Anharmonic Bloch Oscillation of Electrons in Biased Superlattices

The oscillatory motion of electrons in a periodic potential under a constant applied electric field, known as Bloch oscillations (BO), is one of the most striking and intriguing quantum effects and was predicted more than eighty years ago. Oscillating electrons emit electromagnetic radiation and here we consider this BO effect for emission in the THz region. To date, it has been assumed that the Bloch oscillation of an electron is anharmonic oscillation, therefore with radiation emitted at the single Bloch frequency. We analyze scenarios when Bloch oscillations can be accompanied by the emission of radiation not only at the Bloch frequency but also with double and triple Bloch frequencies. The first scenario means that electrons could jump over neighboring Stark states. The second scenario of anharmonic emission is coupled to an opening of the minigap in the miniband.     

Improving the parallelized Pollard lambda search on anomalous binary curves

The best algorithm known for finding logarithms on an elliptic curve is the (parallelized) Pollard lambda collision search. We show how to apply a Pollard lambda search on a set of equivalence classes derived from , which requires fewer iterations than the standard approach. In the case of anomalous binary curves over , the new approach speeds up the standard algorithm by a factor of .

     

In-trap decay spectroscopy for 2�ͦ¦� decay experiments

Knowledge of 2??|? nuclear matrix elements is essential to probe the theoretical framework of 0??|? decays. At TITAN, TRIUMF??s Ion Trap for Atomic and Nuclear science, a novel technique has been developed to measure electron capture branches of virtual intermediate nuclei in ?|? decays. During two experiments with radioactive ^{124, 126}Cs isotopes the feasibility of this new method was proven.     

Precision mass measurements of neutron halo nuclei using the TITAN Penning trap

Precise atomic mass determinations play a key role in various fields of physics, including nuclear physics, testing of fundamental symmetries and constants and atomic physics. Recently, the TITAN Penning trap measured the masses of several neutron halos. These exotic systems have an extended, diluted, matter distribution that can be modelled by considering a nuclear core surrounded by a halo formed by one or more of loosely bound neutrons. Combined with laser spectroscopy measurements of isotopic shifts precise masses can be used to obtain reliable charge radii and two-neutron-seperation energies for these halo nuclei. It is shown that these results can be used as stringent tests of nuclear models and potentials providing an important metric for our understanding of the interactions in all nuclei.     

Limited packings in graphs

We define a k-limited packing in a graph, which generalizes a 2-packing in a graph, and give several bounds on the size of a k-limited packing. One such bound involves the domination number of the graph, and here we show all trees attaining the bound can be built via a simple sequence of operations. We consider graphs where every maximal 2-limited packing is a maximum 2-limited packing, and characterize their structure in a number of cases.     

Limits on an energy dependence of the speed of light from a flare of the active galaxy PKS 2155-304

In the past few decades, several models have predicted an energy dependence of the speed of light in the context of quantum gravity. For cosmological sources such as active galaxies, this minuscule effect can add up to measurable photon-energy dependent time lags. In this Letter a search for such time lags during the High Energy Stereoscopic System observations of the exceptional very high energy flare of the active galaxy PKS 2155-304 on 28 July 2006 is presented. Since no significant time lag is found, lower limits on the energy scale of speed of light modifications are derived.     

Heptametallic bowl-shaped complexes derived from conjugated Schiff-base macrocycles: synthesis, characterization, and X-ray crystal structures

The reaction of chelating conjugated macrocycles 1a-c with Zn(OAc)2 gives bowl-shaped heptanuclear Zn complexes featuring Zn in tetrahedral, octahedral, and square-pyramidal geometries. Crystallographic and NMR results indicate that vacant Zn coordination sites within the bowl may be accessed, suggesting that these coordination complexes may be used as mimics for Zn fingers and carbonic anhydrase.     

TITAN: an ion trap for accurate mass measurements of ms-half-life nuclides

The introduction of Paul traps, in particular linear radio-frequency quadrupoles in the early 2000s, has revolutionized the use of ion traps for probing the properties of radioactive nuclides. It opened the path to trapping all available nuclides, independent of their chemical properties. We present an overview of direct mass measurements of short-lived nuclides using TITAN, a Penning trap mass spectrometer facility particularly suitable for precision measurements of ms-half-life nuclides.