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.     

Collisions of Particles in Locally AdS Spacetimes II Moduli of Globally Hyperbolic Spaces

We investigate globally hyperbolic 3-dimensional AdS manifolds containing “particles”, i.e., cone singularities of angles less than 2π along a time-like graph Γ. To each such space (equipped with a time-like vector field satisfying some additional properties) we associate a graph and a finite family of pairs of hyperbolic surfaces with cone singularities. We show that this data is sufficient to recover the space locally (i.e., in the neighborhood of a fixed metric). This is a partial extension of a result of Mess for non-singular globally hyperbolic AdS manifolds.     

Variable-range hopping and quantum creep in one dimension

We study the quantum nonlinear response to an applied electric field E of a one-dimensional pinned charge-density wave or Luttinger liquid in the presence of disorder. From an explicit construction of low-lying metastable states and of bounce instanton solutions between them, we demonstrate quantum creep v=e(-c/E(1/2)) as well as a sharp crossover at E=E(*) towards a linear response form consistent with variable-range hopping arguments, but dependent only on electronic degrees of freedom.     

General linear formulations of stochastic dominance criteria

We develop and implement linear formulations of general Nth order stochastic dominance criteria for discrete probability distributions. Our approach is based on a piece-wise polynomial representation of utility and its derivatives and can be implemented by solving a relatively small system of linear inequalities. This approach allows for comparing a given prospect with a discrete set of alternative prospects as well as for comparison with a polyhedral set of linear combinations of prospects. We also derive a linear dual formulation in terms of lower partial moments and co-lower partial moments. An empirical application to historical stock market data suggests that the passive stock market portfolio is highly inefficient relative to actively managed portfolios for all investment horizons and for nearly all investors. The results also illustrate that the mean–variance rule and second-order stochastic dominance rule may not detect market portfolio inefficiency because of non-trivial violations of non-satiation and prudence.     

Rational integrability of trigonometric polynomial potentials on the flat torus

We consider a lattice ? ? ? ⁿ and a trigonometric potential V with frequencies k ∈ ?. We then prove a strong rational integrability condition on V, using the support of its Fourier transform. We then use this condition to prove that a real trigonometric polynomial potential is rationally integrable if and only if it separates up to rotation of the coordinates. Removing the real condition, we also make a classification of rationally integrable potentials in dimensions 2 and 3 and recover several integrable cases. After a complex change of variables, these potentials become real and correspond to generalized Toda integrable potentials. Moreover, along the proof, some of them with high-degree first integrals are explicitly integrated.     

Building Giant Carbocycles by Reversible C−C Bond Formation

We describe a simple way to build giant macrocyclic hydrocarbons by the reversible formation of carbon–carbon bonds. Specifically, extended spirobifluorene‐substituted derivatives of Wittig's hydrocarbon were synthesized and found to undergo oligomerization, giving the largest hydrocarbon that has been crystallized and characterized by X‐ray diffraction to date.     

Gadolinium chelate coated gold nanoparticles as contrast agents for both X-ray computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging

Functionalized gold nanoparticles were applied as contrast agents for both in vivo X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging. These particles were obtained by encapsulating gold cores within a multilayered organic shell which is composed of gadolinium chelates bound to each other through disulfide bonds. The contrast enhancement in MRI stems from the presence of gadolinium ions which are entrapped in the organic shell, whereas the gold core provides a strong X-ray absorption. This study revealed that these particles suited for dual modality imaging freely circulate in the blood vessels without undesirable accumulation in the lungs, spleen, and liver.     

Mechanistic study of the electrodeposition of nanoporous self-assembled ZnO/Eosin Y hybrid thin films: effect of eosin concentration

ZnO films prepared by one-step electrodeposition in the presence of dissolved eosin molecules present an internal nanoporous hybrid structure resulting from self-assembling processes occurring in solution between ZnO and eosin components. This study aims to better understand the underlying growth mechanism, which is still unexplained. The films were deposited by cathodic electrodeposition from an oxygen-saturated aqueous zinc chloride solution. The effects of the addition of 10 to 100 micromol.L(-1) eosin Y, as a sodium salt, on the growth rate and film properties, were systematically studied while all other parameters remained constant (concentrations of zinc salt and supporting electrolyte, applied potential of -1.4 V versus the mercurous sulfate electrode (MSE), temperature of 70 degrees C, rotating disk electrode at 300 rotations per min, and a glass-coated tin oxide electrode). It is shown that the addition of eosin provokes the formation of a nanoporous "cauliflower" structure whose nodule size and composition depend on the eosin concentration in the bath. The growth rate of the hybrid films increases markedly with the eosin concentration. The ZnO and eosin contents of the films are determined for each concentration by chemical analysis. Comparing with thickness determinations, it is shown that the total porosity increases up to 60-65% in volume fraction toward an eosin concentration of 100 micromol.L(-1). The empty pore volume fraction increases up to about 30% at an eosin concentration of about 20 micromol.L(-1) and then decreases. These correlations have been precisely established for the first time. It is shown that the global composition is fixed by the relative rate of deposition for zinc oxide, which is constant, and for the relative rate of eosin inclusion, which is proportional to the concentration in solution. This is explained on the basis of different steps in the growth mechanism, in particular, a diffusion effect limitation for both oxygen and eosin. This variation explains part of the increase in the growth rate. Another contribution is related by the structural effect on the nanoscale leading to the formation of the interpenetrated porous network. Competition between empty and eosin-filled parts of the pore network is evidenced. The formation of the porous network structure could be governed by a diffusion-limited aggregation mechanism. The system may represent a reference case of competing reactions in the electrochemical self-assembly of hybrid nanostructures.