First observation of lasing at 231 Å in neon-like nickel using the prepulse technique

We report lasing for the first time in nickel on the neon-like J=01, 3p3s transition at 231 Å as well as several weaker transitions including the J=2»1 lines at 298 Å and 304 Å. Amplification is seen only when the prepulse technique of using a low intensity prepulse before the main optical drive pulse is used to illuminate the nickel target. The prepulse technique is also shown to produce lasing in copper and dramatically improve the output of the germanium laser.     

Thin-film spatial filters

A thin-film optical filter used as a one-dimensional spatial filter is presented, and its design is briefly examined. The filter consists of a stack of quarter-wave dielectric layers upon a right-angle prism that selectively cancel a reflected or transmitted plane-wave front for various angles of incidence. Transmittance and reflectance are low-pass functions or high-pass functions of the angle of incidence with a high degree of steepness. In combination, these filters exhibit bandpass transmittance with a variable bandwidth. Applications to detection of extrasolar planets are briefly discussed.     

Novel coexistence of superconductivity with two distinct magnetic orders

The heavy fermion system exhibits properties that range from an incommensurate antiferromagnet for small to an exotic superconductor on the Ir-rich end of the phase diagram. At intermediate where antiferromagnetism coexists with superconductivity, two types of magnetic order are observed: the incommensurate one of and a new, commensurate antiferromagnetism that orders separately. The coexistence of -electron superconductivity with two distinct -electron magnetic orders is unique among unconventional superconductors, adding a new variety to the usual coexistence found in magnetic superconductors.     

Optimized IR synchrotron beamline design

Synchrotron infrared beamlines are powerful tools on which to perform spectroscopy on microscopic length scales but require working with large bending‐magnet source apertures in order to provide intense photon beams to the experiments. Many infrared beamlines use a single toroidal‐shaped mirror to focus the source emission which generates, for large apertures, beams with significant geometrical aberrations resulting from the shape of the source and the beamline optics. In this paper, an optical layout optimized for synchrotron infrared beamlines, that removes almost totally the geometrical aberrations of the source, is presented and analyzed. This layout is already operational on the IR beamline of the Brazilian synchrotron. An infrared beamline design based on a SOLEIL bending‐magnet source is given as an example, which could be useful for future IR beamline improvements at this facility.     

Gravitational and electromagnetic signatures of accretion into a charged black hole

We present the derivation and the solutions to the coupled electromagnetic and gravitational perturbations with sources in a charged black hole background. We work in the so called ghost gauge and consider as source of the perturbations the infall of radial currents. In this way, we study a system in which it is provoked a response involving both, gravitational and electromagnetic waves, which allows us to analyze the dependence between them. We solve numerically the wave equations that describe both signals, characterize the waveforms and study the relation between the input parameters of the infalling matter with those of the gravitational and electromagnetic responses.     

A ketogenic diet increases succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) activity and recovers age-related decrease in numeric density of SDH-positive mitochondria in cerebellar Purkinje cells of late-adult rats

Ketogenic diets (KDs) have been applied in the therapy of paediatric epilepsy for nearly a century. Recently, beneficial results have also been reported on metabolic disorders and neurodegeneration, designating aged individuals as possible recipients. However, KDs efficacy decrease after the suckling period, and very little is known about their impact on the aging brain. In the present study, the effect on the neuronal energetic supply of a KD containing 20% of medium chain triglycerides (MCT) was investigated in Purkinje cells of the cerebellar vermis of late-adult (19-month-old) rats. The animals were fed with the KD for 8 weeks, and succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) activity was cytochemically determined. The following parameters of SDH-positive mitochondria were evaluated by the use of a computer-assisted image analysis system connected to a transmission electron microscope: numeric density (Nv), average volume (V), volume density (Vv), and cytochemical precipitate area/mitochondrial area (R). Young, age-matched, and old animals fed with a standard chow were used as controls. We found significantly higher Nv in MCT-KD-fed rats vs. all the control groups, in young vs. late-adult and old controls, and in late-adult vs. old controls. V and Vv showed no significant differences among the groups. R was significantly higher in MCT-KD-fed rats vs. all the control animals, and in old vs. young and late-adult controls. Present data indicate that the ketogenic treatment counteracted age-related decrease in numeric density of SDH-positive mitochondria, and enhanced their metabolic efficiency. Given the central role of mitochondrial impairment in age-related physio-pathological changes of the brain, these findings may represent a starting point to examine novel potentialities for KDs.     

Synthesis of carbon nanotubes by CVD: Effect of acetylene pressure on nanotubes characteristics

The effect of acetylene partial pressure on the structural and morphological properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) synthesized by CVD on iron nanoparticles dispersed in a SiO₂ matrix as catalyst was investigated. The general growing conditions were: 110 cm³/min flow rate, 690 °C synthesis temperature, 180 Torr over pressure and two gas compositions: 2.5% and 10% C₂H₂/N₂. The catalyst and nanotubes were characterized by HR-TEM, SEM and DRX. TGA and DTA were also carried out to study degradation stages of synthesized CNTs. MWCNTs synthesized with low acetylene concentration are more regular and with a lower amount of amorphous carbon than those synthesized with a high concentration. During the synthesis of CNTs, amorphous carbon nanoparticles nucleate on the external wall of the nanotubes. At high acetylene concentration carbon nanoparticles grow, covering all CNTs’ surface, forming a compact coating. The combination of CNTs with this coating of amorphous carbon nanoparticles lead to a material with high decomposition temperature.     

Investigation of gain and hyperfine splitting in the niobium X-ray laser

Neon-like niobium X-ray lasers have been studied using both slab and thin-foil target geometries. Niobium foils of various lengths were irradiated from both sides with two beams of the frequency-doubled Nova laser system using a line focus. We looked for gain by measuring spectrally integrated line intensities at different plasma lengths. Gain was observed in four neon-like niobium lines corresponding to 3s–3p transitions. The line profile of theJ = 0–1 line ( = 145.9 ) shows splitting due to the hyperfine effect. Improved contrast in the hyperfine structure is observed as the plasma length is increased. Hyperfine splitting may be relevant to other 3s–3p transitions in neon-like niobium as well as other neon-like X-ray laser systems.