Recent developments in the radiation chemistry of elastomers

The radiation chemistry of several elastomers has been reviewed, including that of polybutadiene, polyisoprene, polyisobutylene, halogenated rubbers, ethylene-alkene copolymers and a range of polyurethanes. The properties investigated include the yields of volatile products and radicals and the new chemical structures formed on radiolysis. The roles of double bonds and hetero-atoms, such as chlorine, in the radiation chemistry of the elastomers has also been discussed.     

A highly efficient synthesis of [1-C, O]- and [1-C, H2]-glycerol for the elucidation of biosynthetic pathways

Labeled glycerol is a widely used biochemical probe to investigate biosynthetic pathways. A highly efficient synthesis of [1-¹³C, ¹⁸O]- and [1-¹³C, ²H₂]-glycerol is described in which the ¹³C label is introduced using cyanide. The ¹⁸O label was introduced by a Pinner synthesis and reduction of the ester 5 allowed incorporation of the ²H labels.     

Long, narrow all-light atom guide

A 1-mm-diameter all-light atom guide capable of transporting ultracold atoms tens of centimeters with high efficiency is described. We made the atom tunnel, a dark hollow beam that is blue detuned from resonance, by passing a few tens of milliwatts of energy from a TEM(00) diode laser beam through an optical sequence composed of three axicons and a simple lens. We demonstrate transport of 10(8)Cs atoms approximately 20 cm with minimal heating. We show that it is possible for one to control the direction and speed of the atoms in the tunnel by varying the detuning of the tunnel beam.     

An Eulerian hybrid WENO centered-difference solver for elastic–plastic solids

We present a finite-difference based solver for hyper-elastic and viscoplastic systems using a hybrid of the weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) schemes combined with explicit centered difference to solve the equations of motion expressed in an Eulerian formulation. By construction our approach minimizes both numerical dissipation errors and the creation of curl-constraint violating errors away from discontinuities while avoiding the calculation of hyperbolic characteristics often needed in general finite-volume schemes. As a result of the latter feature, the formulation allows for a wide range of constitutive relations and only an upper-bound on the speed of sound at each time is required to ensure a stable timestep is chosen. Several one- and two-dimensional examples are presented using a range of constitutive laws with and without additional plastic modeling. In addition we extend the reflection technique combined with ghost-cells to enforce fixed boundaries with a zero tangential stress condition (i.e. free-slip).     

Attack structural vulnerability of power grids: A hybrid approach based on complex networks

Power grids have been studied as a typical example of real-world complex networks. Different from previous methods, this paper proposes a hybrid approach for structural vulnerability analysis of power transmission networks, in which a DC power flow model with hidden failures is embedded into the traditional error and attack tolerance methodology to form a new scheme for power grids vulnerability assessment and modeling. The new approach embodies some important characteristics of power transmission networks. Furthermore, the simulation on the standard IEEE 118 bus system demonstrates that a critical region might exist and when the power grid operates in the region, it is vulnerable to both random and intentional attacks. Finally, a brief theoretical analysis is presented to explain the new phenomena.     

Comprehensive software suite for the operation, maintenance, and evaluation of an ion mobility spectrometer

Scientific applications of Ion Mobility Spectrometry require the ability to easily compare data between different laboratories. Reduced mobility values attempt to provide this functionality, but no standard exists for the collection and manipulation of the raw data obtained during an IMS experiment. We have created a comprehensive software suite based on the LabVIEW programming language that can be used to collect and interpret IMS data. The software may be used to collect data from a stand-alone IMS cell, a voltage sweep IMS cell, or a coupled chromatography-IMS system, and this framework may be adapted to incorporate mass spectral data analysis as well. This software is provided under an open source license for the benefit of the IMS community.