflection at the interface with a ferromagnet. The dependence of the spin reflection on the Schottky barrier height and the doping concentration in the semiconductor was computed for a generic model. The theory provides an explanation for the spontaneous electron spin coherence and nuclear polarization in the semiconductor interfaced with a ferromagnet and associated phenomena recently observed by time-resolved Faraday rotation experiments. The study also points to an alternative approach to spintronics different from spin injection.     

Doppler effects due to thermal macromotion of ions in an rf quadrupole trap

The second-order Doppler shift is an important source of systematic error in rf quadrupole trapped ion frequency standards. This shift can be reduced by cooling the secular motion of the ion cloud with a light background gas at low pressure. Using a thermalized ion cloud model, it is possible to relate the Doppler shift to the temperature of the ion cloud. It is shown that, in practice, the measured frequency of the first-order Doppler sidebands can be used to determine the ion cloud temperature.     

Magnetism and disorder effects on muon spin rotation measurements of the magnetic penetration depth in iron-arsenic superconductors

It is shown that attempts to accurately deduce the magnetic penetration depth λ of overdoped BaFe(1.82)Co(0.18)As? single crystals by transverse-field muon spin rotation (TF μSR) are thwarted by field-induced magnetic order and strong vortex-lattice disorder. We explain how substantial deviations from the magnetic field distribution of a nearly perfect vortex lattice by one or both of these factors is also significant for other iron-arsenic superconductors, and this introduces considerable uncertainty in the values of λ obtained by TF μSR.     

Gas chromatographic profiles of plasma total lipids as indicators of dietary history. Correlation with carbohydrate and alcohol intake based on 24-h dietary recall.

Quantitative gas chromatographic estimates of the major lipid classes and molecular species in fasting plasma were correlated with total carbohydrate, starch, fibre, sucrose and alcohol intake based on 24-h dietary recall. Spearman coefficients (rs) and tests of significance (P) were obtained for groups of 775 males and 471 females aged 20-59 years from a Toronto-McMaster Lipid Research Clinics Population Study. The most significant correlations varying from rs 0.1 to 0.2 and P 0.001 to 0.0005 (n = 400-773) were between increased intake of alcohol and increased ratios of C50/C54 triacylglycerols, C34/C36 phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylcholine/free cholesterol (PC/FC) of plasma. Increase in total dietary carbohydrate, starch and fibre correlated with decreasing C50/C54 triacylglycerol, C34/C36 phosphatidylcholine and PC/FC ratios (rs = -0.1-0.2; P less than 0.002-0.04; n = 400-773). In contrast, consumption of high levels of alcohol was associated with increasing C50/C54 triacylglycerol, C34/C36 phosphatidylcholine and PC/FC ratios. A high intake of alcohol (50-150 ml per day) distinguished itself from other simple carbohydrate-induced lipid profiles by its marked effect on increased C50/C52 triacylglycerol and PC/FC ratio.