Isotope separation by photoselective dissociative electron capture

DOEpatents

Stevens, Charles G. [Pleasanton, CA

1978-08-29

A method of separating isotopes based on photoselective electron capture dissociation of molecules having an electron capture cross section dependence on the vibrational state of the molecule. A molecular isotope source material is irradiated to selectively excite those molecules containing a desired isotope to a predetermined vibrational state having associated therewith an electron capture energy region substantially non-overlapping with the electron capture energy ranges associated with the lowest vibration states of the molecules. The isotope source is also subjected to electrons having an energy corresponding to the non-overlapping electron capture region whereby the selectively excited molecules preferentially capture electrons and dissociate into negative ions and neutrals. The desired isotope may be in the negative ion product or in the neutral product depending upon the mechanism of dissociation of the particular isotope source used. The dissociation product enriched in the desired isotope is then separated from the reaction system by conventional means. Specifically, .sup.235 UF.sub.6 is separated from a UF.sub.6 mixture by selective excitation followed by dissociative electron capture into .sup.235 UF.sub.5 - and F.

Dipole-Guided Electron Capture Causes Abnormal Dissociations of Phosphorylated Pentapeptides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moss, Christopher L.; Chung, Thomas W.; Wyer, Jean A.; Nielsen, Steen Brøndsted; Hvelplund, Preben; Tureček, František

2011-04-01

Electron transfer and capture mass spectra of a series of doubly charged ions that were phosphorylated pentapeptides of a tryptic type (pS,A,A,A,R) showed conspicuous differences in dissociations of charge-reduced ions. Electron transfer from both gaseous cesium atoms at 100 keV kinetic energies and fluoranthene anion radicals in an ion trap resulted in the loss of a hydrogen atom, ammonia, and backbone cleavages forming complete series of sequence z ions. Elimination of phosphoric acid was negligible. In contrast, capture of low-energy electrons by doubly charged ions in a Penning ion trap induced loss of a hydrogen atom followed by elimination of phosphoric acid as the dominant dissociation channel. Backbone dissociations of charge-reduced ions also occurred but were accompanied by extensive fragmentation of the primary products. z-Ions that were terminated with a deaminated phosphoserine radical competitively eliminated phosphoric acid and H2PO4 radicals. A mechanism is proposed for this novel dissociation on the basis of a computational analysis of reaction pathways and transition states. Electronic structure theory calculations in combination with extensive molecular dynamics mapping of the potential energy surface provided structures for the precursor phosphopeptide dications. Electron attachment produces a multitude of low lying electronic states in charge-reduced ions that determine their reactivity in backbone dissociations and H- atom loss. The predominant loss of H atoms in ECD is explained by a distortion of the Rydberg orbital space by the strong dipolar field of the peptide dication framework. The dipolar field steers the incoming electron to preferentially attach to the positively charged arginine side chain to form guanidinium radicals and trigger their dissociations.

Laser collisional induced fluorescence electron density measurements as a function of ring bias and the onset of anode spot formation in a ring cusp magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arthur, N. A.; Foster, J. E.; Barnat, E. V.

2018-05-01

Two-dimensional electron density measurements are made in a magnetic ring cusp discharge using laser collisional induced fluorescence. The magnet rings are isolated from the anode structure such that they can be biased independently in order to modulate electron flows through the magnetic cusps. Electron density images are captured as a function of bias voltage in order to assess the effects of current flow through the cusp on the spatial extent of the cusp. We anticipated that for a fixed current density being funneled through the magnetic cusp, the leak width would necessarily increase. Unexpectedly, the leak width, as measured by LCIF images, does not increase. This suggests that the current density is not constant, and that possibly either electrons are being heated or additional ionization events are occurring within the cusp. Spatially resolving electron temperature would be needed to determine if electrons are being heated within the cusp. We also observe breakdown of the anode magnetosheath and formation of anode spots at high bias voltage.

Biomechanical properties of predator-induced body armour in the freshwater crustacean Daphnia.

PubMed

Kruppert, Sebastian; Horstmann, Martin; Weiss, Linda C; Witzel, Ulrich; Schaber, Clemens F; Gorb, Stanislav N; Tollrian, Ralph

2017-08-29

The freshwater crustacean Daphnia is known for its ability to develop inducible morphological defences that thwart predators. These defences are developed only in the presence of predators and are realized as morphological shape alterations e.g. 'neckteeth' in D. pulex and 'crests' in D. longicephala. Both are discussed to hamper capture, handling or consumption by interfering with the predator's prey capture devices. Additionally, D. pulex and some other daphniids were found to armour-up and develop structural alterations resulting in increased carapace stiffness. We used scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to identify predator-induced structural and shape alterations. We found species specific structural changes accompanying the known shape alterations. The cuticle becomes highly laminated (i.e. an increased number of layers) in both species during predator exposure. Using nano- and micro-indentation as well as finite element analysis (FEA) we determined both: the structure's and shape's contribution to the carapace's mechanical resistance. From our results we conclude that only structural alterations are responsible for increased carapace stiffness, whereas shape alterations appear to pose handling difficulties during prey capture. Therefore, these defences act independently at different stages during predation.

Mechanistic Study on Electronic Excitation Dissociation of the Cellobiose-Na+ Complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yiqun; Pu, Yi; Yu, Xiang; Costello, Catherine E.; Lin, Cheng

2016-02-01

The recent development of electron activated dissociation (ExD) techniques has opened the door for high-throughput, detailed glycan structural elucidation. Among them, ExD methods employing higher-energy electrons offer several advantages over low-energy electron capture dissociation (ECD), owing to their applicability towards chromophore-labeled glycans and singly charged ions, and ability to provide more extensive structural information. However, a lack of understanding of these processes has hindered rational optimization of the experimental conditions for more efficient fragmentation as well as the development of informatics tools for interpretation of the complex glycan ExD spectra. Here, cellobiose-Na+ was used as the model system to investigate the fragmentation behavior of metal-adducted glycans under irradiation of electrons with energy exceeding their ionization potential, and served as the basis on which a novel electronic excitation dissociation (EED) mechanism was proposed. It was found that ionization of the glycan produces a mixture of radical cations and ring-opened distonic ions. These distonic ions then capture a low-energy electron to produce diradicals with trivial singlet-triplet splitting, and subsequently undergo radical-induced dissociation to produce a variety of fragment ions, the abundances of which are influenced by the stability of the distonic ions from which they originate.

Dark matter in the Sun: scattering off electrons vs nucleons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garani, Raghuveer; Palomares-Ruiz, Sergio, E-mail: garani@th.physik.uni-bonn.de, E-mail: sergiopr@ific.uv.es

The annihilation of dark matter (DM) particles accumulated in the Sun could produce a flux of neutrinos, which is potentially detectable with neutrino detectors/telescopes and the DM elastic scattering cross section can be constrained. Although the process of DM capture in astrophysical objects like the Sun is commonly assumed to be due to interactions only with nucleons, there are scenarios in which tree-level DM couplings to quarks are absent, and even if loop-induced interactions with nucleons are allowed, scatterings off electrons could be the dominant capture mechanism. We consider this possibility and study in detail all the ingredients necessary tomore » compute the neutrino production rates from DM annihilations in the Sun (capture, annihilation and evaporation rates) for velocity-independent and isotropic, velocity-dependent and isotropic and momentum-dependent scattering cross sections for DM interactions with electrons and compare them with the results obtained for the case of interactions with nucleons. Moreover, we improve the usual calculations in a number of ways and provide analytical expressions in three appendices. Interestingly, we find that the evaporation mass in the case of interactions with electrons could be below the GeV range, depending on the high-velocity tail of the DM distribution in the Sun, which would open a new mass window for searching for this type of scenarios.« less

Secondary electron emission from textured surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huerta, C. E.; Patino, M. I.; Wirz, R. E.

2018-04-01

In this work, a Monte Carlo model is used to investigate electron induced secondary electron emission for varying effects of complex surfaces by using simple geometric constructs. Geometries used in the model include: vertical fibers for velvet-like surfaces, tapered pillars for carpet-like surfaces, and a cage-like configuration of interlaced horizontal and vertical fibers for nano-structured fuzz. The model accurately captures the secondary electron emission yield dependence on incidence angle. The model shows that unlike other structured surfaces previously studied, tungsten fuzz exhibits secondary electron emission yield that is independent of primary electron incidence angle, due to the prevalence of horizontally-oriented fibers in the fuzz geometry. This is confirmed with new data presented herein of the secondary electron emission yield of tungsten fuzz at incidence angles from 0-60°.

A novel mechanism for electrical currents inducing ventricular fibrillation: The three-fold way to fibrillation.

PubMed

Kroll, Mark W; Panescu, Dorin; Hinz, Andrew F; Lakkireddy, Dhanunjaya

2010-01-01

It has been long recognized that there are 2 methods for inducing VF (ventricular fibrillation) with electrical currents‥ These are: (1) delivering a high-charge shock into the cardiac T-wave, and (2) delivering lower level currents for 1-5 seconds. Present electrical safety standards are based on this understanding. We present new data showing a 3(rd) mechanism of inducing VF which involves the steps of delivering sufficient current to cause high-rate cardiac capture, causing cardiac output collapse, leading to ischemia, for sufficiently long duration, which then lowers the VFT (VF threshold) to the level of the current, which finally results in VF. This requires about 40% of the normal VF-induction current but requires a duration of minutes instead of seconds for the VF to be induced. Anesthetized and ventilated swine (n=6) had current delivered from a probe tip 10 mm from the epicardium sufficient to cause hypotensive capture but not directly induce VF within 5 s. After a median time of 90 s, VF was induced. This 3(rd) mechanism of VF induction should be studied further and considered for electrical safety standards and is relevant to long-duration TASER Electronic Control Device applications.

Detecting structural variances of Co 3O 4 catalysts by controlling beam-induced sample alterations in the vacuum of a transmission electron microscope

DOE PAGES

Kisielowski, C.; Frei, H.; Specht, P.; ...

2016-11-02

This article summarizes core aspects of beam-sample interactions in research that aims at exploiting the ability to detect single atoms at atomic resolution by mid-voltage transmission electron microscopy. Investigating the atomic structure of catalytic Co 3O 4 nanocrystals underscores how indispensable it is to rigorously control electron dose rates and total doses to understand native material properties on this scale. We apply in-line holography with variable dose rates to achieve this goal. Genuine object structures can be maintained if dose rates below ~100 e/Å 2s are used and the contrast required for detection of single atoms is generated by capturing largemore » image series. Threshold doses for the detection of single atoms are estimated. An increase of electron dose rates and total doses to common values for high resolution imaging of solids stimulates object excitations that restructure surfaces, interfaces, and defects and cause grain reorientation or growth. We observe a variety of previously unknown atom configurations in surface proximity of the Co 3O 4 spinel structure. These are hidden behind broadened diffraction patterns in reciprocal space but become visible in real space by solving the phase problem. Finallly, an exposure of the Co 3O 4 spinel structure to water vapor or other gases induces drastic structure alterations that can be captured in this manner.« less

Comparative analysis of the effects of electron and hole capture on the power characteristics of a semiconductor quantum-well laser

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sokolova, Z. N., E-mail: Zina.Sokolova@mail.ioffe.ru; Pikhtin, N. A.; Tarasov, I. S.

The operating characteristics of a semiconductor quantum-well laser calculated using three models are compared. These models are (i) a model not taking into account differences between the electron and hole parameters and using the electron parameters for both types of charge carriers; (ii) a model, which does not take into account differences between the electron and hole parameters and uses the hole parameters for both types of charge carriers; and (iii) a model taking into account the asymmetry between the electron and hole parameters. It is shown that, at the same velocity of electron and hole capture into an unoccupiedmore » quantum well, the laser characteristics, obtained using the three models, differ considerably. These differences are due to a difference between the filling of the electron and hole subbands in a quantum well. The electron subband is more occupied than the hole subband. As a result, at the same velocities of electron and hole capture into an empty quantum well, the effective electron-capture velocity is lower than the effective hole-capture velocity. Specifically, it is shown that for the laser structure studied the hole-capture velocity of 5 × 10{sup 5} cm/s into an empty quantum well and the corresponding electron-capture velocity of 3 × 10{sup 6} cm/s into an empty quantum well describe the rapid capture of these carriers, at which the light–current characteristic of the laser remains virtually linear up to high pump-current densities. However, an electron-capture velocity of 5 × 10{sup 5} cm/s and a corresponding hole-capture velocity of 8.4 × 10{sup 4} cm/s describe the slow capture of these carriers, causing significant sublinearity in the light–current characteristic.« less

Image charge effects on electron capture by dust grains in dusty plasmas.

PubMed

Jung, Y D; Tawara, H

2001-07-01

Electron-capture processes by negatively charged dust grains from hydrogenic ions in dusty plasmas are investigated in accordance with the classical Bohr-Lindhard model. The attractive interaction between the electron in a hydrogenic ion and its own image charge inside the dust grain is included to obtain the total interaction energy between the electron and the dust grain. The electron-capture radius is determined by the total interaction energy and the kinetic energy of the released electron in the frame of the projectile dust grain. The classical straight-line trajectory approximation is applied to the motion of the ion in order to visualize the electron-capture cross section as a function of the impact parameter, kinetic energy of the projectile ion, and dust charge. It is found that the image charge inside the dust grain plays a significant role in the electron-capture process near the surface of the dust grain. The electron-capture cross section is found to be quite sensitive to the collision energy and dust charge.

High-quality electron beams from beam-driven plasma accelerators by wakefield-induced ionization injection.

PubMed

Martinez de la Ossa, A; Grebenyuk, J; Mehrling, T; Schaper, L; Osterhoff, J

2013-12-13

We propose a new and simple strategy for controlled ionization-induced trapping of electrons in a beam-driven plasma accelerator. The presented method directly exploits electric wakefields to ionize electrons from a dopant gas and capture them into a well-defined volume of the accelerating and focusing wake phase, leading to high-quality witness bunches. This injection principle is explained by example of three-dimensional particle-in-cell calculations using the code OSIRIS. In these simulations a high-current-density electron-beam driver excites plasma waves in the blowout regime inside a fully ionized hydrogen plasma of density 5×10(17)cm-3. Within an embedded 100  μm long plasma column contaminated with neutral helium gas, the wakefields trigger ionization, trapping of a defined fraction of the released electrons, and subsequent acceleration. The hereby generated electron beam features a 1.5 kA peak current, 1.5  μm transverse normalized emittance, an uncorrelated energy spread of 0.3% on a GeV-energy scale, and few femtosecond bunch length.

Process of negative-muon-induced formation of an ionized acceptor center ({sub μ}A){sup –} in crystals with the diamond structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Belousov, Yu. M., E-mail: theorphys@phystech.edu

The formation of an ionized acceptor center by a negative muon in crystals with the diamond structure is considered. The negative muon entering a target is captured by a nucleus, forming a muonic atom {sub μ}A coupled to a lattice. The appearing radiation-induced defect has a significant electric dipole moment because of the violation of the local symmetry of the lattice and changes the phonon spectrum of the crystal. The ionized acceptor center is formed owing to the capture of an electron interacting with the electric dipole moment of the defect and with the radiation of a deformation-induced local-mode phonon.more » Upper and lower bounds of the formation rate of the ionized acceptor center in diamond, silicon, and germanium crystals are estimated. It is shown that the kinetics of the formation of the acceptor center should be taken into account when processing μSR experimental data.« less

Ambient Carbon Dioxide Capture Using Boron-Rich Porous Boron Nitride: A Theoretical Study.

PubMed

Li, Lanlan; Liu, Yan; Yang, Xiaojing; Yu, Xiaofei; Fang, Yi; Li, Qiaoling; Jin, Peng; Tang, Chengchun

2017-05-10

The development of highly efficient sorbent materials for CO 2 capture under ambient conditions is of great importance for reducing the impact of CO 2 on the environment and climate change. In this account, strong CO 2 adsorption on a boron antisite (B N ) in boron-rich porous boron nitrides (p-BN) was developed and studied. The results indicated that the material achieved larger adsorption energies of 2.09 eV (201.66 kJ/mol, PBE-D). The electronic structure calculations suggested that the introduction of B N in p-BN induced defect electronic states in the energy gap region, which strongly impacted the adsorption properties of the material. The bonding between the B N defect and the CO 2 molecule was clarified, and it was found that the electron donation first occurred from CO 2 to the B N double-acceptor state then, followed by electron back-donation from B N to CO 2 accompanied by the formation of a B N -C bond. The thermodynamic properties indicated that the adsorption of CO 2 on the B N defect to form anionic CO 2 δ- species was spontaneous at temperatures below 350 K. Both the large adsorption energies and the thermodynamic properties ensured that p-BN with a B N defect could effectively capture CO 2 under ambient conditions. Finally, to evaluate the energetic stability, the defect formation energies were estimated. The formation energy of the B N defects was found to strongly depend on the chemical environment, and the selection of different reactants (B or N sources) would achieve the goal of reducing the formation energy. These findings provided a useful guidance for the design and fabrication of a porous BN sorbent for CO 2 capture.

Bogolon-mediated electron capture by impurities in hybrid Bose-Fermi systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boev, M. V.; Kovalev, V. M.; Savenko, I. G.

2018-04-01

We investigate the processes of electron capture by a Coulomb impurity center residing in a hybrid system consisting of spatially separated two-dimensional layers of electron and Bose-condensed dipolar exciton gases coupled via the Coulomb forces. We calculate the probability of the electron capture accompanied by the emission of a single Bogoliubov excitation (bogolon), similar to regular phonon-mediated scattering in solids. Furthermore, we study the electron capture mediated by the emission of a pair of bogolons in a single capture event and show that these processes not only should be treated in the same order of the perturbation theory, but also they give a more important contribution than single-bogolon-mediated capture, in contrast with regular phonon scattering.

Healthcare databases in Europe for studying medicine use and safety during pregnancy.

PubMed

Charlton, Rachel A; Neville, Amanda J; Jordan, Sue; Pierini, Anna; Damase-Michel, Christine; Klungsøyr, Kari; Andersen, Anne-Marie Nybo; Hansen, Anne Vinkel; Gini, Rosa; Bos, Jens H J; Puccini, Aurora; Hurault-Delarue, Caroline; Brooks, Caroline J; de Jong-van den Berg, Lolkje T W; de Vries, Corinne S

2014-06-01

The aim of this study was to describe a number of electronic healthcare databases in Europe in terms of the population covered, the source of the data captured and the availability of data on key variables required for evaluating medicine use and medicine safety during pregnancy. A sample of electronic healthcare databases that captured pregnancies and prescription data was selected on the basis of contacts within the EUROCAT network. For each participating database, a database inventory was completed. Eight databases were included, and the total population covered was 25 million. All databases recorded live births, seven captured stillbirths and five had full data available on spontaneous pregnancy losses and induced terminations. In six databases, data were usually available to determine the date of the woman's last menstrual period, whereas in the remainder, algorithms were needed to establish a best estimate for at least some pregnancies. In seven databases, it was possible to use data recorded in the databases to identify pregnancies where the offspring had a congenital anomaly. Information on confounding variables was more commonly available in databases capturing data recorded by primary-care practitioners. All databases captured maternal co-prescribing and a measure of socioeconomic status. This study suggests that within Europe, electronic healthcare databases may be valuable sources of data for evaluating medicine use and safety during pregnancy. The suitability of a particular database, however, will depend on the research question, the type of medicine to be evaluated, the prevalence of its use and any adverse outcomes of interest. © 2014 The Authors. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2014 The Authors. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Light- induced electron transfer and ATP synthesis in a carotene synthesizing insect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valmalette, Jean Christophe; Dombrovsky, Aviv; Brat, Pierre; Mertz, Christian; Capovilla, Maria; Robichon, Alain

2012-08-01

A singular adaptive phenotype of a parthenogenetic insect species (Acyrthosiphon pisum) was selected in cold conditions and is characterized by a remarkable apparition of a greenish colour. The aphid pigments involve carotenoid genes well defined in chloroplasts and cyanobacteria and amazingly present in the aphid genome, likely by lateral transfer during evolution. The abundant carotenoid synthesis in aphids suggests strongly that a major and unknown physiological role is related to these compounds beyond their canonical anti-oxidant properties. We report here that the capture of light energy in living aphids results in the photo induced electron transfer from excited chromophores to acceptor molecules. The redox potentials of molecules involved in this process would be compatible with the reduction of the NAD+ coenzyme. This appears as an archaic photosynthetic system consisting of photo-emitted electrons that are in fine funnelled into the mitochondrial reducing power in order to synthesize ATP molecules.

Collapsing white dwarfs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baron, E.; Cooperstein, J.; Kahana, S.; Nomoto, K.

1987-01-01

The results of the hydrodynamic collapse of an accreting C + O white dwarf are presented. Collapse is induced by electron captures in the iron core behind a conductive deflagration front. The shock wave produced by the hydrodynamic bounce of the iron core stalls at about 115 km, and thus a neutron star formed in such a model would be formed as an optically quiet event.

Electron capture by Ne3+ ions from atomic hydrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rejoub, R.; Bannister, M. E.; Havener, C. C.; Savin, D. W.; Verzani, C. J.; Wang, J. G.; Stancil, P. C.

2004-05-01

Using the Oak Ridge National Laboratory ion-atom merged-beam apparatus, absolute total electron-capture cross sections have been measured for collisions of Ne3+ ions with hydrogen (deuterium) atoms at energies between 0.07 and 826 eV/u . Comparison to previous measurements shows large discrepancies between 50 and 400 eV/u . Previously published molecular-orbital close-coupling (MOCC) calculations were performed over limited energy ranges, but show good agreement with the present measurements. Here MOCC calculations are presented for energies between 0.01 and 1000 eV/u for collisions with both H and D. For energies below ˜1 eV/u , an enhancement in the magnitude of both the experimental and theoretical cross sections is observed which is attributed to the ion-induced dipole attraction between the reactants. Below ˜4 eV/u , the present calculations show a significant target isotope effect.

Electron trapping in the photo-induced conductivity decay in GaAs/SnO2 heterostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Freitas Bueno, Cristina; de Andrade Scalvi, Luis Vicente

2018-06-01

The decay of photo-induced conductivity is measured for GaAs/SnO2 heterostructure, after illumination with appropriate wavelength. The top oxide layer is deposited by sol-gel-dip-coating and doped with Eu3+, and the GaAs bottom layer is deposited by resistive evaporation. It shows quite unusual behavior since the decay rate gets slower as the temperature is raised. The trapping by intrabandgap defects in the SnO2 top layer is expected, but a GaAs/SnO2 interface arrest becomes also evident, mainly for temperatures below 100 K. Concerning the SnO2 layer, trapping by different defects is possible, due to the observed distinct capture time range. Besides Eu3+ centers and oxygen vacancies, this sort of heterostructure also leads to Eu3+ agglomerate areas in the SnO2 top layer surface, which may contribute for electron scattering. The electrical behavior reported here aims to contribute for the understanding of the electrical transport mechanisms which, combined with emission from Eu3+ ions from the top layer of the heterostructure, opens new possibilities for optoelectronic devices because samples in the form of films are desirable for circuit integration. The modeling of the photo-induced decay data yields the capture barrier in the range 620-660 meV, and contributes for the defect rules on the electrical properties of this heterostructure.

Determination of the electron-capture coefficients and the concentration of free electrons in GaN from time-resolved photoluminescence

PubMed Central

Reshchikov, M. A.; McNamara, J. D.; Toporkov, M.; Avrutin, V.; Morkoç, H.; Usikov, A.; Helava, H.; Makarov, Yu.

2016-01-01

Point defects in high-purity GaN layers grown by hydride vapor phase epitaxy are studied by steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL). The electron-capture coefficients for defects responsible for the dominant defect-related PL bands in this material are found. The capture coefficients for all the defects, except for the green luminescence (GL1) band, are independent of temperature. The electron-capture coefficient for the GL1 band significantly changes with temperature because the GL1 band is caused by an internal transition in the related defect, involving an excited state acting as a giant trap for electrons. By using the determined electron-capture coefficients, the concentration of free electrons can be found at different temperatures by a contactless method. A new classification system is suggested for defect-related PL bands in undoped GaN. PMID:27901025

First-principles calculations on strain and electric field induced band modulation and phase transition of bilayer WSe2sbnd MoS2 heterostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Xiang; Yu, Ke

2018-04-01

A purposeful modulation of physical properties of material via change external conditions has long captured people's interest and can provide many opportunities to improve the specific performance of electronic devices. In this work, a comprehensive first-principles survey was performed to elucidate that the bandgap and electronic properties of WSe2sbnd MoS2 heterostructure exhibited unusual response to exterior strain and electric field in comparison with pristine structures. It demonstrates that the WSe2sbnd MoS2 is a typical type-II heterostructure, and thus the electron-hole pairs can be effectively spatially separated. The external effects can trigger the electronic phase transition from semiconducting to metallic state, which originates from the internal electric evolution induced energy-level shift. Interestingly, the applied strain shows no direction-depended character for the modulation of bandgap of WSe2sbnd MoS2 heterostructure, while it exists in the electric field tuning processes and strongly depends on the direction of the electric field. Our findings elucidate the tunable electronic property of bilayer WSe2sbnd MoS2 heterostructure, and would provide a valuable reference to design the electronic nanodevices.

78 FR 16531 - Certain Electronic Devices for Capturing and Transmitting Images, and Components Thereof...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-15

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 337-TA-831] Certain Electronic Devices for Capturing and Transmitting Images, and Components Thereof; Commission Determination Not To Review an Initial... certain electronic devices for capturing and transmitting images, and components thereof. The complaint...

Development of Holmium-163 electron-capture spectroscopy with transition-edge sensors

DOE PAGES

Croce, Mark Philip; Rabin, Michael W.; Mocko, Veronika; ...

2016-08-01

Calorimetric decay energy spectroscopy of electron-capture-decaying isotopes is a promising method to achieve the sensitivity required for electron neutrino mass measurement. The very low total nuclear decay energy (Q EC < 3 keV) and short half-life (4570 years) of 163Ho make it attractive for high-precision electron-capture spectroscopy (ECS) near the kinematic endpoint, where the neutrino momentum goes to zero. In the ECS approach, an electron-capture-decaying isotope is embedded inside a microcalorimeter designed to capture and measure the energy of all the decay radiation except that of the escaping neutrino. We have developed a complete process for proton irradiation-based isotope production,more » isolation, and purification of 163Ho. We have developed transition-edge sensors for this measurement and methods for incorporating 163Ho into high-resolution microcalorimeters, and have measured the electron-capture spectrum of 163Ho. Finally, we present our work in these areas and discuss the measured spectrum and its comparison to current theory.« less

Development of Holmium-163 electron-capture spectroscopy with transition-edge sensors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Croce, Mark Philip; Rabin, Michael W.; Mocko, Veronika

Calorimetric decay energy spectroscopy of electron-capture-decaying isotopes is a promising method to achieve the sensitivity required for electron neutrino mass measurement. The very low total nuclear decay energy (Q EC < 3 keV) and short half-life (4570 years) of 163Ho make it attractive for high-precision electron-capture spectroscopy (ECS) near the kinematic endpoint, where the neutrino momentum goes to zero. In the ECS approach, an electron-capture-decaying isotope is embedded inside a microcalorimeter designed to capture and measure the energy of all the decay radiation except that of the escaping neutrino. We have developed a complete process for proton irradiation-based isotope production,more » isolation, and purification of 163Ho. We have developed transition-edge sensors for this measurement and methods for incorporating 163Ho into high-resolution microcalorimeters, and have measured the electron-capture spectrum of 163Ho. Finally, we present our work in these areas and discuss the measured spectrum and its comparison to current theory.« less

Mechanistic Study on Electron Capture Dissociation of the Oligosaccharide-Mg2+ Complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yiqun; Pu, Yi; Yu, Xiang; Costello, Catherine E.; Lin, Cheng

2014-08-01

Electron capture dissociation (ECD) has shown great potential in structural characterization of glycans. However, our current understanding of the glycan ECD process is inadequate for accurate interpretation of the complex glycan ECD spectra. Here, we present the first comprehensive theoretical investigation on the ECD fragmentation behavior of metal-adducted glycans, using the cellobiose-Mg2+ complex as the model system. Molecular dynamics simulation was carried out to determine the typical glycan-Mg2+ binding patterns and the lowest-energy conformer identified was used as the initial geometry for density functional theory-based theoretical modeling. It was found that the electron is preferentially captured by Mg2+ and the resultant Mg+• can abstract a hydroxyl group from the glycan moiety to form a carbon radical. Subsequent radical migration and α-cleavage(s) result in the formation of a variety of product ions. The proposed hydroxyl abstraction mechanism correlates well with the major features in the ECD spectrum of the Mg2+-adducted cellohexaose. The mechanism presented here also predicts the presence of secondary, radical-induced fragmentation pathways. These secondary fragment ions could be misinterpreted, leading to erroneous structural determination. The present study highlights an urgent need for continuing investigation of the glycan ECD mechanism, which is imperative for successful development of bioinformatics tools that can take advantage of the rich structural information provided by ECD of metal-adducted glycans.

Measurement of the beta+ and orbital electron-capture decay rates in fully ionized, hydrogenlike, and heliumlike 140Pr ions.

PubMed

Litvinov, Yu A; Bosch, F; Geissel, H; Kurcewicz, J; Patyk, Z; Winckler, N; Batist, L; Beckert, K; Boutin, D; Brandau, C; Chen, L; Dimopoulou, C; Fabian, B; Faestermann, T; Fragner, A; Grigorenko, L; Haettner, E; Hess, S; Kienle, P; Knöbel, R; Kozhuharov, C; Litvinov, S A; Maier, L; Mazzocco, M; Montes, F; Münzenberg, G; Musumarra, A; Nociforo, C; Nolden, F; Pfützner, M; Plass, W R; Prochazka, A; Reda, R; Reuschl, R; Scheidenberger, C; Steck, M; Stöhlker, T; Torilov, S; Trassinelli, M; Sun, B; Weick, H; Winkler, M

2007-12-31

We report on the first measurement of the beta+ and orbital electron-capture decay rates of 140Pr nuclei with the simplest electron configurations: bare nuclei, hydrogenlike, and heliumlike ions. The measured electron-capture decay constant of hydrogenlike 140Pr58+ ions is about 50% larger than that of heliumlike 140Pr57+ ions. Moreover, 140Pr ions with one bound electron decay faster than neutral 140Pr0+ atoms with 59 electrons. To explain this peculiar observation one has to take into account the conservation of the total angular momentum, since only particular spin orientations of the nucleus and of the captured electron can contribute to the allowed decay.

Accelerated Electron-Beam Formation with a High Capture Coefficient in a Parallel Coupled Accelerating Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chernousov, Yu. D.; Shebolaev, I. V.; Ikryanov, I. M.

2018-01-01

An electron beam with a high (close to 100%) coefficient of electron capture into the regime of acceleration has been obtained in a linear electron accelerator based on a parallel coupled slow-wave structure, electron gun with microwave-controlled injection current, and permanent-magnet beam-focusing system. The high capture coefficient was due to the properties of the accelerating structure, beam-focusing system, and electron-injection system. Main characteristics of the proposed systems are presented.

New measurement of θ 13 via neutron capture on hydrogen at Daya Bay

DOE PAGES

F. P. An

2016-04-21

This article reports an improved independent measurement of neutrino mixing angle θ 13 at the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment. Electron antineutrinos were identified by inverse β-decays with the emitted neutron captured by hydrogen, yielding a data set with principally distinct uncertainties from that with neutrons captured by gadolinium. With the final two of eight antineutrino detectors installed, this study used 621 days of data including the previously reported 217-day data set with six detectors. The dominant statistical uncertainty was reduced by 49%. Intensive studies of the cosmogenic muon-induced 9Li and fast neutron backgrounds and the neutron-capture energy selection efficiency,more » resulted in a reduction of the systematic uncertainty by 26%. The deficit in the detected number of antineutrinos at the far detectors relative to the expected number based on the near detectors yielded sin 22θ 13 = 0.071 ± 0.011 in the three-neutrino-oscillation framework. As a result, the combination of this result with the gadolinium-capture result is also reported.« less

Electron cryo-tomography captures macromolecular complexes in native environments.

PubMed

Baker, Lindsay A; Grange, Michael; Grünewald, Kay

2017-10-01

Transmission electron microscopy has a long history in cellular biology. Fixed and stained samples have been used for cellular imaging for over 50 years, but suffer from sample preparation induced artifacts. Electron cryo-tomography (cryoET) instead uses frozen-hydrated samples, without chemical modification, to determine the structure of macromolecular complexes in their native environment. Recent developments in electron microscopes and associated technologies have greatly expanded our ability to visualize cellular features and determine the structures of macromolecular complexes in situ. This review highlights the technological improvements and the new areas of biology these advances have made accessible. We discuss the potential of cryoET to reveal novel and significant biological information on the nanometer or subnanometer scale, and directions for further work. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Detection of pulsed bremsstrahlung-induced prompt neutron capture gamma rays with a HPGe detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, James L.

1997-02-01

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) is developing a novel photoneutron-based nondestructive evaluation technique which uses a pulsed, high-energy electron accelerator and gamma-ray spectrometry. Highly penetrating pulses of bremsstrahlung photons are produced by each pulse of electrons. Interrogating neutrons are generated by the bremsstrahlung photons interacting within a photoneutron source material. The interactions of the neutrons within a target result in the emission of elemental characteristic gamma-rays. Spectrometry is performed by analyzing the photoneutron-induced, prompt gama-rays acquired between accelerator pulses with a unique, high- purity germanium gamma-ray detection system using a modified transistor reset preamplifier. The detection system, the experimental configuration, and the accelerator operation used to characterize the detection systems performance are described. Using a 6.5-MeV electron accelerator and a beryllium metal photoneutron source, gamma-ray spectra were successfully acquired for Al, Cu, polyethylene, NaCl, and depleted uranium targets as soon as 30 microsecond(s) after each bremsstrahlung flash.

Theory of interaction-induced renormalization of Drude weight and plasmon frequency in chiral multilayer graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiao; Tse, Wang-Kong

2017-02-01

We develop a theory for the optical conductivity of doped ABC-stacked multilayer graphene including the effects of electron-electron interactions. Applying the quantum kinetic formalism, we formulate a set of pseudospin Bloch equations that govern the dynamics of the nonequilibrium density matrix driven by an external ac electric field under the influence of Coulomb interactions. These equations reveal a dynamical mechanism that couples the Drude and interband responses arising from the chirality of pseudospin textures in multilayer graphene systems. We demonstrate that this results in an interaction-induced enhancement of the Drude weight and plasmon frequency strongly dependent on the pseudospin winding number. Using bilayer graphene as an example, we also study the influence of higher-energy bands and find that they contribute considerable renormalization effects not captured by a low-energy two-band description. We argue that this enhancement of Drude weight and plasmon frequency occurs generally in materials characterized by electronic chirality.

DLTS analysis of radiation-induced defects in one-MeV electron irradiated germanium and Alsub0.17Gasub0.83As solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, S. B.; Choi, C. G.; Loo, R. Y.

1985-01-01

The radiation-induced deep-level defects in one-MeV electron-irradiated germanium and AlxGal-xAs solar cell materials using the deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and C-V techniques were investigated. Defect and recombination parameters such as defect density and energy levels, capture cross sections and lifetimes for both electron and hole traps were determined. The germanium and AlGaAs p/n junction cells were irradiated by one-MeV electrons. The DLTS, I-V, and C-V measurements were performed on these cells. The results are summarized as follows: (1) for the irradiated germanium samples, the dominant electron trap was due to the E sub - 0.24 eV level with density around 4x10 to the 14th power 1/cu cm, independent of electron fluence, its origin is attributed to the vacancy-donor complex defect formed during the electron irradiation; (2) in the one-MeV electron irradiated Al0.17Ga0.83 as sample, two dominant electron traps with energies of Ec-0.19 and -0.29 eV were observed, the density for both electron traps remained nearly constant, independent of electron fluence. It is shown that one-MeV electron irradiation creates very few or no new deep-level traps in both the germanium and AlxGa1-xAs cells, and are suitable for fabricating the radiation-hard high efficiency multijunction solar cells for space applications.

Optical Absorption in Degenerately Doped Semiconductors: Mott Transition or Mahan Excitons?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schleife, André; Rödl, Claudia; Fuchs, Frank; Hannewald, Karsten; Bechstedt, Friedhelm

2011-12-01

Electron doping turns semiconductors conductive even when they have wide fundamental band gaps. The degenerate electron gas in the lowest conduction-band states, e.g., of a transparent conducting oxide, drastically modifies the Coulomb interaction between the electrons and, hence, the optical properties close to the absorption edge. We describe these effects by developing an ab initio technique which captures also the Pauli blocking and the Fermi-edge singularity at the optical-absorption onset, that occur in addition to quasiparticle and excitonic effects. We answer the question whether free carriers induce an excitonic Mott transition or trigger the evolution of Wannier-Mott excitons into Mahan excitons. The prototypical n-type zinc oxide is studied as an example.

Self-amplified photo-induced gap quenching in a correlated electron material

PubMed Central

Mathias, S.; Eich, S.; Urbancic, J.; Michael, S.; Carr, A. V.; Emmerich, S.; Stange, A.; Popmintchev, T.; Rohwer, T.; Wiesenmayer, M.; Ruffing, A.; Jakobs, S.; Hellmann, S.; Matyba, P.; Chen, C.; Kipp, L.; Bauer, M.; Kapteyn, H. C.; Schneider, H. C.; Rossnagel, K.; Murnane, M. M.; Aeschlimann, M.

2016-01-01

Capturing the dynamic electronic band structure of a correlated material presents a powerful capability for uncovering the complex couplings between the electronic and structural degrees of freedom. When combined with ultrafast laser excitation, new phases of matter can result, since far-from-equilibrium excited states are instantaneously populated. Here, we elucidate a general relation between ultrafast non-equilibrium electron dynamics and the size of the characteristic energy gap in a correlated electron material. We show that carrier multiplication via impact ionization can be one of the most important processes in a gapped material, and that the speed of carrier multiplication critically depends on the size of the energy gap. In the case of the charge-density wave material 1T-TiSe2, our data indicate that carrier multiplication and gap dynamics mutually amplify each other, which explains—on a microscopic level—the extremely fast response of this material to ultrafast optical excitation. PMID:27698341

The Atmospheric Scanning Electron Microscope with open sample space observes dynamic phenomena in liquid or gas.

PubMed

Suga, Mitsuo; Nishiyama, Hidetoshi; Konyuba, Yuji; Iwamatsu, Shinnosuke; Watanabe, Yoshiyuki; Yoshiura, Chie; Ueda, Takumi; Sato, Chikara

2011-12-01

Although conventional electron microscopy (EM) requires samples to be in vacuum, most chemical and physical reactions occur in liquid or gas. The Atmospheric Scanning Electron Microscope (ASEM) can observe dynamic phenomena in liquid or gas under atmospheric pressure in real time. An electron-permeable window made of pressure-resistant 100 nm-thick silicon nitride (SiN) film, set into the bottom of the open ASEM sample dish, allows an electron beam to be projected from underneath the sample. A detector positioned below captures backscattered electrons. Using the ASEM, we observed the radiation-induced self-organization process of particles, as well as phenomena accompanying volume change, including evaporation-induced crystallization. Using the electrochemical ASEM dish, we observed tree-like electrochemical depositions on the cathode. In silver nitrate solution, we observed silver depositions near the cathode forming incidental internal voids. The heated ASEM dish allowed observation of patterns of contrast in melting and solidifying solder. Finally, to demonstrate its applicability for monitoring and control of industrial processes, silver paste and solder paste were examined at high throughput. High resolution, imaging speed, flexibility, adaptability, and ease of use facilitate the observation of previously difficult-to-image phenomena, and make the ASEM applicable to various fields. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of electron-captures on nuclei near N = 50 on core-collapse supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Titus, R.; Sullivan, C.; Zegers, R. G. T.; Brown, B. A.; Gao, B.

2018-01-01

The sensitivity of the late stages of stellar core collapse to electron-capture rates on nuclei is investigated, with a focus on electron-capture rates on 74 nuclei with neutron number close to 50, just above doubly magic 78Ni. It is demonstrated that variations in key characteristics of the evolution, such as the lepton fraction, electron fraction, entropy, stellar density, and in-fall velocity are about 50% due to uncertainties in the electron-capture rates on nuclei in this region, although thousands of nuclei are included in the simulations. The present electron-capture rate estimates used for the nuclei in this high-sensitivity region of the chart of isotopes are primarily based on a simple approximation, and it is shown that the estimated rates are likely too high, by an order of magnitude or more. Electron-capture rates based on Gamow-Teller strength distributions calculated in microscopic theoretical models will be required to obtain better estimates. Gamow-Teller distributions extracted from charge-exchange experiments performed at intermediate energies serve to guide the development and benchmark the models. A previously compiled weak-rate library that is used in the astrophysical simulations was updated as part of the work presented here, by adding additional rate tables for nuclei near stability for mass numbers between 60 and 110.

Current oscillations in semi-insulating GaAs associated with field-enhanced capture of electrons by the major deep donor EL2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaminska, M.; Parsey, J. M.; Lagowski, J.; Gatos, H. C.

1982-01-01

Current oscillations thermally activated by the release of electrons from deep levels in undoped semiinsulating GaAs were observed for the first time. They were attributed to electric field-enhanced capture of electrons by the dominant deep donor EL2 (antisite AsGa defect). This enhanced capture is due to the configurational energy barrier of EL2, which is readily penetrated by hot electrons.

Limit on the radiative neutrinoless double electron capture of ^{36}Ar from GERDA Phase I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agostini, M.; Allardt, M.; Bakalyarov, A. M.; Balata, M.; Barabanov, I.; Barros, N.; Baudis, L.; Bauer, C.; Bellotti, E.; Belogurov, S.; Belyaev, S. T.; Benato, G.; Bettini, A.; Bezrukov, L.; Bode, T.; Borowicz, D.; Brudanin, V.; Brugnera, R.; Caldwell, A.; Cattadori, C.; Chernogorov, A.; D'Andrea, V.; Demidova, E. V.; di Vacri, A.; Domula, A.; Doroshkevich, E.; Egorov, V.; Falkenstein, R.; Fedorova, O.; Freund, K.; Frodyma, N.; Gangapshev, A.; Garfagnini, A.; Gooch, C.; Grabmayr, P.; Gurentsov, V.; Gusev, K.; Hakenmüller, J.; Hegai, A.; Heisel, M.; Hemmer, S.; Heusser, G.; Hofmann, W.; Hult, M.; Inzhechik, L. V.; Csáthy, J. Janicskó; Jochum, J.; Junker, M.; Kazalov, V.; Kihm, T.; Kirpichnikov, I. V.; Kirsch, A.; Kish, A.; Klimenko, A.; Kneißl, R.; Knöpfle, K. T.; Kochetov, O.; Kornoukhov, V. N.; Kuzminov, V. V.; Laubenstein, M.; Lazzaro, A.; Lebedev, V. I.; Lehnert, B.; Liao, H. Y.; Lindner, M.; Lippi, I.; Lubashevskiy, A.; Lubsandorzhiev, B.; Lutter, G.; Macolino, C.; Majorovits, B.; Maneschg, W.; Medinaceli, E.; Miloradovic, M.; Mingazheva, R.; Misiaszek, M.; Moseev, P.; Nemchenok, I.; Palioselitis, D.; Panas, K.; Pandola, L.; Pelczar, K.; Pullia, A.; Riboldi, S.; Rumyantseva, N.; Sada, C.; Salamida, F.; Salathe, M.; Schmitt, C.; Schneider, B.; Schönert, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schütz, A.-K.; Schulz, O.; Schwingenheuer, B.; Selivanenko, O.; Shirchenko, M.; Simgen, H.; Smolnikov, A.; Stanco, L.; Stepaniuk, M.; Vanhoefer, L.; Vasenko, A. A.; Veresnikova, A.; von Sturm, K.; Wagner, V.; Walter, M.; Wegmann, A.; Wester, T.; Wiesinger, C.; Wilsenach, H.; Wojcik, M.; Yanovich, E.; Zhitnikov, I.; Zhukov, S. V.; Zinatulina, D.; Zuber, K.; Zuzel, G.

2016-12-01

Neutrinoless double electron capture is a process that, if detected, would give evidence of lepton number violation and the Majorana nature of neutrinos. A search for neutrinoless double electron capture of ^{36}Ar has been performed with germanium detectors installed in liquid argon using data from Phase I of the GERmanium Detector Array ( Gerda) experiment at the Gran Sasso Laboratory of INFN, Italy. No signal was observed and an experimental lower limit on the half-life of the radiative neutrinoless double electron capture of ^{36}Ar was established: T_{1/2} > 3.6 × 10^{21} years at 90% CI.

Limit on the radiative neutrinoless double electron capture of 36Ar from GERDA Phase I

DOE PAGES

Agostini, M.; Allardt, M.; Bakalyarov, A. M.; ...

2016-11-28

Neutrinoless double electron capture is a process that, if detected, would give evidence of lepton number violation and the Majorana nature of neutrinos. Here, a search for neutrinoless double electron capture of 36Ar has been performed with germanium detectors installed in liquid argon using data from Phase I of the GERmanium Detector Array (Gerda) experiment at the Gran Sasso Laboratory of INFN, Italy. No signal was observed and an experimental lower limit on the half-life of the radiative neutrinoless double electron capture of 36 Ar was established: T 1/2 > 3.6 × 10 21 years at 90% CI.

Electron capture from circular Rydberg atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lundsgaard, M. F. V.; Chen, Z.; Lin, C. D.; Toshima, N.

1995-02-01

Electron capture cross sections from circular Rydberg states as a function of the angle cphi between the ion velocity and the angular momentum of the circular orbital have been reported recently by Hansen et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 1522 (1993)]. We show that the observed cphi dependence can be explained in terms of the propensity rule that governs the dependence of electron capture cross sections on the magnetic quantum numbers of the initial excited states. We also carried out close-coupling calculations to show that electron capture from the circular H(3d,4f,5g) states by protons at the same scaled velocity has nearly the same cphi dependence.

How to probe transverse magnetic anisotropy of a single-molecule magnet by electronic transport?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misiorny, M.; Burzuri, E.; Gaudenzi, R.; Park, K.; Leijnse, M.; Wegewijs, M.; Paaske, J.; Cornia, A.; van der Zant, H.

We propose an approach for in-situ determination of the transverse magnetic anisotropy (TMA) of an individual molecule by electronic transport measurements, see Phys. Rev. B 91, 035442 (2015). We study a Fe4 single-molecule magnet (SMM) captured in a gateable junction, a unique tool for addressing the spin in different redox states of a molecule. We show that, due to mixing of the spin eigenstates of the SMM, the TMA significantly manifests itself in transport. We predict and experimentally observe the pronounced intensity modulation of the Coulomb peak amplitude with the magnetic field in the linear-response transport regime, from which the TMA parameter E can be estimated. Importantly, the method proposed here does not rely on the small induced tunnelling effects and, hence, works well at temperatures and electron tunnel broadenings by far exceeding the tunnel splittings and even E itself. We deduce that the TMA for a single Fe4 molecule captured in a junction is substantially larger than the bulk value. Work supported by the Polish Ministry of Science and Education as `Iuventus Plus' project (IP2014 030973) in years 2015-2016.

Surface hopping with a manifold of electronic states. I. Incorporating surface-leaking to capture lifetimes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ouyang, Wenjun; Dou, Wenjie; Subotnik, Joseph E., E-mail: subotnik@sas.upenn.edu

2015-02-28

We investigate the incorporation of the surface-leaking (SL) algorithm into Tully’s fewest-switches surface hopping (FSSH) algorithm to simulate some electronic relaxation induced by an electronic bath in conjunction with some electronic transitions between discrete states. The resulting SL-FSSH algorithm is benchmarked against exact quantum scattering calculations for three one-dimensional model problems. The results show excellent agreement between SL-FSSH and exact quantum dynamics in the wide band limit, suggesting the potential for a SL-FSSH algorithm. Discrepancies and failures are investigated in detail to understand the factors that will limit the reliability of SL-FSSH, especially the wide band approximation. Considering the easinessmore » of implementation and the low computational cost, we expect this method to be useful in studying processes involving both a continuum of electronic states (where electronic dynamics are probabilistic) and processes involving only a few electronic states (where non-adiabatic processes cannot ignore short-time coherence)« less

A spherical electron cloud hopping model for studying product branching ratios of dissociative recombination.

PubMed

Yu, Hua-Gen

2008-05-21

A spherical electron cloud hopping (SECH) model is proposed to study the product branching ratios of dissociative recombination (DR) of polyatomic systems. In this model, the fast electron-captured process is treated as an instantaneous hopping of a cloud of uniform spherical fractional point charges onto a target M+q ion (or molecule). The sum of point charges (-1) simulates the incident electron. The sphere radius is determined by a critical distance (Rc eM) between the incoming electron (e-) and the target, at which the potential energy of the e(-)-M+q system is equal to that of the electron-captured molecule M+q(-1) in a symmetry-allowed electronic state with the same structure as M(+q). During the hopping procedure, the excess energies of electron association reaction are dispersed in the kinetic energies of M+q(-1) atoms to conserve total energy. The kinetic energies are adjusted by linearly adding atomic momenta in the direction of driving forces induced by the scattering electron. The nuclear dynamics of the resultant M+q(-1) molecule are studied by using a direct ab initio dynamics method on the adiabatic potential energy surface of M+q(-1), or together with extra adiabatic surface(s) of M+q(-1). For the latter case, the "fewest switches" surface hopping algorithm of Tully was adapted to deal with the nonadiabaticity in trajectory propagations. The SECH model has been applied to study the DR of both CH+ and H3O+(H2O)2. The theoretical results are consistent with the experiment. It was found that water molecules play an important role in determining the product branching ratios of the molecular cluster ion.

On the electron affinity of cytosine in bulk water and at hydrophobic aqueous interfaces.

PubMed

Vöhringer-Martinez, Esteban; Dörner, Ciro; Abel, Bernd

2014-10-01

In the past one possible mechanism of DNA damage in bulk water has been attributed to the presence of hydrated electrons in water. Recently, one important property of hydrated electrons, namely their binding energy, was reported to be smaller at hydrophobic interfaces than in bulk aqueous solution. This possibly opens up new reaction possibilities with different solutes such as the DNA at hydrophobic, aqueous interfaces. Here, we use QM/MM molecular dynamics simulation to study how the molecular environment at the vacuum-water interface and in the bulk alters the electron affinity of cytosine being a characteristic part of the DNA. The electron affinity at the interface is closer to the corresponding binding energy of the partially hydrated electron. The increased energy resonance makes the electron capture process more probable and suggests that hydrated electrons at hydrophobic interfaces may be more reactive than the fully hydrated ones. Additionally, we found that the relaxation of the anionic form after electron attachment also induces a proton transfer from the surrounding solvent that was confirmed by comparison with the experimental reduction potential.

Modification of photosynthesis and growth responses to elevated CO2 by ozone in two cultivars of winter wheat with different years of release

PubMed Central

Jiang, G.M.

2013-01-01

The beneficial effects of elevated CO2 on plants are expected to be compromised by the negative effects posed by other global changes. However, little is known about ozone (O3)-induced modulation of elevated CO2 response in plants with differential sensitivity to O3. An old (Triticum aestivum cv. Beijing 6, O3 tolerant) and a modern (T. aestivum cv. Zhongmai 9, O3 sensitive) winter wheat cultivar were exposed to elevated CO2 (714 ppm) and/or O3 (72 ppb, for 7h d–1) in open-topped chambers for 21 d. Plant responses to treatments were assessed by visible leaf symptoms, simultaneous measurements of gas exchange and chlorophyll a fluorescence, in vivo biochemical properties, and growth. It was found that elevated CO2 resulted in higher growth stimulation in the modern cultivar attributed to a higher energy capture and electron transport rate compared with the old cultivar. Exposure to O3 caused a greater growth reduction in the modern cultivar due to higher O3 uptake and a greater loss of photosystem II efficiency (mature leaf) and mesophyll cell activity (young leaf) than in the old cultivar. Elevated CO2 completely protected both cultivars against the deleterious effects of O3 under elevated CO2 and O3. The modern cultivar showed a greater relative loss of elevated CO2-induced growth stimulation due to higher O3 uptake and greater O3-induced photoinhibition than the old cultivar at elevated CO2 and O3. Our findings suggest that the elevated CO2-induced growth stimulation in the modern cultivar attributed to higher energy capture and electron transport rate can be compromised by its higher O3 uptake and greater O3-induced photoinhibition under elevated CO2 and O3 exposure. PMID:23378379

Measurement of laser activated electron tunneling from semiconductor zinc oxide to adsorbed organic molecules by a matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometer.

PubMed

Zhong, Hongying; Fu, Jieying; Wang, Xiaoli; Zheng, Shi

2012-06-04

Measurement of light induced heterogeneous electron transfer is important for understanding of fundamental processes involved in chemistry, physics and biology, which is still challenging by current techniques. Laser activated electron tunneling (LAET) from semiconductor metal oxides was observed and characterized by a MALDI (matrix assisted laser desorption ionization) mass spectrometer in this work. Nanoparticles of ZnO were placed on a MALDI sample plate. Free fatty acids and derivatives were used as models of organic compounds and directly deposited on the surface of ZnO nanoparticles. Irradiation of UV laser (λ=355 nm) with energy more than the band gap of ZnO produces ions that can be detected in negative mode. When TiO(2) nanoparticles with similar band gap but much lower electron mobility were used, these ions were not observed unless the voltage on the sample plate was increased. The experimental results indicate that laser induced electron tunneling is dependent on the electron mobility and the strength of the electric field. Capture of low energy electrons by charge-deficient atoms of adsorbed organic molecules causes unpaired electron-directed cleavages of chemical bonds in a nonergodic pathway. In positive detection mode, electron tunneling cannot be observed due to the reverse moving direction of electrons. It should be able to expect that laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry is a new technique capable of probing the dynamics of electron tunneling. LAET offers advantages as a new ionization dissociation method for mass spectrometry. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

77 FR 4059 - Certain Electronic Devices for Capturing and Transmitting Images, and Components Thereof; Receipt...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-26

... Images, and Components Thereof; Receipt of Complaint; Solicitation of Comments Relating to the Public... Devices for Capturing and Transmitting Images, and Components Thereof, DN 2869; the Commission is... importation of certain electronic devices for capturing and transmitting images, and components thereof. The...

Experimental electron beam irradiation of food and the induction of radioactivity.

PubMed

Findlay, D J; Parsons, T V; Sene, M R

1992-05-01

Samples of chicken, prawns, cheeses and spices were irradiated on the Harwell electron linear accelerator HELIOS at 20 MeV to assess mechanisms for the induction of radioactivity. The induced radioactivity was measured using a lead shielded Ge(Li) gamma-ray spectrometer, and the results were compared with activities calculated on the basis of photoneutron and photoproton reactions induced by real and virtual photons. In general, there was good agreement. Bounds were also placed on the induction of radioactivity by capture of neutrons produced in the food samples themselves. Further, the data were used to assess the effects of a gross malfunction of an electron beam irradiation facility; after 1 day, the specific activity of food samples irradiated to 10 kGy at 20 MeV was approximately 0.01 Bq g-1. In addition, food samples were also irradiated at 10 MeV, and irradiated and control samples were analysed for microbiological burden. Reductions in the microbiological burden of the food samples by factors consistent with those found in previous measurements were found.

Ultrafast Electron Dynamics in Solar Energy Conversion.

PubMed

Ponseca, Carlito S; Chábera, Pavel; Uhlig, Jens; Persson, Petter; Sundström, Villy

2017-08-23

Electrons are the workhorses of solar energy conversion. Conversion of the energy of light to electricity in photovoltaics, or to energy-rich molecules (solar fuel) through photocatalytic processes, invariably starts with photoinduced generation of energy-rich electrons. The harvesting of these electrons in practical devices rests on a series of electron transfer processes whose dynamics and efficiencies determine the function of materials and devices. To capture the energy of a photogenerated electron-hole pair in a solar cell material, charges of opposite sign have to be separated against electrostatic attractions, prevented from recombining and being transported through the active material to electrodes where they can be extracted. In photocatalytic solar fuel production, these electron processes are coupled to chemical reactions leading to storage of the energy of light in chemical bonds. With the focus on the ultrafast time scale, we here discuss the light-induced electron processes underlying the function of several molecular and hybrid materials currently under development for solar energy applications in dye or quantum dot-sensitized solar cells, polymer-fullerene polymer solar cells, organometal halide perovskite solar cells, and finally some photocatalytic systems.

Electron capture in collisions of Al2+ ions with He atoms at intermediate energies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, A.; Sato, H.; Gu, J. P.; Hirsch, G.; Buenker, R. J.; Kimura, M.

2001-09-01

Electron capture resulting from collisions of Al2+ ions with He atoms from 0.15 to 1000 keV/u is investigated using a molecular-orbital representation within a semiclassical frame. Molecular electronic states and corresponding couplings are determined by the ALCHEMY program. Sixteen molecular states all connecting to single-electron-capture processes are included, and hence radial and rotational couplings among these channels are fully considered. The trajectory effect arising from the straight-line, Coulomb, and ground-state potential trajectories for electron-capture and excitation processes is carefully assessed. The electron-capture cross section by ground-state Al2+(2S) ions slowly increases before it reaches a maximum of 1.3×10-16 cm2 at 100 keV/u. Those for metastable Al2+(2P) ions sharply increase with increasing energy, and reach a peak at 1 keV/u with a value of 1.5×10-16 cm2. The earlier experimental data are found to be larger by an order of magnitude although their energy dependence is in good accord with the present result. Excitation cross sections for both the ground and metastable states are found to be much larger by a factor of 2-3 than corresponding capture cross sections above 1 keV/u although they become comparable below this energy.

Electronic case report forms and electronic data capture within clinical trials and pharmacoepidemiology.

PubMed

Rorie, David A; Flynn, Robert W V; Grieve, Kerr; Doney, Alexander; Mackenzie, Isla; MacDonald, Thomas M; Rogers, Amy

2017-09-01

Researchers in clinical and pharmacoepidemiology fields have adopted information technology (IT) and electronic data capture, but these remain underused despite the benefits. This review discusses electronic case report forms and electronic data capture, specifically within pharmacoepidemiology and clinical research. The review used PubMed and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers library. Search terms used were agreed by the authors and documented. PubMed is medical and health based, whereas Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers is technology based. The review focuses on electronic case report forms and electronic data capture, but briefly considers other relevant topics; consent, ethics and security. There were 1126 papers found using the search terms. Manual filtering and reviewing of abstracts further condensed this number to 136 relevant manuscripts. The papers were further categorized: 17 contained study data; 40 observational data; 27 anecdotal data; 47 covering methodology or design of systems; one case study; one literature review; two feasibility studies; and one cost analysis. Electronic case report forms, electronic data capture and IT in general are viewed with enthusiasm and are seen as a cost-effective means of improving research efficiency, educating participants and improving trial recruitment, provided concerns about how data will be protected from misuse can be addressed. Clear operational guidelines and best practises are key for healthcare providers, and researchers adopting IT, and further work is needed on improving integration of new technologies with current systems. A robust method of evaluation for technical innovation is required. © 2017 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Pharmacological Society.

Electronic case report forms and electronic data capture within clinical trials and pharmacoepidemiology

PubMed Central

Flynn, Robert W. V.; Grieve, Kerr; Doney, Alexander; Mackenzie, Isla; MacDonald, Thomas M.; Rogers, Amy

2017-01-01

Aims Researchers in clinical and pharmacoepidemiology fields have adopted information technology (IT) and electronic data capture, but these remain underused despite the benefits. This review discusses electronic case report forms and electronic data capture, specifically within pharmacoepidemiology and clinical research. Methods The review used PubMed and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers library. Search terms used were agreed by the authors and documented. PubMed is medical and health based, whereas Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers is technology based. The review focuses on electronic case report forms and electronic data capture, but briefly considers other relevant topics; consent, ethics and security. Results There were 1126 papers found using the search terms. Manual filtering and reviewing of abstracts further condensed this number to 136 relevant manuscripts. The papers were further categorized: 17 contained study data; 40 observational data; 27 anecdotal data; 47 covering methodology or design of systems; one case study; one literature review; two feasibility studies; and one cost analysis. Conclusion Electronic case report forms, electronic data capture and IT in general are viewed with enthusiasm and are seen as a cost‐effective means of improving research efficiency, educating participants and improving trial recruitment, provided concerns about how data will be protected from misuse can be addressed. Clear operational guidelines and best practises are key for healthcare providers, and researchers adopting IT, and further work is needed on improving integration of new technologies with current systems. A robust method of evaluation for technical innovation is required. PMID:28276585

The novel asymmetric entry intermediate of a picornavirus captured with nanodiscs

PubMed Central

Lee, Hyunwook; Shingler, Kristin L.; Organtini, Lindsey J.; Ashley, Robert E.; Makhov, Alexander M.; Conway, James F.; Hafenstein, Susan

2016-01-01

Many nonenveloped viruses engage host receptors that initiate capsid conformational changes necessary for genome release. Structural studies on the mechanisms of picornavirus entry have relied on in vitro approaches of virus incubated at high temperatures or with excess receptor molecules to trigger the entry intermediate or A-particle. We have induced the coxsackievirus B3 entry intermediate by triggering the virus with full-length receptors embedded in lipid bilayer nanodiscs. These asymmetrically formed A-particles were reconstructed using cryo-electron microscopy and a direct electron detector. These first high-resolution structures of a picornavirus entry intermediate captured at a membrane with and without imposing icosahedral symmetry (3.9 and 7.8 Å, respectively) revealed a novel A-particle that is markedly different from the classical A-particles. The asymmetric receptor binding triggers minimal global capsid expansion but marked local conformational changes at the site of receptor interaction. In addition, viral proteins extrude from the capsid only at the site of extensive protein remodeling adjacent to the nanodisc. Thus, the binding of the receptor triggers formation of a unique site in preparation for genome release. PMID:27574701

Scaling of cross sections for K-electron capture by high-energy protons and alpha-particles from the multielectron atoms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Omidvar, K.

1976-01-01

Electron capture by protons from H, He, and the K-shell of Ar, and alpha particles from He are considered. It is shown that when a certain function of the experimental cross sections is plotted versus the inverse of the collision energy, at high energies the function falls on a straight line. At lower energies the function concaves up or down, depending on the charge of the projectile, the effective charge and the ionization potential of the electron that is being captured. The plot can be used to predict cross sections where experimental data are not available, and as a guide in future experiments. High energy scaling formulas for K-electron capture by low-charge projectiles are given.

21 CFR 172.860 - Fatty acids.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... the gas chromatographic-electron capture method prescribed in paragraph (c)(3) of this section. If..._locations.html. (3) The gas chromatographic-electron capture method for testing fatty acids for chick-edema...

21 CFR 172.860 - Fatty acids.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... the gas chromatographic-electron capture method prescribed in paragraph (c)(3) of this section. If..._locations.html. (3) The gas chromatographic-electron capture method for testing fatty acids for chick-edema...

Self-amplified photo-induced gap quenching in a correlated electron material

DOE PAGES

Mathias, S.; Eich, S.; Urbancic, J.; ...

2016-10-04

Capturing the dynamic electronic band structure of a correlated material presents a powerful capability for uncovering the complex couplings between the electronic and structural degrees of freedom. When combined with ultrafast laser excitation, new phases of matter can result, since far-from-equilibrium excited states are instantaneously populated. Here, we elucidate a general relation between ultrafast non-equilibrium electron dynamics and the size of the characteristic energy gap in a correlated electron material. Here, we show that carrier multiplication via impact ionization can be one of the most important processes in a gapped material, and that the speed of carrier multiplication critically dependsmore » on the size of the energy gap. In the case of the charge-density wave material 1T-TiSe 2, our data indicate that carrier multiplication and gap dynamics mutually amplify each other, which explains—on a microscopic level—the extremely fast response of this material to ultrafast optical excitation.« less

Photoresponse and photo-induced memory effect in the organic field-effect transistor based on AlOX nanoparticles at the interface of semiconductor/dielectric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Yunfei; Wang, Wu

2017-10-01

In this work, the photoresponse and photo-induced memory effect were demonstrated in an organic field-effect transistor (OFET) with semiconductor pentacene and SiO2 as the active and gate dielectric layers, respectively. By inserting AlOX nanoparticles (NPs) at the interface of pentacene/SiO2, obvious enhancing photoresponse was obtained in the OFET with the maximum responsivity and photosensitivity of about 15 A/W and 100, respectively. Moreover, the stable photoinduced memory effect was achieved in the OFET, attributing to the photogenerated electrons captured by the interface traps of the AlOX NPs/SiO2.

Radiative double electron capture in collisions of fully-stripped fluorine ions with thin carbon foils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elkafrawy, Tamer Mohammad Samy

Radiative double electron capture (RDEC) is a one-step process in ion-atom collisions occurring when two target electrons are captured to a bound state of the projectile simultaneously with the emission of a single photon. The emitted photon has approximately double the energy of the photon emitted due to radiative electron capture (REC), which occurs when a target electron is captured to a projectile bound state with simultaneous emission of a photon. REC and RDEC can be treated as time-reversed photoionization (PI) and double photoionization (DPI), respectively, if loosely-bound target electrons are captured. This concept can be formulated with the principle of detailed balance, in which the processes of our interest can be described in terms of their time-reversed ones. Fully-stripped ions were used as projectiles in the performed RDEC experiments, providing a recipient system free of electron-related Coulomb fields. This allows the target electrons to be transferred without interaction with any of the projectile electrons, enabling accurate investigation of the electron-electron interaction in the vicinity of electromagnetic field. In this dissertation, RDEC was investigated during the collision of fully-stripped fluorine ions with a thin carbon foil and the results are compared with the recent experimental and theoretical studies. In the current work, x rays associated with projectile charge-changing by single and double electron capture and no charge change by F9+ ions were observed and compared with recent work for O8+ ions and with theory. Both the F 9+ and O8+ ions had energies in the ˜MeV/u range. REC, in turn, was investigated as a means to compare with the theoretical predictions of the RDEC/REC cross section ratio. The most significant background processes including various mechanisms of x-ray emission that may interfere with the energy region of interest are addressed in detail. This enables isolation of the contributions of REC and RDEC from the entire continuous spectrum of x-ray emission or at least ensures that the background processes have negligible contribution to the energy range of interest. Special emphasis is given to showing how the data analysis was carried out by the subtraction of the x rays due to contamination lines.

Time-resolved measurement of single pulse femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structure formation induced by a pre-fabricated surface groove.

PubMed

Kafka, K R P; Austin, D R; Li, H; Yi, A Y; Cheng, J; Chowdhury, E A

2015-07-27

Time-resolved diffraction microscopy technique has been used to observe the formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) from the interaction of a single femtosecond laser pulse (pump) with a nano-scale groove mechanically formed on a single-crystal Cu substrate. The interaction dynamics (0-1200 ps) was captured by diffracting a time-delayed, frequency-doubled pulse (probe) from nascent LIPSS formation induced by the pump with an infinity-conjugate microscopy setup. The LIPSS ripples are observed to form asynchronously, with the first one forming after 50 ps and others forming sequentially outward from the groove edge at larger time delays. A 1-D analytical model of electron heating including both the laser pulse and surface plasmon polariton excitation at the groove edge predicts ripple period, melt spot diameter, and qualitatively explains the asynchronous time-evolution of LIPSS formation.

Hot Electrons Regain Coherence in Semiconducting Nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reiner, Jonathan; Nayak, Abhay Kumar; Avraham, Nurit; Norris, Andrew; Yan, Binghai; Fulga, Ion Cosma; Kang, Jung-Hyun; Karzig, Toesten; Shtrikman, Hadas; Beidenkopf, Haim

2017-04-01

The higher the energy of a particle is above equilibrium, the faster it relaxes because of the growing phase space of available electronic states it can interact with. In the relaxation process, phase coherence is lost, thus limiting high-energy quantum control and manipulation. In one-dimensional systems, high relaxation rates are expected to destabilize electronic quasiparticles. Here, we show that the decoherence induced by relaxation of hot electrons in one-dimensional semiconducting nanowires evolves nonmonotonically with energy such that above a certain threshold hot electrons regain stability with increasing energy. We directly observe this phenomenon by visualizing, for the first time, the interference patterns of the quasi-one-dimensional electrons using scanning tunneling microscopy. We visualize the phase coherence length of the one-dimensional electrons, as well as their phase coherence time, captured by crystallographic Fabry-Pèrot resonators. A remarkable agreement with a theoretical model reveals that the nonmonotonic behavior is driven by the unique manner in which one-dimensional hot electrons interact with the cold electrons occupying the Fermi sea. This newly discovered relaxation profile suggests a high-energy regime for operating quantum applications that necessitate extended coherence or long thermalization times, and may stabilize electronic quasiparticles in one dimension.

A Benign, Low Z Electron Capture Agent for Negative Ion TPCs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martoff, C. J.; Dion, M. P.; Hosack, M.; Barton, D.; Black, J. K.

2008-01-01

We have identified nitromethane (CH3NO2) as an effective electron capture agent for negative ion TPCs (NITPCs). We present drift velocity and longitudinal diffusion measurements for negative ion gas mixtures using nitromethane as the capture agent. Not only is nitromethane substantially more benign than the only other identified capture agent, CS2, but its low atomic number will enable the use of the NITPC as a photoelectric X-ray polarimeter in the 1-10 keV band.

2013 R&D 100 Award: Movie-mode electron microscope captures nanoscale

ScienceCinema

Lagrange, Thomas; Reed, Bryan

2018-01-26

A new instrument developed by LLNL scientists and engineers, the Movie Mode Dynamic Transmission Electron Microscope (MM-DTEM), captures billionth-of-a-meter-scale images with frame rates more than 100,000 times faster than those of conventional techniques. The work was done in collaboration with a Pleasanton-based company, Integrated Dynamic Electron Solutions (IDES) Inc. Using this revolutionary imaging technique, a range of fundamental and technologically important material and biological processes can be captured in action, in complete billionth-of-a-meter detail, for the first time. The primary application of MM-DTEM is the direct observation of fast processes, including microstructural changes, phase transformations and chemical reactions, that shape real-world performance of nanostructured materials and potentially biological entities. The instrument could prove especially valuable in the direct observation of macromolecular interactions, such as protein-protein binding and host-pathogen interactions. While an earlier version of the technology, Single Shot-DTEM, could capture a single snapshot of a rapid process, MM-DTEM captures a multiframe movie that reveals complex sequences of events in detail. It is the only existing technology that can capture multiple electron microscopy images in the span of a single microsecond.

2013 R&D 100 Award: Movie-mode electron microscope captures nanoscale

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lagrange, Thomas; Reed, Bryan

2014-04-03

A new instrument developed by LLNL scientists and engineers, the Movie Mode Dynamic Transmission Electron Microscope (MM-DTEM), captures billionth-of-a-meter-scale images with frame rates more than 100,000 times faster than those of conventional techniques. The work was done in collaboration with a Pleasanton-based company, Integrated Dynamic Electron Solutions (IDES) Inc. Using this revolutionary imaging technique, a range of fundamental and technologically important material and biological processes can be captured in action, in complete billionth-of-a-meter detail, for the first time. The primary application of MM-DTEM is the direct observation of fast processes, including microstructural changes, phase transformations and chemical reactions, that shapemore » real-world performance of nanostructured materials and potentially biological entities. The instrument could prove especially valuable in the direct observation of macromolecular interactions, such as protein-protein binding and host-pathogen interactions. While an earlier version of the technology, Single Shot-DTEM, could capture a single snapshot of a rapid process, MM-DTEM captures a multiframe movie that reveals complex sequences of events in detail. It is the only existing technology that can capture multiple electron microscopy images in the span of a single microsecond.« less

Quasiclassical treatment of the Auger effect in slow ion-atom collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frémont, F.

2017-09-01

A quasiclassical model based on the resolution of Hamilton equations of motion is used to get evidence for Auger electron emission following double-electron capture in 150-keV N e10 ++He collisions. Electron-electron interaction is taken into account during the collision by using pure Coulombic potential. To make sure that the helium target is stable before the collision, phenomenological potentials for the electron-nucleus interactions that simulate the Heisenberg principle are included in addition to the Coulombic potential. First, single- and double-electron captures are determined and compared with previous experiments and theories. Then, integration time evolution is calculated for autoionizing and nonautoionizing double capture. In contrast with single capture, the number of electrons originating from autoionization slowly increases with integration time. A fit of the calculated cross sections by means of an exponential function indicates that the average lifetime is 4.4 ×10-3a .u . , in very good agreement with the average lifetime deduced from experiments and a classical model introduced to calculate individual angular momentum distributions. The present calculation demonstrates the ability of classical models to treat the Auger effect, which is a pure quantum effect.

Communication: Low-energy free-electron driven molecular engineering: In situ preparation of intrinsically short-lived carbon-carbon covalent dimer of CO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Daly; Sajeev, Y.

2017-02-01

Molecular modification induced through the resonant attachment of a low energy electron (LEE) is a novel approach for molecular engineering. In this communication, we explore the possibility to use the LEE as a quantum tool for the in situ preparation of short lived molecules. Using ab initio quantum chemical methods, this possibility is best illustrated for the in situ preparation of the intrinsically short-lived carbon-carbon covalent dimer of CO from a glyoxal molecule. The chemical conversion of glyoxal to the covalent dimer of CO is initiated and driven by the resonant capture of a near 11 eV electron by the glyoxal molecule. The resulting two-particle one-hole (2p-1h) negative ion resonant state (NIRS) of the glyoxal molecule undergoes a barrierless radical dehydrogenation reaction and produces the covalent dimer of CO. The autoionization electron spectra from the 2p-1h NIRS at the dissociation limit of the dehydrogenation reaction provides access to the electronic states of the CO dimer. The overall process is an example of a catalytic electron reaction channel.

Electronic and transformation properties of a metastable defect introduced in epitaxially grown boron-doped p-type Si by alpha particle irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamor, M.; Auret, F. D.; Goodman, S. A.; Meyer, W. E.; Myburg, G.

1998-06-01

Titanium (Ti) Schottky barrier diodes on epitaxially grown boron-doped p-type Si films with a free carrier density of 6-8×1016cm-3 were irradiated with alpha particles at room temperature using an americium-241 (Am-241) radio nuclide. We report the electronic and transformation characteristics of an α-particle irradiation-induced defect Hα2 in epitaxially grown p-Si with metastable properties. The energy level and apparent capture cross section, as determined by deep-level transient spectroscopy, are Ev+0.43 eV and 1.4×10-15 cm2, respectively. This defect can be removed and re-introduced using a conventional bias-on/off cooling technique.

Isomorphic Properties of Atoms, Molecules, Water, DNA, Crystals, Earth, SolarSystem and Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gareev, F. A.; Gareeva, G. F.; Zhidkova, I. E.

2009-03-01

We discuss the cooperative resonance synchronization enhancement mechanisms of Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENR). Some of the low energy external fields can be used as triggers for starting and enhancing exothermic LENR. Any external field shortening distances between protons in nuclei and electrons in atoms should enhance beta-decay (capture) or double-beta decay (capture). We have proposed a new mechanism of LENR: cooperative resonance synchronization processes in the whole system nuclei+atoms+condensed matter+gaseuos+plasma medium, which we suggest can occur at a smaller threshold than the corresponding ones on free constituents. The cooperative processes can be induced and enhanced by low energy external fields. The excess heat is the emission of internal energy, and transmutations at LENR are the result of redistribution inner energy of the whole system.

Improved methods for nightside time domain Lunar Electromagnetic Sounding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuqua-Haviland, H.; Poppe, A. R.; Fatemi, S.; Delory, G. T.; De Pater, I.

2017-12-01

Time Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM) Sounding isolates induced magnetic fields to remotely deduce material properties at depth. The first step of performing TDEM Sounding at the Moon is to fully characterize the dynamic plasma environment, and isolate geophysically induced currents from concurrently present plasma currents. The transfer function method requires a two-point measurement: an upstream reference measuring the pristine solar wind, and one downstream near the Moon. This method was last performed during Apollo assuming the induced fields on the nightside of the Moon expand as in an undisturbed vacuum within the wake cavity [1]. Here we present an approach to isolating induction and performing TDEM with any two point magnetometer measurement at or near the surface of the Moon. Our models include a plasma induction model capturing the kinetic plasma environment within the wake cavity around a conducting Moon, and a geophysical forward model capturing induction in a vacuum. The combination of these two models enable the analysis of magnetometer data within the wake cavity. Plasma hybrid models use the upstream plasma conditions and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) to capture the wake current systems formed around the Moon. The plasma kinetic equations are solved for ion particles with electrons as a charge-neutralizing fluid. These models accurately capture the large scale lunar wake dynamics for a variety of solar wind conditions: ion density, temperature, solar wind velocity, and IMF orientation [2]. Given the 3D orientation variability coupled with the large range of conditions seen within the lunar plasma environment, we characterize the environment one case at a time. The global electromagnetic induction response of the Moon in a vacuum has been solved numerically for a variety of electrical conductivity models using the finite-element method implemented within the COMSOL software. This model solves for the geophysically induced response in vacuum to any driving transient event for any specified 3D conductivity profile. Our models fit the analytic solutions to a Root-Mean-Square Error of better than 1%. Solutions are non-unique, however, serve to better understand and constrain the global interior composition and 3D structure of the Moon. [1] Dyal & Parkin (1971) JGR; [2] Fatemi et al. (2013) GRL.

Study of photon emission by electron capture during solar nuclei acceleration. 2: Delimitation of conditions for charge transfert establishment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perez-Peraza, J.; Alvarez, M.; Gallegos, A.

1985-01-01

The conditions for establishment of charge transfer during acceleration of nuclei up to Fe, for typical conditions of solar flare regions T = 5 x 10 to the 3rd power to 2.5 x 10 to the 8th power degrees K were explored. Results show that such conditions are widely assorted, depending on the acceleration mechanism, the kind of projections and their velocity, the target elements, the source temperature and consequently on the degree of ionization of matter and the local charge state of the accelerated ions. Nevertheless, in spite of that assorted behavior, there are some general tendencies that can be summarized as follows. In atomic H electron capture is systematically established from thermal energies up to high energies, whatever the element and for both acceleration process. For a given element and fixed temperature (T), the probability and energy domain of electron capture and loss with Fermi are higher than with Betatron acceleration. For a given acceleration process the heavier the ion the higher the probability and the wider the energy range for electron capture and loss. For given acceleration mechanism and fixed element the importance and energy domain of capture and loss increase with T: for those reasons, the energy range of charge equilibrium (illustrated with solid lines on the next figs.) is wider with Fermi and increases with temperature and atomic number of projectiles. For the same reasons, electron loss is smaller while the lighter the element, the lower the temperature and the Betatron process, such that there are conditions for which electron loss is not allowed at low energies, but only electron capture is established.

Development of an Electron-capture Technique Specific for Explosives Detection

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-07-01

This document contains information on the design, fabrication, and testing of a prototype detector specific for explosives which employs electron-capture sensors. The technique used exploits the observation that the electronegative vapors from explos...

Search for neutrinoless double-electron capture of 156Dy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finch, S. W.; Tornow, W.

2015-12-01

Background: Multiple large collaborations are currently searching for neutrinoless double-β decay, with the ultimate goal of differentiating the Majorana-Dirac nature of the neutrino. Purpose: Investigate the feasibility of resonant neutrinoless double-electron capture, an experimental alternative to neutrinoless double-β decay. Method: Two clover germanium detectors were operated underground in coincidence to search for the de-excitation γ rays of 156Gd following the neutrinoless double-electron capture of 156Dy. 231.95 d of data were collected at the Kimballton underground research facility with a 231.57 mg enriched 156Dy sample. Results: No counts were seen above background and half-life limits are set at O (1016-1018) yr for the various decay modes of 156Dy. Conclusion: Low background spectra were efficiently collected in the search for neutrinoless double-electron capture of 156Dy, although the low natural abundance and associated lack of large quantities of enriched samples hinders the experimental reach.

Measuring double-electron capture with liquid xenon experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mei, D.-M.; Marshall, I.; Wei, W.-Z.; Zhang, C.

2014-01-01

We investigate the possibilities of observing the decay mode for 124Xe in which two electrons are captured, two neutrinos are emitted, and the final daughter nucleus is in its ground state, using dark matter experiments with liquid xenon. The first upper limit of the decay half-life is calculated to be 1.66 × 1021 years at a 90% confidence level (C.L.) obtained with the published background data from the XENON100 experiment. Employing a known background model from the large underground xenon (LUX) experiment, we predict that the detection of double-electron capture of 124Xe to the ground state of 124Te with LUX will have approximately 115 events, assuming a half-life of 2.9 × 1021 years. We conclude that measuring 124Xe 2ν double-electron capture to the ground state of 124Te can be performed more precisely with the proposed LUX-Zeplin (LZ) experiment.

Search for two-neutrino double electron capture of 124Xe with XENON100

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprile, E.; Aalbers, J.; Agostini, F.; Alfonsi, M.; Amaro, F. D.; Anthony, M.; Arneodo, F.; Barrow, P.; Baudis, L.; Bauermeister, B.; Benabderrahmane, M. L.; Berger, T.; Breur, P. A.; Brown, A.; Brown, E.; Bruenner, S.; Bruno, G.; Budnik, R.; Bütikofer, L.; Calvén, J.; Cardoso, J. M. R.; Cervantes, M.; Cichon, D.; Coderre, D.; Colijn, A. P.; Conrad, J.; Cussonneau, J. P.; Decowski, M. P.; de Perio, P.; di Gangi, P.; di Giovanni, A.; Diglio, S.; Duchovni, E.; Fei, J.; Ferella, A. D.; Fieguth, A.; Franco, D.; Fulgione, W.; Gallo Rosso, A.; Galloway, M.; Gao, F.; Garbini, M.; Geis, C.; Goetzke, L. W.; Greene, Z.; Grignon, C.; Hasterok, C.; Hogenbirk, E.; Itay, R.; Kaminsky, B.; Kessler, G.; Kish, A.; Landsman, H.; Lang, R. F.; Lellouch, D.; Levinson, L.; Le Calloch, M.; Levy, C.; Lin, Q.; Lindemann, S.; Lindner, M.; Lopes, J. A. M.; Manfredini, A.; Marrodán Undagoitia, T.; Masbou, J.; Massoli, F. V.; Masson, D.; Mayani, D.; Meng, Y.; Messina, M.; Micheneau, K.; Miguez, B.; Molinario, A.; Murra, M.; Naganoma, J.; Ni, K.; Oberlack, U.; Orrigo, S. E. A.; Pakarha, P.; Pelssers, B.; Persiani, R.; Piastra, F.; Pienaar, J.; Piro, M.-C.; Plante, G.; Priel, N.; Rauch, L.; Reichard, S.; Reuter, C.; Rizzo, A.; Rosendahl, S.; Rupp, N.; Dos Santos, J. M. F.; Sartorelli, G.; Scheibelhut, M.; Schindler, S.; Schreiner, J.; Schumann, M.; Scotto Lavina, L.; Selvi, M.; Shagin, P.; Silva, M.; Simgen, H.; Sivers, M. V.; Stein, A.; Thers, D.; Tiseni, A.; Trinchero, G.; Tunnell, C. D.; Wall, R.; Wang, H.; Weber, M.; Wei, Y.; Weinheimer, C.; Wulf, J.; Zhang, Y.; Xenon Collaboration

2017-02-01

Two-neutrino double electron capture is a rare nuclear decay where two electrons are simultaneously captured from the atomic shell. For 124Xe this process has not yet been observed and its detection would provide a new reference for nuclear matrix element calculations. We have conducted a search for two-neutrino double electron capture from the K shell of 124Xe using 7636 kg d of data from the XENON100 dark matter detector. Using a Bayesian analysis we observed no significant excess above background, leading to a lower 90% credibility limit on the half-life T1 /2>6.5 ×1020 yr. We have also evaluated the sensitivity of the XENON1T experiment, which is currently being commissioned, and found a sensitivity of T1 /2>6.1 ×1022 yr after an exposure of 2 t yr .

Effects of dimensionality on kinetic simulations of laser-ion acceleration in the transparency regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stark, D. J.; Yin, L.; Albright, B. J.; Guo, F.

2017-05-01

A particle-in-cell study of laser-ion acceleration mechanisms in the transparency regime illustrates how two-dimensional (2D) S and P simulations (laser polarization in and out of the simulation plane, respectively) capture different physics characterizing these systems, visible in their entirety often in cost-prohibitive three-dimensional (3D) simulations. The electron momentum anisotropy induced in the target by a laser pulse is dramatically different in the two 2D cases, manifested in differences in target expansion timescales, electric field strengths, and density thresholds for the onset of relativistically induced transparency. In particular, 2D-P simulations exhibit dramatically greater electron heating in the simulation plane, whereas 2D-S ones show a much more isotropic energy distribution, similar to 3D. An ion trajectory analysis allows one to isolate the fields responsible for ion acceleration and to characterize the acceleration regimes in time and space. The artificial longitudinal electron heating in 2D-P exaggerates the effectiveness of target-normal sheath acceleration into its dominant acceleration mechanism throughout the laser-plasma interaction, whereas 2D-S and 3D both have sizable populations accelerated preferentially during transparency.

Effects of dimensionality on kinetic simulations of laser-ion acceleration in the transparency regime

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stark, David James; Yin, Lin; Albright, Brian James

2017-05-03

A particle-in-cell study of laser-ion acceleration mechanisms in the transparency regime illustrates how two-dimensional (2D) S and P simulations (laser polarization in and out of the simulation plane, respectively) capture different physics characterizing these systems, visible in their entirety in often cost-prohibitive three-dimensional (3D) simulations. The electron momentum anisotropy induced in the target by the laser pulse is dramatically different in the two 2D cases, manifested in differences in target expansion timescales, electric field strengths, and density thresholds for the onset of relativistically induced transparency. In particular, 2D-P simulations exhibit dramatically greater electron heating in the simulation plane, whereas 2D-Smore » ones show a much more isotropic energy distribution, similar to 3D. An ion trajectory analysis allows one to isolate the fields responsible for ion acceleration and to characterize the acceleration regimes in time and space. The artificial longitudinal electron heating in 2D-P exaggerates the effectiveness of target-normal sheath acceleration into its dominant acceleration mechanism throughout the laser-plasma interaction, whereas 2D-S and 3D both have sizable populations accelerated preferentially during transparency.« less

Characterization of Tyrosine Nitration and Cysteine Nitrosylation Modifications by Metastable Atom-Activation Dissociation Mass Spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, Shannon L.; Jackson, Glen P.

2011-02-01

The fragmentation behavior of nitrated and S-nitrosylated peptides were studied using collision induced dissociation (CID) and metastable atom-activated dissociation mass spectrometry (MAD-MS). Various charge states, such as 1+, 2+, 3+, 2-, of modified and unmodified peptides were exposed to a beam of high kinetic energy helium (He) metastable atoms resulting in extensive backbone fragmentation with significant retention of the post-translation modifications (PTMs). Whereas the high electron affinity of the nitrotyrosine moiety quenches radical chemistry and fragmentation in electron capture dissociation (ECD) and electron transfer dissociation (ETD), MAD does produce numerous backbone cleavages in the vicinity of the modification. Fragment ions of nitrosylated cysteine modifications typically exhibit more abundant neutral losses than nitrated tyrosine modifications because of the extremely labile nature of the nitrosylated cysteine residues. However, compared with CID, MAD produced between 66% and 86% more fragment ions, which preserved the labile -NO modification. MAD was also able to differentiate I/L residues in the modified peptides. MAD is able to induce radical ion chemistry even in the presence of strong radical traps and therefore offers unique advantages to ECD, ETD, and CID for determination of PTMs such as nitrated and S-nitrosylated peptides.

Optical absorption in degenerately doped semiconductors: Mott transition or Mahan excitons?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schleife, André.; Rödl, Claudia; Hannewald, Karsten; Bechstedt, Friedhelm

2012-02-01

In the exploration of material properties, parameter-free calculations are a modern, sophisticated complement to cutting-edge experimental techniques. Ab-initio calculations are now capable of providing a deep understanding of the interesting physics underlying the electronic structure and optical absorption, e.g., of the transparent conductive oxides. Due to electron doping, these materials are conductive even though they have wide fundamental band gaps. The degenerate electron gas in the lowest conduction-band states drastically modifies the Coulomb interaction between the electrons and, hence, the optical properties close to the absorption edge. We describe these effects by developing an ab-initio technique which captures also the Pauli blocking and the Fermi-edge singularity at the optical absorption onset, that occur in addition to quasiparticle and excitonic effects. We answer the question whether free carriers induce an excitonic Mott transition or trigger the evolution of Wannier-Mott excitons into Mahan excitons. The prototypical n-type zinc oxide is studied as an example.

Chemical Reactions Triggered Using Electrons Photodetached from "Clean" Distributions of Anions Deposited in Cryogenic Matrices via Counterion Codeposition.

PubMed

Ludwig, Ryan M; Moore, David T

2014-09-04

Application of matrix isolation spectroscopy to ionic species is typically complicated by the presence of neutral contaminants during matrix deposition. Herein we demonstrate that simultaneous deposition of balanced currents of counterions with mass-selected ions of interest generates "clean" distributions of matrix-isolated metal carbonyl anions, where the only bands appearing in the CO-stretching region of the vibrational spectrum arise from ions. (Neutrals are initially absent.) Photodetachment by mild irradiation with visible light leads to complete conversion of the anions into their corresponding neutral species. The photodetached electrons, in turn, initiate covalent chemistry, inducing C-C bond formation following electron-capture by CO van der Waals dimers to produce trans-OCCO(-). The initial clean distribution of ions enables clear connections to be drawn between the spectral changes occurring at each experimental step, thus demonstrating the potential of the counterion codeposition technique to facilitate detailed studies of chemistry involving ions and electron transfer in cryogenic matrices.

Computed versus measured ion velocity distribution functions in a Hall effect thruster

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garrigues, L.; CNRS, LAPLACE, F-31062 Toulouse; Mazouffre, S.

2012-06-01

We compare time-averaged and time-varying measured and computed ion velocity distribution functions in a Hall effect thruster for typical operating conditions. The ion properties are measured by means of laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy. Simulations of the plasma properties are performed with a two-dimensional hybrid model. In the electron fluid description of the hybrid model, the anomalous transport responsible for the electron diffusion across the magnetic field barrier is deduced from the experimental profile of the time-averaged electric field. The use of a steady state anomalous mobility profile allows the hybrid model to capture some properties like the time-averaged ion meanmore » velocity. Yet, the model fails at reproducing the time evolution of the ion velocity. This fact reveals a complex underlying physics that necessitates to account for the electron dynamics over a short time-scale. This study also shows the necessity for electron temperature measurements. Moreover, the strength of the self-magnetic field due to the rotating Hall current is found negligible.« less

Development of a Branched Radio-Frequency Ion Trap for Electron Based Dissociation and Related Applications

PubMed Central

Baba, Takashi; Campbell, J. Larry; Le Blanc, J. C. Yves; Baker, Paul R. S.; Hager, James W.; Thomson, Bruce A.

2017-01-01

Collision-induced dissociation (CID) is the most common tool for molecular analysis in mass spectrometry to date. However, there are difficulties associated with many applications because CID does not provide sufficient information to permit details of the molecular structures to be elucidated, including post-translational-modifications in proteomics, as well as isomer differentiation in metabolomics and lipidomics. To face these challenges, we are developing fast electron-based dissociation devices using a novel radio-frequency ion trap (i.e., a branched ion trap). These devices have the ability to perform electron capture dissociation (ECD) on multiply protonated peptide/proteins; in addition, the electron impact excitation of ions from organics (EIEIO) can be also performed on singly charged molecules using such a device. In this article, we review the development of this technology, in particular on how reaction speed for EIEIO analyses on singly charged ions can be improved. We also overview some unique, recently reported applications in both lipidomics and glycoproteomics. PMID:28630811

Development of a Branched Radio-Frequency Ion Trap for Electron Based Dissociation and Related Applications.

PubMed

Baba, Takashi; Campbell, J Larry; Le Blanc, J C Yves; Baker, Paul R S; Hager, James W; Thomson, Bruce A

2017-01-01

Collision-induced dissociation (CID) is the most common tool for molecular analysis in mass spectrometry to date. However, there are difficulties associated with many applications because CID does not provide sufficient information to permit details of the molecular structures to be elucidated, including post-translational-modifications in proteomics, as well as isomer differentiation in metabolomics and lipidomics. To face these challenges, we are developing fast electron-based dissociation devices using a novel radio-frequency ion trap ( i.e. , a branched ion trap). These devices have the ability to perform electron capture dissociation (ECD) on multiply protonated peptide/proteins; in addition, the electron impact excitation of ions from organics (EIEIO) can be also performed on singly charged molecules using such a device. In this article, we review the development of this technology, in particular on how reaction speed for EIEIO analyses on singly charged ions can be improved. We also overview some unique, recently reported applications in both lipidomics and glycoproteomics.

Charge Exchange X-Ray Emission due to Highly Charged Ion Collisions with H, He, and H2: Line Ratios for Heliospheric and Interstellar Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cumbee, R. S.; Mullen, P. D.; Lyons, D.; Shelton, R. L.; Fogle, M.; Schultz, D. R.; Stancil, P. C.

2018-01-01

The fundamental collisional process of charge exchange (CX) has been established as a primary source of X-ray emission from the heliosphere, planetary exospheres, and supernova remnants. In this process, X-ray emission results from the capture of an electron by a highly charged ion from a neutral atom or molecule, to form a highly excited, high-charge state ion. As the captured electron cascades down to the lowest energy level, photons are emitted, including X-rays. To provide reliable CX-induced X-ray spectral models to realistically simulate these environments, line ratios and spectra are computed using theoretical CX cross sections obtained with the multi-channel Landau-Zener, atomic-orbital close-coupling, molecular-orbital close-coupling, and classical trajectory Monte Carlo methods for various collisional velocities relevant to astrophysics. X-ray spectra were computed for collisions of bare and H-like C to Al ions with H, He, and H2 with results compared to available experimental data. Using these line ratios, XSPEC models of CX emission in the northeast rim of the Cygnus Loop supernova remnant and the heliosphere are shown as examples with ion velocity dependence.

Composition of the excimer laser-induced plume produced during LASIK refractive surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glickman, Randolph D.; Liu, Yun; Mayo, George L.; Baribeau, Alan D.; Starck, Tomy; Bankhead, Tom

2003-07-01

Because of concerns about potential hazards to surgical personnel of the plume associated with laser refractive surgery, this study was performed to characterize the composition of such plumes. Filter elements were removed from the smoke evacuator of a VISX S3 excimer laser (filter pore size ~0.3 microns) and from a Mastel Clean Room ( filter pore size ~0.2 microns) used with a LADARVISION excimer laser. The filters from both laser systems captured the laser-induced plumes from multiple, routine, LASIK patient procedures. Some filters were processed for scanning electron microscopy, while others were extracted with methanol and chloroform for biochemical analysis. Both the VISX "Final Air" filter and the Mastel "Clean Room" filter captured material that was not observed in filters that had clean operating room air only passed through them. In the VISX system, air flows through the filter unit parallel to the filter matrix. SEM analysis showed these filters captured discrete particles of 0.3 to 3.0 microns in size. In the Mastel Clean Room unit, air flows orthogonally through the filter, and the filter matrix was heavily layered with captured debris so that individual particles were not readily distinguished. Amino acid analysis and gel electrophoresis of extracted material revealed proteinaceous molecules as large as 5000 molecular weight. Such large molecules in the laser plume are not predicted by the existing theory of photochemical ablation. The presence of relatively large biomolecules may constitute a risk of allergenic reactions in personnel exposed to the plume, and also calls into question the precise mechanism of excimer laser photochemical ablation. Supported by the RMG Research Endowment, and Research to Prevent Blindness

New Insights on Subsurface Imaging of Carbon Nanotubes in Polymer Composites via Scanning Electron Microscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhao, Minhua; Ming, Bin; Kim, Jae-Woo; Gibbons, Luke J.; Gu, Xiaohong; Nguyen, Tinh; Park, Cheol; Lillehei, Peter T.; Villarrubia, J. S.; Vladar, Andras E.;

Imaging and controlling plasmonic interference fields at buried interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lummen, Tom T. A.; Lamb, Raymond J.; Berruto, Gabriele; Lagrange, Thomas; Dal Negro, Luca; García de Abajo, F. Javier; McGrouther, Damien; Barwick, B.; Carbone, F.

2016-10-01

Capturing and controlling plasmons at buried interfaces with nanometre and femtosecond resolution has yet to be achieved and is critical for next generation plasmonic devices. Here we use light to excite plasmonic interference patterns at a buried metal-dielectric interface in a nanostructured thin film. Plasmons are launched from a photoexcited array of nanocavities and their propagation is followed via photon-induced near-field electron microscopy (PINEM). The resulting movie directly captures the plasmon dynamics, allowing quantification of their group velocity at ~0.3 times the speed of light, consistent with our theoretical predictions. Furthermore, we show that the light polarization and nanocavity design can be tailored to shape transient plasmonic gratings at the nanoscale. This work, demonstrating dynamical imaging with PINEM, paves the way for the femtosecond and nanometre visualization and control of plasmonic fields in advanced heterostructures based on novel two-dimensional materials such as graphene, MoS2, and ultrathin metal films.

Imaging and controlling plasmonic interference fields at buried interfaces

PubMed Central

Lummen, Tom T. A.; Lamb, Raymond J.; Berruto, Gabriele; LaGrange, Thomas; Dal Negro, Luca; García de Abajo, F. Javier; McGrouther, Damien; Barwick, B.; Carbone, F.

2016-01-01

Capturing and controlling plasmons at buried interfaces with nanometre and femtosecond resolution has yet to be achieved and is critical for next generation plasmonic devices. Here we use light to excite plasmonic interference patterns at a buried metal–dielectric interface in a nanostructured thin film. Plasmons are launched from a photoexcited array of nanocavities and their propagation is followed via photon-induced near-field electron microscopy (PINEM). The resulting movie directly captures the plasmon dynamics, allowing quantification of their group velocity at ∼0.3 times the speed of light, consistent with our theoretical predictions. Furthermore, we show that the light polarization and nanocavity design can be tailored to shape transient plasmonic gratings at the nanoscale. This work, demonstrating dynamical imaging with PINEM, paves the way for the femtosecond and nanometre visualization and control of plasmonic fields in advanced heterostructures based on novel two-dimensional materials such as graphene, MoS2, and ultrathin metal films. PMID:27725670

Scanning electron microscope automatic defect classification of process induced defects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolfe, Scott; McGarvey, Steve

2017-03-01

With the integration of high speed Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) based Automated Defect Redetection (ADR) in both high volume semiconductor manufacturing and Research and Development (R and D), the need for reliable SEM Automated Defect Classification (ADC) has grown tremendously in the past few years. In many high volume manufacturing facilities and R and D operations, defect inspection is performed on EBeam (EB), Bright Field (BF) or Dark Field (DF) defect inspection equipment. A comma separated value (CSV) file is created by both the patterned and non-patterned defect inspection tools. The defect inspection result file contains a list of the inspection anomalies detected during the inspection tools' examination of each structure, or the examination of an entire wafers surface for non-patterned applications. This file is imported into the Defect Review Scanning Electron Microscope (DRSEM). Following the defect inspection result file import, the DRSEM automatically moves the wafer to each defect coordinate and performs ADR. During ADR the DRSEM operates in a reference mode, capturing a SEM image at the exact position of the anomalies coordinates and capturing a SEM image of a reference location in the center of the wafer. A Defect reference image is created based on the Reference image minus the Defect image. The exact coordinates of the defect is calculated based on the calculated defect position and the anomalies stage coordinate calculated when the high magnification SEM defect image is captured. The captured SEM image is processed through either DRSEM ADC binning, exporting to a Yield Analysis System (YAS), or a combination of both. Process Engineers, Yield Analysis Engineers or Failure Analysis Engineers will manually review the captured images to insure that either the YAS defect binning is accurately classifying the defects or that the DRSEM defect binning is accurately classifying the defects. This paper is an exploration of the feasibility of the utilization of a Hitachi RS4000 Defect Review SEM to perform Automatic Defect Classification with the objective of the total automated classification accuracy being greater than human based defect classification binning when the defects do not require multiple process step knowledge for accurate classification. The implementation of DRSEM ADC has the potential to improve the response time between defect detection and defect classification. Faster defect classification will allow for rapid response to yield anomalies that will ultimately reduce the wafer and/or the die yield.

Scanning electron microscopy of Ancylostoma spp. dog infective larvae captured and destroyed by the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans.

PubMed

Maciel, A S; Araújo, J V; Campos, A K; Benjamin, L A; Freitas, L G

2009-06-01

The interaction between the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans (isolate CG768) against Ancylostoma spp. dog infective larvae (L(3)) was evaluated by means of scanning electron microscopy. Adhesive network trap formation was observed 6h after the beginning of the interaction, and the capture of Ancylostoma spp. L(3) was observed 8h after the inoculation these larvae on the cellulose membranes colonized by the fungus. Scanning electron micrographs were taken at 0, 12, 24, 36 and 48 h, where 0 is the time when Ancylostoma spp. L(3) was first captured by the fungus. Details of the capture structure formed by the fungus were described. Nematophagous Fungus Helper Bacteria (NHB) were found at interactions points between the D. flagrans and Ancylostoma spp. L(3). The cuticle penetration by the differentiated fungal hyphae with the exit of nematode internal contents was observed 36 h after the capture. Ancylostoma spp. L(3) were completely destroyed after 48 h of interaction with the fungus. The scanning electron microscopy technique was efficient on the study of this interaction, showing that the nematode-trapping fungus D. flagrans (isolate CG768) is a potential exterminator of Ancylostoma spp. L(3).

Topics in Astrophysical X-Ray and Gamma Ray Spectroscopy. Ph.D. Thesis - Maryland Univ.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bussard, R. W.

1978-01-01

A number of topics relating to astrophysical observations that have already been made or are currently planned of spectral features, mostly emission lines, in the X-ray and gamma ray region of the electromagnetic spectrum are investigated. These topics include: the production of characteristic X-ray and gamma ray lines by nonthermal ions, spectral features induced by processes occurring in strong magnetic fields, and the positron annihilation line at 0.5 MeV. The rate of X-ray production at 6.8 keV by the 2p to 1s transition in fast hydrogen- and helium-like iron ions, following both electron capture to excited levels and collisional excitation is calculated. The cross section for electron-ion Coulomb collisions in strong fields is also calculated.

What Hinders Electron Transfer Dissociation (ETD) of DNA Cations?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hari, Yvonne; Leumann, Christian J.; Schürch, Stefan

2017-12-01

Radical activation methods, such as electron transfer dissociation (ETD), produce structural information complementary to collision-induced dissociation. Herein, electron transfer dissociation of 3-fold protonated DNA hexamers was studied to gain insight into the fragmentation mechanism. The fragmentation patterns of a large set of DNA hexamers confirm cytosine as the primary target of electron transfer. The reported data reveal backbone cleavage by internal electron transfer from the nucleobase to the phosphate linker leading either to a•/ w or d/ z• ion pairs. This reaction pathway contrasts with previous findings on the dissociation processes after electron capture by DNA cations, suggesting multiple, parallel dissociation channels. However, all these channels merely result in partial fragmentation of the precursor ion because the charge-reduced DNA radical cations are quite stable. Two hypotheses are put forward to explain the low dissociation yield of DNA radical cations: it is either attributed to non-covalent interactions between complementary fragments or to the stabilization of the unpaired electron in stacked nucleobases. MS3 experiments suggest that the charge-reduced species is the intact oligonucleotide. Moreover, introducing abasic sites significantly increases the dissociation yield of DNA cations. Consequently, the stabilization of the unpaired electron by π-π-stacking provides an appropriate rationale for the high intensity of DNA radical cations after electron transfer. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Piezoelectrically-induced trap-depth reduction model of elastico-mechanoluminescent materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chandra, B. P.; Chandra, V. K.; Jha, Piyush

2015-03-01

Considering the detrapping of charge carriers due to reduction in trap-depth caused by piezoelectric field produced by applied pressure, an expression is derived for the detrapping rate of electrons. Then, an expression is obtained for the rate of generation of excited ions produced during capture of detrapped electrons by Eu3+ ions in persistent luminescent materials or by the energy released during electron-hole recombination in ZnS:Mn crystals. Finally, an expression is explored for the elastico-mechanoluminescence (EML) intensity, which is able to explain satisfactorily the characteristics of EML for the application of static pressure as well as for impact pressure. The total number of detrapped electrons and the total EML intensity are found to increase linearly with the electrostatic energy of the crystals in piezoelectric field. It is shown that the EML intensity should increase with the EML efficiency, number of crystallites (volume of sample), concentration of local piezoelectric regions in crystallites, piezoelectric constant of local piezoelectric regions, average length of the local piezoelectric regions, total number of electron traps, pressing rate, and applied pressure, and it should be higher for the materials having low value of threshold pressure and low value of trap-depth in unstressed condition. On the basis of the piezoelectrically-induced trap-depth reduction model of EML reported in the present investigation novel intense elastico mechanoluminescent materials having repetitive EML with undiminished intensity for successive loadings can be tailored which may find applications in sensing, imaging, lighting, colored displays, and other mechano-optical devices.

Methods of analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory; determination of chlorinated pesticides in aquatic tissue by capillary-column gas chromatography with electron-capture detection

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leiker, Thomas J.; Madsen, J.E.; Deacon, J.R.; Foreman, W.T.

1995-01-01

A method for the determination of chlorinated organic compounds in aquatic tissue by dual capillary-column gas chromatography with electron-capture detection is described. Whole-body-fish or corbicula tissue is homogenized, Soxhlet extracted, lipid removed by gel permeation chromatography, and fractionated using alumina/silica adsorption chromatography. The extracts are analyzed by dissimilar capillary-column gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. The method reporting limits are 5 micrograms per kilogram (μg/kg) for chlorinated compounds, 50 μg/kg for polychlorinated biphenyls, and 200 μg/kg for toxaphene.

Electric-field-driven electron-transfer in mixed-valence molecules.

PubMed

Blair, Enrique P; Corcelli, Steven A; Lent, Craig S

2016-07-07

Molecular quantum-dot cellular automata is a computing paradigm in which digital information is encoded by the charge configuration of a mixed-valence molecule. General-purpose computing can be achieved by arranging these compounds on a substrate and exploiting intermolecular Coulombic coupling. The operation of such a device relies on nonequilibrium electron transfer (ET), whereby the time-varying electric field of one molecule induces an ET event in a neighboring molecule. The magnitude of the electric fields can be quite large because of close spatial proximity, and the induced ET rate is a measure of the nonequilibrium response of the molecule. We calculate the electric-field-driven ET rate for a model mixed-valence compound. The mixed-valence molecule is regarded as a two-state electronic system coupled to a molecular vibrational mode, which is, in turn, coupled to a thermal environment. Both the electronic and vibrational degrees-of-freedom are treated quantum mechanically, and the dissipative vibrational-bath interaction is modeled with the Lindblad equation. This approach captures both tunneling and nonadiabatic dynamics. Relationships between microscopic molecular properties and the driven ET rate are explored for two time-dependent applied fields: an abruptly switched field and a linearly ramped field. In both cases, the driven ET rate is only weakly temperature dependent. When the model is applied using parameters appropriate to a specific mixed-valence molecule, diferrocenylacetylene, terahertz-range ET transfer rates are predicted.

Alkali metal mediated C-C bond coupling reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tachikawa, Hiroto

2015-02-01

Metal catalyzed carbon-carbon (C-C) bond formation is one of the important reactions in pharmacy and in organic chemistry. In the present study, the electron and hole capture dynamics of a lithium-benzene sandwich complex, expressed by Li(Bz)2, have been investigated by means of direct ab-initio molecular dynamics method. Following the electron capture of Li(Bz)2, the structure of [Li(Bz)2]- was drastically changed: Bz-Bz parallel form was rapidly fluctuated as a function of time, and a new C-C single bond was formed in the C1-C1' position of Bz-Bz interaction system. In the hole capture, the intermolecular vibration between Bz-Bz rings was only enhanced. The mechanism of C-C bond formation in the electron capture was discussed on the basis of theoretical results.

Resonant electron capture by aspartame and aspartic acid molecules.

PubMed

Muftakhov, M V; Shchukin, P V

2016-12-30

The processes for dissociative electron capture are the key mechanisms for decomposition of biomolecules, proteins in particular, under interaction with low-energy electrons. Molecules of aspartic acid and aspartame, i.e. modified dipeptides, were studied herein to define the impact of the side functional groups on peptide chain decomposition in resonant electron-molecular reactions. The processes of formation and decomposition of negative ions of both aspartame and aspartic acid were studied by mass spectrometry of negative ions under resonant electron capture. The obtained mass spectra were interpreted under thermochemical analysis by quantum chemical calculations. Main channels of negative molecular ions fragmentation were found and characteristic fragment ions were identified. The СООН fragment of the side chain in aspartic acid is shown to play a key role like the carboxyl group in amino acids and aliphatic oligopeptides. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Electron capture strength for Ni60,62 and Ni58,60,62,64(p, n)Cu58,60,62,64 reactions at 134.3 MeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anantaraman, N.; Austin, Sam M.; Brown, B. A.; Crawley, G. M.; Galonsky, A.; Zegers, R. G. T.; Anderson, B. D.; Baldwin, A. R.; Flanders, B. S.; Madey, R.; Watson, J. W.; Foster, C. C.

2008-12-01

Background: The strength of electron capture for medium mass nuclei has a significant effect on the evolution of supernovae. There is insufficient knowledge of these strengths and very little data for important radioactive nuclei. Purpose: Determine whether it is feasible to obtain EC strength from studies of To+1 excitations in (p, n) reactions, and whether this might yield information for radioactive nuclei. Methods: Cross sections for the Ni58,60,62,64(p, n)Cu58,60,62,64 reactions were measured over the angular range of 0.3∘ to 11.6∘ at 134.3 MeV using the IUCF neutron time-of-flight facility. Results: The To+1 excitations in Ni60,62 were identified by comparison with inelastic proton scattering spectra, their B(GT) were extracted, and the corresponding electron capture rates in supernovae were calculated. Data from the TRIUMF (n, p) experiments at 198 MeV were reanalyzed; the electron capture rates for the reanalyzed data are in moderately good agreement with the higher resolution (p, n) results, but differ in detail. The possibility of future measurements with radioactive nuclei was considered. Conclusions: It may be possible to obtain low-lying electron capture strength for radioactive nuclei by studying (p, n) reactions in inverse kinematics.

Nuclear structure and weak rates of heavy waiting point nuclei under rp-process conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nabi, Jameel-Un; Böyükata, Mahmut

2017-01-01

The structure and the weak interaction mediated rates of the heavy waiting point (WP) nuclei 80Zr, 84Mo, 88Ru, 92Pd and 96Cd along N = Z line were studied within the interacting boson model-1 (IBM-1) and the proton-neutron quasi-particle random phase approximation (pn-QRPA). The energy levels of the N = Z WP nuclei were calculated by fitting the essential parameters of IBM-1 Hamiltonian and their geometric shapes were predicted by plotting potential energy surfaces (PESs). Half-lives, continuum electron capture rates, positron decay rates, electron capture cross sections of WP nuclei, energy rates of β-delayed protons and their emission probabilities were later calculated using the pn-QRPA. The calculated Gamow-Teller strength distributions were compared with previous calculation. We present positron decay and continuum electron capture rates on these WP nuclei under rp-process conditions using the same model. For the rp-process conditions, the calculated total weak rates are twice the Skyrme HF+BCS+QRPA rates for 80Zr. For remaining nuclei the two calculations compare well. The electron capture rates are significant and compete well with the corresponding positron decay rates under rp-process conditions. The finding of the present study supports that electron capture rates form an integral part of the weak rates under rp-process conditions and has an important role for the nuclear model calculations.

Extraction of highly charged ions from the Berlin Electron Beam Ion Trap for interactions with a gas target

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allen, F.I.; Biedermann, C.; Radtke, R.

2006-03-15

Highly charged ions are extracted from the Berlin Electron Beam Ion Trap for investigations of charge exchange with a gas target. The classical over-the-barrier model for slow highly charged ions describes this process, whereby one or more electrons are captured from the target into Rydberg states of the ion. The excited state relaxes via a radiative cascade of the electron to ground energy. The cascade spectra are characteristic of the capture state. We investigate x-ray photons emitted as a result of interactions between Ar{sup 17+} ions at energies {<=}5q keV with Ar atoms. Of particular interest is the velocity dependencemore » of the angular momentum capture state l{sub c}.« less

Conductive Graphitic Carbon Nitride as an Ideal Material for Electrocatalytically Switchable CO2 Capture

PubMed Central

Tan, Xin; Kou, Liangzhi; Tahini, Hassan A.; Smith, Sean C.

2015-01-01

Good electrical conductivity and high electron mobility of the sorbent materials are prerequisite for electrocatalytically switchable CO2 capture. However, no conductive and easily synthetic sorbent materials are available until now. Here, we examined the possibility of conductive graphitic carbon nitride (g-C4N3) nanosheets as sorbent materials for electrocatalytically switchable CO2 capture. Using first-principle calculations, we found that the adsorption energy of CO2 molecules on g-C4N3 nanosheets can be dramatically enhanced by injecting extra electrons into the adsorbent. At saturation CO2 capture coverage, the negatively charged g-C4N3 nanosheets achieve CO2 capture capacities up to 73.9 × 1013 cm−2 or 42.3 wt%. In contrast to other CO2 capture approaches, the process of CO2 capture/release occurs spontaneously without any energy barriers once extra electrons are introduced or removed, and these processes can be simply controlled and reversed by switching on/off the charging voltage. In addition, these negatively charged g-C4N3 nanosheets are highly selective for separating CO2 from mixtures with CH4, H2 and/or N2. These predictions may prove to be instrumental in searching for a new class of experimentally feasible high-capacity CO2 capture materials with ideal thermodynamics and reversibility. PMID:26621618

Influence of organic ions on DNA damage induced by 1 eV to 60 keV electrons.

PubMed

Zheng, Yi; Sanche, Léon

2010-10-21

We report the results of a study on the influence of organic salts on the induction of single strand breaks (SSBs) and double strand breaks (DSBs) in DNA by electrons of 1 eV to 60 keV. Plasmid DNA films are prepared with two different concentrations of organic salts, by varying the amount of the TE buffer (Tris-HCl and EDTA) in the films with ratio of 1:1 and 6:1 Tris ions to DNA nucleotide. The films are bombarded with electrons of 1, 10, 100, and 60 000 eV under vacuum. The damage to the 3197 base-pair plasmid is analyzed ex vacuo by agarose gel electrophoresis. The highest yields are reached at 100 eV and the lowest ones at 60 keV. The ratios of SSB to DSB are surprisingly low at 10 eV (∼4.3) at both salt concentrations, and comparable to the ratios measured with 100 eV electrons. At all characteristic electron energies, the yields of SSB and DSB are found to be higher for the DNA having the lowest salt concentration. However, the organic salts are more efficient at protecting DNA against the damage induced by 1 and 10 eV electrons. DNA damage and protection by organic ions are discussed in terms of mechanisms operative at each electron energy. It is suggested that these ions create additional electric fields within the groove of DNA, which modify the resonance parameter of 1 and 10 eV electrons, namely, by reducing the electron capture cross-section of basic DNA units and the lifetime of corresponding transient anions. An interstrand electron transfer mechanism is proposed to explain the low ratios for the yields of SSB to those of DSB produced by 10 eV electrons.

Influence of organic ions on DNA damage induced by 1 eV to 60 keV electrons

PubMed Central

Zheng, Yi; Sanche, Léon

2011-01-01

We report the results of a study on the influence of organic salts on the induction of single strand breaks (SSBs) and double strand breaks (DSBs) in DNA by electrons of 1 eV to 60 keV. Plasmid DNA films are prepared with two different concentrations of organic salts, by varying the amount of the TE buffer (Tris-HCl and EDTA) in the films with ratio of 1:1 and 6:1 Tris ions to DNA nucleotide. The films are bombarded with electrons of 1, 10, 100, and 60 000 eV under vacuum. The damage to the 3197 base-pair plasmid is analyzed ex vacuo by agarose gel electrophoresis. The highest yields are reached at 100 eV and the lowest ones at 60 keV. The ratios of SSB to DSB are surprisingly low at 10 eV (~4.3) at both salt concentrations, and comparable to the ratios measured with 100 eV electrons. At all characteristic electron energies, the yields of SSB and DSB are found to be higher for the DNA having the lowest salt concentration. However, the organic salts are more efficient at protecting DNA against the damage induced by 1 and 10 eV electrons. DNA damage and protection by organic ions are discussed in terms of mechanisms operative at each electron energy. It is suggested that these ions create additional electric fields within the groove of DNA, which modify the resonance parameter of 1 and 10 eV electrons, namely, by reducing the electron capture cross-section of basic DNA units and the lifetime of corresponding transient anions. An interstrand electron transfer mechanism is proposed to explain the low ratios for the yields of SSB to those of DSB produced by 10 eV electrons. PMID:20969428

Alkali metal mediated C–C bond coupling reaction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tachikawa, Hiroto, E-mail: hiroto@eng.hokudai.ac.jp

2015-02-14

Metal catalyzed carbon-carbon (C–C) bond formation is one of the important reactions in pharmacy and in organic chemistry. In the present study, the electron and hole capture dynamics of a lithium-benzene sandwich complex, expressed by Li(Bz){sub 2}, have been investigated by means of direct ab-initio molecular dynamics method. Following the electron capture of Li(Bz){sub 2}, the structure of [Li(Bz){sub 2}]{sup −} was drastically changed: Bz–Bz parallel form was rapidly fluctuated as a function of time, and a new C–C single bond was formed in the C{sub 1}–C{sub 1}′ position of Bz–Bz interaction system. In the hole capture, the intermolecular vibrationmore » between Bz–Bz rings was only enhanced. The mechanism of C–C bond formation in the electron capture was discussed on the basis of theoretical results.« less

Characterisation of Cs ion implanted GaN by DLTS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ngoepe, P. N. M.; Meyer, W. E.; Auret, F. D.; Omotoso, E.; Hlatshwayo, T. T.; Diale, M.

2018-04-01

Deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) was used to characterise Cs implanted GaN grown by hydride vapour phase epitaxy (HVPE). This implantation was done at room temperature using energy of 360 keV to a fluence of 10-11 cm-2. A defect with activation energy of 0.19 eV below the conduction band and an apparent capture cross section of 1.1 × 10-15 cm2 was induced. This defect has previously been observed after rare earth element (Eu, Er and Pr) implantation. It has also been reported after electron, proton and He ion implantation.

Electron removal from H and He atoms in collisions with C q+ , O q+ ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janev, R. K.; McDowell, M. R. C.

1984-06-01

Cross sections for electron capture and ionisation in collision of partially and completely stripped C q+ , N q+ and O q+ ions with hydrogen and helium atoms have been calculated at selected energies. The classical trajectory Monte Carlo method was used with a variable-charge pseudopotential to describe the interaction of the active electron with the projectile ion. A scalling relationship has been derived for the electron removal (capture and ionisation) cross section which allows a unifield representation of the data.

Electron capture in collisions of Si3+ ions with atomic hydrogen from low to intermediate energies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, C. H.; Liu, L.; Wang, J. G.

2014-07-01

The electron capture process for the Si3+(3s) + H(1s) collisions is investigated by the quantum-mechanical molecular orbital close-coupling (MOCC) method and by the two-center atomic orbital close-coupling (AOCC) method in the energy range of 10-5-10 keV/u and 0.8-200 keV/u, respectively. Total and state-selective cross sections are presented and compared with the available theoretical and experimental results. The present MOCC and AOCC results agree well with the experimental measurements, but show some discrepancy with the calculations of Wang et al. [Phys. Rev. A 74, 052709 (2006), 10.1103/PhysRevA.74.052709] at E > 40 eV/u because of the inclusion of rotational couplings, which play important roles in the electron capture process. At lower energies, the present results are about three to five times smaller than those of Wang et al. due to the difference in the molecular data at large internuclear distances. The energy behaviors of the electron capture cross sections are discussed on the basis of identified reaction mechanisms.

Capture and Emission of Charge Carriers by Quantum Well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davydov, V. N.; Karankevich, O. A.

2018-06-01

The interaction of electrons from the conduction band of the barrier layer of a LED heterostructure with the quantum well size-quantization level described by the capture time and emission time of charge carriers is considered. Relaxation of an excess energy upon capture and emission of charge carriers occurs as a result of their collisions with phonons of the quantum well substance and the "barrier layer-quantum well" interface. Analytical expressions are obtained for the interaction times, taking into account the depth of the sizequantization level, involved in the interaction with electrons, and the width of the well. Numerical estimates show that in real conditions, the capture time is shorter than the emission time, and this difference increases with increasing depth of the level. At shallow depths, the capture and emission times are comparable.

Modeling and calculation of RKKY exchange coupling to explain Ti-vacancy-induced ferromagnetism in Ta-doped TiO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majidi, Muhammad Aziz; Bupu, Annamaria; Fauzi, Angga Dito

2017-12-01

We present a theoretical study on Ti-vacancy-induced ferromagnetism in anatase TiO2. A recent experimental study has revealed room temperature ferromagnetism in Ta-doped anatase TiO2thin films (Rusydi et al., 2012) [7]. Ta doping assists the formation of Ti vacancies which then induce the formation of localized magnetic moments around the Ti vacancies. As neighboring Ti vacancies are a few unit cells apart, the ferromagnetic order is suspected to be mediated by itinerant electrons. We propose that such an electron-mediated ferromagnetism is driven by Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) exchange interaction. To examine our hypothesis, we construct a tight-binding based model Hamiltonian for the anatase TiO2 system. We calculate the RKKY exchange coupling constant of TiO2 as a function of distance between local magnetic moments at various temperatures. We model the system by taking only the layer containing a unit of TiO2, at which the Ti vacancy is believed to form, as our effective two-dimensional unit cell. Our model incorporates the Hubbard repulsive interactions between electrons occupying Ti d orbitals treated within mean-field approximation. The density of states profile resulting from the model captures the relevant electronic properties of TiO2, such as the energy gap of 3.4 eV and the n-type character, which may be a measure of the adequacy of the model. The calculated RKKY coupling constant shows that the ferromagnetic coupling extends up to 3-4 unit cells and enhances slightly as temperature is increased from 0 to 400 K. These results support our hypothesis that the ferromagnetism of this system is driven by RKKY mechanism.

X-ray transitions studied for decelerated bare and H-like uranium ions at the ESR electron cooler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gumberidze, A.; Stöhlker, Th.; Bednarz, G.; Beyer, H. F.; Bosch, F.; Cai, X.; Hagmann, S.; Klepper, O.; Kozhuharov, C.; Liesen, D.; Ma, X.; Mokler, P. H.; Sierpowski, D.; Stachura, Z.; Steck, M.; Toleikis, S.; Warczak, A.; Zou, Y.

2003-05-01

Here we report on X-ray spectra induced by spontaneous capture of free electrons into decelerated bare- and hydrogen-like uranium ions which we measured recently at the cooler section of the ESR storage ring. The most intense lines observed in spectra can be attributed to direct transition of electrons into the K shell of the projectile ions and to characteristic L → K (Lyα) transitions. Radiative recombination lines into the K shell of bare and H-like uranium can be exploited for measuring the two-electron contribution to the ground state binding energy in helium-like uranium. The goal is to probe for high-Z ions bound-state QED corrections which are of the order of α2. Besides the dominant characteristic L → K transitions, the strongly reduced Bremsstrahlung (due to the low cooler voltage applied to the decelerated ions) allowed us to observe for the very first time RR transitions into the L shell as well as the balmer radiation located at the low-energy part of the spectra.

A variety of characteristic behaviour of resonant KL23L23 Auger decays following Si K-shell photoexcitation of SiCl4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, I. H.; Kono, Y.; Sakai, K.; Kimura, M.; Ueda, K.; Tamenori, Y.; Takahashi, O.; Nagaoka, S.

2013-04-01

Spectator resonant Auger electron spectra with the Si 1s photoexcitation of SiCl4 have been measured using an electron spectroscopic technique combined with undulator radiation. The transition with the highest intensity in the total ion yield (TIY) spectrum, coming from excitation of a 1s electron into the 9t2 valence orbital, generates the resonant Auger decay in which the excited electron remains in the 9t2 orbital. A TIY peak positioned slightly above the 1s ionization threshold induces Auger decay in which the slow photoelectron is re-captured into a higher lying Rydberg orbital or the normal Auger peak shape is distorted due to a post-collision interaction effect. Another structure above the threshold, originating from a doubly excited state, yields the normal Auger peak with the distortion of peak shape and a resonant Auger peak with a higher kinetic energy. These findings provide a clear understanding of the properties of the excited orbitals which were ambiguous previously.

Comparative study of the double-K -shell-vacancy production in single- and double-electron-capture decay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratkevich, S. S.; Gangapshev, A. M.; Gavrilyuk, Yu. M.; Karpeshin, F. F.; Kazalov, V. V.; Kuzminov, V. V.; Panasenko, S. I.; Trzhaskovskaya, M. B.; Yakimenko, S. P.

2017-12-01

Background: A double-K -electron capture is a rare nuclear-atomic process in which two K electrons are captured simultaneously from the atomic shell. A "hollow atom" is created as a result of this process. In single-K -shell electron-capture decays, there is a small probability that the second electron in the K shell is excited to an unoccupied level or can (mostly) be ejected to the continuum. In either case, a double vacancy is created in the K shell. The relaxation of the double-K -shell vacancy, accompanied by the emission of two K -fluorescence photons, makes it possible to perform experimental studies of such rare processes with the large-volume proportional gas chamber. Purpose: The purpose of the present analysis is to estimate a double-K -shell vacancy creation probability per K -shell electron capture PK K of 81Kr, as well as to measure the half-life of 78Kr relative to 2 ν 2 K capture. Method: Time-resolving current pulse from the large low-background proportional counter (LPC), filled with the krypton sample, was applied to detect triple coincidences of "shaked" electrons and two fluorescence photons. Results: The number of K -shell vacancies per the K -electron capture, produced as a result of the shake-off process, has been measured for the decay of 81Kr. The probability for this decay was found to be PK K=(5.7 ±0.8 ) ×10-5 with a systematic error of (ΔPKK) syst=±0.4 ×10-5 . For the 78Kr(2 ν 2 K ) decay, the comparative study of single- and double-capture decays allowed us to obtain the signal-to-background ratio up to 15/1. The half-life T1/2 2 ν 2 K(g .s .→g .s .) =[1 .9-0.7+1.3(stat) ±0.3 (syst) ] ×1022 y is determined from the analysis of data that have been accumulated over 782 days of live measurements in the experiment that used samples consisted of 170.6 g of 78Kr. Conclusions: The data collected during low background measurements using the LPC were analyzed to search the rare atomic and nuclear processes. We have determined PKK exp for the E C decay of 81Kr, which are in satisfactory agreement with Z-2 dependence of PK K predicted by Primakoff and Porter. This made possible to more accurately determine the background contribution in the energy region of our interest for the search for the 2 K capture in 78Kr. The general procedure of data analysis allowed us to determine the half-life of 78Kr relative to 2 ν 2 K transition with a greater statistical accuracy than in our previous works.

LABORATORY MEASUREMENTS COMPELLINGLY SUPPORT A CHARGE-EXCHANGE MECHANISM FOR THE “DARK MATTER” ∼3.5 keV X-Ray LINE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shah, Chintan; Dobrodey, Stepan; Bernitt, Sven

2016-12-10

The reported observations of an unidentified X-ray line feature at ∼3.5 keV have driven a lively discussion about its possible dark matter origin. Motivated by this, we have measured the K-shell X-ray spectra of highly ionized bare sulfur ions following charge exchange with gaseous molecules in an electron beam ion trap, as a source of or a contributor to this X-ray line. We produced S{sup 16+} and S{sup 15+} ions and let them capture electrons in collision with those molecules with the electron beam turned off while recording X-ray spectra. We observed a charge-exchange-induced X-ray feature at the Lyman seriesmore » limit (3.47 ± 0.06 keV). The inferred X-ray energy is in full agreement with the reported astrophysical observations and supports the novel scenario proposed by Gu et al.« less

4D imaging of transient structures and morphologies in ultrafast electron microscopy.

PubMed

Barwick, Brett; Park, Hyun Soon; Kwon, Oh-Hoon; Baskin, J Spencer; Zewail, Ahmed H

2008-11-21

With advances in spatial resolution reaching the atomic scale, two-dimensional (2D) and 3D imaging in electron microscopy has become an essential methodology in various fields of study. Here, we report 4D imaging, with in situ spatiotemporal resolutions, in ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM). The ability to capture selected-area-image dynamics with pixel resolution and to control the time separation between pulses for temporal cooling of the specimen made possible studies of fleeting structures and morphologies. We demonstrate the potential for applications with two examples, gold and graphite. For gold, after thermally induced stress, we determined the atomic structural expansion, the nonthermal lattice temperature, and the ultrafast transients of warping/bulging. In contrast, in graphite, striking coherent transients of the structure were observed in both image and diffraction, directly measuring, on the nanoscale, the longitudinal resonance period governed by Young's elastic modulus. The success of these studies demonstrates the promise of UEM in real-space imaging of dynamics.

Destruction of Peptides and Nucleosides in Reactions with Low-Energy Electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muftakhov, M. V.; Shchukin, P. V.

2018-05-01

Mass-spectrometry of negative ions is used to study dissociative electron capture by molecules of several nucleosides, simplest di- and tripeptides, and modified dipeptides. Energy domains and efficiencies of dissociative capture are determined for the objects under study, and threshold energies of several fragmentation processes are estimated. It is shown that cytidine and peptides are stable against fragmentation due to simple bond breaking at electron energies ranging from 0 to 1 eV.

New developments in electron microscopy for serial image acquisition of neuronal profiles.

PubMed

Kubota, Yoshiyuki

2015-02-01

Recent developments in electron microscopy largely automate the continuous acquisition of serial electron micrographs (EMGs), previously achieved by laborious manual serial ultrathin sectioning using an ultramicrotome and ultrastructural image capture process with transmission electron microscopy. The new systems cut thin sections and capture serial EMGs automatically, allowing for acquisition of large data sets in a reasonably short time. The new methods are focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy, ultramicrotome/serial block-face scanning electron microscopy, automated tape-collection ultramicrotome/scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscope camera array. In this review, their positive and negative aspects are discussed. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japanese Society of Microscopy. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The survivability of phyllosilicates and carbonates impacting Stardust Al foils: Facilitating the search for cometary water

DOE PAGES

Wozniakiewicz, Penelope J.; Ishii, Hope A.; Kearsley, Anton T.; ...

2015-11-05

Comet 81P/Wild 2 samples returned by NASA's Stardust mission provide an unequalled opportunity to study the contents of, and hence conditions and processes operating on, comets. They can potentially validate contentious interpretations of cometary infrared spectra and in situ mass spectrometry data: specifically the identification of phyllosilicates and carbonates. However, Wild 2 dust was collected via impact into capture media at ~6 km s -1, leading to uncertainty as to whether these minerals were captured intact, and, if subjected to alteration, whether they remain recognizable. Here, we simulated Stardust Al foil capture conditions using a two-stage light-gas gun, and directlymore » compared transmission electron microscope analyses of pre- and postimpact samples to investigate survivability of lizardite and cronstedtite (phyllosilicates) and calcite (carbonate). We find the phyllosilicates do not survive impact as intact crystalline materials but as moderately to highly vesiculated amorphous residues lining resultant impact craters, whose bulk cation to Si ratios remain close to that of the impacting grain. Closer inspection reveals variation in these elements on a submicron scale, where impact-induced melting accompanied by reducing conditions (due to the production of oxygen scavenging molten Al from the target foils) has resulted in the production of native silicon and Fe- and Fe-Si-rich phases. In contrast, large areas of crystalline calcite are preserved within the calcite residue, with smaller regions of vesiculated, Al-bearing calcic glass. Unambiguous identification of calcite impactors on Stardust Al foil is therefore possible, while phyllosilicate impactors may be inferred from vesiculated residues with appropriate bulk cation to Si ratios. Finally, we demonstrate that the characteristic textures and elemental distributions identifying phyllosilicates and carbonates by transmission electron microscopy can also be observed by state-of-the-art scanning electron microscopy providing rapid, nondestructive initial mineral identifications in Stardust residues.« less

General features of the dissociative recombination of polyatomic molecules

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pratt, S. T.; Jungen, Ch.; Schneider, I. F.

We discuss some aspects of a simple expression for the low-energy dissociative recombination cross section that applies when the recombination process is dominated by the indirect mechanism. In most previous applications, this expression has been applied to capture into vibrationally excited Rydberg states with the assumption that capture is always followed by prompt dissociation. Here we consider the dissociative recombination of larger polyatomic ions and electrons. More specifically, we consider capture into electronically core-excited Rydberg states, and begin to assess its potential importance for larger systems.

General features of the dissociative recombination of polyatomic molecules

DOE PAGES

Pratt, S. T.; Jungen, Ch.; Schneider, I. F.; ...

2015-01-29

We discuss some aspects of a simple expression for the low-energy dissociative recombination cross section that applies when the recombination process is dominated by the indirect mechanism. In most previous applications, this expression has been applied to capture into vibrationally excited Rydberg states with the assumption that capture is always followed by prompt dissociation. Here we consider the dissociative recombination of larger polyatomic ions and electrons. More specifically, we consider capture into electronically core-excited Rydberg states, and begin to assess its potential importance for larger systems.

Rare reaction channels in real-time time-dependent density functional theory: the test case of electron attachment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacombe, Lionel; Dinh, P. Huong Mai; Reinhard, Paul-Gerhard; Suraud, Eric; Sanche, Leon

2015-08-01

We present an extension of standard time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) to include the evaluation of rare reaction channels, taking as an example of application the theoretical modelling of electron attachment to molecules. The latter process is of great importance in radiation-induced damage of biological tissue for which dissociative electron attachment plays a decisive role. As the attachment probability is very low, it cannot be extracted from the TDDFT propagation whose mean field provides an average over various reaction channels. To extract rare events, we augment TDDFT by a perturbative treatment to account for the occasional jumps, namely electron capture in our test case. We apply the modelling to electron attachment to H2O, H3O+, and (H2O)2. Dynamical calculations have been done at low energy (3-16 eV). We explore, in particular, how core-excited states of the targets show up as resonances in the attachment probability. Contribution to the Topical Issue "COST Action Nano-IBCT: Nano-scale Processes Behind Ion-Beam Cancer Therapy", edited by Andrey Solov'yov, Nigel Mason, Gustavo García, Eugene Surdutovich.

Differential Mobility Spectrometry: Preliminary Findings on Determination of Fundamental Constants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Limero, Thomas; Cheng, Patti; Boyd, John

2007-01-01

The electron capture detector (ECD) has been used for 40+ years (1) to derive fundamental constants such as a compound's electron affinity. Given this historical perspective, it is not surprising that differential mobility spectrometry (DMS) might be used in a like manner. This paper will present data from a gas chromatography (GC)-DMS instrument that illustrates the potential capability of this device to derive fundamental constants for electron-capturing compounds. Potential energy curves will be used to provide possible explanation of the data.

Electric-field-driven electron-transfer in mixed-valence molecules

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blair, Enrique P., E-mail: enrique-blair@baylor.edu; Corcelli, Steven A., E-mail: scorcell@nd.edu; Lent, Craig S., E-mail: lent@nd.edu

2016-07-07

Molecular quantum-dot cellular automata is a computing paradigm in which digital information is encoded by the charge configuration of a mixed-valence molecule. General-purpose computing can be achieved by arranging these compounds on a substrate and exploiting intermolecular Coulombic coupling. The operation of such a device relies on nonequilibrium electron transfer (ET), whereby the time-varying electric field of one molecule induces an ET event in a neighboring molecule. The magnitude of the electric fields can be quite large because of close spatial proximity, and the induced ET rate is a measure of the nonequilibrium response of the molecule. We calculate themore » electric-field-driven ET rate for a model mixed-valence compound. The mixed-valence molecule is regarded as a two-state electronic system coupled to a molecular vibrational mode, which is, in turn, coupled to a thermal environment. Both the electronic and vibrational degrees-of-freedom are treated quantum mechanically, and the dissipative vibrational-bath interaction is modeled with the Lindblad equation. This approach captures both tunneling and nonadiabatic dynamics. Relationships between microscopic molecular properties and the driven ET rate are explored for two time-dependent applied fields: an abruptly switched field and a linearly ramped field. In both cases, the driven ET rate is only weakly temperature dependent. When the model is applied using parameters appropriate to a specific mixed-valence molecule, diferrocenylacetylene, terahertz-range ET transfer rates are predicted.« less

Activation of Dosimeters Used in qa of Medical Linear Accelerators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polaczek-Grelik, Kinga; Nowacka, Magdalena; Raczkowski, Maciej

2017-09-01

This paper presents the first results of a project intended to investigate γ-radiation activity induced in dosimeters used in clinical practice during routine quality assurance of high-energy photon beams emitted by electron linear accelerators. Two aspects of the activation via photonuclear reactions (X, n) of therapeutic beam and subsequent capture of secondary neutrons (n,γ) are under considerations: the influence of activation on intrinsic background of the dosimeters and exposure of dosimetrists who operate this equipment. The activation of several types of ionization chambers as well as the silicon diodes was studied after long-time exposure (10 000 MUs) of the 15 MV photon beam (Elekta Synergy). Photon fluxes obtained from spectra of γ-rays registered by HPGe spectrometer were subsequently converted to equivalent doses using appropriate coefficients. The main contribution to the induced activity comes from the neutron capture process on Al, Mn and Cu, therefore it decays quite fast with the half-lives of the order of 15 minutes. Nevertheless, the activation of chlorine was also observed. The estimated equivalent doses to skin and eye lens were in the range 0.19 - 0.62 μSv/min. However, no influence on intrinsic background signal of all studied dosimeters was observed. The preliminary results indicate that induced radioactivity of dosimeters is strongly influenced by therapeutic beam quality and neutron source strength of particular linac. This dependence will be studied deeper in order to quantify it more precisely.

Electron capture and excitation processes in H+-H collisions in dense quantum plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakimovski, D.; Markovska, N.; Janev, R. K.

2016-10-01

Electron capture and excitation processes in proton-hydrogen atom collisions taking place in dense quantum plasmas are studied by employing the two-centre atomic orbital close-coupling (TC-AOCC) method. The Debye-Hückel cosine (DHC) potential is used to describe the plasma screening effects on the Coulomb interaction between charged particles. The properties of a hydrogen atom with DHC potential are investigated as a function of the screening strength of the potential. It is found that the decrease in binding energy of nl levels with increasing screening strength is considerably faster than in the case of the Debye-Hückel (DH) screening potential, appropriate for description of charged particle interactions in weakly coupled classical plasmas. This results in a reduction in the number of bound states in the DHC potential with respect to that in the DH potential for the same plasma screening strength, and is reflected in the dynamics of excitation and electron capture processes for the two screened potentials. The TC-AOCC cross sections for total and state-selective electron capture and excitation cross sections with the DHC potential are calculated for a number of representative screening strengths in the 1-300 keV energy range and compared with those for the DH and pure Coulomb potential. The total capture cross sections for a selected number of screening strengths are compared with the available results from classical trajectory Monte Carlo calculations.

Potential for parasite-induced biases in aquatic invertebrate population studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisher, Justin D.L.; Mushet, David M.; Stockwell, Craig A.

2014-01-01

Recent studies highlight the need to include estimates of detection/capture probability in population studies. This need is particularly important in studies where detection and/or capture probability is influenced by parasite-induced behavioral alterations. We assessed potential biases associated with sampling a population of the amphipod Gammarus lacustris in the presence of Polymorphus spp. acanthocephalan parasites shown to increase positive phototaxis in their amphipod hosts. We trapped G. lacustris at two water depths (benthic and surface) and compared number of captures and number of parasitized individuals at each depth. While we captured the greatest number of G. lacustris individuals in benthic traps, parasitized individuals were captured most often in surface traps. These results reflect the phototaxic movement of infected individuals from benthic locations to sunlit surface waters. We then explored the influence of varying infection rates on a simulated population held at a constant level of abundance. Simulations resulted in increasingly biased abundance estimates as infection rates increased. Our results highlight the need to consider parasite-induced biases when quantifying detection and/or capture probability in studies of aquatic invertebrate populations.

Examining Authenticity: An Initial Exploration of the Suitability of Handwritten Electronic Signatures.

PubMed

Heckeroth, J; Boywitt, C D

2017-06-01

Considering the increasing relevance of handwritten electronically captured signatures, we evaluated the ability of forensic handwriting examiners (FHEs) to distinguish between authentic and simulated electronic signatures. Sixty-six professional FHEs examined the authenticity of electronic signatures captured with software by signotec on a smartphone Galaxy Note 4 by Samsung and signatures made with a ballpoint pen on paper (conventional signatures). In addition, we experimentally varied the name ("J. König" vs. "A. Zaiser") and the status (authentic vs. simulated) of the signatures in question. FHEs' conclusions about the authenticity did not show a statistically significant general difference between electronic and conventional signatures. Furthermore, no significant discrepancies between electronic and conventional signatures were found with regard to other important aspects of the authenticity examination such as questioned signatures' graphic information content, the suitability of the provided sample signatures, the necessity of further examinations and the levels of difficulty of the cases under examination. Thus, this study did not reveal any indications that electronic signatures captured with software by signotec on a Galaxy Note 4 are less well suited than conventional signatures for the examination of authenticity, precluding potential technical problems concerning the integrity of electronic signatures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electron emission from transfer ionization reaction in 30 keV amu‑1 He 2+ on Ar collision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amaya-Tapia, A.; Antillón, A.; Estrada, C. D.

2018-06-01

A model is presented that describes the transfer ionization process in H{e}2++Ar collision at a projectile energy of 30 keV amu‑1. It is based on a semiclassical independent-particle close-coupling method that yields a reasonable agreement between calculated and experimental values of the total single-ionization and single-capture cross sections. It is found that the transfer ionization reaction is predominantly carried out through simultaneous capture and ionization, rather than by sequential processes. The transfer-ionization differential cross section in energy that is obtained satisfactorily reproduces the global behavior of the experimental data. Additionally, the probabilities of capture and ionization as function of the impact parameter for H{e}2++A{r}+ and H{e}++A{r}+ collisions are calculated, as far as we know, for the first time. The results suggest that the model captures essential elements that describe the two-electron transfer ionization process and could be applied to systems and processes of two electrons.

EVALUATION OF N-METHYL-N-TERT-BUTYLDIMETHYLSILYLTRIFLUOROACETAMIDE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS UNDER BOTH EIMS AND ELECTRON CAPTURE NICIMS CONDITIONS AND COMPARISON TO TRIMETHYLSILYL REAGENTS UNDER EIMS

EPA Science Inventory

Sewage effluent was analyzed for 3,5,6-trichloropyridinol (TCP) by extracting one liter of water using liquid-liquid extraction and determined by GC/MS operated in the negative ion chemical ionization (electron capture) mode, TCP is the major metabolite of the commonly used insec...

Accreting CO material onto ONe white dwarfs towards accretion-induced collapse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Cheng-Yuan; Wang, Bo

2018-03-01

The final outcomes of accreting ONe white dwarfs (ONe WDs) have been studied for several decades, but there are still some issues that are not resolved. Recently, some studies suggested that the deflagration of oxygen would occur for accreting ONe WDs with Chandrasekhar masses. In this paper, we aim to investigate whether ONe WDs can experience accretion-induced collapse (AIC) or explosions when their masses approach the Chandrasekhar limit. Employing the stellar evolution code Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA), we simulate the long-term evolution of ONe WDs with accreting CO material. The ONe WDs undergo weak multicycle carbon flashes during the mass-accretion process, leading to mass increase of the WDs. We found that different initial WD masses and mass-accretion rates influence the evolution of central density and temperature. However, the central temperature cannot reach the explosive oxygen ignition temperature due to neutrino cooling. This work implies that the final outcome of accreting ONe WDs is electron-capture induced collapse rather than thermonuclear explosion.

Hubble Space Telescope photographed by Electronic Still Camera

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-12-04

S61-E-008 (4 Dec 1993) --- This view of the Earth-orbiting Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was photographed with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC), and down linked to ground controllers soon afterward. This view was taken during rendezvous operations. Endeavour's crew captured the HST on December 4, 1993 in order to service the telescope. Over a period of five days, four of the crew members will work in alternating pairs outside Endeavour's shirt sleeve environment. Electronic still photography is a relatively new technology which provides the means for a handheld camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution approaching film quality. The electronic still camera has flown as an experiment on several other shuttle missions.

Electronic Still Camera image of Astronaut Claude Nicollier working with RMS

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-12-05

S61-E-006 (5 Dec 1993) --- The robot arm controlling work of Swiss scientist Claude Nicollier was photographed with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC), and down linked to ground controllers soon afterward. With the mission specialist's assistance, Endeavour's crew captured the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) on December 4, 1993. Four of the seven crew members will work in alternating pairs outside Endeavour's shirt sleeve environment to service the giant telescope. Electronic still photography is a relatively new technology which provides the means for a handheld camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution approaching film quality. The electronic still camera has flown as an experiment on several other shuttle missions.

Photo-catalytic Activities of Plant Hormones on Semiconductor Nanoparticles by Laser-Activated Electron Tunneling and Emitting

PubMed Central

Tang, Xuemei; Huang, Lulu; Zhang, Wenyang; Jiang, Ruowei; Zhong, Hongying

2015-01-01

Understanding of the dynamic process of laser-induced ultrafast electron tunneling is still very limited. It has been thought that the photo-catalytic reaction of adsorbents on the surface is either dependent on the number of resultant electron-hole pairs where excess energy is lost to the lattice through coupling with phonon modes, or dependent on irradiation photon wavelength. We used UV (355 nm) laser pulses to excite electrons from the valence band to the conduction band of titanium dioxide (TiO2), zinc oxide (ZnO) and bismuth cobalt zinc oxide (Bi2O3)0.07(CoO)0.03(ZnO)0.9 semiconductor nanoparticles with different photo catalytic properties. Photoelectrons are extracted, accelerated in a static electric field and eventually captured by charge deficient atoms of adsorbed organic molecules. A time-of-flight mass spectrometer was used to detect negative molecules and fragment ions generated by un-paired electron directed bond cleavages. We show that the probability of electron tunneling is determined by the strength of the static electric field and intrinsic electron mobility of semiconductors. Photo-catalytic dissociation or polymerization reactions of adsorbents are highly dependent on the kinetic energy of tunneling electrons as well as the strength of laser influx. By using this approach, photo-activities of phytohormones have been investigated. PMID:25749635

Photo-catalytic Activities of Plant Hormones on Semiconductor Nanoparticles by Laser-Activated Electron Tunneling and Emitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Xuemei; Huang, Lulu; Zhang, Wenyang; Jiang, Ruowei; Zhong, Hongying

2015-03-01

Understanding of the dynamic process of laser-induced ultrafast electron tunneling is still very limited. It has been thought that the photo-catalytic reaction of adsorbents on the surface is either dependent on the number of resultant electron-hole pairs where excess energy is lost to the lattice through coupling with phonon modes, or dependent on irradiation photon wavelength. We used UV (355 nm) laser pulses to excite electrons from the valence band to the conduction band of titanium dioxide (TiO2), zinc oxide (ZnO) and bismuth cobalt zinc oxide (Bi2O3)0.07(CoO)0.03(ZnO)0.9 semiconductor nanoparticles with different photo catalytic properties. Photoelectrons are extracted, accelerated in a static electric field and eventually captured by charge deficient atoms of adsorbed organic molecules. A time-of-flight mass spectrometer was used to detect negative molecules and fragment ions generated by un-paired electron directed bond cleavages. We show that the probability of electron tunneling is determined by the strength of the static electric field and intrinsic electron mobility of semiconductors. Photo-catalytic dissociation or polymerization reactions of adsorbents are highly dependent on the kinetic energy of tunneling electrons as well as the strength of laser influx. By using this approach, photo-activities of phytohormones have been investigated.

Collecting verbal autopsies: improving and streamlining data collection processes using electronic tablets.

PubMed

Flaxman, Abraham D; Stewart, Andrea; Joseph, Jonathan C; Alam, Nurul; Alam, Sayed Saidul; Chowdhury, Hafizur; Mooney, Meghan D; Rampatige, Rasika; Remolador, Hazel; Sanvictores, Diozele; Serina, Peter T; Streatfield, Peter Kim; Tallo, Veronica; Murray, Christopher J L; Hernandez, Bernardo; Lopez, Alan D; Riley, Ian Douglas

2018-02-01

There is increasing interest in using verbal autopsy to produce nationally representative population-level estimates of causes of death. However, the burden of processing a large quantity of surveys collected with paper and pencil has been a barrier to scaling up verbal autopsy surveillance. Direct electronic data capture has been used in other large-scale surveys and can be used in verbal autopsy as well, to reduce time and cost of going from collected data to actionable information. We collected verbal autopsy interviews using paper and pencil and using electronic tablets at two sites, and measured the cost and time required to process the surveys for analysis. From these cost and time data, we extrapolated costs associated with conducting large-scale surveillance with verbal autopsy. We found that the median time between data collection and data entry for surveys collected on paper and pencil was approximately 3 months. For surveys collected on electronic tablets, this was less than 2 days. For small-scale surveys, we found that the upfront costs of purchasing electronic tablets was the primary cost and resulted in a higher total cost. For large-scale surveys, the costs associated with data entry exceeded the cost of the tablets, so electronic data capture provides both a quicker and cheaper method of data collection. As countries increase verbal autopsy surveillance, it is important to consider the best way to design sustainable systems for data collection. Electronic data capture has the potential to greatly reduce the time and costs associated with data collection. For long-term, large-scale surveillance required by national vital statistical systems, electronic data capture reduces costs and allows data to be available sooner.

Considerations for use of dental photography and electronic media in dental education and clinical practice.

PubMed

Stieber, Jane C; Nelson, Travis; Huebner, Colleen E

2015-04-01

Photography and electronic media are indispensable tools for dental education and clinical practice. Although previous research has focused on privacy issues and general strategies to protect patient privacy when sharing clinical photographs for educational purposes, there are no published recommendations for developing a functional, privacy-compliant institutional framework for the capture, storage, transfer, and use of clinical photographs and other electronic media. The aims of this study were to research patient rights relating to electronic media and propose a framework for the use of patient media in education and clinical care. After a review of the relevant literature and consultation with the University of Washington's director of privacy and compliance and assistant attorney general, the researchers developed a privacy-compliant framework to ensure appropriate capture, storage, transfer, and use of clinical photography and electronic media. A four-part framework was created to guide the use of patient media that reflects considerations of patient autonomy and privacy, informed consent, capture and storage of media, and its transfer, use, and display. The best practices proposed for capture, storage, transfer, and use of clinical photographs and electronic media adhere to the health care code of ethics (based on patient autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and veracity), which is most effectively upheld by a practical framework designed to protect patients and limit institutional liability. Educators have the opportunity and duty to convey these principles to students who will become the next generation of dentists, researchers, and educators.

Dynamics of the cascade capture of electrons by charged donors in GaAs and InP

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aleshkin, V. Ya., E-mail: aleshkin@ipmras.ru; Gavrilenko, L. V.

2016-08-15

The times for the cascade capture of an electron by a charged impurity have been calculated for pulsed and stationary excitations of impurity photoconductivity in GaAs and InP. The characteristic capture times under pulsed and continuous excitations are shown to differ noticeably both from each other and from the value given by the Abakumov–Perel–Yassievich formula for a charged impurity concentration greater than 10{sup 10} cm{sup –3}. The cause of this difference has been established. The Abakumov–Perel–Yassievich formula for the cascade capture cross section in the case of stationary excitation has been generalized. The dependences of the cascade capture rate onmore » the charged impurity concentration in GaAs and InP have been found for three temperatures in the case of pulsed excitation.« less

Review of fluorescence guided surgery visualization and overlay techniques

PubMed Central

Elliott, Jonathan T.; Dsouza, Alisha V.; Davis, Scott C.; Olson, Jonathan D.; Paulsen, Keith D.; Roberts, David W.; Pogue, Brian W.

2015-01-01

In fluorescence guided surgery, data visualization represents a critical step between signal capture and display needed for clinical decisions informed by that signal. The diversity of methods for displaying surgical images are reviewed, and a particular focus is placed on electronically detected and visualized signals, as required for near-infrared or low concentration tracers. Factors driving the choices such as human perception, the need for rapid decision making in a surgical environment, and biases induced by display choices are outlined. Five practical suggestions are outlined for optimal display orientation, color map, transparency/alpha function, dynamic range compression, and color perception check. PMID:26504628

Thermal transport dynamics in the quasi-single helicity state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKinney, I. J.; Terry, P. W.

2017-06-01

A dynamical model describing oscillations between multiple and single helicity configurations in the quasi-single helicity (QSH) state of the reversed field pinch [P. W. Terry and G. G. Whelan, Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 56, 094003 (2014)] is extended to include electron temperature profile dynamics. It is shown that QSH dynamics is linked to the electron temperature profile because the suppression of mode coupling between tearing modes proposed to underlie QSH also suppresses magnetic-fluctuation-induced thermal transport. Above the threshold of dominant-mode shear that marks the transition to QSH, the model produces temperature-gradient steepening in the strong shear region. Oscillations of the dominant and secondary mode amplitudes give rise to oscillations of the temperature gradient. The phasing and amplitude of temperature gradient oscillations relative to those of the dominant mode are in agreement with experiment. This provides further evidence that the model, while heuristic, captures key physical aspects of the QSH state.

Slow domain reconfiguration causes power-law kinetics in a two-state enzyme.

PubMed

Grossman-Haham, Iris; Rosenblum, Gabriel; Namani, Trishool; Hofmann, Hagen

2018-01-16

Protein dynamics are typically captured well by rate equations that predict exponential decays for two-state reactions. Here, we describe a remarkable exception. The electron-transfer enzyme quiescin sulfhydryl oxidase (QSOX), a natural fusion of two functionally distinct domains, switches between open- and closed-domain arrangements with apparent power-law kinetics. Using single-molecule FRET experiments on time scales from nanoseconds to milliseconds, we show that the unusual open-close kinetics results from slow sampling of an ensemble of disordered domain orientations. While substrate accelerates the kinetics, thus suggesting a substrate-induced switch to an alternative free energy landscape of the enzyme, the power-law behavior is also preserved upon electron load. Our results show that the slow sampling of open conformers is caused by a variety of interdomain interactions that imply a rugged free energy landscape, thus providing a generic mechanism for dynamic disorder in multidomain enzymes.

Bistability of Hydrogen in ZnO: Origin of Doping Limit and Persistent Photoconductivity

PubMed Central

Nahm, Ho-Hyun; Park, C. H.; Kim, Yong-Sung

2014-01-01

Substitutional hydrogen at oxygen site (HO) is well-known to be a robust source of n-type conductivity in ZnO, but a puzzling aspect is that the doping limit by hydrogen is only about 1018 cm−3, even if solubility limit is much higher. Another puzzling aspect of ZnO is persistent photoconductivity, which prevents the wide applications of the ZnO-based thin film transistor. Up to now, there is no satisfactory theory about two puzzles. We report the bistability of HO in ZnO through first-principles electronic structure calculations. We find that as Fermi level is close to conduction bands, the HO can undergo a large lattice relaxation, through which a deep level can be induced, capturing electrons and the deep state can be transformed into shallow donor state by a photon absorption. We suggest that the bistability can give explanations to two puzzling aspects. PMID:24535157

Bistability of hydrogen in ZnO: origin of doping limit and persistent photoconductivity.

PubMed

Nahm, Ho-Hyun; Park, C H; Kim, Yong-Sung

2014-02-18

Substitutional hydrogen at oxygen site (HO) is well-known to be a robust source of n-type conductivity in ZnO, but a puzzling aspect is that the doping limit by hydrogen is only about 10(18) cm(-3), even if solubility limit is much higher. Another puzzling aspect of ZnO is persistent photoconductivity, which prevents the wide applications of the ZnO-based thin film transistor. Up to now, there is no satisfactory theory about two puzzles. We report the bistability of HO in ZnO through first-principles electronic structure calculations. We find that as Fermi level is close to conduction bands, the HO can undergo a large lattice relaxation, through which a deep level can be induced, capturing electrons and the deep state can be transformed into shallow donor state by a photon absorption. We suggest that the bistability can give explanations to two puzzling aspects.

Numerical simulation for the influence of laser-induced plasmas addition on air mass capture of hypersonic inlet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Wei; Dou, Zhiguo; Li, Qian

2012-03-01

The theory of laser-induced plasmas addition to hypersonic airflow off a vehicle to increase air mass capture and improve the performance of hypersonic inlets at Mach numbers below the design value is explored. For hypersonic vehicles, when flying at mach numbers lower than the design one, we can increase the mass capture ratio of inlet through laser-induced plasmas injection to the hypersonic flow upstream of cowl lip to form a virtual cowl. Based on the theory, the model of interaction between laser-induced plasmas and hypersonic flow was established. The influence on the effect of increasing mass capture ratio was studied at different positions of laser-induced plasmas region for the external compression hypersonic inlet at Mach 5 while the design value is 6, the power of plasmas was in the range of 1-8mJ. The main results are as follows: 1. the best location of the plasma addition region is near the intersection of the nose shock of the vehicle with the continuation of the cowl line, and slightly below that line. In that case, the shock generated by the heating is close to the shock that is a reflection of the vehicle nose shock off the imaginary solid surface-extension of the cowl. 2. Plasma addition does increase mass capture, and the effect becomes stronger as more energy is added, the peak value appeared when the power of plasma was about 4mJ, when the plasma energy continues to get stronger, the mass capture will decline slowly.

Numerical simulation for the influence of laser-induced plasmas addition on air mass capture of hypersonic inlet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Wei; Dou, Zhiguo; Li, Qian

2011-11-01

The theory of laser-induced plasmas addition to hypersonic airflow off a vehicle to increase air mass capture and improve the performance of hypersonic inlets at Mach numbers below the design value is explored. For hypersonic vehicles, when flying at mach numbers lower than the design one, we can increase the mass capture ratio of inlet through laser-induced plasmas injection to the hypersonic flow upstream of cowl lip to form a virtual cowl. Based on the theory, the model of interaction between laser-induced plasmas and hypersonic flow was established. The influence on the effect of increasing mass capture ratio was studied at different positions of laser-induced plasmas region for the external compression hypersonic inlet at Mach 5 while the design value is 6, the power of plasmas was in the range of 1-8mJ. The main results are as follows: 1. the best location of the plasma addition region is near the intersection of the nose shock of the vehicle with the continuation of the cowl line, and slightly below that line. In that case, the shock generated by the heating is close to the shock that is a reflection of the vehicle nose shock off the imaginary solid surface-extension of the cowl. 2. Plasma addition does increase mass capture, and the effect becomes stronger as more energy is added, the peak value appeared when the power of plasma was about 4mJ, when the plasma energy continues to get stronger, the mass capture will decline slowly.

Introducing electron capture into the unitary-convolution-approximation energy-loss theory at low velocities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schiwietz, G.; Grande, P. L.

2011-11-01

Recent developments in the theoretical treatment of electronic energy losses of bare and screened ions in gases are presented. Specifically, the unitary-convolution-approximation (UCA) stopping-power model has proven its strengths for the determination of nonequilibrium effects for light as well as heavy projectiles at intermediate to high projectile velocities. The focus of this contribution will be on the UCA and its extension to specific projectile energies far below 100 keV/u, by considering electron-capture contributions at charge-equilibrium conditions.

Spiderweb deformation induced by electrostatically charged insects

PubMed Central

Ortega-Jimenez, Victor Manuel; Dudley, Robert

2013-01-01

Capture success of spider webs has been associated with their microstructure, ornamentation, and wind-induced vibrations. Indirect evidence suggests that statically charged objects can attract silk thread, but web deformations induced by charged insects have not yet been described. Here, we show under laboratory conditions that electrostatically charged honeybees, green bottle flies, fruit flies, aphids, and also water drops falling near webs of cross-spiders (Araneus diadematus) induce rapid thread deformation that enhances the likelihood of physical contact, and thus of prey capture. PMID:23828093

Disorder induced gap states as a cause of threshold voltage instabilities in Al2O3/AlGaN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matys, M.; Kaneki, S.; Nishiguchi, K.; Adamowicz, B.; Hashizume, T.

2017-12-01

We proposed that the disorder induced gap states (DIGS) can be responsible for the threshold voltage (Vth) instability in Al2O3/AlGaN/GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors. In order to verify this hypothesis, we performed the theoretical calculations of the capacitance voltage (C-V) curves for the Al2O3/AlGaN/GaN structures using the DIGS model and compared them with measured ones. We found that the experimental C-V curves with a complex hysteresis behavior varied with the maximum forward bias and the sweeping rate can be well reproduced theoretically by assuming a particular distribution in energy and space of the DIGS continuum near the Al2O3/AlGaN interface, i.e., a U-shaped energy density distribution and exponential depth decay from the interface into Al2O3 layer (up to 4 nm), as well as suitable DIGS capture cross sections (the order of magnitude of 10-15 cm2). Finally, we showed that the DIGS model can also explain the negative bias induced threshold voltage instability. We believe that these results should be critical for the successful development of the passivation techniques, which allows to minimize the Vth instability related effects.

HST High Gain Antennae photographed by Electronic Still Camera

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-12-04

S61-E-021 (7 Dec 1993) --- This close-up view of one of two High Gain Antennae (HGA) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was photographed with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC), and down linked to ground controllers soon afterward. Endeavour's crew captured the HST on December 4, 1993 in order to service the telescope over a period of five days. Four of the crew members have been working in alternating pairs outside Endeavour's shirt sleeve environment to service the giant telescope. Electronic still photography is a relatively new technology which provides the means for a handheld camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution approaching film quality. The electronic still camera has flown as an experiment on several other shuttle missions.

Hubble Space Telescope photographed by Electronic Still Camera

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-12-04

S61-E-001 (4 Dec 1993) --- This medium close-up view of the top portion of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was photographed with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC), and down linked to ground controllers soon afterward. Endeavour's crew captured the HST on December 4, 1993 in order to service the telescope over a period of five days. Four of the crew members will work in alternating pairs outside Endeavour's shirt sleeve environment to service the giant telescope. Electronic still photography is a relatively new technology which provides the means for a handheld camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution approaching film quality. The electronic still camera has flown as an experiment on several other shuttle missions.

HST Solar Arrays photographed by Electronic Still Camera

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-12-07

S61-E-020 (7 Dec 1993) --- This close-up view of one of two Solar Arrays (SA) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was photographed with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC), and down linked to ground controllers soon afterward. Endeavour's crew captured the HST on December 4, 1993, in order to service the telescope over a period of five days. Four of the crew members will work in alternating pairs outside Endeavour's shirt sleeve environment to service the giant telescope. Electronic still photography is a relatively new technology which provides the means for a handheld camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution approaching film quality. The electronic still camera has flown as an experiment on several other shuttle missions.

Cisplatin intrastrand adducts sensitize DNA to base damage by hydrated electrons.

PubMed

Behmand, B; Wagner, J R; Sanche, L; Hunting, D J

2014-05-08

The oligonucleotide TTTTTGTGTTT with or without a cisplatin adduct was reacted with hydrated electrons generated by ionizing radiation. Hydroxyl radicals were quenched with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and the solutions were bubbled with wet nitrogen to eliminate oxygen, a scavenger of hydrated electrons. Prior to irradiation, the structure of the initial cisplatin adduct was identified by mass spectrometry as G-cisplatin-G. Radiation damage to DNA bases was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), after enzymatic digestion of the TTTTTGTGTTT-cisplatin complex to deoxyribonucleosides. The masses of the platinum adducts following digestion and separation by HPLC were measured by mass spectrometry. Our results demonstrate that hydrated electrons induce damage to thymines as well as detachment of the cisplatin moiety from both guanines in the oligonucleotide. This detachment regenerates both unmodified guanine and damaged guanine, in equimolar amounts. At 1000 Gy, a net average of 2.5 thymines and 1 guanine are damaged for each platinum lost from the oligonucleotide. Given the extensive base damage that occurs for each cisplatin adduct lost, it is clear that, prior to undergoing detachment, these adducts must catalyze several cycles of reactions of hydrated electrons with DNA bases. It is likely that a single reaction leads to the loss of the cisplatin adduct and the damage observed on the guanine base; however, the damage to the thymine bases must require the continued presence of the cisplatin adduct, acting as a catalyst. To our knowledge, this is the first time that platinum-DNA adducts have been shown to have catalytic activity. We propose two pathways for the interaction of hydrated electrons with TTTTTGTGTTT-cisplatin: (1) the hydrated electron is initially captured by a thymine base and transferred by base to base electron hopping to the guanine site, where the cisplatin moiety detaches from the oligonucleotide via dissociative electron attachment, and (2) the hydrated electron interacts directly with the platinum-guanine adduct and induces detachment of the cisplatin moiety via dissociative electron attachment. Although the precise mechanism remains to be elucidated, our results provide important insights into the radiosensitization of DNA by cisplatin.

Cisplatin Intrastrand Adducts Sensitize DNA to Base Damage by Hydrated Electrons

PubMed Central

Behmand, B.; Wagner, J. R.; Sanche, L.; Hunting, D. J.

2015-01-01

The oligonucleotide TTTTTGTGTTT with or without a cisplatin adduct was reacted with hydrated electrons generated by ionizing radiation. Hydroxyl radicals were quenched with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and the solutions were bubbled with wet nitrogen to eliminate oxygen, a scavenger of hydrated electrons. Prior to irradiation, the structure of the initial cisplatin adduct was identified by mass spectrometry as G-cisplatin-G. Radiation damage to DNA bases was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), after enzymatic digestion of the TTTTTGTGTTT-cisplatin complex to deoxyribonucleosides. The masses of the platinum adducts following digestion and separation by HPLC were measured by mass spectrometry. Our results demonstrate that hydrated electrons induce damage to thymines as well as detachment of the cisplatin moiety from both guanines in the oligonucleotide. This detachment regenerates both unmodified guanine and damaged guanine, in equimolar amounts. At 1000 Gy, a net average of 2.5 thymines and 1 guanine are damaged for each platinum lost from the oligonucleotide. Given the extensive base damage that occurs for each cisplatin adduct lost, it is clear that, prior to undergoing detachment, these adducts must catalyze several cycles of reactions of hydrated electrons with DNA bases. It is likely that a single reaction leads to the loss of the cisplatin adduct and the damage observed on the guanine base; however, the damage to the thymine bases must require the continued presence of the cisplatin adduct, acting as a catalyst. To our knowledge, this is the first time that platinum-DNA adducts have been shown to have catalytic activity. We propose two pathways for the interaction of hydrated electrons with TTTTTGTGTTT-cisplatin: (1) the hydrated electron is initially captured by a thymine base and transferred by base to base electron hopping to the guanine site, where the cisplatin moiety detaches from the oligonucleotide via dissociative electron attachment, and (2) the hydrated electron interacts directly with the platinum-guanine adduct and induces detachment of the cisplatin moiety via dissociative electron attachment. Although the precise mechanism remains to be elucidated, our results provide important insights into the radiosensitization of DNA by cisplatin. PMID:24779712

Isomer depletion as experimental evidence of nuclear excitation by electron capture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiara, C. J.; Carroll, J. J.; Carpenter, M. P.; Greene, J. P.; Hartley, D. J.; Janssens, R. V. F.; Lane, G. J.; Marsh, J. C.; Matters, D. A.; Polasik, M.; Rzadkiewicz, J.; Seweryniak, D.; Zhu, S.; Bottoni, S.; Hayes, A. B.; Karamian, S. A.

2018-02-01

The atomic nucleus and its electrons are often thought of as independent systems that are held together in the atom by their mutual attraction. Their interaction, however, leads to other important effects, such as providing an additional decay mode for excited nuclear states, whereby the nucleus releases energy by ejecting an atomic electron instead of by emitting a γ-ray. This ‘internal conversion’ has been known for about a hundred years and can be used to study nuclei and their interaction with their electrons. In the inverse process—nuclear excitation by electron capture (NEEC)—a free electron is captured into an atomic vacancy and can excite the nucleus to a higher-energy state, provided that the kinetic energy of the free electron plus the magnitude of its binding energy once captured matches the nuclear energy difference between the two states. NEEC was predicted in 1976 and has not hitherto been observed. Here we report evidence of NEEC in molybdenum-93 and determine the probability and cross-section for the process in a beam-based experimental scenario. Our results provide a standard for the assessment of theoretical models relevant to NEEC, which predict cross-sections that span many orders of magnitude. The greatest practical effect of the NEEC process may be on the survival of nuclei in stellar environments, in which it could excite isomers (that is, long-lived nuclear states) to shorter-lived states. Such excitations may reduce the abundance of the isotope after its production. This is an example of ‘isomer depletion’, which has been investigated previously through other reactions, but is used here to obtain evidence for NEEC.

Improved search for two-neutrino double electron capture on 124Xe and 126Xe using particle identification in XMASS-I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xmass Collaboration; Abe, K.; Hiraide, K.; Ichimura, K.; Kishimoto, Y.; Kobayashi, K.; Kobayashi, M.; Moriyama, S.; Nakahata, M.; Norita, T.; Ogawa, H.; Sato, K.; Sekiya, H.; Takachio, O.; Takeda, A.; Tasaka, S.; Yamashita, M.; Yang, B. S.; Kim, N. Y.; Kim, Y. D.; Itow, Y.; Kanzawa, K.; Kegasa, R.; Masuda, K.; Takiya, H.; Fushimi, K.; Kanzaki, G.; Martens, K.; Suzuki, Y.; Xu, B. D.; Fujita, R.; Hosokawa, K.; Miuchi, K.; Oka, N.; Takeuchi, Y.; Kim, Y. H.; Lee, K. B.; Lee, M. K.; Fukuda, Y.; Miyasaka, M.; Nishijima, K.; Nakamura, S.

2018-05-01

We conducted an improved search for the simultaneous capture of two K-shell electrons on the ^{124}Xe and ^{126}Xe nuclei with emission of two neutrinos using 800.0 days of data from the XMASS-I detector. A novel method to discriminate γ-ray/X-ray or double electron capture signals from β-ray background using scintillation time profiles was developed for this search. No significant signal was found when fitting the observed energy spectra with the expected signal and background. Therefore, we set the most stringent lower limits on the half-lives at 2.1 × 10^{22} and 1.9 × 10^{22} years for ^{124}Xe and ^{126}Xe, respectively, with 90% confidence level. These limits improve upon previously reported values by a factor of 4.5.

Radiative-emission analysis in charge-exchange collisions of O6 + with argon, water, and methane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leung, Anthony C. K.; Kirchner, Tom

2017-04-01

Processes of electron capture followed by Auger and radiative decay were investigated in slow ion-atom and -molecule collisions. A quantum-mechanical analysis which utilizes the basis generator method within an independent electron model was carried out for collisions of O 6 + with Ar, H2O , and CH4 at impact energies of 1.17 and 2.33 keV/amu. At these impact energies, a closure approximation in the spectral representation of the Hamiltonian for molecules was found to be necessary to yield reliable results. Total single-, double-, and triple-electron-capture cross sections obtained show good agreement with previous measurements and calculations using the classical trajectory Monte Carlo method. The corresponding emission spectra from single capture for each collision system are in satisfactory agreement with previous calculations.

Deep Dielectric Charging of Spacecraft Polymers by Energetic Protons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, Nelson W.; Dennison, J. R.

2007-01-01

The majority of research in the field of spacecraft charging concentrates on electron charging effects with little discussion of charging by protons. For spacecraft orbiting in the traditional LEO and GEO environments this emphasis on electrons is appropriate since energetic electrons are the dominant species in those orbits. But for spacecraft in orbits within the inner radiation belts or for interplanetary and lunar space probes, proton charging (center dot) effects may also be of concern. To examine bulk spacecraft charging effects in these environments several typical highly insulating spacecraft polymers were exposed to energetic protons (center dot) with energies from 1 Me V to lO Me V to simulate protons from the solar wind and from solar energetic proton events. Results indicate that effects in proton charged dielectrics are distinctly different than those observed due to electron charging. In most cases, the positive surface potential continued to increase for periods on the order of minutes to a day, followed by long time scale decay at rates similar to those observed for electron charging. All samples charged to positive potentials with substantially lower magnitudes than for equivalent electron doses. Possible explanations for the different behavior of the measured surface potentials from proton irradiation are discussed; these are related to the evolving internal charge distribution from energy dependent electron and proton transport, electron emission, charge migration due to dark current and radiation induced conductivity, and electron capture by embedded protons.

Damage-tolerant nanotwinned metals with nanovoids under radiation environments

PubMed Central

Chen, Y.; Yu, K Y.; Liu, Y.; Shao, S.; Wang, H.; Kirk, M. A.; Wang, J.; Zhang, X.

2015-01-01

Material performance in extreme radiation environments is central to the design of future nuclear reactors. Radiation induces significant damage in the form of dislocation loops and voids in irradiated materials, and continuous radiation often leads to void growth and subsequent void swelling in metals with low stacking fault energy. Here we show that by using in situ heavy ion irradiation in a transmission electron microscope, pre-introduced nanovoids in nanotwinned Cu efficiently absorb radiation-induced defects accompanied by gradual elimination of nanovoids, enhancing radiation tolerance of Cu. In situ studies and atomistic simulations reveal that such remarkable self-healing capability stems from high density of coherent and incoherent twin boundaries that rapidly capture and transport point defects and dislocation loops to nanovoids, which act as storage bins for interstitial loops. This study describes a counterintuitive yet significant concept: deliberate introduction of nanovoids in conjunction with nanotwins enables unprecedented damage tolerance in metallic materials. PMID:25906997

Damage-tolerant nanotwinned metals with nanovoids under radiation environments.

PubMed

Chen, Y; Yu, K Y; Liu, Y; Shao, S; Wang, H; Kirk, M A; Wang, J; Zhang, X

2015-04-24

Material performance in extreme radiation environments is central to the design of future nuclear reactors. Radiation induces significant damage in the form of dislocation loops and voids in irradiated materials, and continuous radiation often leads to void growth and subsequent void swelling in metals with low stacking fault energy. Here we show that by using in situ heavy ion irradiation in a transmission electron microscope, pre-introduced nanovoids in nanotwinned Cu efficiently absorb radiation-induced defects accompanied by gradual elimination of nanovoids, enhancing radiation tolerance of Cu. In situ studies and atomistic simulations reveal that such remarkable self-healing capability stems from high density of coherent and incoherent twin boundaries that rapidly capture and transport point defects and dislocation loops to nanovoids, which act as storage bins for interstitial loops. This study describes a counterintuitive yet significant concept: deliberate introduction of nanovoids in conjunction with nanotwins enables unprecedented damage tolerance in metallic materials.

Damage-tolerant nanotwinned metals with nanovoids under radiation environments

DOE PAGES

Chen, Y.; Yu, K. Y.; Liu, Y.; ...

2015-04-24

Material performance in extreme radiation environments is central to the design of future nuclear reactors. Radiation induces significant damage in the form of dislocation loops and voids in irradiated materials, and continuous radiation often leads to void growth and subsequent void swelling in metals with low stacking fault energy. Here we show that by using in situ heavy ion irradiation in a transmission electron microscope, pre-introduced nanovoids in nanotwinned Cu efficiently absorb radiation-induced defects accompanied by gradual elimination of nanovoids, enhancing radiation tolerance of Cu. In situ studies and atomistic simulations reveal that such remarkable self-healing capability stems from highmore » density of coherent and incoherent twin boundaries that rapidly capture and transport point defects and dislocation loops to nanovoids, which act as storage bins for interstitial loops. This study describes a counterintuitive yet significant concept: deliberate introduction of nanovoids in conjunction with nanotwins enables unprecedented damage tolerance in metallic materials.« less

Light-induced hysteresis and recovery behaviors in photochemically activated solution-processed metal-oxide thin-film transistors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jo, Jeong-Wan; Park, Sung Kyu, E-mail: yhkim76@skku.edu, E-mail: skpark@cau.ac.kr; Kim, Yong-Hoon, E-mail: yhkim76@skku.edu, E-mail: skpark@cau.ac.kr

2014-07-28

In this report, photo-induced hysteresis, threshold voltage (V{sub T}) shift, and recovery behaviors in photochemically activated solution-processed indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) are investigated. It was observed that a white light illumination caused negative V{sub T} shift along with creation of clockwise hysteresis in electrical characteristics which can be attributed to photo-generated doubly ionized oxygen vacancies at the semiconductor/gate dielectric interface. More importantly, the photochemically activated IGZO TFTs showed much reduced overall V{sub T} shift compared to thermally annealed TFTs. Reduced number of donor-like interface states creation under light illumination and more facile neutralization of ionized oxygen vacancies bymore » electron capture under positive gate potential are claimed to be the origin of the less V{sub T} shift in photochemically activated TFTs.« less

Observation of negative differential capacitance (NDC) in Ti Schottky diodes on SiGe islands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rangel-Kuoppa, Victor-Tapio; Jantsch, Wolfgang; Tonkikh, Alexander

2013-12-04

The Negative Differential Capacitance (NDC) effect on Ti Schottky diodes formed on n-type Silicon samples with embedded Germanium Quantum Dots (QDs) is observed and reported. The NDC-effect is detected using capacitance-voltage (CV) method at temperatures below 200 K. It is explained by the capture of electrons in Germanium QDs. Our measurements reveal that each Ge QD captures in average eight electrons.

Optical readout of a two phase liquid argon TPC using CCD camera and THGEMs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mavrokoridis, K.; Ball, F.; Carroll, J.; Lazos, M.; McCormick, K. J.; Smith, N. A.; Touramanis, C.; Walker, J.

2014-02-01

This paper presents a preliminary study into the use of CCDs to image secondary scintillation light generated by THick Gas Electron Multipliers (THGEMs) in a two phase LAr TPC. A Sony ICX285AL CCD chip was mounted above a double THGEM in the gas phase of a 40 litre two-phase LAr TPC with the majority of the camera electronics positioned externally via a feedthrough. An Am-241 source was mounted on a rotatable motion feedthrough allowing the positioning of the alpha source either inside or outside of the field cage. Developed for and incorporated into the TPC design was a novel high voltage feedthrough featuring LAr insulation. Furthermore, a range of webcams were tested for operation in cryogenics as an internal detector monitoring tool. Of the range of webcams tested the Microsoft HD-3000 (model no:1456) webcam was found to be superior in terms of noise and lowest operating temperature. In ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure 1 ppm pure argon gas, the THGEM gain was ≈ 1000 and using a 1 msec exposure the CCD captured single alpha tracks. Successful operation of the CCD camera in two-phase cryogenic mode was also achieved. Using a 10 sec exposure a photograph of secondary scintillation light induced by the Am-241 source in LAr has been captured for the first time.

Measurements of 67Ga production cross section induced by protons on natZn in the low energy range from 1.678 to 2.444 MeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wachter, J. A.; Miranda, P. A.; Morales, J. R.; Cancino, S. A.; Correa, R.

2015-02-01

The experimental production cross section for the reaction natZn(p,x)67Ga has been measured in the energy range from 1.678 to 2.444 MeV. The methodology used in this work is based on characteristic X-ray emitted after irradiation by the daughter nuclei that decays by electron capture (EC) and the use of a complementary PIXE experiment. By doing so, expressions needed to determine cross section values are simplified since experimental factors such as geometric setup and an detector efficiency are avoided. 67Ga is a radionuclide particularly suited for this method since it decays by electron capture in 100% and the subsequent characteristic X-ray emission is easily detected. Natural zinc targets were fabricated by PVD technique and afterwards their thicknesses were determined by Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry. Cross sections measurements were carried out by using the Van de Graaff accelerator located at Faculty of Sciences, University of Chile. It was found that our data for the natZn(p,x)67Ga reaction are, in general, in good agreement when compared to existing experimental data and to those calculated ALICE/ASH nuclear code. On the other hand, values predicted by Talys-1.6 are showing systematically lower magnitudes than our measured data.

Electrochemical Capture and Release of CO2 in Aqueous Electrolytes Using an Organic Semiconductor Electrode

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Developing efficient methods for capture and controlled release of carbon dioxide is crucial to any carbon capture and utilization technology. Herein we present an approach using an organic semiconductor electrode to electrochemically capture dissolved CO2 in aqueous electrolytes. The process relies on electrochemical reduction of a thin film of a naphthalene bisimide derivative, 2,7-bis(4-(2-(2-ethylhexyl)thiazol-4-yl)phenyl)benzo[lmn][3,8]phenanthroline-1,3,6,8(2H,7H)-tetraone (NBIT). This molecule is specifically tailored to afford one-electron reversible and one-electron quasi-reversible reduction in aqueous conditions while not dissolving or degrading. The reduced NBIT reacts with CO2 to form a stable semicarbonate salt, which can be subsequently oxidized electrochemically to release CO2. The semicarbonate structure is confirmed by in situ IR spectroelectrochemistry. This process of capturing and releasing carbon dioxide can be realized in an oxygen-free environment under ambient pressure and temperature, with uptake efficiency for CO2 capture of ∼2.3 mmol g–1. This is on par with the best solution-phase amine chemical capture technologies available today. PMID:28378994

In this medium close-up view, captured by an Electronic Still Camera (ESC), the Spartan 207

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

STS-77 ESC VIEW --- In this medium close-up view, captured by an Electronic Still Camera (ESC), the Spartan 207 free-flyer is held in the grasp of the Space Shuttle Endeavour's Remote Manipulator System (RMS) following its re-capture on May 21, 1996. The six-member crew has spent a portion of the early stages of the mission in various activities involving the Spartan 207 and the related Inflatable Antenna Experiment (IAE). The Spartan project is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. GMT: 09:38:05.

Multiplexed electronically programmable multimode ionization detector for chromatography

DOEpatents

Wise, M.B.; Buchanan, M.V.

1988-05-19

Method and apparatus for detecting and differentiating organic compounds based on their electron affinity. An electron capture detector cell (ECD) is operated in a plurality of multiplexed electronically programmable operating modes to alter the detector response during a single sampling cycle to acquire multiple simultaneous chromatograms corresponding to each of the different operating modes. The cell is held at a constant subatmospheric pressure while the electron collection bias voltage applied to the cell is modulated electronically to allow acquisition of multiple chromatograms for a single sample elution from a chromatograph representing three distinctly different response modes. A system is provided which automatically controls the programmed application of bias pulses at different intervals and/or amplitudes to switch the detector from an ionization mode to the electron capture mode and various degrees therebetween to provide an improved means of tuning an ECD for multimode detection and improved specificity. 6 figs.

A conservative, relativistic Fokker-Planck solver for runaway electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chacon, Luis; Taitano, W.; Tang, X.; Guo, Z.; McDevitt, C.

2017-10-01

Relativistic runaway electrons develop when electric fields surpass a critical electric field, Ec =EDvth/c 2 , with ED the Dreicer field (which is the electric field at which the whole thermal electron population runs away). Above this critical field, electron tails accelerate relativistically until they are arrested by radiative processes. In regimes above this critical electric field (but below the Dreicer field), correctly capturing the interplay between the electron thermal population and the runaway tail is key, and demands a full nonlinear relativistic Fokker-Planck treatment. In this presentation, we report on progress towards a fully conservative, implicit, adaptive implementation of the relativistic electron Fokker-Planck equation. Strict conservation properties, as well as positivity preservation, are a must to avoid spurious numerical effects, and to be able to capture tenuous electron runaway tails for fields just above Ec.

Electron Beam Analysis of Micrometeoroids Captured in Aerogel as Stardust Analogues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graham, G. A.; Sheffield-Parker, J.; Bradley, P.; Kearsley, A. T.; Dai, Z. R.; Mayo, S. C.; Teslich, N.; Snead, C.; Westphal, A. J.; Ishii, H.

2005-01-01

In January 2004, NASA s Stardust spacecraft passed through the tail of Comet 81P/Wild-2. The on-board dust flux monitor instrument indicated that numerous micro- and nano-meter sized cometary dust particles were captured by the dedicated silica aerogel capture cell. The collected cometary particles will be returned to Earth in January 2006. Current Stardust analogues are: (i) Light-gas-gun accelerated individual mineral grains and carbonaceous meteoritic material in aerogels at the Stardust encounter velocity ca.approximately 6 kilometers per second. (ii) Aerogels exposed in low-Earth orbit (LEO) containing preserved cosmic dust grains. Studies of these impacts offer insight into the potential state of the captured cometary dust by Stardust and the suitability of various analytical techniques. A number of papers have discussed the application of sophisticated synchrotron analytical techniques to analyze Stardust particles. Yet much of the understanding gained on the composition and mineralogy of interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) has come from electron microscopy studies. Here we discuss the application of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for Stardust during the preliminary phase of post-return investigations.

Gate induced monolayer behavior in twisted bilayer black phosphorus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sevik, Cem; Wallbank, John R.; Gülseren, Oğuz; Peeters, François M.; Çakır, Deniz

2017-09-01

Optical and electronic properties of black phosphorus strongly depend on the number of layers and type of stacking. Using first-principles calculations within the framework of density functional theory, we investigate the electronic properties of bilayer black phosphorus with an interlayer twist angle of 90°. These calculations are complemented with a simple k\\centerdot p model which is able to capture most of the low energy features and is valid for arbitrary twist angles. The electronic spectrum of 90° twisted bilayer black phosphorus is found to be x-y isotropic in contrast to the monolayer. However x-y anisotropy, and a partial return to monolayer-like behavior, particularly in the valence band, can be induced by an external out-of-plane electric field. Moreover, the preferred hole effective mass can be rotated by 90° simply by changing the direction of the applied electric field. In particular, a + 0.4 (-0.4) V {{{\\mathringA}}-1} out-of-plane electric field results in a  ˜60% increase in the hole effective mass along the \\mathbf{y} (\\mathbf{x} ) axis and enhances the m\\mathbf{y}\\ast/m\\mathbf{x}\\ast (m\\mathbf{x}\\ast/m\\mathbf{y}\\ast ) ratio as much as by a factor of 40. Our DFT and k\\centerdot p simulations clearly indicate that the twist angle in combination with an appropriate gate voltage is a novel way to tune the electronic and optical properties of bilayer phosphorus and it gives us a new degree of freedom to engineer the properties of black phosphorus based devices.

MOS Circuitry Would Detect Low-Energy Charged Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sinha, Mahadeva; Wadsworth, Mark

2003-01-01

Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) circuits for measuring spatially varying intensities of beams of low-energy charged particles have been developed. These circuits are intended especially for use in measuring fluxes of ions with spatial resolution along the focal planes of mass spectrometers. Unlike prior mass spectrometer focal-plane detectors, these MOS circuits would not be based on ion-induced generation of electrons, and photons; instead, they would be based on direct detection of the electric charges of the ions. Hence, there would be no need for microchannel plates (for ion-to-electron conversion), phosphors (for electron-to-photon conversion), and photodetectors (for final detection) -- components that degrade spatial resolution and contribute to complexity and size. The developmental circuits are based on linear arrays of charge-coupled devices (CCDs) with associated readout circuitry (see figure). They resemble linear CCD photodetector arrays, except that instead of a photodetector, each pixel contains a capacitive charge sensor. The capacitor in each sensor comprises two electrodes (typically made of aluminum) separated by a layer of insulating material. The exposed electrode captures ions and accumulates their electric charges during signal-integration periods.

Dynamics of Transformation from Platinum Icosahedral Nanoparticles to Larger FCC Crystal at Millisecond Time Resolution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gao, Wenpei; Wu, Jianbo; Yoon, Aram

Atomic motion at grain boundaries is essential to microstructure development, growth and stability of catalysts and other nanostructured materials. However, boundary atomic motion is often too fast to observe in a conventional transmission electron microscope (TEM) and too slow for ultrafast electron microscopy. We report on the entire transformation process of strained Pt icosahedral nanoparticles (ICNPs) into larger FCC crystals, captured at 2.5 ms time resolution using a fast electron camera. Results show slow diffusive dislocation motion at nm/s inside ICNPs and fast surface transformation at μm/s. By characterizing nanoparticle strain, we show that the fast transformation is driven bymore » inhomogeneous surface stress. And interaction with pre-existing defects led to the slowdown of the transformation front inside the nanoparticles. Particle coalescence, assisted by oxygen-induced surface migration at T ≥ 300°C, also played a critical role. Thus by studying transformation in the Pt ICNPs at high time and spatial resolution, we obtain critical insights into the transformation mechanisms in strained Pt nanoparticles.« less

Paleoclassical transport explains electron transport barriers in RTP and TEXTOR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogeweij, G. M. D.; Callen, J. D.; RTP Team; TEXTOR Team

2008-06-01

The recently developed paleoclassical transport model sets the minimum level of electron thermal transport in a tokamak. This transport level has proven to be in good agreement with experimental observations in many cases when fluctuation-induced anomalous transport is small, i.e. in (near-)ohmic plasmas in small to medium size tokamaks, inside internal transport barriers (ITBs) or edge transport barriers (H-mode pedestal). In this paper predictions of the paleoclassical transport model are compared in detail with data from such kinds of discharges: ohmic discharges from the RTP tokamak, EC heated RTP discharges featuring both dynamic and shot-to-shot scans of the ECH power deposition radius and off-axis EC heated discharges from the TEXTOR tokamak. For ohmically heated RTP discharges the Te profiles predicted by the paleoclassical model are in reasonable agreement with the experimental observations, and various parametric dependences are captured satisfactorily. The electron thermal ITBs observed in steady state EC heated RTP discharges and transiently after switch-off of off-axis ECH in TEXTOR are predicted very well by the paleoclassical model.

Electron Capture in Proton Collisions with CO.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stancil, P. C.; Schultz, D. R.; Kimura, M.; Gu, J.-P.; Hirsch, G.; Buenker, R. J.; Li, Y.

1999-10-01

Electron capture by protons following collisions with carbon monoxide is studied with a variety of theoretical approaches including quantal and semiclassical molecular-orbital close-coupling (MOCC) and classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) techniques. The MOCC treatments utilize potential surfaces and couplings computed for a range of H^+-CO orientation angles and C-O separations. Results including integral, differential, electronic state-selective, and vibrational state-selective cross sections will be presented for low- to intermediate-energies. Comparison with experiment will be made where possible and the relevance of the reaction in astrophysics and atmospheric physics will be discussed.

Latch of HST aft shroud photographed by Electronic Still Camera

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-12-04

S61-E-010 (4 Dec 1993) --- This close-up view of a latch on the minus V3 aft shroud door of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was photographed with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC), and down linked to ground controllers soon afterward. Endeavour's crew captured the HST on December 4, 1993 in order to service the telescope over a period of five days. Four of the crew members will work in alternating pairs outside Endeavour's shirt sleeve environment to service the giant telescope. Electronic still photography is a relatively new technology which provides the means for a handheld camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution approaching film quality. The electronic still camera has flown as an experiment on several other shuttle missions.

Latch of HST aft shroud photographed by Electronic Still Camera

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-12-04

S61-E-005 (4 Dec 1993) --- This close-up view of a latch on the minus V3 aft shroud door of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was photographed with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC), and down linked to ground controllers soon afterward. Endeavour's crew captured the HST on December 4, 1993 in order to service the telescope. Over a period of five days, four of the seven crew members will work in alternating pairs outside Endeavour's shirt sleeve environment to service the giant telescope. Electronic still photography is a relatively new technology which provides the means for a handheld camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution approaching film quality. The electronic still camera has flown as an experiment on several other shuttle missions.

Latch of HST aft shroud photographed by Electronic Still Camera

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-12-04

S61-E-004 (4 Dec 1993) --- This close-up view of a latch on the minus V3 aft shroud door of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was photographed with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC), and down linked to ground controllers soon afterward. Endeavour's crew captured the HST on December 4, 1993 in order to service the telescope. Over a period of five days, four of the seven crew members will work in alternating pairs outside Endeavour's shirt sleeve environment to service the giant telescope. Electronic still photography is a relatively new technology which provides the means for a handheld camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution approaching film quality. The electronic still camera has flown as an experiment on several other shuttle missions.

Ultrafast dynamics of defect-assisted electron-hole recombination in monolayer MoS2.

PubMed

Wang, Haining; Zhang, Changjian; Rana, Farhan

2015-01-14

In this Letter, we present nondegenerate ultrafast optical pump-probe studies of the carrier recombination dynamics in MoS2 monolayers. By tuning the probe to wavelengths much longer than the exciton line, we make the probe transmission sensitive to the total population of photoexcited electrons and holes. Our measurement reveals two distinct time scales over which the photoexcited electrons and holes recombine; a fast time scale that lasts ∼ 2 ps and a slow time scale that lasts longer than ∼ 100 ps. The temperature and the pump fluence dependence of the observed carrier dynamics are consistent with defect-assisted recombination as being the dominant mechanism for electron-hole recombination in which the electrons and holes are captured by defects via Auger processes. Strong Coulomb interactions in two-dimensional atomic materials, together with strong electron and hole correlations in two-dimensional metal dichalcogenides, make Auger processes particularly effective for carrier capture by defects. We present a model for carrier recombination dynamics that quantitatively explains all features of our data for different temperatures and pump fluences. The theoretical estimates for the rate constants for Auger carrier capture are in good agreement with the experimentally determined values. Our results underscore the important role played by Auger processes in two-dimensional atomic materials.

Electron capture decay in Jovian planets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zito, R.R.; Schiferl, D.

1987-12-01

Following the commonly acknowledged fact that the decay of K-40 substantially contributes to the heating of planetary interiors, an examination is made of the possibility that interior heat in the Jovian planets and stars, where interior pressures may exceed 45 Mbar, may be generated by the pressure-accelerated electron capture decay of a variety of isotopes. The isotopes considered encompass K-40, V-50, Te-123, La-138, Al-26, and Cl-36. 19 references.

Dynamic application of microprojection arrays to skin induces circulating protein extravasation for enhanced biomarker capture and detection.

PubMed

Coffey, Jacob W; Meliga, Stefano C; Corrie, Simon R; Kendall, Mark A F

2016-04-01

Surface modified microprojection arrays are a needle-free alternative to capture circulating biomarkers from the skin in vivo for diagnosis. The concentration and turnover of biomarkers in the interstitial fluid, however, may limit the amount of biomarker that can be accessed by microprojection arrays and ultimately their capture efficiency. Here we report that microprojection array insertion induces protein extravasation from blood vessels and increases the concentration of biomarkers in skin, which can synergistically improve biomarker capture. Regions of blood vessels in skin were identified in the upper dermis and subcutaneous tissue by multi-photon microscopy. Insertion of microprojection array designs with varying projection length (40-190 μm), density (5000-20,408 proj.cm(-2)) and array size (4-36 mm(2)) did not affect the degree of extravasation. Furthermore, the location of extravasated protein did not correlate with projection penetration to these highly vascularised regions, suggesting extravasation was not caused by direct puncture of blood vessels. Biomarker extravasation was also induced by dynamic application of flat control surfaces, and varied with the impact velocity, further supporting this conclusion. The extravasated protein distribution correlated well with regions of high mechanical stress generated during insertion, quantified by finite element models. Using this approach to induce extravasation prior to microprojection array-based biomarker capture, anti-influenza IgG was captured within a 2 min application time, demonstrating that extravasation can lead to rapid biomarker sampling and significantly improved microprojection array capture efficiency. These results have broad implications for the development of transdermal devices that deliver to and sample from the skin. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rapid differentiation of rocky mountain spotted fever from chickenpox, measles, and enterovirus infections and bacterial meningitis by frequency-pulsed electron capture gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of sera.

PubMed Central

Brooks, J B; McDade, J E; Alley, C C

1981-01-01

Normal sera and sera from patients with Rocky Mountain spotted fever, chickenpox, enterovirus infections, measles, and Neisseria meningitidis infections were extracted with organic solvents under acidic and basic conditions and then derivatized with trichloroethanol or heptafluorobutyric anhydride-ethanol to form electron-capturing derivatives of organic acids, alcohols, and amines. The derivatives were analyzed by frequency-pulsed electron capture gas-liquid chromatography (FPEC-GLC). There were unique differences in the FPEC-GLC profiles of sera obtained from patients with these respective diseases. With Rocky Mountain spotted fever patients, typical profiles were detected as early as 1 day after onset of disease and before antibody could be detected in the serum. Rapid diagnosis of Rocky Mountain spotted fever by FPEC-GLC could permit early and effective therapy, thus preventing many deaths from this disease. PMID:7276147

Measuring θ13 in the Double Chooz experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crum, Keith

2013-04-01

Double Chooz measures θ13 by searching for the disappearance of reactor electron antineutrinos (νe) interacting via inverse beta decay (IBD) in a liquid scintillator-based detector. The signature of IBD is the coincidence of positron annihilation followed by the capture of a neutron. Although Double Chooz was primarily designed to detect νe by searching for neutron capture on gadolinium, we can also search for neutron capture on hydrogen. We developed separate analyses for neutron capture on hydrogen and gadolinium as the two elements have different capture energies, capture lifetimes, and spatial distributions within our detector.

Identification and measurement of chlorinated organic pesticides in water by electron-capture gas chromatography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lamar, William L.; Goerlitz, Donald F.; Law, LeRoy M.

1965-01-01

Pesticides, in minute quantities, may affect the regimen of streams, and because they may concentrate in sediments, aquatic organisms, and edible aquatic foods, their detection and their measurement in the parts-per-trillion range are considered essential. In 1964 the U.S. Geological Survey at Menlo Park, Calif., began research on methods for monitoring pesticides in water. Two systems were selected--electron-capture gas chromatography and microcoulometric-titration gas chromatography. Studies on these systems are now in progress. This report provides current information on the development and application of an electron-capture gas chromatographic procedure. This method is a convenient and extremely sensitive procedure for the detection and measurement of organic pesticides having high electron affinities, notably the chlorinated organic pesticides. The electron-affinity detector is extremely sensitive to these substances but it is not as sensitive to many other compounds. By this method, the chlorinated organic pesticide may be determined on a sample of convenient size in concentrations as low as the parts-per-trillion range. To insure greater accuracy in the identifications, the pesticides reported were separated and identified by their retention times on two different types of gas chromatographic columns.

Density functional calculations of multiphonon capture cross sections at defects in semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barmparis, Georgios D.; Puzyrev, Yevgeniy S.; Zhang, X.-G.; Pantelides, Sokrates T.

2014-03-01

The theory of electron capture cross sections by multiphonon processes in semiconductors has a long and controversial history. Here we present a comprehensive theory and describe its implementation for realistic calculations. The Born-Oppenheimer and the Frank-Condon approximations are employed. The transition probability of an incoming electron is written as a product of an instantaneous electronic transition in the initial defect configuration and the line shape function (LSF) that describes the multiphonon processes that lead to lattice relaxation. The electronic matrix elements are calculated using the Projector Augmented Wave (PAW) method which yields the true wave functions while still employing a plane-wave basis. The LSF is calculated by employing a Monte Carlo method and the real phonon modes of the defect, calculated using density functional theory in the PAW scheme. Initial results of the capture cross section for a prototype system, namely a triply hydrogenated vacancy in Si are presented. The results are relevant for modeling device degradation by hot electron effects. This work is supported in part by the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT)'s Global Research Outreach (GRO) Program and by the LDRD program at ORNL.

Modulation of calcium carbonate precipitation by exopolysaccharide in Bacillus sp. JH7.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun Jung; Shin, Bora; Lee, Yun Suk; Park, Woojun

2017-08-01

Extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) is proposed to facilitate calcium ion supersaturation through its nucleation effect during the microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) process. However, the supersaturation effect of Ca 2+ via EPS in MICP has not been clearly demonstrated. Enhanced exopolysaccharide production of the alkali- and halotolerant MICP-capable bacteria, Bacillus sp. JH7, was achieved through glycerol addition. This was demonstrated by measuring cellular precipitation and Congo red binding. Interestingly, field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry analysis demonstrated that there was no MICP under glycerol-amended conditions. Although glycerol promoted exopolysaccharide capture of Ca 2+ ions, Ca 2+ embedded onto EPS did not participate in MICP formation. The pH was reduced in glycerol-added media, which led us to analyze high acetate production under our test conditions. Purified glycerol-induced exopolysaccharide showed a higher capacity of Ca 2+ capture than the control. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that three genes involved in exopolysaccharide production were highly upregulated by glycerol. The amounts of three detected monosaccharides (arabinose, glucose, and mannose) were altered by glycerol. Cell hydrophobicity measurements indicated that glycerol could confer more hydrophilic characteristics to cells, which might enhance Ca 2+ binding onto EPS. Unexpectedly, our data demonstrated, for the first time, that glycerol could promote exopolysaccharide and acetate production under our test condition, which could inhibit MICP by reducing the availability of free Ca 2+ .

Thin, Soft, Skin-Mounted Microfluidic Networks with Capillary Bursting Valves for Chrono-Sampling of Sweat.

PubMed

Choi, Jungil; Kang, Daeshik; Han, Seungyong; Kim, Sung Bong; Rogers, John A

2017-03-01

Systems for time sequential capture of microliter volumes of sweat released from targeted regions of the skin offer the potential to enable analysis of temporal variations in electrolyte balance and biomarker concentration throughout a period of interest. Current methods that rely on absorbent pads taped to the skin do not offer the ease of use in sweat capture needed for quantitative tracking; emerging classes of electronic wearable sweat analysis systems do not directly manage sweat-induced fluid flows for sample isolation. Here, a thin, soft, "skin-like" microfluidic platform is introduced that bonds to the skin to allow for collection and storage of sweat in an interconnected set of microreservoirs. Pressure induced by the sweat glands drives flow through a network of microchannels that incorporates capillary bursting valves designed to open at different pressures, for the purpose of passively guiding sweat through the system in sequential fashion. A representative device recovers 1.8 µL volumes of sweat each from 0.8 min of sweating into a set of separate microreservoirs, collected from 0.03 cm 2 area of skin with approximately five glands, corresponding to a sweat rate of 0.60 µL min -1 per gland. Human studies demonstrate applications in the accurate chemical analysis of lactate, sodium, and potassium concentrations and their temporal variations. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Semiconducting boron carbide polymers devices for neutron detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Echeverria, Elena; Pasquale, Frank L.; James, Robinson; Colón Santana, Juan A.; Adenwalla, Shireen; Kelber, Jeffry A.; Dowben, Peter A.

2014-03-01

Boron carbide materials, with aromatic compounds included, prove to be effective materials as solid state neutron detector detectors. The I-V characteristic curves for these heterojunction diodes with silicon show that these modified boron carbides, in the presence of these linking groups such as 1,4-diaminobenzene (DAB) and pyridine, are p-type. Cadmium was used as shield to discriminate between neutron-induced signals and thermal neutrons, and thermal neutron capture is evident, while gamma detection was not realized. Neutron detection signals for these heterojunction diode were observed, a measurable zero bias current noted, even without complete electron-hole collection. This again illustrates that boron carbide devices can be considered a neutron voltaic.

Multiplexed electronically programmable multimode ionization detector for chromatography

DOEpatents

Wise, Marcus B.; Buchanan, Michelle V.

1989-01-01

Method and apparatus for detecting and differentiating organic compounds based on their electron affinity. An electron capture detector cell (ECD) is operated in a plurality of multiplexed electroncially programmable operating modes to alter the detector response during a single sampling cycle to acquire multiple simultaneous chromatograms corresponding to each of the different operating modes. The cell is held at a constant subatmospheric pressure while the electron collection bias voltage applied to the cell is modulated electronically to allow acquisition of multiple chromatograms for a single sample elution from a chromatograph representing three distinctly different response modes. A system is provided which automatically controls the programmed application of bias pulses at different intervals and/or amplitudes to switch the detector from an ionization mode to the electron capture mode and various degrees therebetween to provide an improved means of tuning an ECD for multimode detection and improved specificity.

Collective acceleration of ions in picosecond pinched electron beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baryshnikov, V. I.; Paperny, V. L.; Shipayev, I. V.

2017-10-01

Сharacteristics of intense electron-ion beams emitted by a high-voltage (280 kV) electron accelerator with a pulse duration of 200 ps and current 5 kA are studied. The capture phenomena and the subsequent collective acceleration of multi charged ions of the cathode material by the electric field of the electron beam are observed. It is shown that the electron-ion beam diameter does not exceed 30 µm therein in the case of lighter ions, and the decay of the pinched beam occurs at a shorter distance from the cathode. It is established that the ions of the cathode material Tin+ captured by the electron beam are accelerated up to an energy of  ⩽10 MeV, and the ion fluence reaches 1017 ion cm-2 in the pulse. These ions are effectively embedded into the lattice sites of the irradiated substrate (sapphire crystal), forming the luminescent areas of the micron scale.

Electron capture dissociation in a branched radio-frequency ion trap.

PubMed

Baba, Takashi; Campbell, J Larry; Le Blanc, J C Yves; Hager, James W; Thomson, Bruce A

2015-01-06

We have developed a high-throughput electron capture dissociation (ECD) device coupled to a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer using novel branched radio frequency ion trap architecture. With this device, a low-energy electron beam can be injected orthogonally into the analytical ion beam with independent control of both the ion and electron beams. While ions and electrons can interact in a "flow-through" mode, we observed a large enhancement in ECD efficiency by introducing a short ion trapping period at the region of ion and electron beam intersection. This simultaneous trapping mode still provides up to five ECD spectra per second while operating in an information-dependent acquisition workflow. Coupled to liquid chromatography (LC), this LC-ECD workflow provides good sequence coverage for both trypsin and Lys C digests of bovine serum albumin, providing ECD spectra for doubly charged precursor ions with very good efficiency.

Theoretical studies of dissociative recombination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guberman, S. L.

1985-01-01

The calculation of dissociative recombination rates and cross sections over a wide temperature range by theoretical quantum chemical techniques is described. Model calculations on electron capture by diatomic ions are reported which illustrate the dependence of the rates and cross sections on electron energy, electron temperature, and vibrational temperature for three model crossings of neutral and ionic potential curves. It is shown that cross sections for recombination to the lowest vibrational level of the ion can vary by several orders of magnitude depending upon the position of the neutral and ionic potential curve crossing within the turning points of the v = 1 vibrational level. A new approach for calculating electron capture widths is reported. Ab initio calculations are described for recombination of O2(+) leading to excited O atoms.

Theory of electron capture from a hydrogen-like ion by a bare ion with extensions to inner-shell capture

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alston, S.G.

1982-01-01

A complete systematic derivation is given of a new approximation for the calculation of the cross section for electron capture from a hydrogen-like ion of large nuclear charge Z/sub T/e by a bare ion of charge Z/sub p/e moving with speed v. The amplitude in the wave treatment is obtained through consistent expansion in the small parameters Z/sub p//Z/sub T/ and Z/sub p/e/sup 2//hv; however, the ratio Z/sub T/e/sup 2//hv is not assumed small. Electron-target nucleus interactions are included to all orders and electron-projectile interactions were included consistently to first order so that the theory is called the strong potentialmore » Born (SPB). Following a careful analysis of the approach to the energy shell, an off-shell factor is seen to arise which does not appear in the impulse approximation (IA). The effects of this factor on the capture amplitude are explored. It is shown that, in comparison with the IA, the correct weighting of the target spectrum of intermediate states in the SPB significantly alters the 1s ..-->.. ns cross section and at the same time makes peaking approximations to the amplitude more realistic, even for intermediate velocity Z/sub p/e/sup 2//h<« less

Neutron capture and neutron-induced fission experiments on americium isotopes with DANCE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jandel, M.; Bredeweg, T. A.; Fowler, M. M.

2009-01-28

Neutron capture cross section data on Am isotopes were measured using the Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE) at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The neutron capture cross section was determined for {sup 241}Am for neutron energies between thermal and 320 keV. Preliminary results were also obtained for {sup 243}Am for neutron energies between 10 eV and 250 keV. The results on concurrent neutron-induced fission and neutron-capture measurements on {sup 242m}Am will be presented where the fission events were actively triggered during the experiments. In these experiments, a Parallel-Plate Avalanche Counter (PPAC) detector that surrounds the target located in themore » center of the DANCE array was used as a fission-tagging detector to separate (n,{gamma}) events from (n,f) events. The first direct observation of neutron capture on {sup 242m}Am in the resonance region in between 2 and 9 eV of the neutron energy was obtained.« less

Neutron capture and neutron-induced fission experiments on americium isotopes with DANCE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jandel, Marian

2008-01-01

Neutron capture cross section data on Am isotopes were measured using the Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE) at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The neutron capture cross section was determined for {sup 241}Am for neutron energies between thermal and 320 keV. Preliminary results were also obtained for {sup 243}Am for neutron energies between 35 eV and 200 keV. The results on concurrent neutron-induced fission and neutron-capture measurements on {sup 242m}Am will be presented, where the fission events were actively triggered during the experiments. In these experiments, the Parallel-Plate Avalanche Counter (PPAC) detector that surrounds the target located in themore » center of the DANCE array was used as a fission-tagging detector to separate (n,{gamma}) from (n,f) events. The first evidence of neutron capture on {sup 242m}Am in the resonance region in between 2 and 9 eV of the neutron energy was obtained.« less

Electronic properties of light-induced recombination centers in boron-doped Czochralski silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Jan; Cuevas, Andrés

1999-09-01

In order to study the electronic properties of the recombination centers responsible for the light-induced carrier lifetime degradation commonly observed in high-purity boron-doped Czochralski (Cz) silicon, injection-level dependent carrier lifetime measurements are performed on a large number of boron-doped p-type Cz silicon wafers of various resistivities (1-31 Ω cm) prior to and after light degradation. The measurement technique used is the contactless quasi-steady-state photoconductance method, allowing carrier lifetime measurements over a very broad injection range between 1012 and 1017cm-3. To eliminate all recombination channels not related to the degradation effect, the difference of the inverse lifetimes measured after and before light degradation is evaluated. A detailed analysis of the injection level dependence of the carrier lifetime change using the Shockley-Read-Hall theory shows that the fundamental recombination center created during illumination has an energy level between Ev+0.35 and Ec-0.45 eV and an electron/hole capture time constant ratio between 0.1 and 0.2. This deep-level center is observed in all samples and is attributed to a new type of boron-oxygen complex. Besides this fundamental defect, in some samples an additional shallow-level recombination center at 0.15 eV below Ec or above Ev is found to be activated during light exposure. This second center dominates the light-degraded carrier lifetime only under high-injection conditions and is hence only of minor importance for low-injection operated devices.

Cryo-Scanning Electron Microscopy of Captured Cirrus Ice Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magee, N. B.; Boaggio, K.; Bandamede, M.; Bancroft, L.; Hurler, K.

2016-12-01

We present the latest collection of high-resolution cryo-scanning electron microscopy images and microanalysis of cirrus ice particles captured by high-altitude balloon (ICE-Ball, see abstracts by K. Boaggio and M. Bandamede). Ice particle images and sublimation-residues are derived from particles captured during approximately 15 balloon flights conducted in Pennsylvania and New Jersey over the past 12 months. Measurements include 3D digital elevation model reconstructions of ice particles, and associated statistical analyses of entire particles and particle sub-facets and surfaces. This 3D analysis reveals that morphologies of most ice particles captured deviate significantly from ideal habits, and display geometric complexity and surface roughness at multiple measureable scales, ranging from 100's nanometers to 100's of microns. The presentation suggests potential a path forward for representing scattering from a realistically complex array of ice particle shapes and surfaces.

HST High Gain Antennae photographed by Electronic Still Camera

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-12-04

S61-E-009 (4 Dec 1993) --- This view of one of two High Gain Antennae (HGA) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was photographed with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC). The scene was down linked to ground controllers soon after the Space Shuttle Endeavour caught up to the orbiting telescope 320 miles above Earth. Shown here before grapple, the HST was captured on December 4, 1993 in order to service the telescope. Over a period of five days, four of the seven STS-61 crew members will work in alternating pairs outside Endeavour's shirt sleeve environment. Electronic still photography is a relatively new technology which provides the means for a handheld camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution approaching film quality. The electronic still camera has flown as an experiment on several other shuttle missions.

HST Solar Arrays photographed by Electronic Still Camera

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-12-04

S61-E-002 (4 Dec 1993) --- This view, backdropped against the blackness of space shows one of two original Solar Arrays (SA) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The scene was photographed from inside Endeavour's cabin with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC), and down linked to ground controllers soon afterward. This view features the minus V-2 panel. Endeavour's crew captured the HST on December 4, 1993 in order to service the telescope over a period of five days. Four of the crew members will work in alternating pairs outside Endeavour's shirt sleeve environment to service the giant telescope. Electronic still photography is a relatively new technology which provides the means for a handheld camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution approaching film quality. The electronic still camera has flown as an experiment on several other shuttle missions.

HST Solar Arrays photographed by Electronic Still Camera

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-12-04

S61-E-003 (4 Dec 1993) --- This medium close-up view of one of two original Solar Arrays (SA) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was photographed with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC), and down linked to ground controllers soon afterward. This view shows the cell side of the minus V-2 panel. Endeavour's crew captured the HST on December 4, 1993 in order to service the telescope over a period of five days. Four of the crew members will work in alternating pairs outside Endeavour's shirt sleeve environment to service the giant telescope. Electronic still photography is a relatively new technology which provides the means for a handheld camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution approaching film quality. The electronic still camera has flown as an experiment on several other shuttle missions.

Origin of the different transport properties of electron and hole polarons in an ambipolar polyselenophene-based conjugated polymer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhuoying; Bird, Matthew; Lemaur, Vincent; Radtke, Guillaume; Cornil, Jérôme; Heeney, Martin; McCulloch, Iain; Sirringhaus, Henning

2011-09-01

Understanding the mechanisms limiting ambipolar transport in conjugated polymer field-effect transistors (FETs) is of both fundamental and practical interest. Here, we present a systematic study comparing hole and electron charge transport in an ambipolar conjugated polymer, semicrystalline poly(3,3''-di-n-decylterselenophene) (PSSS). Starting from a detailed analysis of the device characteristics and temperature/charge-density dependence of the mobility, we interpret the difference between hole and electron transport through both the Vissenberg-Matters and the mobility-edge model. To obtain microscopic insight into the quantum mechanical wave function of the charges at a molecular level, we combine charge modulation spectroscopy (CMS) measuring the charge-induced absorption signatures from positive and negative polarons in these ambipolar FETs with corresponding density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We observe a significantly higher switch-on voltage for electrons than for holes due to deep electron trap states, but also a higher activation energy of the mobility for mobile electrons. The CMS spectra reveal that the electrons that remain mobile and contribute to the FET current have a wave function that is more localized onto a single polymer chain than that of holes, which is extended over several polymer chains. We interpret this as evidence that the transport properties of the mobile electrons in PSSS are still affected by the presence of deep electron traps. The more localized electron state could be due to the mobile electrons interacting with shallow trap states in the vicinity of a chemical, potentially water-related, impurity that might precede the capture of the electron into a deeply trapped state.

Charge equilibrium and radiation of low-energy cosmic rays passing through interstellar medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rule, D. W.; Omidvar, K.

1979-01-01

The charge equilibrium and radiation of an oxygen and an iron beam in the MeV per nucleon energy range, representing a typical beam of low-energy cosmic rays passing through the interstellar medium, are considered. Electron loss of the beam has been taken into account by means of the first Born approximation, allowing for the target atom to remain unexcited or to be excited to all possible states. Electron-capture cross sections have been calculated by means of the scaled Oppenheimer-Brinkman-Kramers approximation, taking into account all atomic shells of the target atoms and capture into all excited states of the projectile. The capture and loss cross sections are found to be within 20%-30% of the existing experimental values for most of the cases considered. Radiation of the beam due to electron capture into the excited states of the ion, collisional excitation, and collisional inner-shell ionization, taking into account the fluorescence yield of the ions, has been considered. Effective X-ray production cross sections and multiplicities for the most energetic X-ray lines emitted by the Fe and O beams have been calculated, and error estimates made for the results.

Optimization of the structural characteristics of CaO and its effective stabilization yield high-capacity CO2 sorbents.

PubMed

Naeem, Muhammad Awais; Armutlulu, Andac; Imtiaz, Qasim; Donat, Felix; Schäublin, Robin; Kierzkowska, Agnieszka; Müller, Christoph R

2018-06-19

Calcium looping, a CO 2 capture technique, may offer a mid-term if not near-term solution to mitigate climate change, triggered by the yet increasing anthropogenic CO 2 emissions. A key requirement for the economic operation of calcium looping is the availability of highly effective CaO-based CO 2 sorbents. Here we report a facile synthesis route that yields hollow, MgO-stabilized, CaO microspheres featuring highly porous multishelled morphologies. As a thermal stabilizer, MgO minimized the sintering-induced decay of the sorbents' CO 2 capacity and ensured a stable CO 2 uptake over multiple operation cycles. Detailed electron microscopy-based analyses confirm a compositional homogeneity which is identified, together with the characteristics of its porous structure, as an essential feature to yield a high-performance sorbent. After 30 cycles of repeated CO 2 capture and sorbent regeneration, the best performing material requires as little as 11 wt.% MgO for structural stabilization and exceeds the CO 2 uptake of the limestone-derived reference material by ~500%.

Innovative Electrostatic Adhesion Technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bryan, Tom; Macleod, Todd; Gagliano, Larry; Williams, Scott; McCoy, Brian

2015-01-01

Developing specialized Electro-Static grippers (commercially used in Semiconductor Manufacturing and in package handling) will allow gentle and secure Capture, Soft Docking, and Handling of a wide variety of materials and shapes (such as upper-stages, satellites, arrays, and possibly asteroids) without requiring physical features or cavities for a pincher or probe or using harpoons or nets. Combined with new rigid boom mechanisms or small agile chaser vehicles, flexible, high speed Electro-Static Grippers can enable compliant capture of spinning objects starting from a safe stand-off distance. Electroadhesion (EA) can enable lightweight, ultra-low-power, compliant attachment in space by using an electrostatic force to adhere similar and dissimilar surfaces. A typical EA enabled device is composed of compliant space-rated materials, such as copper-clad polyimide encapsulated by polymers. Attachment is induced by strong electrostatic forces between any substrate material, such as an exterior satellite panel and a compliant EA gripper pad surface. When alternate positive and negative charges are induced in adjacent planar electrodes in an EA surface, the electric fields set up opposite charges on the substrate and cause an electrostatic adhesion between the electrodes and the induced charges on the substrate. Since the electrodes and the polymer are compliant and can conform to uneven or rough surfaces, the electrodes can remain intimately close to the entire surface, enabling high clamping pressures. Clamping pressures of more than 3 N/cm2 in shear can be achieved on a variety of substrates with ultra-low holding power consumption (measured values are less than 20 microW/Newton weight held). A single EA surface geometry can be used to clamp both dielectric and conductive substrates, with slightly different physical mechanisms. Furthermore EA clamping requires no normal force be placed on the substrate, as conventional docking requires. Internally funded research and development has demonstrated that EA can function effectively in space, even in the presence of strong ultraviolet radiation, atomic oxygen, and free electrons. We created a test setup in an existing vacuum chamber to simulate low-Earth-orbit conditions. An EA mechanism was fabricated and installed in the chamber, instrumented, operated in a vacuum, and subjected to ultraviolet photons and free electrons generated by an in-chamber multipactor electron emitter. Extensions to EA that can add value include proximity and contact sensing and transverse motion or rotation, both of which could enhance docking or assembly applications. Possible next steps include development of targeted applications for ground investigation or on-orbit subsystem performance demonstrations using low cost access to space such as CubeSats.

Innovative Electrostatic Adhesion Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gagliano, L.; Bryan, T.; Williams, S.; McCoy, B.; MacLeod, T.

Developing specialized Electro-Static grippers (commercially used in Semiconductor Manufacturing and in package handling) will allow gentle and secure Capture, Soft Docking, and Handling of a wide variety of materials and shapes (such as upper-stages, satellites, arrays, and possibly asteroids) without requiring physical features or cavities for a pincher or probe or using harpoons or nets. Combined with new rigid boom mechanisms or small agile chaser vehicles, flexible, high speed Electro-Static Grippers can enable compliant capture of spinning objects starting from a safe stand-off distance. Electroadhesion (EA) can enable lightweight, ultra-low-power, compliant attachment in space by using an electrostatic force to adhere similar and dissimilar surfaces. A typical EA enabled device is composed of compliant space-rated materials, such as copper-clad polyimide encapsulated by polymers. Attachment is induced by strong electrostatic forces between any substrate material, such as an exterior satellite panel and a compliant EA surface. When alternate positive and negative charges are induced in adjacent planar electrodes in an EA surface, the electric fields set up opposite charges on the substrate and cause an electrostatic adhesion between the electrodes and the induced charges on the substrate. Since the electrodes and the polymer are compliant and can conform to uneven or rough surfaces, the electrodes can remain intimately close to the entire surface, enabling high clamping pressures. Clamping pressures of more than 3 N/cm2 in shear can be achieved on a variety of substrates with ultra-low holding power consumption (measured values are less than 20 microW/Newton weight held). A single EA surface geometry can be used to clamp both dielectric and conductive substrates, with slightly different physical mechanisms. Furthermore EA clamping requires no normal force be placed on the substrate, as conventional docking requires. Internally funded research and development has demonstrated that EA can function effectively in space, even in the presence of strong ultraviolet radiation, atomic oxygen, and free electrons. We created a test setup in an existing vacuum chamber to simulate low-Earth-orbit conditions. An EA mechanism was fabricated and installed in the chamber, instrumented, operated in a vacuum, and subjected to ultraviolet photons and free electrons generated by an in-chamber multipactor electron emitter. Extensions to EA that can add value include proximity and contact sensing and transverse motion or rotation, both of which could enhance docking or assembly applications. Possible next steps include development of targeted applications for ground investigation or on-orbit subsystem performance demonstrations using low cost access to space such as CubeSats.

Study of Gamow-Teller strength and associated weak-rates on odd-A nuclei in stellar matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majid, Muhammad; Nabi, Jameel-Un; Riaz, Muhammad

In a recent study by Cole et al. [A. L. Cole et al., Phys. Rev. C 86 (2012) 015809], it was concluded that quasi-particle random phase approximation (QRPA) calculations show larger deviations and overestimate the total experimental Gamow-Teller (GT) strength. It was also concluded that QRPA calculated electron capture rates exhibit larger deviation than those derived from the measured GT strength distributions. The main purpose of this study is to probe the findings of the Cole et al. paper. This study gives useful information on the performance of QRPA-based nuclear models. As per simulation results, the capturing of electrons that occur on medium heavy isotopes have a significant role in decreasing the ratio of electron-to-baryon content of the stellar interior during the late stages of core evolution. We report the calculation of allowed charge-changing transitions strength for odd-A fp-shell nuclei (45Sc and 55Mn) by employing the deformed pn-QRPA approach. The computed GT transition strength is compared with previous theoretical calculations and measured data. For stellar applications, the corresponding electron capture rates are computed and compared with rates using previously calculated and measured GT values. Our finding shows that our calculated results are in decent accordance with measured data. At higher stellar temperature, our calculated electron capture rates are larger than those calculated by independent particle model (IPM) and shell model. It was further concluded that at low temperature and high density regions, the positron emission weak-rates from 45Sc and 55Mn may be neglected in simulation codes.

Importance of Thomas single-electron transfer in fast p-He collisions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fischer, D.; Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1 D-69126; Gudmundsson, M.

We report experimental angular differential cross sections for nonradiative single-electron capture in p-He collisions (p+ He -> H + He{sup +}) with a separate peak at the 0.47 mrad Thomas scattering angle for energies in the 1.3-12.5 MeV range. We find that the intensity of this peak scales with the projectile velocity as v{sub P}{sup -11}. This constitutes the first experimental test of the prediction from 1927 by L. H. Thomas [Proc. R. Soc. 114, 561 (1927)]. At our highest energy, the peak at the Thomas angle contributes with 13.5% to the total integrated nonradiative single-electron capture cross section.

Probing plasma wakefields using electron bunches generated from a laser wakefield accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, C. J.; Wan, Y.; Guo, B.; Hua, J. F.; Pai, C.-H.; Li, F.; Zhang, J.; Ma, Y.; Wu, Y. P.; Xu, X. L.; Mori, W. B.; Chu, H.-H.; Wang, J.; Lu, W.; Joshi, C.

2018-04-01

We show experimental results of probing the electric field structure of plasma wakes by using femtosecond relativistic electron bunches generated from a laser wakefield accelerator. Snapshots of laser-driven linear wakes in plasmas with different densities and density gradients are captured. The spatiotemporal evolution of the wake in a plasma density up-ramp is recorded. Two parallel wakes driven by a laser with a main spot and sidelobes are identified in the experiment and reproduced in simulations. The capability of this new method for capturing the electron- and positron-driven wakes is also shown via 3D particle-in-cell simulations.

Exact Time-Dependent Exchange-Correlation Potential in Electron Scattering Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Yasumitsu; Lacombe, Lionel; Watanabe, Kazuyuki; Maitra, Neepa T.

2017-12-01

We identify peak and valley structures in the exact exchange-correlation potential of time-dependent density functional theory that are crucial for time-resolved electron scattering in a model one-dimensional system. These structures are completely missed by adiabatic approximations that, consequently, significantly underestimate the scattering probability. A recently proposed nonadiabatic approximation is shown to correctly capture the approach of the electron to the target when the initial Kohn-Sham state is chosen judiciously, and it is more accurate than standard adiabatic functionals but ultimately fails to accurately capture reflection. These results may explain the underestimation of scattering probabilities in some recent studies on molecules and surfaces.

Feasibility of real-time capture of routine clinical data in the electronic health record: a hospital-based, observational service-evaluation study

PubMed Central

Archbold, R Andrew; Weerackody, Roshan; Barnes, Michael R; Lee, Aaron M; Janjuha, Surjeet; Gutteridge, Charles; Robson, John; Timmis, Adam

2018-01-01

Objectives The electronic health record (EHR) is underused in the hospital setting. The aim of this service evaluation study was to respond to National Health Service (NHS) Digital’s ambition for a paperless NHS by capturing routinely collected cardiac outpatient data in the EHR to populate summary patient reports and provide a resource for audit and research. Design A PowerForm template was developed within the Cerner EHR, for real-time entry of routine clinical data by clinicians attending a cardiac outpatient clinic. Data captured within the PowerForm automatically populated a SmartTemplate to generate a view-only report that was immediately available for the patient and for electronic transmission to the referring general practitioner (GP). Results During the first 8 months, the PowerForm template was used in 61% (360/594) of consecutive outpatient referrals increasing from 42% to 77% during the course of the study. Structured patient reports were available for immediate sharing with the referring GP using Cerner Health Information Exchange technology while electronic transmission was successfully developed in a substudy of 64 cases, with direct delivery by the NHS Data Transfer Service in 29 cases and NHS mail in the remainder. In feedback, the report’s immediate availability was considered very or extremely important by >80% of the patients and GPs who were surveyed. Both groups reported preference of the patient report to the conventional typed letter. Deidentified template data for all 360 patients were successfully captured within the Trust system, confirming availability of these routinely collected outpatient data for audit and research. Conclusion Electronic template development tailored to the requirements of a specialist outpatient clinic facilitates capture of routinely collected data within the Cerner EHR. These data can be made available for audit and research. They can also be used to enhance communication by populating structured reports for immediate delivery to patients and GPs. PMID:29523565

Creation of an Accurate Algorithm to Detect Snellen Best Documented Visual Acuity from Ophthalmology Electronic Health Record Notes.

PubMed

Mbagwu, Michael; French, Dustin D; Gill, Manjot; Mitchell, Christopher; Jackson, Kathryn; Kho, Abel; Bryar, Paul J

2016-05-04

Visual acuity is the primary measure used in ophthalmology to determine how well a patient can see. Visual acuity for a single eye may be recorded in multiple ways for a single patient visit (eg, Snellen vs. Jäger units vs. font print size), and be recorded for either distance or near vision. Capturing the best documented visual acuity (BDVA) of each eye in an individual patient visit is an important step for making electronic ophthalmology clinical notes useful in research. Currently, there is limited methodology for capturing BDVA in an efficient and accurate manner from electronic health record (EHR) notes. We developed an algorithm to detect BDVA for right and left eyes from defined fields within electronic ophthalmology clinical notes. We designed an algorithm to detect the BDVA from defined fields within 295,218 ophthalmology clinical notes with visual acuity data present. About 5668 unique responses were identified and an algorithm was developed to map all of the unique responses to a structured list of Snellen visual acuities. Visual acuity was captured from a total of 295,218 ophthalmology clinical notes during the study dates. The algorithm identified all visual acuities in the defined visual acuity section for each eye and returned a single BDVA for each eye. A clinician chart review of 100 random patient notes showed a 99% accuracy detecting BDVA from these records and 1% observed error. Our algorithm successfully captures best documented Snellen distance visual acuity from ophthalmology clinical notes and transforms a variety of inputs into a structured Snellen equivalent list. Our work, to the best of our knowledge, represents the first attempt at capturing visual acuity accurately from large numbers of electronic ophthalmology notes. Use of this algorithm can benefit research groups interested in assessing visual acuity for patient centered outcome. All codes used for this study are currently available, and will be made available online at https://phekb.org.

Creation of an Accurate Algorithm to Detect Snellen Best Documented Visual Acuity from Ophthalmology Electronic Health Record Notes

PubMed Central

French, Dustin D; Gill, Manjot; Mitchell, Christopher; Jackson, Kathryn; Kho, Abel; Bryar, Paul J

2016-01-01

Background Visual acuity is the primary measure used in ophthalmology to determine how well a patient can see. Visual acuity for a single eye may be recorded in multiple ways for a single patient visit (eg, Snellen vs. Jäger units vs. font print size), and be recorded for either distance or near vision. Capturing the best documented visual acuity (BDVA) of each eye in an individual patient visit is an important step for making electronic ophthalmology clinical notes useful in research. Objective Currently, there is limited methodology for capturing BDVA in an efficient and accurate manner from electronic health record (EHR) notes. We developed an algorithm to detect BDVA for right and left eyes from defined fields within electronic ophthalmology clinical notes. Methods We designed an algorithm to detect the BDVA from defined fields within 295,218 ophthalmology clinical notes with visual acuity data present. About 5668 unique responses were identified and an algorithm was developed to map all of the unique responses to a structured list of Snellen visual acuities. Results Visual acuity was captured from a total of 295,218 ophthalmology clinical notes during the study dates. The algorithm identified all visual acuities in the defined visual acuity section for each eye and returned a single BDVA for each eye. A clinician chart review of 100 random patient notes showed a 99% accuracy detecting BDVA from these records and 1% observed error. Conclusions Our algorithm successfully captures best documented Snellen distance visual acuity from ophthalmology clinical notes and transforms a variety of inputs into a structured Snellen equivalent list. Our work, to the best of our knowledge, represents the first attempt at capturing visual acuity accurately from large numbers of electronic ophthalmology notes. Use of this algorithm can benefit research groups interested in assessing visual acuity for patient centered outcome. All codes used for this study are currently available, and will be made available online at https://phekb.org. PMID:27146002

Some current advances in biophysical applications of ionizing radiation for health preservation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watt, D. E.

1987-03-01

Radiation Physics is a subject of major importance in application to health preservation through investigative, diagnostic, analytical and therapeutic procedures for clinical purposes. Its benefits are enormous and well-established. However there are also hazards and so it is important for health preservation purposes to establish quantitatively the degree of risk undergone by persons exposed to radiation in the natural environment, in their occupations and in medical treatment. In this paper a brief indication is given of the extensive utilisation of the unique properties of radiation in biomedical application. This is followed by fuller discussion on new developments in our understanding of radiation damage mechanisms in radiotherapy and radiological protection. An example is given in biomedical research into the role of trace elements in gallstone formation using neutron activation anaysis, proton induced X-ray emission and X-ray fluorescence analysis as complementary techniques for maximising sensitivity in multielemental analysis by induced radiation. Procedures are described for measuring radiation effect, at bone/ tissue and lung/air interfaces, due to the uptake of radioactive material from the natural environment. Finally a topical subject in nuclear medicine viz. the possible advantages and hazards of Auger electron cascades resulting from inner shell vacancies in electron capture nuclides, is examined in the light of new evidence.

Deamidation and transamidation of substance P by tissue transglutaminase revealed by electron-capture dissociation fourier transform mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Fornelli, Luca; Schmid, Adrien W; Grasso, Luigino; Vogel, Horst; Tsybin, Yury O

2011-01-10

Tissue transglutaminase (tTGase) catalyzes both deamidation and transamidation of peptides and proteins by using a peptidyl glutamine as primary substrate. A precise consensus sequence for the enzyme is unknown and the ratio between deamidated and transamidated (or cross-linked) reaction products is highly substrate-dependent. Due to its overlapping body distribution with tTGase and ease of manipulation with tandem mass spectrometry, we used the neuropeptide substance P as a model to investigate the associated enzymatic kinetics and reaction products. Online liquid-chromatography Fourier-transform ion-cyclotron-resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) combined with electron-capture dissociation (ECD) was employed to study the tTGase-induced modifications of substance P. A particular strength of ECD for peptide-enzyme reaction product monitoring is its ability to distinguish isomeric amino acids, for example, Glu and iso-Glu, by signature product ions. Our studies show that the primary reaction observed is deamidation, with the two consecutive glutamine residues converted sequentially into glutamate: first Gln(5) , and subsequently Gln(6) . We then applied ECD FT-ICR MS to identify the transamidation site on an enzymatically cross-linked peptide, which turned out to correspond to Gln(5) . Three populations of substance-P dimers were detected that differed by the number of deamidated Gln residues. The higher reactivity of Gln(5) over Gln(6) was further confirmed by cross-linking SP with monodansylcadaverine (MDC). Overall, our approach described herein is of a general importance for mapping both enzymatically induced post-translational protein modifications and cross-linking. Finally, in vitro Ca-signaling assays revealed that the main tTGase reaction product, the singly deamidated SP (RPKPEQFFGLM-NH(2) ), has increased agonist potency towards its natural receptor, thus confirming the biologically relevant role of deamidation. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Synergistic effect of Fe2O3/Ho2O3 Co-modified 2D-titanate heterojunctions on enhanced photocatalytic degradation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xiaona; Liu, Xinzhao; Lu, Dingze; Wu, Pei; Yan, Qiuyang; Liu, Min; Fang, Pengfei

2017-01-01

TiO2-based nanosheets (TNSs) co-modified by Fe2O3 and Ho2O3 were synthesized by one-pot hydrothermal method using Fe(NO3)3 and Ho(NO3)3 as precursors compositing with TiO2. The Fe2O3/Ho2O3-TNSs heterojunctions possessed a thickness of approximately 3-4 nm, large specific surface area of 210-310 cm2/g, with Fe2O3 and Ho2O3 nanoparticles highly dispersed over the surface of the nanosheets. The crystallization of the samples gradually increased with the amount of Fe2O3 nanoparticles, which was confirmed by the XRD, BET and Raman spectra, indicating that Ho2O3 and Fe2O3 influenced the crystallinity and structure evolution of the TNSs, besides, led to an improved the visible-light absorption. Surface photocurrent and fluorescence spectral studies revealed that the photo-generated charge carrier separation efficiency could be efficiently improved by an appropriate amount of modification. The Fe2O3/Ho2O3-TNSs exhibited synergistic effect on photocatalytic degradation of RhB as well as MO under visible light. The highest efficiency was obtained by 0.05%-Fe2O3/Ho2O3-TNSs (Fe:Ho:Ti = 0.05:1:100), which was 8.86 and 6.72 times than that of individual 1.0%-Ho2O3-TNSs (Ho:Ti = 1:100) and 0.05%-Fe2O3-TNSs (Fe:Ti = 0.05:100), respectively. The possible mechanism for enhanced visible-light-induced photocatalytic activity was proposed. Ho2O3 introduced in the photocatalysts may act as the hole capture while Fe2O3 may share the same Fermi levels with TNSs and serve as the electron capture center in the n-n-p system, which reduced the recombination rate of photo-induced electron-hole pairs.

A Highly Sensitive Method for Quantitative Determination of Abscisic Acid 1

PubMed Central

Michler, Charles H.; Lineberger, R. Daniel; Chism, Grady W.

1986-01-01

An abscisic acid derivative was formed by reaction with pentafluorobenzyl bromide which allowed highly sensitive detection by gas-liquid chromatography with electron capture detection. In comparison to the methyl ester derivative, the pentafluorobenzyl derivative of abscisic acid was four times more sensitive to electron capture detection and was stable at room temperature in the presence of ultraviolet light. Derivatization was rapid and the molecular weight of the new compound was confirmed by gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. PMID:16665076

Absolute emission cross sections for electron capture reactions of C2+, N3+, N4+ and O3+ ions in collisions with Li(2s) atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rieger, G.; Pinnington, E. H.; Ciubotariu, C.

2000-12-01

Absolute photon emission cross sections following electron capture reactions have been measured for C2+, N3+, N4+ and O3+ ions colliding with Li(2s) atoms at keV energies. The results are compared with calculations using the extended classical over-the-barrier model by Niehaus. We explore the limits of our experimental method and present a detailed discussion of experimental errors.

Ensemble of electrophoretically captured gold nanoparticles as a fingerprint of Boltzmann velocity distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, S. H.; Kang, M. G.; Lim, J. H.; Hwang, S. W.

2008-07-01

An ensemble of electrophoretically captured gold nanoparticles is exploited to fingerprint their velocity distribution in solution. The electrophoretic capture is performed using a dc biased nanogap electrode, and panoramic scanning electron microscopic images are inspected to obtain the regional density of the captured gold nanoparticles. The regional density profile along the surface of the electrode is in a quantitative agreement with the calculated density of the captured nanoparticles. The calculated density is obtained by counting, in the Boltzmann distribution, the number of nanoparticles whose thermal velocity is smaller than the electrophoretic velocity.

Scalable sensing electronics towards a motion capture suit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Daniel; Gisby, Todd A.; Xie, Shane; Anderson, Iain A.

2013-04-01

Being able to accurately record body motion allows complex movements to be characterised and studied. This is especially important in the film or sport coaching industry. Unfortunately, the human body has over 600 skeletal muscles, giving rise to multiple degrees of freedom. In order to accurately capture motion such as hand gestures, elbow or knee flexion and extension, vast numbers of sensors are required. Dielectric elastomer (DE) sensors are an emerging class of electroactive polymer (EAP) that is soft, lightweight and compliant. These characteristics are ideal for a motion capture suit. One challenge is to design sensing electronics that can simultaneously measure multiple sensors. This paper describes a scalable capacitive sensing device that can measure up to 8 different sensors with an update rate of 20Hz.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dowell, David

It is well-known that the electron beam quality required for applications such as FEL’s and ultra-fast electron diffraction can be degraded by the asymmetric fields introduced by the RF couplers of superconducting linacs. This effect is especially troublesome in the injector where the low energy beam from the gun is captured into the first high gradient accelerator section. Unfortunately modifying the established cavity design is expensive and time consuming, especially considering that only one or two sections are needed for an injector. Instead, it is important to analyze the coupler fields to understand their characteristics and help find less costlymore » solutions for their cancellation and mitigation. This paper finds the RF coupler-induced emittance for short bunches is mostly due to the transverse spatial sloping or tilt of the field, rather than the field’s time-dependence. It is shown that the distorting effects of the coupler can be canceled with a static (DC) quadrupole lens rotated about the z-axis.« less

Calculations of the displacement damage and short-circuit current degradation in proton irradiated (AlGa)As-GaAs solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeh, C. S.; Li, S. S.; Loo, R. Y.

1987-01-01

A theoretical model for computing the displacement damage defect density and the short-circuit current (I sub sc) degradation in proton-irradiated (AlGa)As-GaAs p-n junction solar cells is presented. Assumptions were made with justification that the radiation induced displacement defects form an effective recombination center which controls the electron and hole lifetimes in the junction space charge region and in the n-GaAs active layer of the irradiated GaAs p-n junction cells. The degradation of I sub sc in the (AlGa)As layer was found to be negligible compared to the total degradation. In order to determine the I sub sc degradation, the displacement defect density, path length, range, reduced energy after penetrating a distance x, and the average number of displacements formed by one proton scattering event were first calculated. The I sub sc degradation was calculated by using the electron capture cross section in the p-diffused layer and the hole capture cross section in the n-base layer as well as the wavelength dependent absorption coefficients. Excellent agreement was found between the researchers calculated values and the measured I sub sc in the proton irradiated GaAs solar cells for proton energies of 100 KeV to 10 MeV and fluences from 10 to the 10th power p/square cm to 10 to the 12th power p/square cm.

Funny money: the attentional role of monetary feedback detached from expected value.

PubMed

Roper, Zachary J J; Vecera, Shaun P

2016-10-01

Stimuli associated with monetary reward can become powerful cues that effectively capture visual attention. We examined whether such value-driven attentional capture can be induced with monetary feedback in the absence of an expected cash payout. To this end, we implemented images of U.S. dollar bills as reward feedback. Participants knew in advance that they would not receive any money based on their performance. Our reward stimuli-$5 and $20 bill images-were thus dissociated from any practical utility. Strikingly, we observed a reliable attentional capture effect for the mere images of bills. Moreover, this finding generalized to Monopoly money. In two control experiments, we found no evidence in favor of nominal or symbolic monetary value. Hence, we claim that bill images are special monetary representations, such that there are strong associations between the defining visual features of bills and reward, probably due to a lifelong learning history. Together, we show that the motivation to earn cash plays a minor role when it comes to monetary rewards, while bill-defining visual features seem to be sufficient. These findings have the potential to influence human factor applications, such as gamification, and can be extended to novel value systems, such as the electronic cash Bitcoin being developed for use in mobile banking. Finally, our procedure represents a proof of concept on how images of money can be used to conserve expenditures in the experimental context.

Characteristics of electron distributions observed during large amplitude whistler wave events in the magnetosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, L. B., III; Cattell, C. A.; Kellogg, P. J.; Goetz, K.; Wygant, J.; Breneman, A. W.; Kersten, K.

2010-12-01

We present a statistical study of the characteristics of electron distributions associated with large amplitude whistler waves inside the terrestrial magnetosphere using waveform capture data as an addition of the study by Kellogg et al., [2010b]. We identified three types of electron distributions observed simultaneously with the whistler waves including beam-like, beam/flattop, and anisotropic distributions. The whistlers exhibited different characteristics dependent upon the observed electron distributions. The majority of the waveforms observed in our study have f/fce ≤ 0.5 and are observed primarily in the radiation belts outside the plasmapause simultaneously with anisotropic electron distributions. We also present an example waveform capture of the largest magnetic field amplitude (≥ 8 nT pk-pk) whistler wave measured in the radiation belts. The majority of the largest amplitude whistlers occur during magnetically active periods (AE > 200 nT).

Theoretical investigation of the electron capture and loss processes in the collisions of He2+ + Ne.

PubMed

Hong, Xuhai; Wang, Feng; Jiao, Yalong; Su, Wenyong; Wang, Jianguo; Gou, Bingcong

2013-08-28

Based on the time-dependent density functional theory, a method is developed to study ion-atom collision dynamics, which self-consistently couples the quantum mechanical description of electron dynamics with the classical treatment of the ion motion. Employing real-time and real-space method, the coordinate space translation technique is introduced to allow one to focus on the region of target or projectile depending on the actual concerned process. The benchmark calculations are performed for the collisions of He(2+) + Ne, and the time evolution of electron density distribution is monitored, which provides interesting details of the interaction dynamics between the electrons and ion cores. The cross sections of single and many electron capture and loss have been calculated in the energy range of 1-1000 keV/amu, and the results show a good agreement with the available experiments over a wide range of impact energies.

Characteristics of Electron Distributions Observed During Large Amplitude Whistler Wave Events in the Magnetosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Lynn B., III

2010-01-01

We present a statistical study of the characteristics of electron distributions associated with large amplitude whistler waves inside the terrestrial magnetosphere using waveform capture data as an addition of the study by Kellogg et al., [2010b]. We identified three types of electron distributions observed simultaneously with the whistler waves including beam-like, beam/flattop, and anisotropic distributions. The whistlers exhibited different characteristics dependent upon the observed electron distributions. The majority of the waveforms observed in our study have f/fce < or = 0.5 and are observed primarily in the radiation belts outside the plasmapause simultaneously with anisotropic electron distributions. We also present an example waveform capture of the largest magnetic field amplitude (> or = 8 nT pk-pk) whistler wave measured in the radiation belts. The majority of the largest amplitude whistlers occur during magnetically active periods (AE > 200 nT).

Double-shot MeV electron diffraction and microscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Musumeci, P.; Cesar, D.; Maxson, J.

Here in this paper, we study by numerical simulations a time-resolved MeV electron scattering mode where two consecutive electron pulses are used to capture the evolution of a material sample on 10 ps time scales. The two electron pulses are generated by illuminating a photocathode in a radiofrequency photogun by two short laser pulses with adjustable delay. A streak camera/deflecting cavity is used after the sample to project the two electron bunches on two well separated regions of the detector screen. By using sufficiently short pulses, the 2D spatial information from each snapshot can be preserved. This “double-shot” technique enablesmore » the efficient capture of irreversible dynamics in both diffraction and imaging modes. Finally, in this work, we demonstrate both modes in start-to-end simulations of the UCLA Pegasus MeV microscope column.« less

Double-shot MeV electron diffraction and microscopy

DOE PAGES

Musumeci, P.; Cesar, D.; Maxson, J.

2017-05-19

Here in this paper, we study by numerical simulations a time-resolved MeV electron scattering mode where two consecutive electron pulses are used to capture the evolution of a material sample on 10 ps time scales. The two electron pulses are generated by illuminating a photocathode in a radiofrequency photogun by two short laser pulses with adjustable delay. A streak camera/deflecting cavity is used after the sample to project the two electron bunches on two well separated regions of the detector screen. By using sufficiently short pulses, the 2D spatial information from each snapshot can be preserved. This “double-shot” technique enablesmore » the efficient capture of irreversible dynamics in both diffraction and imaging modes. Finally, in this work, we demonstrate both modes in start-to-end simulations of the UCLA Pegasus MeV microscope column.« less

Dynamic imaging with electron microscopy

ScienceCinema

Campbell, Geoffrey; McKeown, Joe; Santala, Melissa

2018-02-13

Livermore researchers have perfected an electron microscope to study fast-evolving material processes and chemical reactions. By applying engineering, microscopy, and laser expertise to the decades-old technology of electron microscopy, the dynamic transmission electron microscope (DTEM) team has developed a technique that can capture images of phenomena that are both very small and very fast. DTEM uses a precisely timed laser pulse to achieve a short but intense electron beam for imaging. When synchronized with a dynamic event in the microscope's field of view, DTEM allows scientists to record and measure material changes in action. A new movie-mode capability, which earned a 2013 R&D 100 Award from R&D Magazine, uses up to nine laser pulses to sequentially capture fast, irreversible, even one-of-a-kind material changes at the nanometer scale. DTEM projects are advancing basic and applied materials research, including such areas as nanostructure growth, phase transformations, and chemical reactions.

Protection of DNA against low-energy electrons by amino acids: a first-principles molecular dynamics study.

PubMed

Gu, Bin; Smyth, Maeve; Kohanoff, Jorge

2014-11-28

Using first-principles molecular dynamics simulations, we have investigated the notion that amino acids can play a protective role when DNA is exposed to excess electrons produced by ionizing radiation. In this study we focus on the interaction of glycine with the DNA nucleobase thymine. We studied thymine-glycine dimers and a condensed phase model consisting of one thymine molecule solvated in amorphous glycine. Our results show that the amino acid acts as a protective agent for the nucleobase in two ways. If the excess electron is initially captured by the thymine, then a proton is transferred in a barrier-less way from a neighboring hydrogen-bonded glycine. This stabilizes the excess electron by reducing the net partial charge on the thymine. In the second mechanism the excess electron is captured by a glycine, which acts as a electron scavenger that prevents electron localization in DNA. Both these mechanisms introduce obstacles to further reactions of the excess electron within a DNA strand, e.g. by raising the free energy barrier associated with strand breaks.

Super-AGB Stars and their Role as Electron Capture Supernova Progenitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doherty, Carolyn L.; Gil-Pons, Pilar; Siess, Lionel; Lattanzio, John C.

2017-11-01

We review the lives, deaths and nucleosynthetic signatures of intermediate-mass stars in the range ≈6-12 M⊙, which form super-AGB stars near the end of their lives. The critical mass boundaries both between different types of massive white dwarfs (CO, CO-Ne, ONe), and between white dwarfs and supernovae, are examined along with the relative fraction of super-AGB stars that end life either as an ONe white dwarf or as a neutron star (or an ONeFe white dwarf), after undergoing an electron capture supernova event. The contribution of the other potential single-star channel to electron-capture supernovae, that of the failed massive stars, is also discussed. The factors that influence these different final fates and mass limits, such as composition, rotation, the efficiency of convection, the nuclear reaction rates, mass-loss rates, and third dredge-up efficiency, are described. We stress the importance of the binary evolution channels for producing electron-capture supernovae. Recent nucleosynthesis calculations and elemental yield results are discussed and a new set of s-process heavy element yields is presented. The contribution of super-AGB star nucleosynthesis is assessed within a Galactic perspective, and the (super-)AGB scenario is considered in the context of the multiple stellar populations seen in globular clusters. A brief summary of recent works on dust production is included. Last, we conclude with a discussion of the observational constraints and potential future advances for study into these stars on the low mass/high mass star boundary.

Eikonal approximation for proton-helium electron-capture processes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kobayashi, K.; Toshima, N.; Ishihara, T.

1985-09-01

We calculate the capture cross sections for H/sup +/+He..-->..H+He/sup +/, treating the passive electron explicitly in a distorted-wave formalism based on the eikonal approximation. It is found that the shape of the differential cross sections is influenced considerably by the interaction between the passive electron and the incident proton, while the integrated cross sections are much less sensitive to that. The differential cross section at 293 keV agrees well with the experimental data except at extremely small scattering angles. The forward peak is reproduced well at higher energies. The integrated cross sections are in excellent agreement with experiments for themore » incident energy above 250 keV.« less

Influence of an electric field on photostimulated states in NH4BPh4 films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonova, O. V.; Nadolinny, V. A.; Il'inchik, E. A.; Trubin, S. V.

2012-10-01

The influence of an electric field on stable photostimulated triplet states of NH4BPh4 at a temperature of 77 K have been studied by EPR spectroscopy. It has been established that, on exposure to UV radiation, electron capture by traps in the band gaps takes place with formation of triplet state. After application of an electric field, triplet states are destructed because, with an increase in the applied voltage, a gradual inclination of energy bands takes place and electrons found in traps on different energy levels are released. The assumption that captured electrons are found in traps on different energy levels is confirmed by earlier studies of thermoluminescence spectra.

Electron capture dissociation of polypeptides using a 3 Tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer.

PubMed

Polfer, Nicolas C; Haselmann, Kim F; Zubarev, Roman A; Langridge-Smith, Pat R R

2002-01-01

Electron capture dissociation (ECD) of polypeptides has been demonstrated using a commercially available 3 Tesla Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) instrument. A conventional rhenium filament, designed for high-energy electron impact ionisation, was used to effect ECD of substance P, bee venom melittin and bovine insulin, oxidised B chain. A retarding field analysis of the effective electron kinetic energy distribution entering the ICR cell suggests that one of the most important parameters governing ECD for this particular instrument is the need to employ low trapping plate voltages. This is shown to maximise the abundance of low-energy electrons. The demonstration of ECD at this relatively low magnetic field strength could offer the prospect of more routine ECD analysis for the wider research community, given the reduced cost of such magnets and (at least theoretically) the greater ease of electron/ion cloud overlap at lower field. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Enhancing the routine health information system in rural southern Tanzania: successes, challenges and lessons learned.

PubMed

Maokola, W; Willey, B A; Shirima, K; Chemba, M; Armstrong Schellenberg, J R M; Mshinda, H; Alonso, P; Tanner, M; Schellenberg, D

2011-06-01

To describe and evaluate the use of handheld computers for the management of Health Management Information System data. Electronic data capture took place in 11 sentinel health centres in rural southern Tanzania. Information from children attending the outpatient department (OPD) and the Expanded Program on Immunization vaccination clinic was captured by trained local school-leavers, supported by monthly supervision visits. Clinical data included malaria blood slides and haemoglobin colour scale results. Quality of captured data was assessed using double data entry. Malaria blood slide results from health centre laboratories were compared to those from the study's quality control laboratory. The system took 5 months to implement, and few staffings or logistical problems were encountered. Over the following 12 months (April 2006-March 2007), 7056 attendances were recorded in 9880 infants aged 2-11 months, 50% with clinical malaria. Monthly supervision visits highlighted incomplete recording of information between OPD and laboratory records, where on average 40% of laboratory visits were missing the record of their corresponding OPD visit. Quality of microscopy from health facility laboratories was lower overall than that from the quality assurance laboratory. Electronic capture of HMIS data was rapidly and successfully implemented in this resource-poor setting. Electronic capture alone did not resolve issues of data completeness, accuracy and reliability, which are essential for management, monitoring and evaluation; suggestions to monitor and improve data quality are made. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Gyroscopic effect in low-energy classical capture of a rotating quadrupolar diatom by an ion.

PubMed

Dashevskaya, Elena; Litvin, Iliya; Nikitin, Evgueni

2006-03-09

The low-energy capture of homonuclear diatoms by ions is due mainly to the long-range part of the interpartner potential with leading terms that correspond to charge-quadrupole interaction and charge-induced dipole interaction. The capture dynamics is described by the perturbed-rotor adiabatic potentials and the Coriolis interaction between manifold of states that belong to a given value of the intrinsic angular momentum. When the latter is large enough, it can noticeably affect the capture cross section calculated in the adiabatic channel approximation due to the gyroscopic property of a rotating diatom. This paper presents the low-energy (low-temperature) state-selected partial and mean capture cross sections (rate coefficients) for the charge-quadrupole interaction that include the gyroscopic effect (decoupling of intrinsic angular momentum from the collision axis), quantum correction for the diatom rotation, and the correction for the charge-induced dipole interaction. These results complement recent studies on the gyroscopic effect in the quantum regime of diatom-ion capture (Dashevskaya, E. I.; Litvin, I.; Nikitin, E. E.; Troe, J. J. Chem. Phys. 2004, 120, 9989-9997).

A compact human-powered energy harvesting system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao, Yuan; McEachern, Kelly M.; Arnold, David P.

2013-12-01

This paper presents a fully functional, self-sufficient body-worn energy harvesting system for passively capturing energy from human motion, with the long-term vision of supplying power to portable, wearable, or even implanted electronic devices. The system requires no external power supplies and can bootstrap from zero-state-of-charge to generate electrical energy from walking, jogging and cycling; convert the induced ac voltage to a dc voltage; and then boost and regulate the dc voltage to charge a Li-ion-polymer battery. Tested under normal human activities (walking, jogging, cycling) when worn on different parts of the body, the 70 cm3 system is shown to charge a 3.7 V rechargeable battery at charge rates ranging from 33 μW to 234 μW.

Two-photon decay of K-shell vacancies in silver atoms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mokler, P.H.; University of Giessen, Giessen; Schaeffer, H.W.

2004-09-01

The spectral distributions for the two-photon decay modes of singly K-shell ionized silver atoms are determined by x-ray-x-ray coincidence measurements. Ag K-shell vacancies were induced by nuclear electron capture decay of radioactive cadmium isotopes {sup 109}Cd and two-photon coincidences were taken back to back (180 deg.) and at a 90 deg. opening angle for the emission. Each of the two-photon transitions from the 2s, 3s, and 3d states exhibits unique angular and spectral distributions. The measurements agree nicely with relativistic self-consistent field calculations of Tong et al. Our results also confirm and extend the earlier experimental data of Ilakovac andmore » co-workers with improved accuracy.« less

Non-destructive elemental analysis of a carbonaceous chondrite with direct current Muon beam at MuSIC.

PubMed

Terada, K; Sato, A; Ninomiya, K; Kawashima, Y; Shimomura, K; Yoshida, G; Kawai, Y; Osawa, T; Tachibana, S

2017-11-13

Electron- or X-ray-induced characteristic X-ray analysis has been widely used to determine chemical compositions of materials in vast research fields. In recent years, analysis of characteristic X-rays from muonic atoms, in which a muon is captured, has attracted attention because both a muon beam and a muon-induced characteristic X-ray have high transmission abilities. Here we report the first non-destructive elemental analysis of a carbonaceous chondrite using one of the world-leading intense direct current muon beam source (MuSIC; MUon Science Innovative Channel). We successfully detected characteristic muonic X-rays of Mg, Si, Fe, O, S and C from Jbilet Winselwan CM chondrite, of which carbon content is about 2 wt%, and the obtained elemental abundance pattern was consistent with that of CM chondrites. Because of its high sensitivity to carbon, non-destructive elemental analysis with a muon beam can be a novel powerful tool to characterize future retuned samples from carbonaceous asteroids.

Water versus DNA: New insights into proton track-structure modeling in radiobiology and radiotherapy

DOE PAGES

Champion, Christophe; Quinto, Michele A.; Monti, Juan M.; ...

2015-09-25

Water is a common surrogate of DNA for modelling the charged particle-induced ionizing processes in living tissue exposed to radiations. The present study aims at scrutinizing the validity of this approximation and then revealing new insights into proton-induced energy transfers by a comparative analysis between water and realistic biological medium. In this context, a self-consistent quantum mechanical modelling of the ionization and electron capture processes is reported within the continuum distorted wave-eikonal initial state framework for both isolated water molecules and DNA components impacted by proton beams. Their respective probability of occurrence-expressed in terms of total cross sections-as well asmore » their energetic signature (potential and kinetic) are assessed in order to clearly emphasize the differences existing between realistic building blocks of living matter and the controverted water-medium surrogate. Thus the consequences in radiobiology and radiotherapy will be discussed in particular in view of treatment planning refinement aiming at better radiotherapy strategies.« less

Water versus DNA: new insights into proton track-structure modelling in radiobiology and radiotherapy.

PubMed

Champion, C; Quinto, M A; Monti, J M; Galassi, M E; Weck, P F; Fojón, O A; Hanssen, J; Rivarola, R D

2015-10-21

Water is a common surrogate of DNA for modelling the charged particle-induced ionizing processes in living tissue exposed to radiations. The present study aims at scrutinizing the validity of this approximation and then revealing new insights into proton-induced energy transfers by a comparative analysis between water and realistic biological medium. In this context, a self-consistent quantum mechanical modelling of the ionization and electron capture processes is reported within the continuum distorted wave-eikonal initial state framework for both isolated water molecules and DNA components impacted by proton beams. Their respective probability of occurrence-expressed in terms of total cross sections-as well as their energetic signature (potential and kinetic) are assessed in order to clearly emphasize the differences existing between realistic building blocks of living matter and the controverted water-medium surrogate. Consequences in radiobiology and radiotherapy will be discussed in particular in view of treatment planning refinement aiming at better radiotherapy strategies.

Limitations to photosynthesis by proton motive force-induced photosystem II photodamage

PubMed Central

Davis, Geoffry A; Kanazawa, Atsuko; Schöttler, Mark Aurel; Kohzuma, Kaori; Froehlich, John E; Rutherford, A William; Satoh-Cruz, Mio; Minhas, Deepika; Tietz, Stefanie; Dhingra, Amit; Kramer, David M

2016-01-01

The thylakoid proton motive force (pmf) generated during photosynthesis is the essential driving force for ATP production; it is also a central regulator of light capture and electron transfer. We investigated the effects of elevated pmf on photosynthesis in a library of Arabidopsis thaliana mutants with altered rates of thylakoid lumen proton efflux, leading to a range of steady-state pmf extents. We observed the expected pmf-dependent alterations in photosynthetic regulation, but also strong effects on the rate of photosystem II (PSII) photodamage. Detailed analyses indicate this effect is related to an elevated electric field (Δψ) component of the pmf, rather than lumen acidification, which in vivo increased PSII charge recombination rates, producing singlet oxygen and subsequent photodamage. The effects are seen even in wild type plants, especially under fluctuating illumination, suggesting that Δψ-induced photodamage represents a previously unrecognized limiting factor for plant productivity under dynamic environmental conditions seen in the field. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.16921.001 PMID:27697149

Limitations to photosynthesis by proton motive force-induced photosystem II photodamage

DOE PAGES

Davis, Geoffry A.; Kanazawa, Atsuko; Schöttler, Mark Aurel; ...

2016-10-04

The thylakoid proton motive force (pmf) generated during photosynthesis is the essential driving force for ATP production; it is also a central regulator of light capture and electron transfer. We investigated the effects of elevated pmf on photosynthesis in a library of Arabidopsis thaliana mutants with altered rates of thylakoid lumen proton efflux, leading to a range of steady-state pmf extents. We observed the expected pmf-dependent alterations in photosynthetic regulation, but also strong effects on the rate of photosystem II (PSII) photodamage. Detailed analyses indicate this effect is related to an elevated electric field (Δψ) component of the pmf, rathermore » than lumen acidification, which in vivo increased PSII charge recombination rates, producing singlet oxygen and subsequent photodamage. The effects are seen even in wild type plants, especially under fluctuating illumination, suggesting that Δψ-induced photodamage represents a previously unrecognized limiting factor for plant productivity under dynamic environmental conditions seen in the field.« less

Alignment, orientation, and Coulomb explosion of difluoroiodobenzene studied with the pixel imaging mass spectrometry (PImMS) camera.

PubMed

Amini, Kasra; Boll, Rebecca; Lauer, Alexandra; Burt, Michael; Lee, Jason W L; Christensen, Lauge; Brauβe, Felix; Mullins, Terence; Savelyev, Evgeny; Ablikim, Utuq; Berrah, Nora; Bomme, Cédric; Düsterer, Stefan; Erk, Benjamin; Höppner, Hauke; Johnsson, Per; Kierspel, Thomas; Krecinic, Faruk; Küpper, Jochen; Müller, Maria; Müller, Erland; Redlin, Harald; Rouzée, Arnaud; Schirmel, Nora; Thøgersen, Jan; Techert, Simone; Toleikis, Sven; Treusch, Rolf; Trippel, Sebastian; Ulmer, Anatoli; Wiese, Joss; Vallance, Claire; Rudenko, Artem; Stapelfeldt, Henrik; Brouard, Mark; Rolles, Daniel

2017-07-07

Laser-induced adiabatic alignment and mixed-field orientation of 2,6-difluoroiodobenzene (C 6 H 3 F 2 I) molecules are probed by Coulomb explosion imaging following either near-infrared strong-field ionization or extreme-ultraviolet multi-photon inner-shell ionization using free-electron laser pulses. The resulting photoelectrons and fragment ions are captured by a double-sided velocity map imaging spectrometer and projected onto two position-sensitive detectors. The ion side of the spectrometer is equipped with a pixel imaging mass spectrometry camera, a time-stamping pixelated detector that can record the hit positions and arrival times of up to four ions per pixel per acquisition cycle. Thus, the time-of-flight trace and ion momentum distributions for all fragments can be recorded simultaneously. We show that we can obtain a high degree of one-and three-dimensional alignment and mixed-field orientation and compare the Coulomb explosion process induced at both wavelengths.

On the modeling and characterization of an interlocked flexible electronic skin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalili, Nazanin; Shen, Xuechen; Naguib, Hani E.

2017-04-01

Development of an electronic skin with ultra-high pressure sensitivity is now of critical importance due its broad range of applications including prosthetic skins and biomimetic robotics. Microstructured conductive composite elastomers can acquire mechanical and electrical properties analogous to those of natural skin. One of the most prominent features of human skin is its tactile sensing property which can be mimicked in an electronic skin. Herein, an electrically conductive composite comprising polydimethylsiloxane and conductive fillers is used as a flexible and stretchable piezoresistive sensor. The electrical conductivity is induced within the elastomer matrix via carbon nanotubes whereas the piezoresistivity is obtained by means of microstructuring the surface of the substrate. An interlocked array of pyramids in micro-scale allows the change in the contact resistance between two thin layers of the composite upon application of an external load. Deformation of the interlocked arrays endows the sensor with an ultra-high sensitivity to the external pressures within the range of human skin perception. Moreover, using finite element analysis, the change in the contact are between the two layers was captured for different geometries. The structure of the sensor can be optimized through an optimization model in order to acquire maximum sensitivity.

Registration of Large Motion Blurred Images

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-09

in handling the dynamics of the capturing system, for example, a drone. CMOS sensors , used in recent times, when employed in these cameras produce...handling the dynamics of the capturing system, for example, a drone. CMOS sensors , used in recent times, when employed in these cameras produce two types...blur in the captured image when there is camera motion during exposure. However, contemporary CMOS sensors employ an electronic rolling shutter (RS

Stable isotope time-series in mammalian teeth: In situ δ18O from the innermost enamel layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blumenthal, Scott A.; Cerling, Thure E.; Chritz, Kendra L.; Bromage, Timothy G.; Kozdon, Reinhard; Valley, John W.

2014-01-01

Stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios in mammalian tooth enamel are commonly used to understand the diets and environments of modern and fossil animals. Isotope variation during the period of enamel formation can be recovered by intra-tooth microsampling along the direction of growth. However, conventional sampling of the enamel surface provides highly time-averaged records in part due to amelogenesis. We use backscattered electron imaging in the scanning electron microscope (BSE-SEM) to evaluate enamel mineralization in developing teeth from one rodent and two ungulates. Gray levels from BSE-SEM images suggest that the innermost enamel layer, <20 μm from the enamel-dentine junction, is highly mineralized early in enamel maturation and therefore may record a less attenuated isotopic signal than other layers. We sampled the right maxillary incisor from a woodrat subjected to an experimentally induced water-switch during the period of tooth development, and demonstrate that secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) can be used to obtain δ18O values with 4-5-μm spots from mammalian tooth enamel. We also demonstrate that SIMS can be used to discretely sample the innermost enamel layer, which is too narrow for conventional microdrilling or laser ablation. An abrupt δ18O switch of 16.0‰ was captured in breath CO2, a proxy for body water, while a laser ablation enamel surface intra-tooth profile of the left incisor captured a δ18O range of 12.1‰. The innermost enamel profile captured a δ18O range of 15.7‰, which approaches the full magnitude of δ18O variation in the input signal. This approach will likely be most beneficial in taxa such as large mammalian herbivores, whose teeth are characterized by less rapid mineralization and therefore greater attenuation of the enamel isotope signal.

IceCube

Science.gov Websites

written the portions of the offline software and simulations that involve the electronics and calibrations resonsible for the pieces of the detector calibration and simulation that are connected to the electronics electronics that process and capture the signal produce by Cerenkov light in the photomultiplier tubes. It

Water Capture Device Signal Integration Board

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamberlin, Kathryn J.; Hartnett, Andrew J.

2018-01-01

I am a junior in electrical engineering at Arizona State University, and this is my second internship at Johnson Space Center. I am an intern in the Command and Data Handling Branch of Avionics Division (EV2), my previous internship was also in EV2. During my previous internship I was assigned to the Water Capture Device payload, where I designed a prototype circuit board for the electronics system of the payload. For this internship, I have come back to the Water Capture Device project to further the work on the electronics design I completed previously. The Water Capture Device is an experimental payload to test the functionality of two different phase separators aboard the International Space Station (ISS). A phase separator sits downstream of a condensing heat exchanger (CHX) and separates the water from the air particles for environmental control on the ISS. With changing CHX technology, new phase separators are required. The goal of the project is to develop a test bed for the two phase separators to determine the best solution.

HST Solar Arrays photographed by Electronic Still Camera

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

This close-up view of one of two Solar Arrays (SA) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was photographed with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC), and downlinked to ground controllers soon afterward. Electronic still photography is a technology which provides the means for a handheld camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution approaching film quality.

Electronic Teaching Portfolios: Technology Skills + Portfolio Development = Powerful Preservice Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capraro, Mary Margaret

An electronic portfolio is a collection of work captured by electronic means that serves as an exhibit of individual efforts, progress, and achievements in one or more areas. Due to rapid growth and updates in technology, keeping electronic portfolios is becoming increasingly common in a variety of educational settings. In fall 2002 at one large…

Electronic Teaching Portfolios: Technology Skills + Portfolio Development--Do They = Powerful Preservice Teachers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capraro, Mary Margaret

2006-01-01

Electronic portfolios are a "collection of work captured by electronic means, that serves as an exhibit of individual efforts, progress, and achievements in one or more areas" (Weidmer, 1998, p. 586). Because of the rapid growth and updates in technology, keeping electronic portfolios is becoming increasingly common in a variety of educational…

Dissociative recombination of O2(+), NO(+) and N2(+)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guberman, S. L.

1983-01-01

A new L(2) approach for the calculation of the threshold molecular capture width needed for the determination of DR cross sections was developed. The widths are calculated with Fermi's golden rule by substituting Rydberg orbitals for the free electron continuum coulomb orbital. It is shown that the calculated width converges exponentially as the effective principal quantum number of the Rydberg orbital increases. The threshold capture width is then easily obtained. Since atmospheric recombination involves very low energy electrons, the threshold capture widths are essential to the calculation of DR cross sections for the atmospheric species studied here. The approach described makes use of bound state computer codes already in use. A program that collects width matrix elements over CI wavefunctions for the initial and final states is described.

The Cooking and Pneumonia Study (CAPS) in Malawi: Implementation of Remote Source Data Verification

PubMed Central

Weston, William; Smedley, James; Bennett, Andrew; Mortimer, Kevin

2016-01-01

Background Source data verification (SDV) is a data monitoring procedure which compares the original records with the Case Report Form (CRF). Traditionally, on-site SDV relies on monitors making multiples visits to study sites requiring extensive resources. The Cooking And Pneumonia Study (CAPS) is a 24- month village-level cluster randomized controlled trial assessing the effectiveness of an advanced cook-stove intervention in preventing pneumonia in children under five in rural Malawi (www.capstudy.org). CAPS used smartphones to capture digital images of the original records on an electronic CRF (eCRF). In the present study, descriptive statistics are used to report the experience of electronic data capture with remote SDV in a challenging research setting in rural Malawi. Methods At three monthly intervals, fieldworkers, who were employed by CAPS, captured pneumonia data from the original records onto the eCRF. Fieldworkers also captured digital images of the original records. Once Internet connectivity was available, the data captured on the eCRF and the digital images of the original records were uploaded to a web-based SDV application. This enabled SDV to be conducted remotely from the UK. We conducted SDV of the pneumonia data (occurrence, severity, and clinical indicators) recorded in the eCRF with the data in the digital images of the original records. Result 664 episodes of pneumonia were recorded after 6 months of follow-up. Of these 664 episodes, 611 (92%) had a finding of pneumonia in the original records. All digital images of the original records were clear and legible. Conclusion Electronic data capture using eCRFs on mobile technology is feasible in rural Malawi. Capturing digital images of the original records in the field allows remote SDV to be conducted efficiently and securely without requiring additional field visits. We recommend these approaches in similar settings, especially those with health endpoints. PMID:27355447

A mobile trauma database with charge capture.

PubMed

Moulton, Steve; Myung, Dan; Chary, Aron; Chen, Joshua; Agarwal, Suresh; Emhoff, Tim; Burke, Peter; Hirsch, Erwin

2005-11-01

Charge capture plays an important role in every surgical practice. We have developed and merged a custom mobile database (DB) system with our trauma registry (TRACS), to better understand our billing methods, revenue generators, and areas for improved revenue capture. The mobile database runs on handheld devices using the Windows Compact Edition platform. The front end was written in C# and the back end is SQL. The mobile database operates as a thick client; it includes active and inactive patient lists, billing screens, hot pick lists, and Current Procedural Terminology and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code sets. Microsoft Information Internet Server provides secure data transaction services between the back ends stored on each device. Traditional, hand written billing information for three of five adult trauma surgeons was averaged over a 5-month period. Electronic billing information was then collected over a 3-month period using handheld devices and the subject software application. One surgeon used the software for all 3 months, and two surgeons used it for the latter 2 months of the electronic data collection period. This electronic billing information was combined with TRACS data to determine the clinical characteristics of the trauma patients who were and were not captured using the mobile database. Total charges increased by 135%, 148%, and 228% for each of the three trauma surgeons who used the mobile DB application. The majority of additional charges were for evaluation and management services. Patients who were captured and billed at the point of care using the mobile DB had higher Injury Severity Scores, were more likely to undergo an operative procedure, and had longer lengths of stay compared with those who were not captured. Total charges more than doubled using a mobile database to bill at the point of care. A subsequent comparison of TRACS data with billing information revealed a large amount of uncaptured patient revenue. Greater familiarity and broader use of mobile database technology holds the potential for even greater revenue capture.

The Cooking and Pneumonia Study (CAPS) in Malawi: Implementation of Remote Source Data Verification.

PubMed

Weston, William; Smedley, James; Bennett, Andrew; Mortimer, Kevin

2016-01-01

Source data verification (SDV) is a data monitoring procedure which compares the original records with the Case Report Form (CRF). Traditionally, on-site SDV relies on monitors making multiples visits to study sites requiring extensive resources. The Cooking And Pneumonia Study (CAPS) is a 24- month village-level cluster randomized controlled trial assessing the effectiveness of an advanced cook-stove intervention in preventing pneumonia in children under five in rural Malawi (www.capstudy.org). CAPS used smartphones to capture digital images of the original records on an electronic CRF (eCRF). In the present study, descriptive statistics are used to report the experience of electronic data capture with remote SDV in a challenging research setting in rural Malawi. At three monthly intervals, fieldworkers, who were employed by CAPS, captured pneumonia data from the original records onto the eCRF. Fieldworkers also captured digital images of the original records. Once Internet connectivity was available, the data captured on the eCRF and the digital images of the original records were uploaded to a web-based SDV application. This enabled SDV to be conducted remotely from the UK. We conducted SDV of the pneumonia data (occurrence, severity, and clinical indicators) recorded in the eCRF with the data in the digital images of the original records. 664 episodes of pneumonia were recorded after 6 months of follow-up. Of these 664 episodes, 611 (92%) had a finding of pneumonia in the original records. All digital images of the original records were clear and legible. Electronic data capture using eCRFs on mobile technology is feasible in rural Malawi. Capturing digital images of the original records in the field allows remote SDV to be conducted efficiently and securely without requiring additional field visits. We recommend these approaches in similar settings, especially those with health endpoints.

Current and Future Research at DANCE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jandel, M.; Baramsai, B.; Bredeweg, T. A.

2015-05-28

An overview of the current experimental program on measurements of neutron capture and neutron induced fission at the Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE) is presented. Three major projects are currently under way: 1) high precision measurements of neutron capture cross sections on Uranium isotopes, 2) research aimed at studies of the short-lived actinide isomer production in neutron capture on 235U and 3) measurements of correlated data of fission observables. New projects include developments of auxiliary detectors to improve the capability of DANCE. We are building a compact, segmented NEUtron detector Array at DANCE (NEUANCE), which will be installedmore » in the central cavity of the DANCE array. It will thus provide experimental information on prompt fission neutrons in coincidence with the prompt fission gamma-rays measured by 160 BaF 2 crystals of DANCE. Additionally, unique correlated data will be obtained for neutron capture and neutron-induced fission using the DANCE-NEUANCE experimental set up in the future.« less

Decay properties of Bk24397 and Bk24497

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, I.; Kondev, F. G.; Greene, J. P.; Zhu, S.

2018-01-01

Electron capture decays of 243Bk and 244Bk have been studied by measuring the γ -ray spectra of mass-separated sources and level structures of 243Cm and 244Cm have been deduced. In 243Cm, the electron capture population to the ground state, 1 /2+[631 ] , and 1 /2+[620 ] Nilsson states have been observed. The octupole Kπ=2- band was identified in 244Cm at 933.6 keV. In addition, spins and parities were deduced for several other states and two-quasiparticle configurations have been tentatively assigned to them.

Electron Capture in Slow Collision of He^2++H : Revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krstic, Ps

2003-05-01

Very early experimental data (Fite et al. al., Proc. R. Soc. A 268, 527 (1962)) for He^2++H, recent ORNL measurements for Ne^2+ + H and our theoretical estimates suggest that the electron capture cross sections for these strongly exoergic collision systems drop slower toward low collision energies than expected from previous theories. We perform a theoretical study to establish and understand the true nature of this controversy. The calculations are based on the Hidden Crossings MOCC method, augmented with rotational and turning point effects.

Interactive Voice/Web Response System in clinical research

PubMed Central

Ruikar, Vrishabhsagar

2016-01-01

Emerging technologies in computer and telecommunication industry has eased the access to computer through telephone. An Interactive Voice/Web Response System (IxRS) is one of the user friendly systems for end users, with complex and tailored programs at its backend. The backend programs are specially tailored for easy understanding of users. Clinical research industry has experienced revolution in methodologies of data capture with time. Different systems have evolved toward emerging modern technologies and tools in couple of decades from past, for example, Electronic Data Capture, IxRS, electronic patient reported outcomes, etc. PMID:26952178

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dzhioev, Alan A., E-mail: dzhioev@theor.jinr.ru; Vdovin, A. I., E-mail: vdovin@theor.jinr.ru; Stoyanov, Ch., E-mail: stoyanov@inrne.bas.bg

We combine the thermal QRPA approach with the Skyrme energy density functional theory (Skyrme–TQRPA) for modelling the process of electron capture on nuclei in supernova environment. For a sample nucleus, {sup 56}Fe, the Skyrme–TQRPA approach is applied to analyze thermal effects on the strength function of GT{sub +} transitions which dominate electron capture at E{sub e} ≤ 30 MeV. Several Skyrme interactions are used in order to verify the sensitivity of the obtained results to the Skyrme force parameters. Finite-temperature cross sections are calculated and the results are comparedwith those of the other model calculations.

Probing Protein Structure and Folding in the Gas Phase by Electron Capture Dissociation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schennach, Moritz; Breuker, Kathrin

2015-07-01

The established methods for the study of atom-detailed protein structure in the condensed phases, X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, have recently been complemented by new techniques by which nearly or fully desolvated protein structures are probed in gas-phase experiments. Electron capture dissociation (ECD) is unique among these as it provides residue-specific, although indirect, structural information. In this Critical Insight article, we discuss the development of ECD for the structural probing of gaseous protein ions, its potential, and limitations.

Homestead Valley, California, aftershocks (March 17-18, 1979) recorded on portable seismographs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perry-Huston, Sue; Eberhart-Phillips, Donna

1994-01-01

A method for the determination of chlorinated organic compounds in aquatic tissue by dual capillary-column gas chromatography with electron- capture detection is described. Whole-body-fish or corbicula tissue is homogenized, Soxhlet extracted, lipid removed by gel permeation chromatography, and fractionated using alumina/silica adsorption chromatography. The extracts are analyzed by dissimilar capillary-column gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. The method reporting limits are 5 micrograms per kilogram (ug/kg) for chlorinated compounds, 50 ug/kg for polychlorinated biphenyls, and 200 ug/kg for toxaphene.

Interactive Voice/Web Response System in clinical research.

PubMed

Ruikar, Vrishabhsagar

2016-01-01

Emerging technologies in computer and telecommunication industry has eased the access to computer through telephone. An Interactive Voice/Web Response System (IxRS) is one of the user friendly systems for end users, with complex and tailored programs at its backend. The backend programs are specially tailored for easy understanding of users. Clinical research industry has experienced revolution in methodologies of data capture with time. Different systems have evolved toward emerging modern technologies and tools in couple of decades from past, for example, Electronic Data Capture, IxRS, electronic patient reported outcomes, etc.

High Dynamic Range Pixel Array Detector for Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy.

PubMed

Tate, Mark W; Purohit, Prafull; Chamberlain, Darol; Nguyen, Kayla X; Hovden, Robert; Chang, Celesta S; Deb, Pratiti; Turgut, Emrah; Heron, John T; Schlom, Darrell G; Ralph, Daniel C; Fuchs, Gregory D; Shanks, Katherine S; Philipp, Hugh T; Muller, David A; Gruner, Sol M

2016-02-01

We describe a hybrid pixel array detector (electron microscope pixel array detector, or EMPAD) adapted for use in electron microscope applications, especially as a universal detector for scanning transmission electron microscopy. The 128×128 pixel detector consists of a 500 µm thick silicon diode array bump-bonded pixel-by-pixel to an application-specific integrated circuit. The in-pixel circuitry provides a 1,000,000:1 dynamic range within a single frame, allowing the direct electron beam to be imaged while still maintaining single electron sensitivity. A 1.1 kHz framing rate enables rapid data collection and minimizes sample drift distortions while scanning. By capturing the entire unsaturated diffraction pattern in scanning mode, one can simultaneously capture bright field, dark field, and phase contrast information, as well as being able to analyze the full scattering distribution, allowing true center of mass imaging. The scattering is recorded on an absolute scale, so that information such as local sample thickness can be directly determined. This paper describes the detector architecture, data acquisition system, and preliminary results from experiments with 80-200 keV electron beams.

Gate-opening gas adsorption and host-guest interacting gas trapping behavior of porous coordination polymers under applied AC electric fields.

PubMed

Kosaka, Wataru; Yamagishi, Kayo; Zhang, Jun; Miyasaka, Hitoshi

2014-09-03

The gate-opening adsorption behavior of the one-dimensional chain compound [Ru2(4-Cl-2-OMePhCO2)4(phz)] (1; 4-Cl-2-OMePhCO2(-) = 4-chloro-o-anisate; phz = phenazine) for various gases (O2, NO, and CO2) was electronically monitored in situ by applying ac electric fields to pelletized samples attached to a cryostat, which was used to accurately control the temperature and gas pressure. The gate-opening and -closing transitions induced by gas adsorption/desorption, respectively, were accurately monitored by a sudden change in the real part of permittivity (ε'). The transition temperature (TGO) was also found to be dependent on the applied temperature and gas pressure according to the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. This behavior was also observed in the isostructural compound [Rh2(4-Cl-2-OMePhCO2)4(phz)] (2), which exhibited similar gate-opening adsorption properties, but was not detected in the nonporous gate-inactive compound [Ru2(o-OMePhCO2)4(phz)] (3). Furthermore, the imaginary part of permittivity (ε″) effectively captured the electronic perturbations of the samples induced by the introduced guest molecules. Only the introduction of NO resulted in the increase of the sample's electronic conductivity for 1 and 3, but not for 2. This behavior indicates that electronic host-guest interactions were present, albeit very weak, at the surface of sample 1 and 3, i.e., through grain boundaries of the sample, which resulted in perturbation of the conduction band of this material's framework. This technique involving the in situ application of ac electric fields is useful not only for rapidly monitoring gas sorption responses accompanied by gate-opening/-closing structural transitions but also potentially for the development of molecular framework materials as chemically driven electronic devices.

Analysis of microscopic parameters of surface charging in polymer caused by defocused electron beam irradiation.

PubMed

Liu, Jing; Zhang, Hai-Bo

2014-12-01

The relationship between microscopic parameters and polymer charging caused by defocused electron beam irradiation is investigated using a dynamic scattering-transport model. The dynamic charging process of an irradiated polymer using a defocused 30 keV electron beam is conducted. In this study, the space charge distribution with a 30 keV non-penetrating e-beam is negative and supported by some existing experimental data. The internal potential is negative, but relatively high near the surface, and it decreases to a maximum negative value at z=6 μm and finally tend to 0 at the bottom of film. The leakage current and the surface potential behave similarly, and the secondary electron and leakage currents follow the charging equilibrium condition. The surface potential decreases with increasing beam current density, trap concentration, capture cross section, film thickness and electron-hole recombination rate, but with decreasing electron mobility and electron energy. The total charge density increases with increasing beam current density, trap concentration, capture cross section, film thickness and electron-hole recombination rate, but with decreasing electron mobility and electron energy. This study shows a comprehensive analysis of microscopic factors of surface charging characteristics in an electron-based surface microscopy and analysis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

IODIDE AEROSOL SORBENTS FOR MERCURY CAPTURE IN COMBUSTION EXHAUSTS

EPA Science Inventory

Several sorbent processes are being studied for their feasibility for mercury capture. Mercury is different from the other heavy metals as it is not as chemically reactive (due to a filled outer electronic shell), thus making it difficult for sorbents to chemically trap it (a). ...

Electron capture in collisions of S4+ with helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J. G.; Turner, A. R.; Cooper, D. L.; Schultz, D. R.; Rakovic, M. J.; Fritsch, W.; Stancil, P. C.; Zygelman, B.

2002-07-01

Charge transfer due to collisions of ground-state S4+(3s2 1S) ions with helium is investigated for energies between 0.1 meV u-1 and 10 MeV u-1. Total and state-selective single electron capture (SEC) cross sections and rate coefficients are obtained utilizing the quantum mechanical molecular-orbital close-coupling (MOCC), atomic-orbital close-coupling (AOCC), classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) and continuum distorted wave methods. The MOCC calculations utilize ab initio adiabatic potentials and nonadiabatic radial coupling matrix elements obtained with the spin-coupled valence-bond approach. Previous data are limited to a calculation of the total SEC rate coefficient using the Landau-Zener model that is, in comparison to the results presented here, three orders of magnitude smaller. The MOCC SEC cross sections at low energy reveal a multichannel interference effect. True double capture is also investigated with the AOCC and CTMC approaches while autoionizing double capture and transfer ionization (TI) is explored with CTMC. SEC is found to be the dominant process except for E>200 keV u-1 when TI becomes the primary capture channel. Astrophysical implications are briefly discussed.

Advancing medical device innovation through collaboration and coordination of structured data capture pilots: Report from the Medical Device Epidemiology Network (MDEpiNet) Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-Oriented, Time Bound (SMART) Think Tank.

PubMed

Reed, Terrie L; Drozda, Joseph P; Baskin, Kevin M; Tcheng, James; Conway, Karen; Wilson, Natalia; Marinac-Dabic, Danica; Heise, Theodore; Krucoff, Mitchell W

2017-12-01

The Medical Device Epidemiology Network (MDEpiNet) is a public private partnership (PPP) that provides a platform for collaboration on medical device evaluation and depth of expertise for supporting pilots to capture, exchange and use device information for improving device safety and protecting public health. The MDEpiNet SMART Think Tank, held in February, 2013, sought to engage expert stakeholders who were committed to improving the capture of device data, including Unique Device Identification (UDI), in key electronic health information. Prior to the Think Tank there was limited collaboration among stakeholders beyond a few single health care organizations engaged in electronic capture and exchange of device data. The Think Tank resulted in what has become two sustainable multi-stakeholder device data capture initiatives, BUILD and VANGUARD. These initiatives continue to mature within the MDEpiNet PPP structure and are well aligned with the goals outlined in recent FDA-initiated National Medical Device Planning Board and Medical Device Registry Task Force white papers as well as the vision for the National Evaluation System for health Technology.%. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Tuning anion-functionalized ionic liquids for improved SO2 capture.

PubMed

Cui, Guokai; Zheng, Junjie; Luo, Xiaoyan; Lin, Wenjun; Ding, Fang; Li, Haoran; Wang, Congmin

2013-09-27

You can have your cake and eat it too: A "dual-tuning" strategy for improving the capture of SO2 was developed by introducing electron-withdrawing sites on the anions to produce several kinds of functionalized ionic liquids. Those functionalized with a halogen group exhibited improved performance over their non-halogenated counterparts, leading to highly efficient and reversible capture. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Evaluation of a mandatory quality assurance data capture in anesthesia: a secure electronic system to capture quality assurance information linked to an automated anesthesia record.

PubMed

Peterfreund, Robert A; Driscoll, William D; Walsh, John L; Subramanian, Aparna; Anupama, Shaji; Weaver, Melissa; Morris, Theresa; Arnholz, Sarah; Zheng, Hui; Pierce, Eric T; Spring, Stephen F

2011-05-01

Efforts to assure high-quality, safe, clinical care depend upon capturing information about near-miss and adverse outcome events. Inconsistent or unreliable information capture, especially for infrequent events, compromises attempts to analyze events in quantitative terms, understand their implications, and assess corrective efforts. To enhance reporting, we developed a secure, electronic, mandatory system for reporting quality assurance data linked to our electronic anesthesia record. We used the capabilities of our anesthesia information management system (AIMS) in conjunction with internally developed, secure, intranet-based, Web application software. The application is implemented with a backend allowing robust data storage, retrieval, data analysis, and reporting capabilities. We customized a feature within the AIMS software to create a hard stop in the documentation workflow before the end of anesthesia care time stamp for every case. The software forces the anesthesia provider to access the separate quality assurance data collection program, which provides a checklist for targeted clinical events and a free text option. After completing the event collection program, the software automatically returns the clinician to the AIMS to finalize the anesthesia record. The number of events captured by the departmental quality assurance office increased by 92% (95% confidence interval [CI] 60.4%-130%) after system implementation. The major contributor to this increase was the new electronic system. This increase has been sustained over the initial 12 full months after implementation. Under our reporting criteria, the overall rate of clinical events reported by any method was 471 events out of 55,382 cases or 0.85% (95% CI 0.78% to 0.93%). The new system collected 67% of these events (95% confidence interval 63%-71%). We demonstrate the implementation in an academic anesthesia department of a secure clinical event reporting system linked to an AIMS. The system enforces entry of quality assurance information (either no clinical event or notification of a clinical event). System implementation resulted in capturing nearly twice the number of events at a relatively steady case load. © 2011 International Anesthesia Research Society

Strong-potential Born calculations for electron capture

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McGuire, J.H.; Sil, N.C.

1983-12-01

A closed-form expression for 1s-1s electron capture has been developed in the strong-potential Born (SPB) approximation. Terms of the order (Z/sub p//v)/sup 2/ are ignored in our expression, where Z/sub p/ is the charge of the projectile and v is the collision velocity. Our errors of order (Z/sub p//v)/sup 2/ are within the accuracy of the SPB approximation itself, which is valid to first order in the projectile-electron interaction V/sub p/ (and all orders in the stronger target potential V/sub T/). Calculations using our expression are in better agreement with experimental observations of the shape of the Thomas peak thanmore » are other calculations.« less

Methods of DNA methylation detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maki, Wusi Chen (Inventor); Filanoski, Brian John (Inventor); Mishra, Nirankar (Inventor); Rastogi, Shiva (Inventor)

2010-01-01

The present invention provides for methods of DNA methylation detection. The present invention provides for methods of generating and detecting specific electronic signals that report the methylation status of targeted DNA molecules in biological samples.Two methods are described, direct and indirect detection of methylated DNA molecules in a nano transistor based device. In the direct detection, methylated target DNA molecules are captured on the sensing surface resulting in changes in the electrical properties of a nano transistor. These changes generate detectable electronic signals. In the indirect detection, antibody-DNA conjugates are used to identify methylated DNA molecules. RNA signal molecules are generated through an in vitro transcription process. These RNA molecules are captured on the sensing surface change the electrical properties of nano transistor thereby generating detectable electronic signals.

Demonstration of charge breeding in a compact room temperature electron beam ion trap

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vorobjev, G.; Sokolov, A.; Herfurth, F.

2012-05-15

For the first time, a small room-temperature electron beam ion trap (EBIT), operated with permanent magnets, was successfully used for charge breeding experiments. The relatively low magnetic field of this EBIT does not contribute to the capture of the ions; single-charged ions are only caught by the space charge potential of the electron beam. An over-barrier injection method was used to fill the EBIT's electrostatic trap with externally produced, single-charged potassium ions. Charge states as high as K{sup 19+} were reached after about a 3 s breeding time. The capture and breeding efficiencies up to 0.016(4)% for K{sup 17+} havemore » been measured.« less

Interactions between ecology, demography, capture stress, and profiles of corticosterone and glucose in a free-living population of Australian freshwater crocodiles.

PubMed

Jessop, Tim S; Tucker, Anton D; Limpus, Colin J; Whittier, Joan M

2003-06-01

In this study we examined three aspects pertaining to adrenocortical responsiveness in free-ranging Australian freshwater crocodiles (Crocodylus johnstoni). First, we examined the ability of freshwater crocodiles to produce corticosterone in response to a typical capture-stress protocol. A second objective addressed the relationship between capture stress, plasma glucose and corticosterone. Next we examined if variation in basal and capture-stress-induced levels of plasma corticosterone was linked to ecological or demographic factors for individuals in this free-ranging population. Blood samples obtained on three field trips were taken from a cross-sectional sample of the population. Crocodiles were bled once during four time categories at 0, 0.5, 6, and 10h post-capture. Plasma corticosterone increased significantly with time post-capture. Plasma glucose also significantly increased with duration of capture-stress and exhibited a positive and significant relationship with plasma corticosterone. Significant variation in basal or stress induced levels of corticosterone in crocodiles was not associated with any ecological or demographic factors including sex, age class or the year of capture that the crocodiles were sampled from. However, three immature males had basal levels of plasma corticosterone greater than 2 standard deviations above the mean. While crocodiles exhibited a pronounced adrenocortical and hyperglycaemic response to capture stress, limited variation in adrenocortical responsiveness due to ecological and demographic factors was not evident. This feature could arise in part because this population was sampled during a period of environmental benigness.

Modern proteomic methodologies for the characterization of lactosylation protein targets in milk.

PubMed

Arena, Simona; Renzone, Giovanni; Novi, Gianfranco; Paffetti, Alessandro; Bernardini, Giulia; Santucci, Annalisa; Scaloni, Andrea

2010-10-01

Heat treatment of milk induces the Maillard reaction between lactose and proteins; in this context, β-lactoglobulin and α-lactalbumin adducts have been used as markers to monitor milk quality. Since some milk proteins have been reported as essential for the delivery of microelements and, being resistant against proteolysis in the gastrointestinal tract, also contributing to the acquired immune response against pathogens and the stimulation of cellular proliferation, it is crucial to systematically determine the milk subproteome affected by the Maillard reaction for a careful evaluation of aliment functional properties. This is more important when milk is the unique nutritional source, as in infant diet. To this purpose, a combination of proteomic procedures based on analyte capture by combinatorial peptide ligand libraries, selective trapping of lactosylated peptides by m-aminophenylboronic acid-agarose chromatography and collision-induced dissociation and electron transfer dissociation MS was used for systematic identification of the lactosylated proteins in milk samples subjected to different thermal treatments. An exhaustive modification of proteins was observed in milk powdered preparations for infant nutrition. Globally, this approach allowed the identification of 271 non-redundant modification sites in 33 milk proteins, which also included low-abundance components involved in nutrient delivery, defence response against virus/microorganisms and cellular proliferative events. A comparison of the modified peptide identification percentages resulting from electron transfer dissociation or collision-induced dissociation fragmentation spectra confirmed the first activation mode as most advantageous for the analysis of lactosylated proteins. Nutritional, biological and toxicological consequences of these findings are discussed on the basis of the recent literature on this subject, emphasizing their impact on newborn diet.

Stardust impact analogs: Resolving pre- and postimpact mineralogy in Stardust Al foils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wozniakiewicz, Penelope J.; Ishii, Hope A.; Kearsley, Anton T.; Burchell, Mark J.; Bradley, John P.; Price, Mark C.; Teslich, Nick; Lee, Martin R.; Cole, Mike J.

2012-04-01

The grains returned by NASA's Stardust mission from comet 81P/Wild 2 represent a valuable sample set that is significantly advancing our understanding of small solar system bodies. However, the grains were captured via impact at ˜6.1 km s-1 and have experienced pressures and temperatures that caused alteration. To ensure correct interpretations of comet 81P/Wild 2 mineralogy, and therefore preaccretional or parent body processes, an understanding of the effects of capture is required. Using a two-stage light-gas gun, we recreated Stardust encounter conditions and generated a series of impact analogs for a range of minerals of cometary relevance into flight spare Al foils. Through analyses of both preimpact projectiles and postimpact analogs by transmission electron microscopy, we explore the impact processes occurring during capture and distinguish between those materials inherent to the impactor and those that are the product of capture. We review existing and present additional data on olivine, diopside, pyrrhotite, and pentlandite. We find that surviving crystalline material is observed in most single grain impactor residues. However, none is found in that of a relatively monodisperse aggregate. A variety of impact-generated components are observed in all samples. Al incorporation into melt-derived phases allows differentiation between melt and shock-induced phases. In single grain impactor residues, impact-generated phases largely retain original (nonvolatile) major element ratios. We conclude that both surviving and impact-generated phases in residues of single grain impactors provide valuable information regarding the mineralogy of the impacting grain whilst further studies are required to fully understand aggregate impacts and the role of subgrain interactions during impact.

Where Is the Electronic Oscillator Strength? Mapping Oscillator Strength across Molecular Absorption Spectra.

PubMed

Zheng, Lianjun; Polizzi, Nicholas F; Dave, Adarsh R; Migliore, Agostino; Beratan, David N

2016-03-24

The effectiveness of solar energy capture and conversion materials derives from their ability to absorb light and to transform the excitation energy into energy stored in free carriers or chemical bonds. The Thomas-Reiche-Kuhn (TRK) sum rule mandates that the integrated (electronic) oscillator strength of an absorber equals the total number of electrons in the structure. Typical molecular chromophores place only about 1% of their oscillator strength in the UV-vis window, so individual chromophores operate at about 1% of their theoretical limit. We explore the distribution of oscillator strength as a function of excitation energy to understand this circumstance. To this aim, we use familiar independent-electron model Hamiltonians as well as first-principles electronic structure methods. While model Hamiltonians capture the qualitative electronic spectra associated with π electron chromophores, these Hamiltonians mistakenly focus the oscillator strength in the fewest low-energy transitions. Advanced electronic structure methods, in contrast, spread the oscillator strength over a very wide excitation energy range, including transitions to Rydberg and continuum states, consistent with experiment. Our analysis rationalizes the low oscillator strength in the UV-vis spectral region in molecules, a step toward the goal of oscillator strength manipulation and focusing.

Influence of atrial substrate on local capture induced by rapid pacing of atrial fibrillation.

PubMed

Rusu, Alexandru; Jacquemet, Vincent; Vesin, Jean-Marc; Virag, Nathalie

2014-05-01

Preliminary studies showed that the septum area was the only location allowing local capture of both the atria during rapid pacing of atrial fibrillation (AF) from a single site. The present model-based study investigated the influence of atrial substrate on the ability to capture AF when pacing the septum. Three biophysical models of AF with an identical anatomy from human atria but with different AF substrates were used: (i) AF based on multiple wavelets, (ii) AF based on heterogeneities in vagal activation, (iii) AF based on heterogeneities in repolarization. A fourth anatomical model without Bachmann's bundle (BB) was also implemented. Rapid pacing was applied from the septum at pacing cycle lengths in the range of 50-100% of AF cycle length. Local capture was automatically assessed with 24 pairs of electrodes evenly distributed on the atrial surface. The results were averaged over 16 AF simulations. In the homogeneous substrate, AF capture could reach 80% of the atrial surface. Heterogeneities degraded the ability to capture during AF. In the vagal substrate, the capture tended to be more regular and the degradation of the capture was not directly related to the spatial extent of the heterogeneities. In the third substrate, heterogeneities induced wave anchorings and wavebreaks even in areas close to the pacing site, with a more dramatic effect on AF capture. Finally, BB did not significantly affect the ability to capture. Atrial fibrillation substrate had a significant effect on rapid pacing outcomes. The response to therapeutic pacing may therefore be specific to each patient.

Electron capture and transport mediated by lattice solitons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hennig, D.; Chetverikov, A.; Velarde, M. G.; Ebeling, W.

2007-10-01

We study electron transport in a one-dimensional molecular lattice chain. The molecules are linked by Morse interaction potentials. The electronic degree of freedom, expressed in terms of a tight binding system, is coupled to the longitudinal displacements of the molecules from their equilibrium positions along the axis of the lattice. More specifically, the distance between two sites influences in an exponential fashion the corresponding electronic transfer matrix element. We demonstrate that when an electron is injected in the undistorted lattice it causes a local deformation such that a compression results leading to a lowering of the electron’s energy below the lower edge of the band of linear states. This corresponds to self-localization of the electron due to a polaronlike effect. Then, if a traveling soliton lattice deformation is launched a distance apart from the electron’s position, upon encountering the polaronlike state it captures the latter dragging it afterwards along its path. Strikingly, even when the electron is initially uniformly distributed over the lattice sites a traveling soliton lattice deformation gathers the electronic amplitudes during its traversing of the lattice. Eventually, the electron state is strongly localized and moves coherently in unison with the soliton lattice deformation. This shows that for the achievement of coherent electron transport we need not start with the polaronic effect.

Ultrastructure of the replication sites of positive-strand RNA viruses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harak, Christian; Lohmann, Volker, E-mail: volker_lohmann@med.uni-heidelberg.de

2015-05-15

Positive strand RNA viruses replicate in the cytoplasm of infected cells and induce intracellular membranous compartments harboring the sites of viral RNA synthesis. These replication factories are supposed to concentrate the components of the replicase and to shield replication intermediates from the host cell innate immune defense. Virus induced membrane alterations are often generated in coordination with host factors and can be grouped into different morphotypes. Recent advances in conventional and electron microscopy have contributed greatly to our understanding of their biogenesis, but still many questions remain how viral proteins capture membranes and subvert host factors for their need. Inmore » this review, we will discuss different representatives of positive strand RNA viruses and their ways of hijacking cellular membranes to establish replication complexes. We will further focus on host cell factors that are critically involved in formation of these membranes and how they contribute to viral replication. - Highlights: • Positive strand RNA viruses induce massive membrane alterations. • Despite the great diversity, replication complexes share many similarities. • Host factors play a pivotal role in replication complex biogenesis. • Use of the same host factors by several viruses hints to similar functions.« less

Quantitative prediction of collision-induced vibration-rotation distributions from physical data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsh, Richard J.; McCaffery, Anthony J.

2003-04-01

We describe a rapid, accurate technique for computing state-to-state cross-sections in collision-induced vibration-rotation transfer (VRT) using only physical data, i.e. spectroscopic constants, bond length, mass and velocity distribution. The probability of linear-to-angular momentum (AM) conversion is calculated for a set of trajectories, each of which is subjected to energy conservation boundary conditions. No mechanism is specified for inducing vibrational state change. In the model, this constitutes a velocity or momentum barrier that must be overcome before rotational AM may be generated in the new vibrational state. The method is subjected to stringent testing by calculating state-to-state VRT probabilities for diatomics in highly excited vibrational, rotational and electronic states. Comparison is made to experimental data and to results from quantum mechanical and from quasi-classical trajectory calculations. There is quantitative agreement with data from all three sources, indicating that despite its simplicity the essential physics of collisions involving highly excited species is captured in the model. We develop further the concept of the molecular efficiency factor as an indicative parameter in collision dynamics, and derive an expression for ji > 0 and for VRT.

Dissecting the mechanism of martensitic transformation via atomic-scale observations.

PubMed

Yang, Xu-Sheng; Sun, Sheng; Wu, Xiao-Lei; Ma, Evan; Zhang, Tong-Yi

2014-08-21

Martensitic transformation plays a pivotal role in the microstructural evolution and plasticity of many engineering materials. However, so far the underlying atomic processes that accomplish the displacive transformation have been obscured by the difficulty in directly observing key microstructural signatures on atomic scale. To resolve this long-standing problem, here we examine an AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel that has a strain/microstructure-gradient induced by surface mechanical attrition, which allowed us to capture in one sample all the key interphase regions generated during the γ(fcc) → ε(hcp) → α'(bcc) transition, a prototypical case of deformation induced martensitic transformation (DIMT). High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observations confirm the crucial role of partial dislocations, and reveal tell-tale features including the lattice rotation of the α' martensite inclusion, the transition lattices at the ε/α' interfaces that cater the shears, and the excess reverse shear-shuffling induced γ necks in the ε martensite plates. These direct observations verify for the first time the 50-year-old Bogers-Burgers-Olson-Cohen (BBOC) model, and enrich our understanding of DIMT mechanisms. Our findings have implications for improved microstructural control in metals and alloys.

Dissecting the Mechanism of Martensitic Transformation via Atomic-Scale Observations

PubMed Central

Yang, Xu-Sheng; Sun, Sheng; Wu, Xiao-Lei; Ma, Evan; Zhang, Tong-Yi

2014-01-01

Martensitic transformation plays a pivotal role in the microstructural evolution and plasticity of many engineering materials. However, so far the underlying atomic processes that accomplish the displacive transformation have been obscured by the difficulty in directly observing key microstructural signatures on atomic scale. To resolve this long-standing problem, here we examine an AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel that has a strain/microstructure-gradient induced by surface mechanical attrition, which allowed us to capture in one sample all the key interphase regions generated during the γ(fcc) → ε(hcp) → α′(bcc) transition, a prototypical case of deformation induced martensitic transformation (DIMT). High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observations confirm the crucial role of partial dislocations, and reveal tell-tale features including the lattice rotation of the α′ martensite inclusion, the transition lattices at the ε/α′ interfaces that cater the shears, and the excess reverse shear-shuffling induced γ necks in the ε martensite plates. These direct observations verify for the first time the 50-year-old Bogers-Burgers-Olson-Cohen (BBOC) model, and enrich our understanding of DIMT mechanisms. Our findings have implications for improved microstructural control in metals and alloys. PMID:25142283

Electronic data capture and DICOM data management in multi-center clinical trials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haak, Daniel; Page, Charles-E.; Deserno, Thomas M.

2016-03-01

Providing eligibility, efficacy and security evaluation by quantitative and qualitative disease findings, medical imaging has become increasingly important in clinical trials. Here, subject's data is today captured in electronic case reports forms (eCRFs), which are offered by electronic data capture (EDC) systems. However, integration of subject's medical image data into eCRFs is insufficiently supported. Neither integration of subject's digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) data, nor communication with picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), is possible. This aggravates the workflow of the study personnel, in special regarding studies with distributed data capture in multiple sites. Hence, in this work, a system architecture is presented, which connects an EDC system, a PACS and a DICOM viewer via the web access to DICOM objects (WADO) protocol. The architecture is implemented using the open source tools OpenClinica, DCM4CHEE and Weasis. The eCRF forms the primary endpoint for the study personnel, where subject's image data is stored and retrieved. Background communication with the PACS is completely hidden for the users. Data privacy and consistency is ensured by automatic de-identification and re-labelling of DICOM data with context information (e.g. study and subject identifiers), respectively. The system is exemplarily demonstrated in a clinical trial, where computer tomography (CT) data is de-centrally captured from the subjects and centrally read by a chief radiologists to decide on inclusion of the subjects in the trial. Errors, latency and costs in the EDC workflow are reduced, while, a research database is implicitly built up in the background.

Characteristics of GeV Electron Bunches Accelerated by Intense Lasers in Vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, P. X.; Ho, Y. K.; Kong, Q.; Yuan, X. Q.; Cao, N.; Feng, L.

This paper studies the characteristics of GeV electron bunches driven by ultra-intense lasers in vacuum based on the mechanism of capture and violent acceleration scenario [CAS, see, e.g. J. X. Wang et al., Phys. Rev. E58, 6575 (1998)], which shows an interesting prospect of becoming a new principle of laser-driven accelerators. It has been found that the accelerated GeV electron bunch is a macro-pulse composed of a lot of micro-pulses, which is analogous to the structure of the bunches produced by conventional linacs. The macro-pulse corresponds to the duration of the laser pulse while the micro-pulse corresponds to the periodicity of the laser wave. Therefore, provided that the incoming electron bunch with comparable sizes as that of the laser pulse synchronously impinges on the laser pulse, the total fraction of electrons captured and accelerated to GeV energy can reach more than 20%. These results demonstrate that the mechanisms of CAS is a relatively effective accelerator mechanism.

4D multiple-cathode ultrafast electron microscopy

PubMed Central

Baskin, John Spencer; Liu, Haihua; Zewail, Ahmed H.

2014-01-01

Four-dimensional multiple-cathode ultrafast electron microscopy is developed to enable the capture of multiple images at ultrashort time intervals for a single microscopic dynamic process. The dynamic process is initiated in the specimen by one femtosecond light pulse and probed by multiple packets of electrons generated by one UV laser pulse impinging on multiple, spatially distinct, cathode surfaces. Each packet is distinctly recorded, with timing and detector location controlled by the cathode configuration. In the first demonstration, two packets of electrons on each image frame (of the CCD) probe different times, separated by 19 picoseconds, in the evolution of the diffraction of a gold film following femtosecond heating. Future elaborations of this concept to extend its capabilities and expand the range of applications of 4D ultrafast electron microscopy are discussed. The proof-of-principle demonstration reported here provides a path toward the imaging of irreversible ultrafast phenomena of materials, and opens the door to studies involving the single-frame capture of ultrafast dynamics using single-pump/multiple-probe, embedded stroboscopic imaging. PMID:25006261

4D multiple-cathode ultrafast electron microscopy.

PubMed

Baskin, John Spencer; Liu, Haihua; Zewail, Ahmed H

2014-07-22

Four-dimensional multiple-cathode ultrafast electron microscopy is developed to enable the capture of multiple images at ultrashort time intervals for a single microscopic dynamic process. The dynamic process is initiated in the specimen by one femtosecond light pulse and probed by multiple packets of electrons generated by one UV laser pulse impinging on multiple, spatially distinct, cathode surfaces. Each packet is distinctly recorded, with timing and detector location controlled by the cathode configuration. In the first demonstration, two packets of electrons on each image frame (of the CCD) probe different times, separated by 19 picoseconds, in the evolution of the diffraction of a gold film following femtosecond heating. Future elaborations of this concept to extend its capabilities and expand the range of applications of 4D ultrafast electron microscopy are discussed. The proof-of-principle demonstration reported here provides a path toward the imaging of irreversible ultrafast phenomena of materials, and opens the door to studies involving the single-frame capture of ultrafast dynamics using single-pump/multiple-probe, embedded stroboscopic imaging.

Magnetic removal of Entamoeba cysts from water using chitosan oligosaccharide-coated iron oxide nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Shukla, Sudeep; Arora, Vikas; Jadaun, Alka; Kumar, Jitender; Singh, Nishant; Jain, Vinod Kumar

2015-01-01

Amebiasis, a major health problem in developing countries, is the second most common cause of death due to parasitic infection. Amebiasis is usually transmitted by the ingestion of Entamoeba histolytica cysts through oral–fecal route. Herein, we report on the use of chitosan oligosaccharide-functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles for efficient capture and removal of pathogenic protozoan cysts under the influence of an external magnetic field. These nanoparticles were synthesized through a chemical synthesis process. The synthesized particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and zeta potential analysis. The particles were found to be well dispersed and uniform in size. The capture and removal of pathogenic cysts were demonstrated by fluorescent microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Three-dimensional modeling of various biochemical components of cyst walls, and thereafter, flexible docking studies demonstrate the probable interaction mechanism of nanoparticles with various components of E. histolytica cyst walls. Results of the present study suggest that E. histolytica cysts can be efficiently captured and removed from contaminated aqueous systems through the application of synthesized nanoparticles. PMID:26261417

Simultaneous measurement of (n,{gamma}) and (n,fission) cross sections with the DANCE 4{pi} BaF2 array

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bredeweg, T. A.; Fowler, M. M.; Bond, E. M.

2006-03-13

Neutron capture cross section measurements on many of the actinides are complicated by low-energy neutron-induced fission, which competes with neutron capture to varying degrees depending on the nuclide of interest. Measurements of neutron capture on 235U using the Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE) have shown that we can partially resolve capture from fission events based on total photon calorimetry (i.e. total {gamma}-ray energy and {gamma}-ray multiplicity per event). The addition of a fission-tagging detector to the DANCE array will greatly improve our ability to separate these two competing processes so that improved neutron capture and (n,{gamma})/(n,fission) cross sectionmore » ratio measurements can be obtained. The addition of a fission-tagging detector to the DANCE array will also provide a means to study several important issues associated with neutron-induced fission, including (n,fission) cross sections as a function of incident neutron energy, and total energy and multiplicity of prompt fission photons. We have focused on two detector designs with complementary capabilities, a parallel-plate avalanche counter and an array of solar cells.« less

Distractor-Induced Blindness: A Special Case of Contingent Attentional Capture?

PubMed Central

Winther, Gesche N.; Niedeggen, Michael

2017-01-01

The detection of a salient visual target embedded in a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) can be severely affected if target-like distractors are presented previously. This phenomenon, known as distractor-induced blindness (DIB), shares the prerequisites of contingent attentional capture (Folk, Remington, & Johnston, 1992). In both, target processing is transiently impaired by the presentation of distractors defined by similar features. In the present study, we investigated whether the speeded response to a target in the DIB paradigm can be described in terms of a contingent attentional capture process. In the first experiments, multiple distractors were embedded in the RSVP stream. Distractors either shared the target’s visual features (Experiment 1A) or differed from them (Experiment 1B). Congruent with hypotheses drawn from contingent attentional capture theory, response times (RTs) were exclusively impaired in conditions with target-like distractors. However, RTs were not impaired if only one single target-like distractor was presented (Experiment 2). If attentional capture directly contributed to DIB, the single distractor should be sufficient to impair target processing. In conclusion, DIB is not due to contingent attentional capture, but may rely on a central suppression process triggered by multiple distractors. PMID:28439320

High-yield positron systems for linear colliders

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clendenin, J.E.

1989-04-01

Linear colliders, such as the SLC, are among those accelerators for which a high-yield positron source operating at the repetition rate of the accelerator is desired. The SLC, having electron energies up to 50 GeV, presents the possibility of generating positron bunches with useful charge even exceeding that of the initial electron bunch. The exact positron yield to be obtained depends on the particular capture, transport and damping system employed. Using 31 GeV electrons impinging on a W-type converter phase-space at the target to the acceptance of the capture rf section, the SLC source is capable of producing, for everymore » electron, up to two positrons within the acceptance of the positron damping ring. The design of this source and the performance of the positron system as built are described. Also, future prospects and limitations for high-yield positron systems are discussed. 11 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.« less

The Feasibility of Digital Pen and Paper Technology for Vital Sign Data Capture in Acute Care Settings

PubMed Central

Dykes, Patricia C.; Benoit, Angela; Chang, Frank; Gallagher, Joan; Li, Qi; Spurr, Cindy; McGrath, E. Jan; Kilroy, Susan M.; Prater, Marita

2006-01-01

The transition from paper to electronic documentation systems in acute care settings is often gradual and characterized by a period in which paper and electronic processes coexist. Intermediate technologies are needed to “bridge” the gap between paper and electronic systems as a means to improve work flow efficiency through data acquisition at the point of care in structured formats to inform decision support and facilitate reuse. The purpose of this paper is to report on the findings of a study conducted on three acute care units at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA to evaluate the feasibility of digital pen and paper technology as a means to capture vital sign data in the context of acute care workflows and to make data available in a flow sheet in the electronic medical record. PMID:17238337

The feasibility of digital pen and paper technology for vital sign data capture in acute care settings.

PubMed

Dykes, Patricia C; Benoit, Angela; Chang, Frank; Gallagher, Joan; Li, Qi; Spurr, Cindy; McGrath, E Jan; Kilroy, Susan M; Prater, Marita

2006-01-01

The transition from paper to electronic documentation systems in acute care settings is often gradual and characterized by a period in which paper and electronic processes coexist. Intermediate technologies are needed to "bridge" the gap between paper and electronic systems as a means to improve work flow efficiency through data acquisition at the point of care in structured formats to inform decision support and facilitate reuse. The purpose of this paper is to report on the findings of a study conducted on three acute care units at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA to evaluate the feasibility of digital pen and paper technology as a means to capture vital sign data in the context of acute care workflows and to make data available in a flow sheet in the electronic medical record.

The role of spin–rotation coupling in the non-exponential decay of hydrogen-like heavy ions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lambiase, Gaetano, E-mail: lambiase@sa.infn.it; INFN, Sezione di Napoli; International Institute for Advanced Scientific Studies, 89019 Vietri sul Mare

2013-05-15

Recent experiments carried out at the storage ring of GSI in Darmstadt reveal an unexpected oscillation in the orbital electron capture and subsequent decay of hydrogen-like {sup 140}Pr{sup 58+}, {sup 142}Pm{sup 60+} and {sup 122}I{sup 52+}. The modulations have periods of 7.069(8) s, 7.10(22) s and 6.1 s respectively in the laboratory frame and are superimposed on the expected exponential decays. In this paper we propose a semiclassical model in which the observed modulations arise from the coupling of rotation to the spins of electron and nucleus. We show that the modulations are connected to quantum beats and to themore » effect of the Thomas precession on the spins of bound electron and nucleus, the magnetic moment precessions of electron and nucleus and their cyclotron frequencies. We also show that the spin–spin coupling of electron and nucleus, though dominant relative to the magnetic moment coupling of electron and nucleus with the storage ring magnetic field, does not contribute to the modulation because these terms average out during the time of flight of the ions, or cancel out. The model also predicts that the anomaly cannot be observed if the motion of the ions is rectilinear, or if the ions are stopped in a target (decay of neutral atoms in solid environments). It also supports the notion that no modulation occurs for the β{sup +}-decay branch. -- Highlights: ► Spin precession of the spin of nucleus and electron in storage ring. ► Coupling of rotation to the spin of electron and nucleus. ► Modulation in the decay probability of the heavy ions induced by quantum beats. ► Comparison with experimental data.« less

Making Sense of Rocket Science - Building NASA's Knowledge Management Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holm, Jeanne

2002-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched a range of KM activities-from deploying intelligent "know-bots" across millions of electronic sources to ensuring tacit knowledge is transferred across generations. The strategy and implementation focuses on managing NASA's wealth of explicit knowledge, enabling remote collaboration for international teams, and enhancing capture of the key knowledge of the workforce. An in-depth view of the work being done at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) shows the integration of academic studies and practical applications to architect, develop, and deploy KM systems in the areas of document management, electronic archives, information lifecycles, authoring environments, enterprise information portals, search engines, experts directories, collaborative tools, and in-process decision capture. These systems, together, comprise JPL's architecture to capture, organize, store, and distribute key learnings for the U.S. exploration of space.

Electron capture into large-l Rydberg states of multiply charged ions escaping from solid surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nedeljković, N.; Nedeljković, Lj.; Mirković, M.

2003-07-01

We have investigated the electron capture into large-l Rydberg states of multiply charged ionic projectiles (e.g., the core charges Z=6, 7, and 8) escaping solid surfaces with intermediate velocities (v≈1 a.u.) in the normal emergence geometry. A model of the nonresonant electron capture from the solid conduction band into the moving large angular-momentum Rydberg states of the ions is developed through a generalization of our results obtained previously for the low-l cases (l=0, 1, and 2). The model is based on the two-wave-function dynamics of the Demkov-Ostrovskii type. The electron exchange process is described by a mixed flux through a moving plane (“Firsov plane”), placed between the solid surface and the ionic projectile. Due to low eccentricities of the large-l Rydberg systems, the mixed flux must be evaluated through the whole Firsov plane. It is for this purpose that a suitable asymptotic method is developed. For intermediate ionic velocities and for all relevant values of the principal quantum number n≈Z, the population probability Pnl is obtained as a nonlinear l distribution. The theoretical predictions concerning the ions S VI, Cl VII, and Ar VIII are compared with the available results of the beam-foil experiments.

Two-Centre Convergent Close-Coupling Approach to Ion-Atom Collisions: Current Progress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadyrov, Alisher; Abdurakhmanov, Ilkhom; Bailey, Jackson; Bray, Igor

2016-09-01

There are two versions of the convergent close-coupling (CCC) approach to ion-atom collisions: quantum-mechanical (QM-CCC) and semi-classical (SC-CCC). Recently, both implementations have been extended to include electron-transfer channels. The SC-CCC approach has been applied to study the excitation and the electron-capture processes in proton-hydrogen collisions. The integral alignment parameter A20 for polarization of Lyman- α emission and the cross sections for excitation and electron-capture into the lowest excited states have been calculated for a wide range of the proton impact energies. It has been established that for convergence of the results a very wide range of impact parameters (typically, 0-50 a.u.) is required due to extremely long tails of transition probabilities for transitions into the 2 p states at high energies. The QM-CCC approach allowed to obtain an accurate solution of proton-hydrogen scattering problem including all underlying processes, namely, direct scattering and ionisation, and electron capture into bound and continuum states of the projectile. In this presentation we give a general overview of current progress in applications of the two-centre CCC approach to ion-atom and atom-atom collisions. The work is supported by the Australian Research Council.

Management of radioactive waste gases from PET radiopharmaceutical synthesis using cost effective capture systems integrated with a cyclotron safety system.

PubMed

Stimson, D H R; Pringle, A J; Maillet, D; King, A R; Nevin, S T; Venkatachalam, T K; Reutens, D C; Bhalla, R

2016-09-01

The emphasis on the reduction of gaseous radioactive effluent associated with PET radiochemistry laboratories has increased. Various radioactive gas capture strategies have been employed historically including expensive automated compression systems. We have implemented a new cost-effective strategy employing gas capture bags with electronic feedback that are integrated with the cyclotron safety system. Our strategy is suitable for multiple automated 18 F radiosynthesis modules and individual automated 11 C radiosynthesis modules. We describe novel gas capture systems that minimize the risk of human error and are routinely used in our facility.

Design and engineering of water-soluble light-harvesting protein maquettes

DOE PAGES

Kodali, Goutham; Mancini, Joshua A.; Solomon, Lee A.; ...

2017-01-01

Natural selection in photosynthesis has engineered tetrapyrrole based, nanometer scale, light harvesting and energy capture in light-induced charge separation. By designing and creating nanometer scale artificial light harvesting and charge separating proteins, we have the opportunity to reengineer and overcome the limitations of natural selection to extend energy capture to new wavelengths and to tailor efficient systems that better meet human as opposed to cellular energetic needs. While tetrapyrrole cofactor incorporation in natural proteins is complex and often assisted by accessory proteins for cofactor transport and insertion, artificial protein functionalization relies on a practical understanding of the basic physical chemistrymore » of protein and cofactors that drive nanometer scale self-assembly. Patterning and balancing of hydrophobic and hydrophilic tetrapyrrole substituents is critical to avoid natural or synthetic porphyrin and chlorin aggregation in aqueous media and speed cofactor partitioning into the non-polar core of a man-made water soluble protein designed according to elementary first principles of protein folding. In conclusion, this partitioning is followed by site-specific anchoring of tetrapyrroles to histidine ligands strategically placed for design control of rates and efficiencies of light energy and electron transfer while orienting at least one polar group towards the aqueous phase.« less

Design and engineering of water-soluble light-harvesting protein maquettes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kodali, Goutham; Mancini, Joshua A.; Solomon, Lee A.

Natural selection in photosynthesis has engineered tetrapyrrole based, nanometer scale, light harvesting and energy capture in light-induced charge separation. By designing and creating nanometer scale artificial light harvesting and charge separating proteins, we have the opportunity to reengineer and overcome the limitations of natural selection to extend energy capture to new wavelengths and to tailor efficient systems that better meet human as opposed to cellular energetic needs. While tetrapyrrole cofactor incorporation in natural proteins is complex and often assisted by accessory proteins for cofactor transport and insertion, artificial protein functionalization relies on a practical understanding of the basic physical chemistrymore » of protein and cofactors that drive nanometer scale self-assembly. Patterning and balancing of hydrophobic and hydrophilic tetrapyrrole substituents is critical to avoid natural or synthetic porphyrin and chlorin aggregation in aqueous media and speed cofactor partitioning into the non-polar core of a man-made water soluble protein designed according to elementary first principles of protein folding. In conclusion, this partitioning is followed by site-specific anchoring of tetrapyrroles to histidine ligands strategically placed for design control of rates and efficiencies of light energy and electron transfer while orienting at least one polar group towards the aqueous phase.« less

Laser induced fluorescence in Ar and He plasmas with a tunable diode laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boivin, R. F.; Scime, E. E.

2003-10-01

A diode laser based laser induced fluorescence (LIF) diagnostic that uses an inexpensive diode laser system is described. This LIF diagnostic has been developed on the hot helicon experiment (HELIX) plasma device. The same diode laser is used to alternatively pump Ar II and He I transitions to obtain argon ion and atomic helium temperatures, respectively. The 1.5 MHz bandwidth diode laser has a Littrow external cavity with a mode-hop free tuning range up to 14 GHz (≈0.021 nm) and a total power output of about 12 mW. Wavelength scanning is achieved by varying the voltage on a piezoelectric controlled grating located within the laser cavity. The fluorescence radiation is monitored with a photomultiplier detector. A narrow band interference filter is used to eliminate all but the plasma radiation in the immediate vicinity of the fluorescence wavelength. Lock-in amplification is used to isolate the fluorescence signal from noise and electron-impact induced radiation. For the Ar ion, the laser tuned at 668.43 nm is used to pump the 3d 4F7/2 Ar II metastable level to the 4p 4D5/2 level. The 442.60 nm fluorescence radiation between the 4p 4D5/2 and the 4s 4P3/2 levels is captured by the photomultiplier tube. For atomic He, the laser is tuned at 667.82 nm to pump a fraction of the electron population from the 21P state to the 31D upper level. Although the 21P level is not a metastable, the close proximity of 21S metastable makes this new He I LIF scheme possible. In this scheme, a fraction of the laser-excited electrons undergo collisional excitation transfer from the 31D to the 31P level. In turn, the 31P state decays to the metastable 21S by emitting 501.57 nm fluorescence photons.

Strategies to use tablet computers for collection of electronic patient-reported outcomes.

PubMed

Schick-Makaroff, Kara; Molzahn, Anita

2015-01-22

Mobile devices are increasingly being used for data collection in research. However, many researchers do not have experience in collecting data electronically. Hence, the purpose of this short report was to identify issues that emerged in a study that incorporated electronic capture of patient-reported outcomes in clinical settings, and strategies used to address the issues. The issues pertaining to electronic patient-reported outcome data collection were captured qualitatively during a study on use of electronic patient-reported outcomes in two home dialysis units. Fifty-six patients completed three surveys on tablet computers, including the Kidney Disease Quality of Life-36, the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale, and a satisfaction measure. Issues that arose throughout the research process were recorded during ethics reviews, implementation process, and data collection. Four core issues emerged including logistics of technology, security, institutional and financial support, and electronic design. Although use of mobile devices for data collection has many benefits, it also poses new challenges for researchers. Advance consideration of possible issues that emerge in the process, and strategies that can help address these issues, may prevent disruption and enhance validity of findings.

Comparing Solar-Flare Acceleration of >-20 MeV Protons and Electrons Above Various Energies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shih, Albert Y.

2010-01-01

A large fraction (up to tens of percent) of the energy released in solar flares goes into accelerated ions and electrons, and studies indicate that these two populations have comparable energy content. RHESSI observations have shown a striking close linear correlation between the 2.223 MeV neutron-capture gamma-ray line and electron bremsstrahlung emission >300 keV, indicating that the flare acceleration of >^20 MeV protons and >300 keV electrons is roughly proportional over >3 orders of magnitude in fluence. We show that the correlations of neutron-capture line fluence with GOES class or with bremsstrahlung emission at lower energies show deviations from proportionality, primarily for flares with lower fluences. From analyzing thirteen flares, we demonstrate that there appear to be two classes of flares with high-energy acceleration: flares that exhibit only proportional acceleration of ions and electrons down to 50 keV and flares that have an additional soft, low-energy bremsstrahlung component, suggesting two separate populations of accelerated electrons. We use RHESSI spectroscopy and imaging to investigate a number of these flares in detail.

Phonon-assisted changes in charge states of deep level defects in germanium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markevich, A. V.; Litvinov, V. V.; Emtsev, V. V.; Markevich, V. P.; Peaker, A. R.

2006-04-01

Electronic processes associated with changes in the charge states of the vacancy-oxygen center (VO or A center) and vacancy-group-V-impurity atom (P, As, Sb or Bi) pairs (E centers) in irradiated germanium crystals have been studied using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS), high-resolution Laplace DLTS and Hall effect measurements. It is found that the electron emission and capture processes related to transitions between the doubly and the singly negatively charged states of the A center and the E centers in Ge are phonon-assisted, i.e., they are accompanied by significant vibrations and re-arrangements of atoms in the vicinity of the defects. Manifestations of the phonon involvements are: (i) temperature-dependent electron capture cross-sections which are well described in the frame of the multi-phonon-assisted capture model; (ii) large changes in entropy related to the ionization of the defects and, associated with these, temperature-dependent positions of energy levels; and (iii) electron emission via phonon-assisted tunneling upon the application of electric field. These effects have been considered in detail for the vacancy-oxygen and the vacancy-donor complexes. On the basis of a combined analysis of the electronic processes a configuration-coordinate diagram of the acceptor states of the A and E centers is plotted. It is found that changes in the entropy of ionization and the energy for electron emission for these traps follow the empirical Meyer-Neldel rule. A model based on multi-phonon-assisted carrier emission from defects is adapted for the explanation of the origin of this rule for the case of electronic processes in Ge.

The electric potential of particles in interstellar space released from a nuclear waste payload

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, A. C.

1980-01-01

Mechanisms for charging a grain in the interplanetary medium include: (1) capture of solar wind electrons; (2) capture of solar wind protons; (3) ejection of electrons through the photoelectric effect due to the solar radiation; (4) escape of beta particles from beta emitters in the grain; and (5) escape of alpha particles from alpha emitters in the grain. The potentials on both nonradioactive and radioactive grains are considered with relation to particle size and time, and the distance from the Sun. Numerical results are presented where the waste mix is assumed to be PW-4b.

Cleanup procedure for water, soil, animal and plant extracts for the use of electron-capture detector in the gas chromatographic analysis of organophosphorus insecticide residues.

PubMed

Kadoum, A M

1968-07-01

A simple, aqueous acetonitrile partition cleanup method for analyses of some common organophosphorus insecticide residues is described. The procedure described is for cleanup and quantitative recovery of parathion, methyl parathion, diazinon, malathion and thimet from different extracts. Those insecticides in the purified extracts of ground water, grain, soil, plant and animal tissues can be detected quantitatively by gas chromatography with an electron capture-detector at 0.01 ppm. Cleanup is satisfactory for paper and thin-layer chromatography for further identification of individual insecticides in the extracts.

Measurement of cardiac output using improved chromatographic analysis of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).

PubMed

Klocke, F J; Roberts, D L; Farhi, E R; Naughton, B J; Sekovski, B; Klocke, R A

1977-06-01

A constant current variable frequency pulsed electron capture detector has been incorporated into the gas chromatographic analysis of trace amounts of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) in water and blood. The resulting system offers a broader effective operating range than more conventional electron capture units and has been utilized for measurements of cardiac output employing constant-rate infusion of dissolved SF6. The SF6 technique has been validated against direct volumetric measurements of cardiac output in a canine right-heart bypass preparation and used subsequently for rapidly repeated measurements in conscious animals and man.

Neutrino signal of electron-capture supernovae from core collapse to cooling.

PubMed

Hüdepohl, L; Müller, B; Janka, H-T; Marek, A; Raffelt, G G

2010-06-25

An 8.8M{⊙} electron-capture supernova was simulated in spherical symmetry consistently from collapse through explosion to essentially complete deleptonization of the forming neutron star. The evolution time (∼9  s) is short because high-density effects suppress our neutrino opacities. After a short phase of accretion-enhanced luminosities (∼200  ms), luminosity equipartition among all species becomes almost perfect and the spectra of ν{e} and ν{μ,τ} very similar, ruling out the neutrino-driven wind as r-process site. We also discuss consequences for neutrino flavor oscillations.

Decay properties of Bk 97 243 and Bk 97 244

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ahmad, I.; Kondev, F. G.; Greene, J. P.

2018-01-01

Electron capture decays of Bk-243 and Bk-244 have been studied by measuring the gamma-ray spectra of mass-separated sources and level structures of Cm-243 and Cm-244 have been deduced. In Cm-243, the electron capture population to the ground state, 1/2(+)[631], and 1/2(+)[620] Nilsson states have been observed. The octupole K-pi = 2(-) band was identified in Cm-244 at 933.6 keV. In addition, spins and parities were deduced for several other states and two-quasiparticle configurations have been tentatively assigned to them

Exploratory investigations of hypervelocity intact capture spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsou, P.; Griffiths, D. J.

1993-01-01

The ability to capture hypervelocity projectiles intact opens a new technique available for hypervelocity research. A determination of the reactions taking place between the projectile and the capture medium during the process of intact capture is extremely important to an understanding of the intact capture phenomenon, to improving the capture technique, and to developing a theory describing the phenomenon. The intact capture of hypervelocity projectiles by underdense media generates spectra, characteristic of the material species of projectile and capture medium involved. Initial exploratory results into real-time characterization of hypervelocity intact capture techniques by spectroscopy include ultra-violet and visible spectra obtained by use of reflecting gratings, transmitting gratings, and prisms, and recorded by photographic and electronic means. Spectrometry proved to be a valuable real-time diagnostic tool for hypervelocity intact capture events, offering understanding of the interactions of the projectile and the capture medium during the initial period and providing information not obtainable by other characterizations. Preliminary results and analyses of spectra produced by the intact capture of hypervelocity aluminum spheres in polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polyurethane (PU) foams are presented. Included are tentative emission species identifications, as well as gray body temperatures produced in the intact capture process.

Modeling time-coincident ultrafast electron transfer and solvation processes at molecule-semiconductor interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Lesheng; Giokas, Paul G.; Kanai, Yosuke; Moran, Andrew M.

2014-06-01

Kinetic models based on Fermi's Golden Rule are commonly employed to understand photoinduced electron transfer dynamics at molecule-semiconductor interfaces. Implicit in such second-order perturbative descriptions is the assumption that nuclear relaxation of the photoexcited electron donor is fast compared to electron injection into the semiconductor. This approximation breaks down in systems where electron transfer transitions occur on 100-fs time scale. Here, we present a fourth-order perturbative model that captures the interplay between time-coincident electron transfer and nuclear relaxation processes initiated by light absorption. The model consists of a fairly small number of parameters, which can be derived from standard spectroscopic measurements (e.g., linear absorbance, fluorescence) and/or first-principles electronic structure calculations. Insights provided by the model are illustrated for a two-level donor molecule coupled to both (i) a single acceptor level and (ii) a density of states (DOS) calculated for TiO2 using a first-principles electronic structure theory. These numerical calculations show that second-order kinetic theories fail to capture basic physical effects when the DOS exhibits narrow maxima near the energy of the molecular excited state. Overall, we conclude that the present fourth-order rate formula constitutes a rigorous and intuitive framework for understanding photoinduced electron transfer dynamics that occur on the 100-fs time scale.

HST Solar Arrays photographed by Electronic Still Camera

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

This view, backdropped against the blackness of space shows one of two original Solar Arrays (SA) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The scene was photographed with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC), and downlinked to ground controllers soon afterward. Electronic still photography is a technology which provides the means for a handheld camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution approaching film quality.

Electron-Beam-Induced Current | Materials Science | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Electron-Beam-Induced Current Electron-Beam-Induced Current Photo of a GaAsP-on-Si solar cell. EBIC measure electron-beam-induced current (EBIC). In presence of an electrostatic field (p-n junction

Stochastic modelling of intermittency.

PubMed

Stemler, Thomas; Werner, Johannes P; Benner, Hartmut; Just, Wolfram

2010-01-13

Recently, methods have been developed to model low-dimensional chaotic systems in terms of stochastic differential equations. We tested such methods in an electronic circuit experiment. We aimed to obtain reliable drift and diffusion coefficients even without a pronounced time-scale separation of the chaotic dynamics. By comparing the analytical solutions of the corresponding Fokker-Planck equation with experimental data, we show here that crisis-induced intermittency can be described in terms of a stochastic model which is dominated by state-space-dependent diffusion. Further on, we demonstrate and discuss some limits of these modelling approaches using numerical simulations. This enables us to state a criterion that can be used to decide whether a stochastic model will capture the essential features of a given time series. This journal is © 2010 The Royal Society

Standoff alpha radiation detection for hot cell imaging and crime scene investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerst, Thomas; Sand, Johan; Ihantola, Sakari; Peräjärvi, Kari; Nicholl, Adrian; Hrnecek, Erich; Toivonen, Harri; Toivonen, Juha

2018-02-01

This paper presents the remote detection of alpha contamination in a nuclear facility. Alpha-active material in a shielded nuclear radiation containment chamber has been localized by optical means. Furthermore, sources of radiation danger have been identified in a staged crime scene setting. For this purpose, an electron-multiplying charge-coupled device camera was used to capture photons generated by alpha-induced air scintillation (radioluminescence). The detected radioluminescence was superimposed with a regular photograph to reveal the origin of the light and thereby the alpha radioactive material. The experimental results show that standoff detection of alpha contamination is a viable tool in radiation threat detection. Furthermore, the radioluminescence spectrum in the air is spectrally analyzed. Possibilities of camera-based alpha threat detection under various background lighting conditions are discussed.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miao, Yinbin; Mo, Kun; Yao, Tiankai

Here coordinated experimental efforts to quantitatively correlate crystallographic orientation and surface faceting features in UO2 are reported upon. A sintered polycrystalline UO2 sample was thermally etched to induce the formation of surface faceting features. Synchrotron Laue microdiffraction was used to obtain a precise crystallographic orientation map for the UO2 surface grains. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to collect the detailed information on the surface morphology of the sample. The surface faceting features were found to be highly dependent on the crystallographic orientation. In most cases, Triple-plane structures containing one {100} plane and two {111} planes were found to dominatemore » the surface of UO2. The orientation-faceting relationship established in this study revealed a practical and efficient method of determining crystallographic orientation based on the surface features captured by SEM images.« less

Standoff alpha radiation detection for hot cell imaging and crime scene investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerst, Thomas; Sand, Johan; Ihantola, Sakari; Peräjärvi, Kari; Nicholl, Adrian; Hrnecek, Erich; Toivonen, Harri; Toivonen, Juha

2018-06-01

This paper presents the remote detection of alpha contamination in a nuclear facility. Alpha-active material in a shielded nuclear radiation containment chamber has been localized by optical means. Furthermore, sources of radiation danger have been identified in a staged crime scene setting. For this purpose, an electron-multiplying charge-coupled device camera was used to capture photons generated by alpha-induced air scintillation (radioluminescence). The detected radioluminescence was superimposed with a regular photograph to reveal the origin of the light and thereby the alpha radioactive material. The experimental results show that standoff detection of alpha contamination is a viable tool in radiation threat detection. Furthermore, the radioluminescence spectrum in the air is spectrally analyzed. Possibilities of camera-based alpha threat detection under various background lighting conditions are discussed.

Water network-mediated, electron-induced proton transfer in [C5H5N ṡ (H2O)n]- clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeBlase, Andrew F.; Wolke, Conrad T.; Weddle, Gary H.; Archer, Kaye A.; Jordan, Kenneth D.; Kelly, John T.; Tschumper, Gregory S.; Hammer, Nathan I.; Johnson, Mark A.

2015-10-01

The role of proton-assisted charge accommodation in electron capture by a heterocyclic electron scavenger is investigated through theoretical analysis of the vibrational spectra of cold, gas phase [Py ṡ (H2O)n=3-5]- clusters. These radical anions are formed when an excess electron is attached to water clusters containing a single pyridine (Py) molecule in a supersonic jet ion source. Under these conditions, the cluster ion distribution starts promptly at n = 3, and the photoelectron spectra, combined with vibrational predissociation spectra of the Ar-tagged anions, establish that for n > 3, these species are best described as hydrated hydroxide ions with the neutral pyridinium radical, PyH(0), occupying one of the primary solvation sites of the OH-. The n = 3 cluster appears to be a special case where charge localization on Py and hydroxide is nearly isoenergetic, and the nature of this species is explored with ab initio molecular dynamics calculations of the trajectories that start from metastable arrangements of the anion based on a diffuse, essentially dipole-bound electron. These calculations indicate that the reaction proceeds via a relatively slow rearrangement of the water network to create a favorable hydration configuration around the water molecule that eventually donates a proton to the Py nitrogen atom to yield the product hydroxide ion. The correlation between the degree of excess charge localization and the evolving shape of the water network revealed by this approach thus provides a microscopic picture of the "solvent coordinate" at the heart of a prototypical proton-coupled electron transfer reaction.

Ionization rate from the electron precipitation during August 2011 storm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Y.; Huang, C. Y.; Su, Y.

2013-12-01

We apply a parameterization by Fang et al. [2010] (Fang2010) to the complex energy spectra measured by DMSP F16 satellites to calculate the ionization rate from electron precipitation during a moderate storm on August 6th, 2011. The DMSP electron flux measurements show that there is clear enhancement of electron fluxes in the polar cap. The mean energy in the polar cap is mostly above 100 eV, while the mean energy of auroral zone is above 1 keV. F16 also captures a strong Poynting flux enhancement in the polar cap. The electron impact ionization rates using thermospheric densities and temperatures from NRLMSISE-00, TIE-GCM and GITM show clear enhancement at F-region altitudes in the polar cap region due to the low-energy electrons precipitated. Using the default empirical formulations of electron impact ionization in GCMs, TIE-GCM and GITM do not capture the F-region ionization shown in the results of Fang2010 parameterization. Fang, X, C. E. Randall, D. Lummerzheim, W. Wang, G. Lu, S. C. Solomon, and R. A. Frahm (2010), Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L22106, doi:10.1029/2010GL045406.

Imaging of Endogenous Metabolites of Plant Leaves by Mass Spectrometry Based on Laser Activated Electron Tunneling.

PubMed

Huang, Lulu; Tang, Xuemei; Zhang, Wenyang; Jiang, Ruowei; Chen, Disong; Zhang, Juan; Zhong, Hongying

2016-04-07

A new mass spectrometric imaging approach based on laser activated electron tunneling (LAET) was described and applied to analysis of endogenous metabolites of plant leaves. LAET is an electron-directed soft ionization technique. Compressed thin films of semiconductor nanoparticles of bismuth cobalt zinc oxide were placed on the sample plate for proof-of-principle demonstration because they can not only absorb ultraviolet laser but also have high electron mobility. Upon laser irradiation, electrons are excited from valence bands to conduction bands. With appropriate kinetic energies, photoexcited electrons can tunnel away from the barrier and eventually be captured by charge deficient atoms present in neutral molecules. Resultant unpaired electron subsequently initiates specific chemical bond cleavage and generates ions that can be detected in negative ion mode of the mass spectrometer. LAET avoids the co-crystallization process of routinely used organic matrix materials with analyzes in MALDI (matrix assisted-laser desorption ionization) analysis. Thus uneven distribution of crystals with different sizes and shapes as well as background peaks in the low mass range resulting from matrix molecules is eliminated. Advantages of LAET imaging technique include not only improved spatial resolution but also photoelectron capture dissociation which produces predictable fragment ions.

The BlackBerry Project: Capturing the Content of Adolescents' Text Messaging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Underwood, Marion K.; Rosen, Lisa H.; More, David; Ehrenreich, Samuel E.; Gentsch, Joanna K.

2012-01-01

This article presents an innovative method for capturing the content of adolescents' electronic communication on handheld devices: text messaging, e-mail, and instant messaging. In an ongoing longitudinal study, adolescents were provided with BlackBerry devices with service plans paid for by the investigators, and use of text messaging was…

Single-shot ultrabroadband two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy of the light-harvesting complex LH2.

PubMed

Harel, Elad; Long, Phillip D; Engel, Gregory S

2011-05-01

Here we present two-dimensional (2D) electronic spectra of the light-harvesting complex LH2 from purple bacteria using coherent pulses with bandwidth of over 100 nm FWHM. This broadband excitation and detection has allowed the simultaneous capture of both the B800 and B850 bands using a single light source. We demonstrate that one laser pulse is sufficient to capture the entire 2D electronic spectrum with a high signal-to-noise ratio. At a waiting time of 800 fs, we observe population transfer from the B800 to B850 band as manifested by a prominent cross peak. These results will enable observation of the dynamics of biological systems across both ultrafast (<1 ps) and slower (>1 ms) timescales simultaneously.

Radiation effects in accelerator components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borden, M. J.

1995-05-01

A review of basic radiation effects is presented. The fundamental definitions of radioactivity are given for alpha, beta, positron decay, gamma-ray emission and electron capture. The interaction of neutrons with material is covered including: absorption through radiative capture, neutron-proton interaction, alpha particle emission, neutron-multi-neutron reactions and fission. Basic equations defining inelastic and elastic scattering are presented with examples of neutron energy loss per collision for several elements. Photon interactions are considered for gamma-rays and x-rays. Photoelectric collisions, the Compton effect and pair production are reviewed. Electron-proton interactions are discussed with emphasis placed on defect production. Basic displacement damage mechanisms for photon and particle interaction are presented. Several examples of radiation effects to plastics, electronics and ceramics are presented. Extended references are given for each example.

Crossing the "digital divide:" implementing an electronic medical record system in a rural Kenyan health center to support clinical care and research.

PubMed

Tierney, William M; Rotich, Joseph K; Smith, Faye E; Bii, John; Einterz, Robert M; Hannan, Terry J

2002-01-01

To improve care, one must measure it. In the US, electronic medical record systems have been installed in many institutions to support health care management, quality improvement, and research. Developing countries lack such systems and thus have difficulties managing scarce resources and investigating means of improving health care delivery and outcomes. We describe the implementation and use of the first documented electronic medical record system in ambulatory care in sub-Saharan Africa. After one year, it has captured data for more than 13,000 patients making more than 26,000 visits. We present lessons learned and modifications made to this system to improve its capture of data and ability to support a comprehensive clinical care and research agenda.

DNA strand breaks and crosslinks induced by transient anions in the range 2-20 eV.

PubMed

Luo, Xinglan; Zheng, Yi; Sanche, Léon

2014-04-15

The energy dependence of the yields of single and double strand breaks (SSB and DSB) and crosslinks induced by electron impact on plasmid DNA films is measured in the 2-20 eV range. The yield functions exhibit two strong maxima, which are interpreted to result from the formation of core-excited resonances (i.e., transient anions) of the bases, and their decay into the autoionization channel, resulting in π → π * electronic transitions of the bases followed by electron transfer to the C-O σ * bond in the phosphate group. Occupancy of the σ * orbital ruptures the C-O bond of the backbone via dissociative electron attachment, producing a SSB. From a comparison of our results with those of other works, including theoretical calculations and electron-energy-loss spectra of the bases, the 4.6 eV peak in the SSB yield function is attributed to the resonance decay into the lowest electronically excited states of the bases; in particular, those resulting from the transitions 1 3 A'( π 2 → π 3 *) and 1 3 A″(n 2 → π 3 *) of thymine and 1 3 A'( π → π *) of cytosine. The strongest peak at 9.6 eV in the SSB yield function is also associated with electron captured by excited states of the bases, resulting mostly from a multitude of higher-energy π → π * transitions. The DSB yield function exhibits strong maxima at 6.1 and 9.6 eV. The peak at 9.6 eV is probably related to the same resonance manifold as that leading to SSB, but the other at 6.1 eV may be more restricted to decay into the electronic state 1 3 A' ( π → π *) of cytosine via autoionization. The yield function of crosslinks is dominated by a broad peak extending over the 3.6-11.6 eV range with a sharper one at 17.6 eV. The different line shape of the latter function, compared to that of SSB and DSB, appears to be due to the formation of reactive radical sites in the initial supercoiled configuration of the plasmid, which react with the circular form (i.e., DNA with a SSB) to produce a crosslink.

Deformation-induced structural transition in body-centred cubic molybdenum

PubMed Central

Wang, S. J.; Wang, H.; Du, K.; Zhang, W.; Sui, M. L.; Mao, S. X.

2014-01-01

Molybdenum is a refractory metal that is stable in a body-centred cubic structure at all temperatures before melting. Plastic deformation via structural transitions has never been reported for pure molybdenum, while transformation coupled with plasticity is well known for many alloys and ceramics. Here we demonstrate a structural transformation accompanied by shear deformation from an original <001>-oriented body-centred cubic structure to a <110>-oriented face-centred cubic lattice, captured at crack tips during the straining of molybdenum inside a transmission electron microscope at room temperature. The face-centred cubic domains then revert into <111>-oriented body-centred cubic domains, equivalent to a lattice rotation of 54.7°, and ~15.4% tensile strain is reached. The face-centred cubic structure appears to be a well-defined metastable state, as evidenced by scanning transmission electron microscopy and nanodiffraction, the Nishiyama–Wassermann and Kurdjumov–Sachs relationships between the face-centred cubic and body-centred cubic structures and molecular dynamics simulations. Our findings reveal a deformation mechanism for elemental metals under high-stress deformation conditions. PMID:24603655

Uniaxial pressure effect on the magnetic ordered moment and transition temperatures in BaFe2 -xTxAs2 (T =Co,Ni )

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tam, David W.; Song, Yu; Man, Haoran; Cheung, Sky C.; Yin, Zhiping; Lu, Xingye; Wang, Weiyi; Frandsen, Benjamin A.; Liu, Lian; Gong, Zizhou; Ito, Takashi U.; Cai, Yipeng; Wilson, Murray N.; Guo, Shengli; Koshiishi, Keisuke; Tian, Wei; Hitti, Bassam; Ivanov, Alexandre; Zhao, Yang; Lynn, Jeffrey W.; Luke, Graeme M.; Berlijn, Tom; Maier, Thomas A.; Uemura, Yasutomo J.; Dai, Pengcheng

2017-02-01

We use neutron diffraction and muon spin relaxation to study the effect of in-plane uniaxial pressure on the antiferromagnetic (AF) orthorhombic phase in BaFe2As2 and its Co- and Ni-substituted members near optimal superconductivity. In the low-temperature AF ordered state, uniaxial pressure necessary to detwin the orthorhombic crystals also increases the magnetic ordered moment, reaching an 11% increase under 40 MPa for BaFe1.9Co0.1As2 , and a 15% increase for BaFe1.915Ni0.085As2 . We also observe an increase of the AF ordering temperature (TN) of about 0.25 K/MPa in all compounds, consistent with density functional theory calculations that reveal better Fermi surface nesting for itinerant electrons under uniaxial pressure. The doping dependence of the magnetic ordered moment is captured by combining dynamical mean field theory with density functional theory, suggesting that the pressure-induced moment increase near optimal superconductivity is closely related to quantum fluctuations and the nearby electronic nematic phase.

De novo peptide sequencing using CID and HCD spectra pairs.

PubMed

Yan, Yan; Kusalik, Anthony J; Wu, Fang-Xiang

2016-10-01

In tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), there are several different fragmentation techniques possible, including, collision-induced dissociation (CID) higher energy collisional dissociation (HCD), electron-capture dissociation (ECD), and electron transfer dissociation (ETD). When using pairs of spectra for de novo peptide sequencing, the most popular methods are designed for CID (or HCD) and ECD (or ETD) spectra because of the complementarity between them. Less attention has been paid to the use of CID and HCD spectra pairs. In this study, a new de novo peptide sequencing method is proposed for these spectra pairs. This method includes a CID and HCD spectra merging criterion and a parent mass correction step, along with improvements to our previously proposed algorithm for sequencing merged spectra. Three pairs of spectral datasets were used to investigate and compare the performance of the proposed method with other existing methods designed for single spectrum (HCD or CID) sequencing. Experimental results showed that full-length peptide sequencing accuracy was increased significantly by using spectra pairs in the proposed method, with the highest accuracy reaching 81.31%. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Development of a pMOSFET sensor with a Gd converter for low energy neutron dosimetry.

PubMed

Lee, N H; Kim, S H; Youk, G U; Park, I J; Kim, Y M

2004-01-01

A pMOSFET having a 10 microm thick Gadolinium (Gd) layer has been invented as a slow neutron sensor. When slow neutrons are incident to the Gd layer, conversion electrons, which generate electron-hole pairs in the SiO2 layer of the pMOSFET, are generated by a neutron capture process. The holes are easily trapped in the oxide and act as positive-charge centres in the oxide. Due to the induced charges, the threshold turn-on voltage of the pMOSFET is changed. The developed sensors were tested at a neutron beam port of the HANARO research reactor and a 60Co irradiation facility to investigate slow neutron response and gamma ray contamination, respectively. The resultant voltage change was proportional to the accumulated neutron dose and it was very sensitive to slow neutrons. Moreover, ionising radiation contamination was negligible. It can also be used in a mixed radiation field by subtracting the voltage change of a pMOSFET without Gd from that of the Gd-pMOSFET.

Examining Evidence-Based Content Related to Hospital Acquired Pressure Ulcer Prevention in Paper and Electronic Health Records

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaekel, Camilla M.

2012-01-01

Although there have been great advancements in the Electronic Health Record (EHR), there is a dearth of rigorous research that examines the relationship between the use of electronic documentation to capture nursing process components and the impact of consistent documentation on patient outcomes (Daly, Buckwalter & Maas, 2002; Gugerty, 2006;…

Formation of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine-radicals in γ-irradiated DNA by multiple one-electron oxidations

PubMed Central

Shukla, Lata I.; Adhikary, Amitava; Pazdro, Robert; Becker, David; Sevilla, Michael D.

2004-01-01

Electron spin resonance (ESR) studies of radicals formed by radiation-induced multiple one-electron oxidations of guanine moieties in DNA are reported in this work. Annealing of gamma-irradiated DNA from 77 to 235 K results in the hydration of one electron oxidized guanine (G•+) to form the 8-hydroxy-7,8-dihydroguanin-7-yl-radical (•GOH) having one β-proton coupling of 17–28 G and an anisotropic nitrogen coupling, A‖, of ∼20 G, A⊥ = 0 with g‖ = 2.0026 and g⊥ = 2.0037. Further annealing to 258 K results in the formation of a sharp singlet at g = 2.0048 with line-width of 5.3 G that is identified as the 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine one-electron-oxidized radical (8-oxo-G•+). This species is formed via two one-electron oxidations of •GOH. These two one-electron oxidation steps leading to the formation of 8-oxo-G•+ from •GOH in DNA, are in accordance with the expected ease of oxidation of •GOH and 8-oxo-G. The incorporation of oxygen from water in G•+ leading to •GOH and to 8-oxo-G•+ is verified by ESR studies employing 17O isotopically enriched water, which provide unambiguous evidence for the formation of both radicals. ESR analysis of irradiated-DNA in the presence of the electron scavenger, Tl3+, demonstrates that the cationic pathway leads to the formation of the 8-oxo-G•+. In irradiated DNA–Tl3+ samples, Tl3+ captures electrons. Tl2+ thus produced is a strong oxidant (2.2 V), which is metastable at 77 K and is observed to increase the formation of G•+ and subsequently of 8-oxo-G•+ upon annealing. We find that in the absence of the electron scavenger the yield of 8-oxo-G•+ is substantially reduced as a result of electron recombinations with G•+ and possible reaction with •GOH. PMID:15601999

Representing the thermal state in time-dependent density functional theory

DOE PAGES

Modine, N. A.; Hatcher, R. M.

2015-05-28

Classical molecular dynamics (MD) provides a powerful and widely used approach to determining thermodynamic properties by integrating the classical equations of motion of a system of atoms. Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) provides a powerful and increasingly useful approach to integrating the quantum equations of motion for a system of electrons. TDDFT efficiently captures the unitary evolution of a many-electron state by mapping the system into a fictitious non-interacting system. In analogy to MD, one could imagine obtaining the thermodynamic properties of an electronic system from a TDDFT simulation in which the electrons are excited from their ground state bymore » a time-dependent potential and then allowed to evolve freely in time while statistical data are captured from periodic snapshots of the system. For a variety of systems (e.g., many metals), the electrons reach an effective state of internal equilibrium due to electron-electron interactions on a time scale that is short compared to electron-phonon equilibration. During the initial time-evolution of such systems following electronic excitation, electron-phonon interactions should be negligible, and therefore, TDDFT should successfully capture the internal thermalization of the electrons. However, it is unclear how TDDFT represents the resulting thermal state. In particular, the thermal state is usually represented in quantum statistical mechanics as a mixed state, while the occupations of the TDDFT wave functions are fixed by the initial state in TDDFT. Two key questions involve (1) reformulating quantum statistical mechanics so that thermodynamic expectations can be obtained as an unweighted average over a set of many-body pure states and (2) constructing a family of non-interacting (single determinant) TDDFT states that approximate the required many-body states for the canonical ensemble. In Section II, we will address these questions by first demonstrating that thermodynamic expectations can be evaluated by averaging over certain many-body pure states, which we will call thermal states, and then constructing TDDFT states that approximate these thermal states. In Section III, we will present some numerical tests of the resulting theory, and in Section IV, we will summarize our main results and discuss some possible future directions for this work.« less

Efficient, quality-assured data capture in operational research through innovative use of open-access technology

PubMed Central

Naik, B.; Guddemane, D. K.; Bhat, P.; Wilson, N.; Sreenivas, A. N.; Lauritsen, J. M.; Rieder, H. L.

2013-01-01

Ensuring quality of data during electronic data capture has been one of the most neglected components of operational research. Multicentre studies are also challenged with issues about logistics of travel, training, supervision, monitoring and troubleshooting support. Allocating resources to these issues can pose a significant bottleneck for operational research in resource-limited settings. In this article, we describe an innovative and efficient way of coordinating data capture in multicentre operational research using a combination of three open access technologies—EpiData for data capture, Dropbox for sharing files and TeamViewer for providing remote support. PMID:26392997

Investigation of energy deposited by femtosecond electron transfer in collisions using hydrated ion nanocalorimetry.

PubMed

Holm, Anne I S; Donald, William A; Hvelplund, Preben; Larsen, Mikkel K; Nielsen, Steen Brøndsted; Williams, Evan R

2008-10-30

Ion nanocalorimetry is used to investigate the internal energy deposited into M (2+)(H 2O) n , M = Mg ( n = 3-11) and Ca ( n = 3-33), upon 100 keV collisions with a Cs or Ne atom target gas. Dissociation occurs by loss of water molecules from the precursor (charge retention) or by capture of an electron to form a reduced precursor (charge reduction) that can dissociate either by loss of a H atom accompanied by water molecule loss or by exclusively loss of water molecules. Formation of bare CaOH (+) and Ca (+) by these two respective dissociation pathways occurs for clusters with n up to 33 and 17, respectively. From the threshold dissociation energies for the loss of water molecules from the reduced clusters, obtained from binding energies calculated using a discrete implementation of the Thomson liquid drop model and from quantum chemistry, estimates of the internal energy deposition can be obtained. These values can be used to establish a lower limit to the maximum and average energy deposition. Not taking into account effects of a kinetic shift, over 16 eV can be deposited into Ca (2+)(H 2O) 33, the minimum energy necessary to form bare CaOH (+) from the reduced precursor. The electron capture efficiency is at least a factor of 40 greater for collisions of Ca (2+)(H 2O) 9 with Cs than with Ne, reflecting the lower ionization energy of Cs (3.9 eV) compared to Ne (21.6 eV). The branching ratio of the two electron capture dissociation pathways differs significantly for these two target gases, but the distributions of water molecules lost from the reduced precursors are similar. These results suggest that the ionization energy of the target gas has a large effect on the electron capture efficiency, but relatively little effect on the internal energy deposited into the ion. However, the different branching ratios suggest that different electronic excited states may be accessed in the reduced precursor upon collisions with these two different target gases.

Particulate capture efficiency of a vegetative environmental buffer surrounding an animal feeding operation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Particulate matter emitted from tunnel-ventilated animal feeding operations (AFOs) is known to transport malodorous compounds. As a mitigation strategy, vegetative environmental buffers (VEBs) are often installed surrounding AFOs to capture particulates and induce lofting and dispersion. Currently, ...

Angular Distributions of Differential Electron Capture Cross Sections in Collisions Between Low-Velocity Highly-Charged Ions and Neutral Targets.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waggoner, William Tracy

1990-01-01

Experimental capture cross sections d sigma / dtheta versus theta , are presented for various ions incident on neutral targets. First, distributions are presented for Ar ^{rm 8+} ions incident on H_{rm 2}, D _{rm 2}, and Ar targets. Energy gain studies indicate that capture occurs to primarily a 5d,f final state of Ar^{rm 7+} with some contributions from transfer ionization (T.I.) channels. Angular distribution spectra for all three targets are similar, with spectra having a main peak located at forward angles which is attributed to single capture events, and a secondary structure occurring at large angles which is attributed to T.I. contributions. A series of Ar^{rm 8+} on Ar spectra were collected using a retarding grid system as a low resolution energy spectrometer to resolve single capture events from T.I. events. The resulting single capture and T.I. angular distributions are presented. Results are discussed in terms of a classical deflection function employing a simple two state curve crossing model. Angular distributions for electron capture from He by C, N, O, F, and Ne ions with charge states from 5 ^+-8^+ are presented for projectile energies between 1.2 and 2.0 kV. Distributions for the same charge state but different ion species are simlar, but not identical with distributions for the 5 ^+ and 7^+ ions being strongly forward peaked, the 6^+ distributions are much less forward peaked with the O^{6+} distributions showing structure, the Ne^{8+} ion distribution appears to be an intermediate case between forward peaking and large angle scattering. These results are discussed in terms of classical deflection functions which utilize two state Coulomb diabatic curve crossing models. Finally, angular distributions are presented for electron capture from He by Ar^{rm 6+} ions at energies between 1287 eV and 296 eV. At large projectile energies the distribution is broad. As the energy decreases below 523 eV, distributions shift to forward angles with a second peak appearing outside the Coulomb angle, theta_{c} = Q/2E, which continues to grow in magnitude as the projectile energy decreases further. Results are compared with a model calculation employing a two state diabatic Coulomb curve crossing model and the classical deflection function.

Electronic capture of patient-reported and clinician-reported outcome measures in an elective orthopaedic setting: a retrospective cohort analysis.

PubMed

Malhotra, Karan; Buraimoh, Olatunbosun; Thornton, James; Cullen, Nicholas; Singh, Dishan; Goldberg, Andrew J

2016-06-20

To determine whether an entirely electronic system can be used to capture both patient-reported outcomes (electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Measures, ePROMs) as well as clinician-validated diagnostic and complexity data in an elective surgical orthopaedic outpatient setting. To examine patients' experience of this system and factors impacting their experience. Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. Single centre series. Outpatient clinics at an elective foot and ankle unit in the UK. All new adult patients attending elective orthopaedic outpatient clinics over a 32-month period. All patients were invited to complete ePROMs prior to attending their outpatient appointment. At their appointment, those patients who had not completed ePROMs were offered the opportunity to complete it on a tablet device with technical support. Matched diagnostic and complexity data were captured by the treating consultant during the appointment. Capture rates of patient-reported and clinician-reported data. All information and technology (IT) failures, language and disability barriers were captured. Patients were asked to rate their experience of using ePROMs. The scoring systems used included EQ-5D-5L, the Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOxFQ) and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score. Out of 2534 new patients, 2176 (85.9%) completed ePROMs, of whom 1090 (50.09%) completed ePROMs at home/work prior to their appointment. 31.5% used a mobile (smartphone/tablet) device. Clinician-reported data were captured on 2491 patients (98.3%). The mean patient experience score of using Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) was 8.55±1.85 out of 10 and 666 patients (30.61%) left comments. Of patients leaving comments, 214 (32.13%) felt ePROMs did not adequately capture their symptoms and these patients had significantly lower patient experience scores (p<0.001). This study demonstrates the successful implementation of technology into a service improvement programme. Excellent capture rates of ePROMs and clinician-validated diagnostic data can be achieved within a National Health Service setting. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Onset and saturation of backward stimulated Raman scattering of laser in trapping regime in three spatial dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, L.; Albright, B. J.; Rose, H. A.; Bowers, K. J.; Bergen, B.; Montgomery, D. S.; Kline, J. L.; Fernández, J. C.

2009-11-01

A suite of three-dimensional (3D) VPIC [K. J. Bowers et al., Phys. Plasmas 15, 055703 (2008)] particle-in-cell simulations of backward stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in inertial confinement fusion hohlraum plasma has been performed on the heterogeneous multicore supercomputer, Roadrunner, presently the world's most powerful supercomputer. These calculations reveal the complex nonlinear behavior of SRS and point to a new era of "at scale" 3D modeling of SRS in solitary and multiple laser speckles. The physics governing nonlinear saturation of SRS in a laser speckle in 3D is consistent with that of prior two-dimensional (2D) studies [L. Yin et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 265004 (2007)], but with important differences arising from enhanced diffraction and side loss in 3D compared with 2D. In addition to wave front bowing of electron plasma waves (EPWs) due to trapped electron nonlinear frequency shift and amplitude-dependent damping, we find for the first time that EPW self-focusing, which evolved from trapped particle modulational instability [H. A. Rose and L. Yin, Phys. Plasmas 15, 042311 (2008)], also exhibits loss of angular coherence by formation of a filament necklace, a process not available in 2D. These processes in 2D and 3D increase the side-loss rate of trapped electrons, increase wave damping, decrease source coherence for backscattered light, and fundamentally limit how much backscatter can occur from a laser speckle. For both SRS onset and saturation, the nonlinear trapping induced physics is not captured in linear gain modeling of SRS. A simple metric is described for using single-speckle reflectivities obtained from VPIC simulations to infer the total reflectivity from the population of laser speckles of amplitude sufficient for significant trapping-induced nonlinearity to arise.

76 FR 1173 - Draft Guidance for Industry on Electronic Source Documentation in Clinical Investigations...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-07

...] Draft Guidance for Industry on Electronic Source Documentation in Clinical Investigations; Availability... Documentation in Clinical Investigations.'' This document provides guidance to sponsors, contract research organizations (CROs), data management centers, and clinical investigators on capturing, using, and archiving...

Structure-activity relationships in defensin dimers: a novel link between beta-defensin tertiary structure and antimicrobial activity.

PubMed

Campopiano, Dominic J; Clarke, David J; Polfer, Nick C; Barran, Perdita E; Langley, Ross J; Govan, John R W; Maxwell, Alison; Dorin, Julia R

2004-11-19

Defensins are cationic antimicrobial peptides that have a characteristic six-cysteine motif and are important components of the innate immune system. We recently described a beta-defensin-related peptide (Defr1) that had potent antimicrobial activity despite having only five cysteines. Here we report a relationship between the structure and activity of Defr1 through a comparative study with its six cysteine-containing analogue (Defr1 Y5C). Against a panel of pathogens, we found that oxidized Defr1 had significantly higher activity than its reduced form and the oxidized and reduced forms of Defr1 Y5C. Furthermore, Defr1 displayed activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the presence of 150 mm NaCl, whereas Defr1 Y5C was inactive. By using nondenaturing gel electrophoresis and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, we observed Defr1 and Defr1 Y5C dimers. Two complementary fragmentation techniques (collision-induced dissociation and electron capture dissociation) revealed that Defr1 Y5C dimers form by noncovalent, weak association of monomers that contain three intramolecular disulfide bonds. In contrast, Defr1 dimers are resistant to collision-induced dissociation and are only dissociated into monomers by reduction using electron capture. This is indicative of Defr1 dimerization being mediated by an intermolecular disulfide bond. Proteolysis and peptide mass mapping revealed that Defr1 Y5C monomers have beta-defensin disulfide bond connectivity, whereas oxidized Defr1 is a complex mixture of dimeric isoforms with as yet unknown inter- and intramolecular connectivities. Each isoform contains one intermolecular and four intramolecular disulfide bonds, but because we were unable to resolve the isoforms by reverse phase chromatography, we could not assign each isoform with a specific antimicrobial activity. We conclude that the enhanced activity and stability of this mixture of Defr1 dimeric isoforms are due to the presence of an intermolecular disulfide bond. This first description of a covalently cross-linked member of the defensin family provides further evidence that the antimicrobial activity of a defensin is linked to its ability to form stable higher order structures.

Low-energy electron-induced reactions in condensed matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arumainayagam, Christopher R.; Lee, Hsiao-Lu; Nelson, Rachel B.; Haines, David R.; Gunawardane, Richard P.

2010-01-01

The goal of this review is to discuss post-irradiation analysis of low-energy (≤50 eV) electron-induced processes in nanoscale thin films. Because electron-induced surface reactions in monolayer adsorbates have been extensively reviewed, we will instead focus on low-energy electron-induced reactions in multilayer adsorbates. The latter studies, involving nanoscale thin films, serve to elucidate the pivotal role that the low-energy electron-induced reactions play in high-energy radiation-induced chemical reactions in condensed matter. Although electron-stimulated desorption (ESD) experiments conducted during irradiation have yielded vital information relevant to primary or initial electron-induced processes, we wish to demonstrate in this review that analyzing the products following low-energy electron irradiation can provide new insights into radiation chemistry. This review presents studies of electron-induced reactions in nanoscale films of molecular species such as oxygen, nitrogen trifluoride, water, alkanes, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, nitriles, halocarbons, alkane and phenyl thiols, thiophenes, ferrocene, amino acids, nucleotides, and DNA using post-irradiation techniques such as temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), gel electrophoresis, and microarray fluorescence. Post-irradiation temperature-programmed desorption, in particular, has been shown to be useful in identifying labile radiolysis products as demonstrated by the first identification of methoxymethanol as a reaction product of methanol radiolysis. Results of post-irradiation studies have been used not only to identify radiolysis products, but also to determine the dynamics of electron-induced reactions. For example, studies of the radiolysis yield as a function of incident electron energy have shown that dissociative electron attachment plays an important role in the electron-induced single strand breaks in DNA leading to mutagenic damage. Studies such as these not only provide insight into the fundamentals of electron-molecule interactions in the condensed phase but also may provide information valuable to (a) furthering cost-efficient destruction of hazardous chemicals, (b) understanding the electron-induced decomposition of feed gases used in the plasma processing of semiconductor devices, (c) clarifying the role, if any, of low-energy electrons, produced by cosmic rays, contributing to the formation of the ozone hole by interacting with halocarbons and producing Cl atoms, (d) illuminating the dynamics of electron-induced oligomerization and/or polymerization, and (e) explicating the astrochemistry of icy grains.

Electron-electron interaction in ion-atom collisions studied by projectile state-resolved Auger-electron spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dohyung Lee.

This dissertation addresses the problem of dynamic electron-electron interactions in fast ion-atom collisions using projectile Auger electron spectroscopy. The study was carried out by measuring high-resolution projectile KKL Auger electron spectra as a function of projectile energy for the various collision systems of 0.25-2 MeV/u O{sup q+} and F{sup q+} incident on H{sub 2} and He targets. The electrons were detected in the beam direction, where the kinematic broadening is minimized. A zero-degree tandem electron spectrometer system, was developed and showed the versatility of zero-degree measurements of collisionally-produced atomic states. The zero-degree binary encounter electrons (BEe), quasifree target electrons ionizedmore » by the projectiles in head-on collisions, were observed as a strong background in the KLL Auger electron spectrum. They were studied by treating the target ionization as 180{degree} Rutherford elastic scattering in the projectile frame, and resulted in a validity test of the impulse approximation (IA) and a way to determine the spectrometer efficiency. An anomalous q-dependence, in which the zero-degree BEe yields increase with decreasing projectile charge state (q), was observed. State-resolved KLL Auger cross sections were determined by using the BEe normalization and thus the cross section of the electron-electron interactions such as resonant transfer-excitation (RTE), electron-electron excitation (eeE), and electron-electron ionization (eeI) were determined. Projectile 2l capture with 1s {yields} 2p excitation by the captured target electron was observed as an RTE process with Li-like and He-like projectiles and the measured RTEA (RTE followed by Auger decay) cross sections showed good agreement with an RTE-IA treatment and RTE alignment theory.« less

Electron-capture Rates for pf-shell Nuclei in Stellar Environments and Nucleosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, Toshio; Honma, Michio; Mori, Kanji; Famiano, Michael A.; Kajino, Toshitaka; Hidakai, Jun; Otsuka, Takaharu

Gamow-Teller strengths in pf-shell nuclei obtained by a new shell-model Hamltonian, GXPF1J, are used to evaluate electron-capture rates in pf-shell nuclei at stellar environments. The nuclear weak rates with GXPF1J, which are generally smaller than previous evaluations for proton-rich nuclei, are applied to nucleosynthesis in type Ia supernova explosions. The updated rates are found to lead to less production of neutron-rich nuclei such as 58Ni and 54Cr, thus toward a solution of the problem of over-production of neutron-rich isotopes of iron-group nuclei compared to the solar abundance.

Identification of Abscisic Acid in Tulipa gesneriana L. by Gas-Liquid Chromatography with Electron Capture and Combined Gas-Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Terry, Paul H.; Aung, Louis H.; De Hertogh, August A.

1982-01-01

A major growth inhibitory substance of tulip bulbs (Tulipa gesneriana L. cv Paul Richter) has been unequivocally shown to be abscisic acid (ABA). The ABA methyl ester of the free ether-soluble acid fractions of tulip organs had the identical retention time on gas-liquid chromatography with electron capture detector as authentic ABA methyl ester. In addition, the mass spectra were the same. On a unit dry matter basis, the basalplate and floral shoot contained 3.6 and 2.6 times more ABA than the fleshy scales, respectively. PMID:16662721

Differential cross sections for electron capture in p + H2 collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Igarashi, Akinori; Gulyás, Laszlo; Ohsaki, Akihiko

2017-11-01

Projectile angular distributions for electron capture in p + H2 collisions at 25 and 75 keV impact energies, measured by Sharma et al. [Phys. Rev. A 86, 022706 (2012)], are calculated using the CDW-EIS and eikonal approximations. Angular distributions evaluated in the CDW-EIS approximation are in good agreement with the experimental data measured for coherent projectile beams. Incoherent projectile scatterings are also considered by folding the coherent angular distributions over the transverse momentum distribution of the projectile wave-packet. Reasonable agreements with the measurements are obtained only with coherence parameters very different from those reported in the experiments.

Pentafluorobenzyl bromide-A versatile derivatization agent in chromatography and mass spectrometry: I. Analysis of inorganic anions and organophosphates.

PubMed

Tsikas, Dimitrios

2017-02-01

Pentafluorobenzyl bromide (PFB-Br) is a versatile derivatization agent. It is widely used in chromatography and mass spectrometry since several decades. The bromide atom is largely the single leaving group of PFB-Br. It is substituted by wide a spectrum of nucleophiles in aqueous and non-aqueous systems to form electrically neutral, in most organic solvents soluble, generally thermally stable, volatile, strongly electron-capturing and ultraviolet light-absorbing derivatives. Because of these greatly favoured physicochemical properties, PFB-Br emerged an ideal derivatization agent for highly sensitive analysis of endogenous and exogenous substances including various inorganic and organic anions by electron capture detection or after electron-capture negative-ion chemical ionization in GC-MS. The present article attempts an appraisal of the utility of PFB-Br in analytical chemistry. It reviews and discusses papers dealing with the use of PFB-Br as the derivatization reagent in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of endogenous and exogenous inorganic anions in various biological samples, notably plasma, urine and saliva. These analytes include nitrite, nitrate, cyanide and dialkyl organophosphates. Special emphasis is given to mass spectrometry-based approaches and stable-isotope dilution techniques. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mineral changes in cement-sandstone matrices induced by biocementation

DOE PAGES

Verba, C.; Thurber, A. R.; Alleau, Y.; ...

2016-04-01

Prevention of wellbore CO 2 leakage is a critical component of any successful carbon capture, utilization, and storage program. Sporosarcina pasteurii is a bacterium that has demonstrated the potential ability to seal a compromised wellbore through the enzymatic precipitation of CaCO 3. In this paper, we investigate the growth of S. pasteurii in a synthetic brine that mimics the Illinois Basin and on Mt. Simon sandstone encased in Class H Portland cement under high pressure and supercritical CO 2 (P CO2) conditions. The bacterium grew optimum at 30 °C compared to 40 °C under ambient and high pressure (10 MPa)more » conditions; and growth was comparable in experiments at high P CO2. Sporosarcina pasteurii actively induced the biomineralization of CaCO 3 polymorphs and MgCa(CO 3) 2 in both ambient and high pressure conditions as observed in electron microscopy. In contrast, abiotic (non-biological) samples exposed to CO 2 resulted in the formation of surficial vaterite and calcite. Finally, the ability of S. pasteurii to grow under subsurface conditions may be a promising mechanism to enhance wellbore integrity.« less

Ultralow energy calibration of LUX detector using Xe 127 electron capture

DOE PAGES

Akerib, D. S.; Alsum, S.; Araújo, H. M.; ...

2017-12-01

We report an absolute calibration of the ionization yields(more » $$\\textit{Q$$_y$})$ and fluctuations for electronic recoil events in liquid xenon at discrete energies between 186 eV and 33.2 keV. The average electric field applied across the liquid xenon target is 180 V/cm. The data are obtained using low energy $$^{127}$$Xe electron capture decay events from the 95.0-day first run from LUX (WS2013) in search of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). The sequence of gamma-ray and X-ray cascades associated with $$^{127}$$I de-excitations produces clearly identified 2-vertex events in the LUX detector. We observe the K- (binding energy, 33.2 keV), L- (5.2 keV), M- (1.1 keV), and N- (186 eV) shell cascade events and verify that the relative ratio of observed events for each shell agrees with calculations. The N-shell cascade analysis includes single extracted electron (SE) events and represents the lowest-energy electronic recoil $$\\textit{in situ}$$ measurements that have been explored in liquid xenon.« less

Ultralow energy calibration of LUX detector using Xe 127 electron capture

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Akerib, D. S.; Alsum, S.; Araújo, H. M.

We report an absolute calibration of the ionization yields (Q y) and fluctuations for electronic recoil events in liquid xenon at discrete energies between 186 eV and 33.2 keV. The average electric field applied across the liquid xenon target is 180 V/cm. The data are obtained using low energy 127Xe electron capture decay events from the 95.0-day first run from LUX (WS2013) in search of weakly interacting massive particles. The sequence of gamma-ray and x-ray cascades associated with 127I deexcitations produces clearly identified two-vertex events in the LUX detector. We observe the K-(binding energy, 33.2 keV), L-(5.2 keV), M-(1.1 keV),more » and N-(186 eV) shell cascade events and verify that the relative ratio of observed events for each shell agrees with calculations. In conclusion, the N-shell cascade analysis includes single extracted electron (SE) events and represents the lowest-energy electronic recoil in situ measurements that have been explored in liquid xenon.« less

Ultralow energy calibration of LUX detector using Xe 127 electron capture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akerib, D. S.; Alsum, S.; Araújo, H. M.; Bai, X.; Bailey, A. J.; Balajthy, J.; Beltrame, P.; Bernard, E. P.; Bernstein, A.; Biesiadzinski, T. P.; Boulton, E. M.; Brás, P.; Byram, D.; Cahn, S. B.; Carmona-Benitez, M. C.; Chan, C.; Currie, A.; Cutter, J. E.; Davison, T. J. R.; Dobi, A.; Druszkiewicz, E.; Edwards, B. N.; Fallon, S. R.; Fan, A.; Fiorucci, S.; Gaitskell, R. J.; Genovesi, J.; Ghag, C.; Gilchriese, M. G. D.; Hall, C. R.; Hanhardt, M.; Haselschwardt, S. J.; Hertel, S. A.; Hogan, D. P.; Horn, M.; Huang, D. Q.; Ignarra, C. M.; Jacobsen, R. G.; Ji, W.; Kamdin, K.; Kazkaz, K.; Khaitan, D.; Knoche, R.; Larsen, N. A.; Lenardo, B. G.; Lesko, K. T.; Lindote, A.; Lopes, M. I.; Manalaysay, A.; Mannino, R. L.; Marzioni, M. F.; McKinsey, D. N.; Mei, D.-M.; Mock, J.; Moongweluwan, M.; Morad, J. A.; Murphy, A. St. J.; Nehrkorn, C.; Nelson, H. N.; Neves, F.; O'Sullivan, K.; Oliver-Mallory, K. C.; Palladino, K. J.; Pease, E. K.; Rhyne, C.; Shaw, S.; Shutt, T. A.; Silva, C.; Solmaz, M.; Solovov, V. N.; Sorensen, P.; Sumner, T. J.; Szydagis, M.; Taylor, D. J.; Taylor, W. C.; Tennyson, B. P.; Terman, P. A.; Tiedt, D. R.; To, W. H.; Tripathi, M.; Tvrznikova, L.; Uvarov, S.; Velan, V.; Verbus, J. R.; Webb, R. C.; White, J. T.; Whitis, T. J.; Witherell, M. S.; Wolfs, F. L. H.; Xu, J.; Yazdani, K.; Young, S. K.; Zhang, C.

2017-12-01

We report an absolute calibration of the ionization yields (Qy ) and fluctuations for electronic recoil events in liquid xenon at discrete energies between 186 eV and 33.2 keV. The average electric field applied across the liquid xenon target is 180 V /cm . The data are obtained using low energy Xe 127 electron capture decay events from the 95.0-day first run from LUX (WS2013) in search of weakly interacting massive particles. The sequence of gamma-ray and x-ray cascades associated with I 127 deexcitations produces clearly identified two-vertex events in the LUX detector. We observe the K-(binding energy, 33.2 keV), L-(5.2 keV), M-(1.1 keV), and N-(186 eV) shell cascade events and verify that the relative ratio of observed events for each shell agrees with calculations. The N-shell cascade analysis includes single extracted electron (SE) events and represents the lowest-energy electronic recoil in situ measurements that have been explored in liquid xenon.

Ultralow energy calibration of LUX detector using Xe 127 electron capture

DOE PAGES

Akerib, D. S.; Alsum, S.; Araújo, H. M.; ...

2017-12-28

We report an absolute calibration of the ionization yields (Q y) and fluctuations for electronic recoil events in liquid xenon at discrete energies between 186 eV and 33.2 keV. The average electric field applied across the liquid xenon target is 180 V/cm. The data are obtained using low energy 127Xe electron capture decay events from the 95.0-day first run from LUX (WS2013) in search of weakly interacting massive particles. The sequence of gamma-ray and x-ray cascades associated with 127I deexcitations produces clearly identified two-vertex events in the LUX detector. We observe the K-(binding energy, 33.2 keV), L-(5.2 keV), M-(1.1 keV),more » and N-(186 eV) shell cascade events and verify that the relative ratio of observed events for each shell agrees with calculations. In conclusion, the N-shell cascade analysis includes single extracted electron (SE) events and represents the lowest-energy electronic recoil in situ measurements that have been explored in liquid xenon.« less

Electron-induced chemistry in microhydrated sulfuric acid clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lengyel, Jozef; Pysanenko, Andriy; Fárník, Michal

2017-11-01

We investigate the mixed sulfuric acid-water clusters in a molecular beam experiment with electron attachment and negative ion mass spectrometry and complement the experiment by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The microhydration of (H2SO4)m(H2O)n clusters is controlled by the expansion conditions, and the electron attachment yields the main cluster ion series (H2SO4)m(H2O)nHSO4- and (H2O)nH2SO4-. The mass spectra provide an experimental evidence for the onset of the ionic dissociation of sulfuric acid and ion-pair (HSO4- ṡ ṡ ṡ H3O+) formation in the neutral H2SO4(H2O)n clusters with n ≥ 5 water molecules, in excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions. In the clusters with two sulfuric acid molecules (H2SO4)2(H2O)n this process starts as early as n ≥ 2 water molecules. The (H2SO4)m(H2O)nHSO4- clusters are formed after the dissociative electron attachment to the clusters containing the (HSO4- ṡ ṡ ṡ H3O+) ion-pair structure, which leads to the electron recombination with the H3O+ moiety generating H2O molecule and the H-atom dissociation from the cluster. The (H2O)nH2SO4- cluster ions point to an efficient caging of the H atom by the surrounding water molecules. The electron-energy dependencies exhibit an efficient electron attachment at low electron energies below 3 eV, and no resonances above this energy, for all the measured mass peaks. This shows that in the atmospheric chemistry only the low-energy electrons can be efficiently captured by the sulfuric acid-water clusters and converted into the negative ions. Possible atmospheric consequences of the acidic dissociation in the clusters and the electron attachment to the sulfuric acid-water aerosols are discussed.

Three dimensional Particle-in-Cell (PIC) simulations of the 67P environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Divin, Andrey; Deca, Jan; Henri, Pierre; Horanyi, Mihaly; Markidis, Stefano; Lapenta, Giovanni; Olshevsky, Vyacheslav; Eriksson, Anders

2017-04-01

ESA's Rosetta orbiter spacecraft escorted comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko for two years, carrying 21 scientific instruments. Five of those were dedicated to plasma measurements. The mission revealed for the first time, and in unprecedented detail, the fascinating evolution of a comet and its interaction with our Sun as it races along its 6.45yr elliptical orbit around the Sun. Using a self-consistent 3-D fully kinetic electromagnetic particle-in-cell approach, we focus on the global cometary environment and, in particular, on the collisionless electron-kinetic interaction. We include cometary ions and electrons produced by the ionization of the outgassing cometary atmosphere in addition to the solar wind ion and electron plasma flow. We approximate mass-loading of the cold cometary ion and electron populations using a 1/r relation with distance to the comet with a total neutral production rate of Q = 1026 s-1. Our simulation results disentangle for the first time the kinetic ion and electron dynamics of the solar wind interaction with a weakly outgassing comet. The simulated global structure of the solar wind-comet interaction confirms the results reported in hybrid simulations of the induced cometary magnetosphere. Moreover, we show that cometary and solar wind electrons neutralize the solar wind protons and cometary ions, respectively, in the region of influence around the comet, representing to first order a four-fluid behavior. The electron energy distribution close to the comet is shown to be a mix of cometary and solar wind electrons that appear as, respectively, a thermal and a suprathermal components. Analyzing ion and electron energy distribution functions, and comparing with plasma measurements from ESA's Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, we conclude that a detailed kinetic treatment of the electron dynamics is critical to fully capture the complex physics of mass-loading plasmas.

Mechanism of How Salt-Gradient-Induced Charges Affect the Translocation of DNA Molecules through a Nanopore

PubMed Central

He, Yuhui; Tsutsui, Makusu; Scheicher, Ralph H.; Fan, Chun; Taniguchi, Masateru; Kawai, Tomoji

2013-01-01

Experiments using nanopores demonstrated that a salt gradient enhances the capture rate of DNA and reduces its translocation speed. These two effects can help to enable electrical DNA sequencing with nanopores. Here, we provide a quantitative theoretical evaluation that shows the positive net charges, which accumulate around the pore entrance due to the salt gradient, are responsible for the two observed effects: they reinforce the electric capture field, resulting in promoted molecule capture rate; and they induce cationic electroosmotic flow through the nanopore, thus significantly retarding the motion of the anionic DNA through the nanopore. Our multiphysical simulation results show that, during the polymer trapping stage, the former effect plays the major role, thus resulting in promoted DNA capture rate, while during the nanopore-penetrating stage the latter effect dominates and consequently reduces the DNA translocation speed significantly. Quantitative agreement with experimental results has been reached by further taking nanopore wall surface charges into account. PMID:23931325

Radiance line ratios Ly-β/Ly-α, Ly-γ/Ly-α, Ly-δ/Ly-α, and Ly-ε/Ly-α for soft X-ray emissions following charge exchange between C 6+ and Kr

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

V. M. Andrianarijaona; Wulf, D.; McCammon, D.

2015-02-04

The radiance line ratios Ly-β/Ly-α, Ly-γ/Ly-α, Ly-δ/Ly-α, and Ly-ε/Ly-α for soft X-ray emission following charge exchange (CX) between C 6+ and Kr are reported in this paper for collision energies between approximately 320 and 46,000 eV/u. The corresponding collision velocities (250–3000 km/s) are characteristic of the solar wind. X-ray spectra were obtained at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Multicharged Ion Research Facility using a microcalorimeter X-ray detector with a resolution on the order of 10 eV FWHM. The measured Ly-ε/Ly-α is zero for all considered energies and suggests that very little, if any, capture to 6p occurs. The measured Ly-β/Ly-αmore » and Ly-γ/Ly-α ratios intersect and form a well resolved node around (950 ± 50) km/s, which could be used as an astrophysical velocity indicative tool. The results reported here are compared to calculations for C 6+ + H since no published theory for C 6+ + Kr is known to exist. Finally, double-electron-capture (DEC) and other multi-electron processes are possible. True double capture is estimated to be only 10% of the single-electron-capture (SEC).« less

Mechanism of 'GSI oscillations' in electron capture by highly charged hydrogen-like atomic ions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Krainov, V. P., E-mail: vpkrainov@mail.ru

2012-07-15

We suggest a qualitative explanation of oscillations in electron capture decays of hydrogen-like {sup 140}Pr and {sup 142}Pm ions observed recently in an ion experimental storage ring (ESR) of Gesellschaft fuer Schwerionenforschung (GSI) mbH, Darmstadt, Germany. This explanation is based on the electron multiphoton Rabi oscillations between two Zeeman states of the hyperfine ground level with the total angular momentum F = 1/2. The Zeeman splitting is produced by a constant magnetic field in the ESR. Transitions between these states are produced by the second, sufficiently strong alternating magnetic field that approximates realistic fields in the GSI ESR. The Zeemanmore » splitting amounts to only about 10{sup -5} eV. This allows explaining the observed quantum beats with the period 7 s.« less

Chemical Consequences of Radioactive Decay and their Biological Implications.

PubMed

DeJesus, Onofre T

2017-11-10

The chemical effects of radioactive decay arise from (1) transmutation, (2) formation of charged daughter nuclei, (3) recoil of the daughter nuclei, (4) electron "shakeoff" phenomenon and (5) vacancy cascade in decays via electron capture and internal conversion. This review aims to reiterate what has been known for a long time regarding the chemical consequences of radioactive decay and gives a historical perspective to the observations that led to their elucidation. The energetics of the recoil process in each decay mode is discussed in relation to the chemical bond between the decaying nucleus and the parent molecule. Special attention is given to the biological effects of the Auger process following decay by electron capture and internal conversion because of their possible utility in internal radiotherapy. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Capturing structured, pulmonary disease-specific data elements in electronic health records.

PubMed

Gronkiewicz, Cynthia; Diamond, Edward J; French, Kim D; Christodouleas, John; Gabriel, Peter E

2015-04-01

Electronic health records (EHRs) have the potential to improve health-care quality by allowing providers to make better decisions at the point of care based on electronically aggregated data and by facilitating clinical research. These goals are easier to achieve when key, disease-specific clinical information is documented as structured data elements (SDEs) that computers can understand and process, rather than as free-text/natural-language narrative. This article reviews the benefits of capturing disease-specific SDEs. It highlights several design and implementation considerations, including the impact on efficiency and expressivity of clinical documentation and the importance of adhering to data standards when available. Pulmonary disease-specific examples of collection instruments are provided from two commonly used commercial EHRs. Future developments that can leverage SDEs to improve clinical quality and research are discussed.

The effect of ion irradiation on the dissolution of UO 2 and UO 2 -based simulant fuel

DOE PAGES

Popel, Aleksej J.; Wietsma, Thomas W.; Engelhard, Mark H.; ...

2017-11-21

Our aim is to study the separate effect of fission fragment damage on the dissolution of simulant UK advanced gas-cooled reactor nuclear fuel in water. Plain UO 2 and UO 2 samples, doped with inactive fission products to simulate 43 GWd/tU of burn-up, were fabricated. A set of these samples were then irradiated with 92 MeV 129Xe 23+ ions to a fluence of 4.8 × 10 15 ions/cm 2 to simulate the fission damage that occurs within nuclear fuels. The primary effect of the irradiation on the UO 2 samples, observed by scanning electron microscopy, was to induce a smootheningmore » of the surface features and formation of hollow blisters, which was attributed to multiple overlap of ion tracks. Dissolution experiments were conducted in single-pass flow-through (SPFT) mode under anoxic conditions (<0.1 O 2 ppm in Ar) to study the effect of the induced irradiation damage on the dissolution of the UO 2 matrix with data collection capturing six minute intervals for several hours. These time-resolved data showed that the irradiated samples showed a higher initial release of uranium than unirradiated samples, but that the uranium concentrations converged towards ~10 -9 mol/l after a few hours. And apart from the initial spike in uranium concentration, attributed to irradiation induced surficial micro-structural changes, no noticeable difference in uranium chemistry as measured by X-ray electron spectroscopy or ‘effective solubility’ was observed between the irradiated, doped and undoped samples in this work. Some secondary phase formation was observed on the surface of UO 2 samples after the dissolution experiment.« less

The effect of ion irradiation on the dissolution of UO 2 and UO 2 -based simulant fuel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Popel, Aleksej J.; Wietsma, Thomas W.; Engelhard, Mark H.

Our aim is to study the separate effect of fission fragment damage on the dissolution of simulant UK advanced gas-cooled reactor nuclear fuel in water. Plain UO 2 and UO 2 samples, doped with inactive fission products to simulate 43 GWd/tU of burn-up, were fabricated. A set of these samples were then irradiated with 92 MeV 129Xe 23+ ions to a fluence of 4.8 × 10 15 ions/cm 2 to simulate the fission damage that occurs within nuclear fuels. The primary effect of the irradiation on the UO 2 samples, observed by scanning electron microscopy, was to induce a smootheningmore » of the surface features and formation of hollow blisters, which was attributed to multiple overlap of ion tracks. Dissolution experiments were conducted in single-pass flow-through (SPFT) mode under anoxic conditions (<0.1 O 2 ppm in Ar) to study the effect of the induced irradiation damage on the dissolution of the UO 2 matrix with data collection capturing six minute intervals for several hours. These time-resolved data showed that the irradiated samples showed a higher initial release of uranium than unirradiated samples, but that the uranium concentrations converged towards ~10 -9 mol/l after a few hours. And apart from the initial spike in uranium concentration, attributed to irradiation induced surficial micro-structural changes, no noticeable difference in uranium chemistry as measured by X-ray electron spectroscopy or ‘effective solubility’ was observed between the irradiated, doped and undoped samples in this work. Some secondary phase formation was observed on the surface of UO 2 samples after the dissolution experiment.« less

Understanding DNA under oxidative stress and sensitization: the role of molecular modeling

PubMed Central

Dumont, Elise; Monari, Antonio

2015-01-01

DNA is constantly exposed to damaging threats coming from oxidative stress, i.e., from the presence of free radicals and reactive oxygen species. Sensitization from exogenous and endogenous compounds that strongly enhance the frequency of light-induced lesions also plays an important role. The experimental determination of DNA lesions, though a difficult subject, is somehow well established and allows to elucidate even extremely rare DNA lesions. In parallel, molecular modeling has become fundamental to clearly understand the fine mechanisms related to DNA defects induction. Indeed, it offers an unprecedented possibility to get access to an atomistic or even electronic resolution. Ab initio molecular dynamics may also describe the time-evolution of the molecular system and its reactivity. Yet the modeling of DNA (photo-)reactions does necessitate elaborate multi-scale methodologies to tackle a damage induction reactivity that takes place in a complex environment. The double-stranded DNA environment is first characterized by a very high flexibility, but also a strongly inhomogeneous electrostatic embedding. Additionally, one aims at capturing more subtle effects, such as the sequence selectivity which is of critical important for DNA damage. The structure and dynamics of the DNA/sensitizers complexes, as well as the photo-induced electron- and energy-transfer phenomena taking place upon sensitization, should be carefully modeled. Finally the factors inducing different repair ratios for different lesions should also be rationalized. In this review we will critically analyze the different computational strategies used to model DNA lesions. A clear picture of the complex interplay between reactivity and structural factors will be sketched. The use of proper multi-scale modeling leads to the in-depth comprehension of DNA lesions mechanisms and also to the rational design of new chemo-therapeutic agents. PMID:26236706

Use of large electronic health record databases for environmental epidemiology studies.

EPA Science Inventory

Background: Electronic health records (EHRs) are a ubiquitous component of the United States healthcare system and capture nearly all data collected in a clinic or hospital setting. EHR databases are attractive for secondary data analysis as they may contain detailed clinical rec...

75 FR 62149 - Records Schedules; Availability and Request for Comments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-07

... publications through the editorial process and capture bibliographic information for printed publications. 7... electronic data relating to persons of interest when the data relates to unique and significant intelligence... records of an electronic information system used to access intelligence and investigative data. 22...

Plasmon tsunamis on metallic nanoclusters.

PubMed

Lucas, A A; Sunjic, M

2012-03-14

A model is constructed to describe inelastic scattering events accompanying electron capture by a highly charged ion flying by a metallic nanosphere. The electronic energy liberated by an electron leaving the Fermi level of the metal and dropping into a deep Rydberg state of the ion is used to increase the ion kinetic energy and, simultaneously, to excite multiple surface plasmons around the positively charged hole left behind on the metal sphere. This tsunami-like phenomenon manifests itself as periodic oscillations in the kinetic energy gain spectrum of the ion. The theory developed here extends our previous treatment (Lucas et al 2011 New J. Phys. 13 013034) of the Ar(q+)/C(60) charge exchange system. We provide an analysis of how the individual multipolar surface plasmons of the metallic sphere contribute to the formation of the oscillatory gain spectrum. Gain spectra showing characteristic, tsunami-like oscillations are simulated for Ar(15+) ions capturing one electron in distant collisions with Al and Na nanoclusters.

Electron capture activation of the disulfide bond. The role of the asymmetry and electronegativity.

PubMed

Gámez, José A; Serrano-Andrés, Luis; Yáñez, Manuel

2010-02-07

The effects of electron capture on the structure of XSSX' disulfide derivatives in which the substituents attached to the sulfur atoms have different electronegativites have been investigated at different levels of theory, namely DFT, MP2, QCISD and CASSCF/CASPT2. Although it has been generally assumed that electron attachment to disulfide derivatives leads to a systematic and significant activation of the S-S bond, our results show that this is the case only when the substituents X or X' have low electronegativity. Otherwise, the S-S bond in the anion remains practically unperturbed and only the S-X bond is largely activated or even broken, because the extra electron occupies the sigma*(S-X) rather than the sigma*(S-S) antibonding orbital. Our results also show that S-S activation yields a system with a unique anion, whereas when the S-X activation is significant, two stable anionic species, stretched and bent, are formed.

Case Report Form Reporter: A Key Component for the Integration of Electronic Medical Records and the Electronic Data Capture System.

PubMed

Matsumura, Yasushi; Hattori, Atsushi; Manabe, Shiro; Takahashi, Daiyo; Yamamoto, Yuichiro; Murata, Taizo; Nakagawa, Akito; Mihara, Naoki; Takeda, Toshihiro

2017-01-01

To improve the efficiency of clinical research, we developed a system to integrate electronic medical records (EMRs) and the electronic data capture system (EDC). EDC is divided into case report form (CRF) reporter and CDMS with CRF receiver with data communication using the operational data model (ODM). The CRF reporter is incorporated into the EMR to share data witth the EMR. In the data transcription type, doctors enter data using a progress note template, which are transmitted to the reporter template. It then generates the ODM. In the direct record type, reporter templates open from the progress note and generate narrative text to make record in the progress note. The configuration files for a study are delivered from the contents server to minimize the setup. This system has been used for 15 clinical studies including 3 clinical trials. This system can save labor and financial costs in clinical research.

Online, automatic, ionospheric maps: IRI-PLAS-MAP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arikan, F.; Sezen, U.; Gulyaeva, T. L.; Cilibas, O.

2015-04-01

Global and regional behavior of the ionosphere is an important component of space weather. The peak height and critical frequency of ionospheric layer for the maximum ionization, namely, hmF2 and foF2, and the total number of electrons on a ray path, Total Electron Content (TEC), are the most investigated and monitored values of ionosphere in capturing and observing ionospheric variability. Typically ionospheric models such as International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) can provide electron density profile, critical parameters of ionospheric layers and Ionospheric electron content for a given location, date and time. Yet, IRI model is limited by only foF2 STORM option in reflecting the dynamics of ionospheric/plasmaspheric/geomagnetic storms. Global Ionospheric Maps (GIM) are provided by IGS analysis centers for global TEC distribution estimated from ground-based GPS stations that can capture the actual dynamics of ionosphere and plasmasphere, but this service is not available for other ionospheric observables. In this study, a unique and original space weather service is introduced as IRI-PLAS-MAP from http://www.ionolab.org

Resonant recombination and autoionization in electron-ion collisions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mueller, A.

1990-06-01

The occurence of resonances in elastic and inelastic electron-ion collisions is discussed. Resonant processes involve excitation of the ion with simultaneous capture of the initially free electron. The decay mechanism subsequent to the formation of the intermediate multiply excited state determines whether a resonance is found in recombination, excitation, elastic scattering, in single or even in multiple ionization. This review concentrates on resonances in the ionization channel. Correlated two-electron transitions are considered.

HST Solar Arrays photographed by Electronic Still Camera

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

This medium close-up view of one of two original Solar Arrays (SA) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was photographed with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC), and downlinked to ground controllers soon afterward. This view shows the cell side of the minus V-2 panel. Electronic still photography is a technology which provides the means for a handheld camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution approaching film quality.

The role of defects in laser-induced modifications of silica coatings and fused silica using picosecond pulses at 1053 nm: I Damage morphology

DOE PAGES

Laurence, T. A.; Ly, S.; Shen, N.; ...

2017-06-22

Laser-induced damage with ps pulse widths straddles the transition from intrinsic, multi-photon ionization and avalanche ionization-based ablation with fs pulses to defect-dominated, thermal-based damage with ns pulses. We investigated the morphology of damage for fused silica and silica coatings between 1 ps and 60 ps at 1053 nm. Using calibrated laser-induced damage experiments, in situ imaging, and high-resolution optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, we show that defects play an important role in laser-induced damage down to 1 ps. Three types of damage are observed: ablation craters, ultra-high density pits, and smooth, circular depressions with central pits.more » For 10 ps and longer, the smooth, circular depressions limit the damage performance of fused silica and silica coatings. The observed high-density pits and material removal down to 3 ps indicate that variations in surface properties limit the laser-induced damage onset to a greater extent than expected below 60 ps. Below 3 ps, damage craters are smoother although there is still evidence as seen by AFM of inhomogeneous laser-induced damage response very near the damage onset. These results show that modeling the damage onset only as a function of pulse width does not capture the convoluted processes leading to laser induced damage with ps pulses. It is necessary to account for the effects of defects on the processes leading to laser-induced damage. In conclusion, the effects of isolated defects or inhomogeneities are most pronounced above 3 ps but are still discernible and possibly important down to the shortest pulse width investigated here.« less

The role of defects in laser-induced modifications of silica coatings and fused silica using picosecond pulses at 1053 nm: I Damage morphology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Laurence, T. A.; Ly, S.; Shen, N.

Laser-induced damage with ps pulse widths straddles the transition from intrinsic, multi-photon ionization and avalanche ionization-based ablation with fs pulses to defect-dominated, thermal-based damage with ns pulses. We investigated the morphology of damage for fused silica and silica coatings between 1 ps and 60 ps at 1053 nm. Using calibrated laser-induced damage experiments, in situ imaging, and high-resolution optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, we show that defects play an important role in laser-induced damage down to 1 ps. Three types of damage are observed: ablation craters, ultra-high density pits, and smooth, circular depressions with central pits.more » For 10 ps and longer, the smooth, circular depressions limit the damage performance of fused silica and silica coatings. The observed high-density pits and material removal down to 3 ps indicate that variations in surface properties limit the laser-induced damage onset to a greater extent than expected below 60 ps. Below 3 ps, damage craters are smoother although there is still evidence as seen by AFM of inhomogeneous laser-induced damage response very near the damage onset. These results show that modeling the damage onset only as a function of pulse width does not capture the convoluted processes leading to laser induced damage with ps pulses. It is necessary to account for the effects of defects on the processes leading to laser-induced damage. In conclusion, the effects of isolated defects or inhomogeneities are most pronounced above 3 ps but are still discernible and possibly important down to the shortest pulse width investigated here.« less

Algorithmic implementation of particle-particle ladder diagram approximation to study strongly-correlated metals and semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prayogi, A.; Majidi, M. A.

2017-07-01

In condensed-matter physics, strongly-correlated systems refer to materials that exhibit variety of fascinating properties and ordered phases, depending on temperature, doping, and other factors. Such unique properties most notably arise due to strong electron-electron interactions, and in some cases due to interactions involving other quasiparticles as well. Electronic correlation effects are non-trivial that one may need a sufficiently accurate approximation technique with quite heavy computation, such as Quantum Monte-Carlo, in order to capture particular material properties arising from such effects. Meanwhile, less accurate techniques may come with lower numerical cost, but the ability to capture particular properties may highly depend on the choice of approximation. Among the many-body techniques derivable from Feynman diagrams, we aim to formulate algorithmic implementation of the Ladder Diagram approximation to capture the effects of electron-electron interactions. We wish to investigate how these correlation effects influence the temperature-dependent properties of strongly-correlated metals and semiconductors. As we are interested to study the temperature-dependent properties of the system, the Ladder diagram method needs to be applied in Matsubara frequency domain to obtain the self-consistent self-energy. However, at the end we would also need to compute the dynamical properties like density of states (DOS) and optical conductivity that are defined in the real frequency domain. For this purpose, we need to perform the analytic continuation procedure. At the end of this study, we will test the technique by observing the occurrence of metal-insulator transition in strongly-correlated metals, and renormalization of the band gap in strongly-correlated semiconductors.

Negative ions of polyatomic molecules.

PubMed Central

Christophorou, L G

1980-01-01

In this paper general concepts relating to, and recent advances in, the study of negative ions of polyatomic molecules area discussed with emphasis on halocarbons. The topics dealt with in the paper are as follows: basic electron attachment processes, modes of electron capture by molecules, short-lived transient negative ions, dissociative electron attachment to ground-state molecules and to "hot" molecules (effects of temperature on electron attachment), parent negative ions, effect of density, nature, and state of the medium on electron attachment, electron attachment to electronically excited molecules, the binding of attached electrons to molecules ("electron affinity"), and the basic and the applied significance of negative-ion studies. PMID:7428744

Enhanced photocatalytic H2-production activity of C-dots modified g-C3N4/TiO2 nanosheets composites.

PubMed

Li, Yang; Feng, Xionghan; Lu, Zhexue; Yin, Hui; Liu, Fan; Xiang, Quanjun

2018-03-01

As a new carbon-based material, carbon dots (C-dots) have got widely preference because of its excellent electronic transfer capability. In this work, a novel ternary layered C-dots/g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 nanosheets (CGT) composite photocatalysts were prepared by impregnation precipitation methods. The optimal ternary CGT composite samples revealed high photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate in triethanolamine aqueous solutions, which exceeded the rate of the optimal g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 composite sample by a factor of 5 times. The improved photocatalytic activity is owed to the positive effects of C-dots and layered heterojunction structure of TiO 2 nanosheets and g-C 3 N 4 sheets. C-dots in the CGT composites can serve as electron reservoirs to capture the photo-induced electrons. The well-defined layered heterojunction structure of CGT provides the intimate contact and the strong interaction of anatase TiO 2 nanosheets and g-C 3 N 4 sheets via face-to-face orientation, which restrains the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers, and thus enhances the photocatalytic H 2 -production activity. Electron paramagnetic resonance and transient photocurrent response proved the strong interaction and improved interfacial charge transfer of TiO 2 nanosheets and g-C 3 N 4 sheets, respectively. The mechanism of improving the photocatalytic H 2 -evolution activity was further confirmed by time-resolved fluorescence, electron paramagnetic resonance, transient photocurrent response and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid induced fatality.

PubMed

Jorens, P G; Heytens, L; De Paep, R J; Bossaert, L; Selala, M I; Schepens, P J

1995-03-01

This paper reports on a fatal intoxication by oral ingestion of the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). At admission, the victim was unconscious. His condition deteroriated rapidly with blood loss from his mouth and nose. Since the cause of this condition was not known, gastroscopy was performed and haemorrhagic mucosa was observed in the mouth, oesophagus and stomach. Gastric contents (removed by lavage), urine and blood were submitted for toxicological analysis. Unfortunately, within 3 h of admission (about 5 h following ingestion of the toxin) profound cardiogenic shock developed and the patient died. The identity of the toxic xenobiotic was revealed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Analytical quantification of the herbicide was performed by acid extraction prior to gas chromatographic examination using electron capture detection. His blood level of 2,4-D was 192 mg l-1.

Overview of the High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT) Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, James; Chakrabarti, Suman; Pearson, Boise; Sims, W. Herbert; Lewis, Raymond; Fant, Wallace; Rodgers, Stephen (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A general overview of the High Performance Antiproton Trap (HiPAT) Experiment is presented. The topics include: 1) Why Antimatter? 2) HiPAT Applicability; 3) Approach-Goals; 4) HiPAT General Layout; 5) Sizing For Containment; 6) Laboratory Operations; 7) Vacuum System Cleaning; 8) Ion Production Via Electron Gun; 9) Particle Capture Via Ion Sources; 10) Ion Beam Steering/Focusing; 11) Ideal Ion Stacking Sequence; 12) Setup For Dynamic Capture; 13) Dynamic Capture of H(+) Ions; 14) Dynamic Capture; 15) Radio Frequency Particle Detection; 16) Radio Frequency Antenna Modeling; and 17) R.F. Stabilization-Low Frequencies. A short presentation of propulsion applications of Antimatter is also given. This paper is in viewgraph form.

Web-based recruitment and survey methodology to capture followers of popular diets: the adhering to dietary approaches for personal taste (ADAPT) feasibility survey

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Although there is interest in popular diets such as vegan/vegetarian, Paleo, and other whole food diets, existing cohort studies lack specific data for these subgroups. With the evolution of new technologies, such as electronic data capture and web-based surveys, their application to nut...

A Brief Introduction to Web-Based Note Capture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ovadia, Steven

2012-01-01

While physical notebooks and locally saved electronic files are certainly helpful, there are a number of web-based solutions that might be useful to someone conducting research online, or looking to hold their notes in a web-based environment. The main advantage of a web-based note capture tool is that one is able to access it from just about…

Instant replay.

PubMed

Rosenthal, David I

2013-06-01

With widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and electronic clinical documentation, health care organizations now have greater faculty to review clinical data and evaluate the efficacy of quality improvement efforts. Unfortunately, I believe there is a fundamental gap between actual health care delivery and what we document in the current EHR systems. This process of capturing the patient encounter, which I'll refer to as transcription, is prone to significant data loss due to inadequate methods of data capture, multiple points of view, and bias and subjectivity in the transcriptional process. Our current EHR, text-based clinical documentation systems are lossy abstractions - one sided accounts of what take place between patients and providers. Our clinical notes contain the breadcrumbs of relationships, conversations, physical exams, and procedures but often lack the ability to capture the form, the emotions, the images, the nonverbal communication, and the actual narrative of interactions between human beings. I believe that a video record, in conjunction with objective transcriptional services and other forms of data capture, may provide a closer approximation to the truth of health care delivery and may be a valuable tool for healthcare improvement. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The fate of technical-grade chlordane in mice fed a high-fat diet and its roles as a candidate obesogen.

PubMed

Wang, Dezhen; Wang, Xinru; Zhang, Ping; Wang, Yao; Zhang, Renke; Yan, Jin; Zhou, Zhiqiang; Zhu, Wentao

2017-03-01

Epidemiological studies indicate that exposure to persistent organic pollutants is positively associated with the prevalence of obesity. To delineate the potential role of technical-grade chlordane in obesity development, chlordane metabolism and chlordane-induced metabolic changes were investigated in mice fed high-fat diet (HFD) over a 6-week period. Gas chromatography-electron capture detector analysis showed that HFD induced more accumulation of technical chlordane in the liver, muscle and adipose tissue. The enantioselectivities of oxychlordane in selected tissues were also influenced by HFD. 1 H NMR-based liver metabolome indicated that technical chlordane can enhance the metabolic alterations induced by HFD. Compared with the low-fat diet (LFD) group, no differences were observed in the LFD + chlordane group. However, as many as 16 metabolites were significantly different between the HFD group and HFD + chlordane group. Moreover, compared to the LFD + chlordane group, the abundances of 24 metabolites significantly increased or decreased in the HFD + chlordane group. Twenty metabolites were altered in the HFD group compared to the LFD group. Tryptophan profiling suggested that both chlordane and HFD can disturb tryptophan catabolism. These interactions between technical chlordane and HFD suggest that technical chlordane is a candidate obesogen. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation of some biologically relevant redox reactions using electrochemical mass spectrometry interfaced by desorption electrospray ionization.

PubMed

Lu, Mei; Wolff, Chloe; Cui, Weidong; Chen, Hao

2012-04-01

Recently we have shown that, as a versatile ionization technique, desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) can serve as a useful interface to combine electrochemistry (EC) with mass spectrometry (MS). In this study, the EC/DESI-MS method has been further applied to investigate some aqueous phase redox reactions of biological significance, including the reduction of peptide disulfide bonds and nitroaromatics as well as the oxidation of phenothiazines. It was found that knotted/enclosed disulfide bonds in the peptides apamin and endothelin could be electrochemically cleaved. Subsequent tandem MS analysis of the resulting reduced peptide ions using collision-induced dissociation (CID) and electron-capture dissociation (ECD) gave rise to extensive fragment ions, providing a fast protocol for sequencing peptides with complicated disulfide bond linkages. Flunitrazepam and clonazepam, a class of nitroaromatic drugs, are known to undergo reduction into amines which was proposed to involve nitroso and N-hydroxyl intermediates. Now in this study, these corresponding intermediate ions were successfully intercepted and their structures were confirmed by CID. This provides mass spectrometric evidence for the mechanism of the nitro to amine conversion process during nitroreduction, an important redox reaction involved in carcinogenesis. In addition, the well-known oxidation reaction of chlorpromazine was also examined. The putative transient one-electron transfer product, the chlorpromazine radical cation (m/z 318), was captured by MS, for the first time, and its structure was also verified by CID. In addition to these observations, some features of the DESI-interfaced electrochemical mass spectrometry were discussed, such as simple instrumentation and the lack of background signal. These results further demonstrate the feasibility of EC/DESI-MS for the study of the biology-relevant redox chemistry and would find applications in proteomics and drug development research.

Water network-mediated, electron-induced proton transfer in [C{sub 5}H{sub 5}N ⋅ (H{sub 2}O){sub n}]{sup −} clusters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

DeBlase, Andrew F.; Wolke, Conrad T.; Johnson, Mark A., E-mail: jordan@pitt.edu, E-mail: nhammer@olemiss.edu, E-mail: mark.johnson@yale.edu

2015-10-14

The role of proton-assisted charge accommodation in electron capture by a heterocyclic electron scavenger is investigated through theoretical analysis of the vibrational spectra of cold, gas phase [Py ⋅ (H{sub 2}O){sub n=3−5}]{sup −} clusters. These radical anions are formed when an excess electron is attached to water clusters containing a single pyridine (Py) molecule in a supersonic jet ion source. Under these conditions, the cluster ion distribution starts promptly at n = 3, and the photoelectron spectra, combined with vibrational predissociation spectra of the Ar-tagged anions, establish that for n > 3, these species are best described as hydrated hydroxidemore » ions with the neutral pyridinium radical, PyH{sup (0)}, occupying one of the primary solvation sites of the OH{sup −}. The n = 3 cluster appears to be a special case where charge localization on Py and hydroxide is nearly isoenergetic, and the nature of this species is explored with ab initio molecular dynamics calculations of the trajectories that start from metastable arrangements of the anion based on a diffuse, essentially dipole-bound electron. These calculations indicate that the reaction proceeds via a relatively slow rearrangement of the water network to create a favorable hydration configuration around the water molecule that eventually donates a proton to the Py nitrogen atom to yield the product hydroxide ion. The correlation between the degree of excess charge localization and the evolving shape of the water network revealed by this approach thus provides a microscopic picture of the “solvent coordinate” at the heart of a prototypical proton-coupled electron transfer reaction.« less

Micromotors to capture and destroy anthrax simulant spores.

PubMed

Orozco, Jahir; Pan, Guoqing; Sattayasamitsathit, Sirilak; Galarnyk, Michael; Wang, Joseph

2015-03-07

Towards addressing the need for detecting and eliminating biothreats, we describe a micromotor-based approach for screening, capturing, isolating and destroying anthrax simulant spores in a simple and rapid manner with minimal sample processing. The B. globilli antibody-functionalized micromotors can recognize, capture and transport B. globigii spores in environmental matrices, while showing non-interactions with excess of non-target bacteria. Efficient destruction of the anthrax simulant spores is demonstrated via the micromotor-induced mixing of a mild oxidizing solution. The new micromotor-based approach paves a way to dynamic multifunctional systems that rapidly recognize, isolate, capture and destroy biological threats.

Compton interaction of free electrons with intense low frequency radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Illarionov, A. F.; Kompaneyets, D. A.

1978-01-01

Electron behavior in an intense low frequency radiation field, with induced Compton scattering as the primary mechanism of interaction, is investigated. Evolution of the electron energy spectrum is studied, and the equilibrium spectrum of relativistic electrons in a radiation field with high brightness temperature is found. The induced radiation pressure and heating rate of an electron gas are calculated. The direction of the induced pressure depends on the radiation spectrum. The form of spectrum, under the induced force can accelerate electrons to superrelativistic energies is found.

Architecture of the nitric-oxide synthase holoenzyme reveals large conformational changes and a calmodulin-driven release of the FMN domain.

PubMed

Yokom, Adam L; Morishima, Yoshihiro; Lau, Miranda; Su, Min; Glukhova, Alisa; Osawa, Yoichi; Southworth, Daniel R

2014-06-13

Nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) is required in mammals to generate NO for regulating blood pressure, synaptic response, and immune defense. NOS is a large homodimer with well characterized reductase and oxygenase domains that coordinate a multistep, interdomain electron transfer mechanism to oxidize l-arginine and generate NO. Ca(2+)-calmodulin (CaM) binds between the reductase and oxygenase domains to activate NO synthesis. Although NOS has long been proposed to adopt distinct conformations that alternate between interflavin and FMN-heme electron transfer steps, structures of the holoenzyme have remained elusive and the CaM-bound arrangement is unknown. Here we have applied single particle electron microscopy (EM) methods to characterize the full-length of the neuronal isoform (nNOS) complex and determine the structural mechanism of CaM activation. We have identified that nNOS adopts an ensemble of open and closed conformational states and that CaM binding induces a dramatic rearrangement of the reductase domain. Our three-dimensional reconstruction of the intact nNOS-CaM complex reveals a closed conformation and a cross-monomer arrangement with the FMN domain rotated away from the NADPH-FAD center, toward the oxygenase dimer. This work captures, for the first time, the reductase-oxygenase structural arrangement and the CaM-dependent release of the FMN domain that coordinates to drive electron transfer across the domains during catalysis. © 2014 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Direct Evidence of EMIC-Driven Electron Loss in Space: Evaluation of an Electron Dropout Event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X.; Li, W.; Ma, Q.; Thorne, R. M.; Angelopoulos, V.

2015-12-01

Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves have been proposed as a mechanism to cause efficient losses of highly relativistic (>MeV) electrons via gyroresonant interactions. However, simultaneous observations of EMIC waves and equatorial electron pitch angle distributions, which can be used to directly quantify the EMIC wave scattering effect, are still very limited. In the present study, we evaluate the effect of EMIC waves on the pitch angle scattering of relativistic and ultrarelativistic (0.5-5 MeV) electrons during the main phase of a geomagnetic storm, when intense EMIC wave activity was observed in situ (in the plasma plume region with high plasma density) on both the Van Allen Probes and one of the THEMIS probes. EMIC waves captured on the ground across the Canadian Array for Real-time Investigations of Magnetic Activity (CARISMA) and enhanced precipitation of >~0.7 MeV electrons captured by POES are used to infer the MLT coverage of EMIC waves. Based on the observed EMIC wave spectra, local fpe and fce, we estimate the wave diffusion rates and model the evolution of electron pitch angle distributions. By comparing the modeled results with local observations of pitch angle distributions, for the first time, we are able to show direct, quantitative evidence of EMIC wave-driven relativistic electron loss in the Earth's outer radiation belt.

Development of a magnetic bead-based method for the collection of circulating extracellular vesicles.

PubMed

Shih, Chun-Liang; Chong, Kowit-Yu; Hsu, Shih-Che; Chien, Hsin-Jung; Ma, Ching-Ting; Chang, John Wen-Cheng; Yu, Chia-Jung; Chiou, Chiuan-Chian

2016-01-25

Cells release different types of extracellular vesicles (EVs). These EVs contain biomolecules, including proteins and nucleic acids, from their parent cells, which can be useful for diagnostic applications. The aim of this study was to develop a convenient procedure to collect circulating EVs with detectable mRNA or other biomolecules. Magnetic beads coated with annexin A5 (ANX-beads), which bound to phosphatidylserine moieties on the surfaces of most EVs, were tested for their ability to capture induced apoptotic bodies in vitro and other phosphatidylserine-presenting vesicles in body fluids. Our results show that up to 60% of induced apoptotic bodies could be captured by the ANX-beads. The vesicles captured from cultured media or plasma contained amplifiable RNA. Suitable blood samples for EV collection included EDTA-plasma and serum but not heparin-plasma. In addition, EVs in plasma were labile to freeze-and-thaw cycles. In rodents xenografted with human cancer cells, tumor-derived mRNA could be detected in EVs captured from serum samples. Active proteins could be detected in EVs captured from ascites but not from plasma. In conclusion, we have developed a magnetic bead-based procedure for the collection of EVs from body fluids and proved that captured EVs contain biomolecules from their parent cells, and therefore have great potential for disease diagnosis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Negative-ion formation in the explosives RDX, PETN, and TNT using the Reversal Electron Attachment Detection (READ) technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chutijian, Ara; Boumsellek, S.; Alajajian, S. H.

1992-01-01

In the search for high sensitivity and direct atmospheric sampling of trace species, techniques have been developed such as atmospheric-sampling, glow-discharge ionization (ASGDI), corona discharge, atmospheric pressure ionization (API), electron-capture detection (ECD), and negative-ion chemical ionization (NICI) that are capable of detecting parts-per-billion to parts-per-trillion concentrations of trace species. These techniques are based on positive- or negative-ion formation via charge-transfer to the target, or electron capture under multiple-collision conditions in a Maxwellian distribution of electron energies at the source temperature. One drawback of the high-pressure, corona- or glow-discharge devices is that they are susceptible to interferences either through indistinguishable product masses, or through undesired ion-molecule reactions. The ASGDI technique is relatively immune from such interferences, since at target concentrations of less than 1 ppm the majority of negative ions arises via electron capture rather than through ion-molecule chemistry. A drawback of the conventional ECD, and possibly of the ASGDI, is that they exhibit vanishingly small densities of electrons with energies in the range 0-10 millielectron volts (meV), as can be seen from a typical Maxwellian electron energy distribution function at T = 300 K. Slowing the electrons to these subthermal (less than 10 meV) energies is crucial, since the cross section for attachment of several large classes of molecules is known to increase to values larger than 10(exp -12) sq cm at near-zero electron energies. In the limit of zero energy these cross sections are predicted to diverge as epsilon(exp -1/2), where epsilon is the electron energy. In order to provide a better 'match' between the electron energy distribution function and attachment cross section, a new concept of attachment in an electrostatic mirror was developed. In this scheme, electrons are brought to a momentary halt by reversing their direction with electrostatic fields. At this turning point the electrons have zero or near-zero energy. A beam of target molecules is introduced, and the resultant negative ions extracted. This basic idea has been recently improved to allow for better reversal geometry, higher electron currents, lower backgrounds, and increased negative-ion extraction efficiency. We present herein application of the so-called reversal electron attachment detector (READ) to the study of negative-ion formation in the explosives molecules RDX, PETN, and TNT under single-collision conditions.

Circular dichroism in photo-single-ionization of unoriented atoms.

PubMed

Feagin, James M

2002-01-28

We predict circular dichroism in photo-single-ionization angular distributions from spherically symmetric atomic states if the ionized electron is detected using two-slit interferometry. We demonstrate that the resulting electron interference pattern captures phase information on quadrupole corrections to the photoionization amplitude lost in conventional angular distributions.

78 FR 11877 - Announcement of Requirements Gathering Meetings for the Electronic Manifest (e-Manifest) System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-20

... Gathering Meetings for the Electronic Manifest (e-Manifest) System AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of public meetings. SUMMARY: EPA's Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery...'') system to capture information regarding the shipment of hazardous waste from the time it leaves the...

17 CFR 38.552 - Elements of an acceptable audit trail program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... of the order shall also be captured. (b) Transaction history database. A designated contract market's audit trail program must include an electronic transaction history database. An adequate transaction history database includes a history of all trades executed via open outcry or via entry into an electronic...

17 CFR 38.552 - Elements of an acceptable audit trail program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... of the order shall also be captured. (b) Transaction history database. A designated contract market's audit trail program must include an electronic transaction history database. An adequate transaction history database includes a history of all trades executed via open outcry or via entry into an electronic...

Semiclassical analysis of angular differential cross sections for single-electron capture in 250-eV H++H collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frémont, F.

2015-05-01

A classical model based on the resolution of Hamilton equations of motion is used to determine the angular distribution of H projectiles following single-electron capture in H++H collisions at an incident projectile energy of 250 eV. At such low energies, the experimental charge-exchange probability and angular differential cross sections exhibit oscillatory structures that are classically related to the number of swaps the electron experiences between the target and the projectile during the collision. These oscillations are well reproduced by models based on quantum mechanics. In the present paper, the angular distribution of H projectiles is determined classically, at angles varying from 0.1° up to 7°. The variation in intensity due to interferences caused by the indiscernibility between different trajectories is calculated, and the role of these interferences is discussed.

Charge-equilibrium and radiation of low-energy cosmic rays passing through interstellar medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rule, D. W.; Omidvar, K.

1977-01-01

The charge equilibrium and radiation of an oxygen and an iron beam in the MeV per nucleon energy range, representing a typical beam of low-energy cosmic rays passing through the interstellar medium, is considered. Electron loss of the beam has been taken into account by means of the First Born approximation allowing for the target atom to remain unexcited, or to be excited to all possible states. Electron capture cross sections have been calculated by means of the scaled Oppenheimer-Brinkman-Kramers approximation, taking into account all atomic shells of the target atoms. Radiation of the beam due to electron capture into the excited states of the ion, collisional excitation and collisional inner-shell ionization of the ions has been considered. Effective X-ray production cross sections and multiplicities for the most energetic X-ray lines emitted by the Fe and O beams have been calculated.

Automated Transformation of CDISC ODM to OpenClinica.

PubMed

Gessner, Sophia; Storck, Michael; Hegselmann, Stefan; Dugas, Martin; Soto-Rey, Iñaki

2017-01-01

Due to the increasing use of electronic data capture systems for clinical research, the interest in saving resources by automatically generating and reusing case report forms in clinical studies is growing. OpenClinica, an open-source electronic data capture system enables the reuse of metadata in its own Excel import template, hampering the reuse of metadata defined in other standard formats. One of these standard formats is the Operational Data Model for metadata, administrative and clinical data in clinical studies. This work suggests a mapping from Operational Data Model to OpenClinica and describes the implementation of a converter to automatically generate OpenClinica conform case report forms based upon metadata in the Operational Data Model.

The use of Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) software to create a database of librarian-mediated literature searches.

PubMed

Lyon, Jennifer A; Garcia-Milian, Rolando; Norton, Hannah F; Tennant, Michele R

2014-01-01

Expert-mediated literature searching, a keystone service in biomedical librarianship, would benefit significantly from regular methodical review. This article describes the novel use of Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) software to create a database of literature searches conducted at a large academic health sciences library. An archive of paper search requests was entered into REDCap, and librarians now prospectively enter records for current searches. Having search data readily available allows librarians to reuse search strategies and track their workload. In aggregate, this data can help guide practice and determine priorities by identifying users' needs, tracking librarian effort, and focusing librarians' continuing education.

Electron-irradiation-induced crystallization at metallic amorphous/silicon oxide interfaces caused by electronic excitation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nagase, Takeshi, E-mail: t-nagase@uhvem.osaka-u.ac.jp; Division of Materials and Manufacturing Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1, Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871; Yamashita, Ryo

2016-04-28

Irradiation-induced crystallization of an amorphous phase was stimulated at a Pd-Si amorphous/silicon oxide (a(Pd-Si)/SiO{sub x}) interface at 298 K by electron irradiation at acceleration voltages ranging between 25 kV and 200 kV. Under irradiation, a Pd-Si amorphous phase was initially formed at the crystalline face-centered cubic palladium/silicon oxide (Pd/SiO{sub x}) interface, followed by the formation of a Pd{sub 2}Si intermetallic compound through irradiation-induced crystallization. The irradiation-induced crystallization can be considered to be stimulated not by defect introduction through the electron knock-on effects and electron-beam heating, but by the electronic excitation mechanism. The observed irradiation-induced structural change at the a(Pd-Si)/SiO{sub x} and Pd/SiO{sub x}more » interfaces indicates multiple structural modifications at the metal/silicon oxide interfaces through electronic excitation induced by the electron-beam processes.« less

Electron-beam irradiation-induced gate oxide degradation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Byung Jin; Chong, Pei Fen; Chor, Eng Fong; Joo, Moon Sig; Yeo, In Seok

2000-12-01

Gate oxide degradation induced by electron-beam irradiation has been studied. A large increase in the low-field excess leakage current was observed on irradiated oxides and this was very similar to electrical stress-induced leakage currents. Unlike conventional electrical stress-induced leakage currents, however, electron-beam induced leakage currents exhibit a power law relationship with fluency without any signs of saturation. It has also been found that the electron-beam neither accelerates nor initiates quasibreakdown of the ultrathin gate oxide. Therefore, the traps generated by electron-beam irradiation do not contribute to quasibreakdown, only to the leakage current.

Neutron-Induced Fission Measurements at the Dance and Lsds Facilities at Lanl

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jandel, M.; Bredeweg, T. A.; Bond, E. M.; Chadwick, M. B.; Couture, A.; O'Donnell, J. M.; Fowler, M. M.; Haight, R. C.; Hayes-Sterbenz, A. C.; Rundberg, R. S.; Rusev, G. Y.; Ullmann, J. L.; Vieira, D. J.; Wilhelmy, J. B.; Wu, C. Y.; Becker, J. A.; Alexander, C. W.; Belier, G.

2014-09-01

New results from neutron-induced fission measurements performed at the Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE) and Lead Slowing Down Spectrometer (LSDS) are presented. New correlated data on promptfission γ-ray (PFG) distributions were measured using the DANCE array for resonant neutron-induced fission of 233U, 235U and 239Pu. The deduced properties of PFG emission are presented using a simple parametrization. An accurate knowledge of fission γ-ray spectra enables us to analyze the isomeric states of 236U created after neutron capture on 235U. We briefly discuss these new results. Finally, we review details and preliminary results of the challenging 237U(n,f) cross section measurement at the LSDS facility.

The feasibility of using 'bring your own device' (BYOD) technology for electronic data capture in multicentre medical audit and research.

PubMed

Faulds, M C; Bauchmuller, K; Miller, D; Rosser, J H; Shuker, K; Wrench, I; Wilson, P; Mills, G H

2016-01-01

Large-scale audit and research projects demand robust, efficient systems for accurate data collection, handling and analysis. We utilised a multiplatform 'bring your own device' (BYOD) electronic data collection app to capture observational audit data on theatre efficiency across seven hospital Trusts in South Yorkshire in June-August 2013. None of the participating hospitals had a dedicated information governance policy for bring your own device. Data were collected by 17 investigators for 392 individual theatre lists, capturing 14,148 individual data points, 12, 852 (91%) of which were transmitted to a central database on the day of collection without any loss of data. BYOD technology enabled accurate collection of a large volume of secure data across multiple NHS organisations over a short period of time. Bring your own device technology provides a method for collecting real-time audit, research and quality improvement data within healthcare systems without compromising patient data protection. © 2015 The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.

A photonic crystal hydrogel suspension array for the capture of blood cells from whole blood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Bin; Cai, Yunlang; Shang, Luoran; Wang, Huan; Cheng, Yao; Rong, Fei; Gu, Zhongze; Zhao, Yuanjin

2016-02-01

Diagnosing hematological disorders based on the separation and detection of cells in the patient's blood is a significant challenge. We have developed a novel barcode particle-based suspension array that can simultaneously capture and detect multiple types of blood cells. The barcode particles are polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogel inverse opal microcarriers with characteristic reflection peak codes that remain stable during cell capture on their surfaces. The hydrophilic PAAm hydrogel scaffolds of the barcode particles can entrap various plasma proteins to capture different cells in the blood, with little damage to captured cells.Diagnosing hematological disorders based on the separation and detection of cells in the patient's blood is a significant challenge. We have developed a novel barcode particle-based suspension array that can simultaneously capture and detect multiple types of blood cells. The barcode particles are polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogel inverse opal microcarriers with characteristic reflection peak codes that remain stable during cell capture on their surfaces. The hydrophilic PAAm hydrogel scaffolds of the barcode particles can entrap various plasma proteins to capture different cells in the blood, with little damage to captured cells. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr06368j

A multiplexed electronic architecture for opto-electronic patch sensor to effectively monitor heart rate and oxygen saturation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Liangwen; Hu, Sijung; Alharbi, Samah; Blanos, Panagiotis

2018-02-01

To effectively capture human vital signs, a multi-wavelength optoelectronic patch sensor (MOEPS), together with a schematic architecture of electronics, was developed to overcome the drawbacks of present photoplethysmographic (PPG) sensors. To obtain a better performance of in vivo physiological measurement, the optimal illuminations, i.e., light emitting diodes (LEDs) in the MOEPS, whose wavelength is automatically adjusted to each specific subject, were selected to capture better PPG signals. A multiplexed electronic architecture has been well established to properly drive the MOEPS and effectively capture pulsatile waveforms at rest. The protocol was designed to investigate its performance with the participation of 11 healthy subjects aged between 18 and 30. The signals obtained from green (525nm) and orange (595nm) illuminations were used to extract heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation (SpO2%). These results were compared with data, simultaneously acquired, from a commercial ECG and a pulse oximeter. Considering the difficulty for current devices to attain the SpO2%, a new computing method, to obtain the value of SpO2%, is proposed depended on the green and orange wavelength illuminations. The values of SpO2% between the MOEPS and the commercial Pulse Oximeter devics showed that the results were in good agreement. The values of HR showed close correlation between commercial devices and the MOEPS (HR: r1=0.994(Green); r2=0.992(Orange); r3=0.975(Red); r4=0.990(IR)).

Breaking Symmetry in Time-Dependent Electronic Structure Theory to Describe Spectroscopic Properties of Non-Collinear and Chiral Molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goings, Joshua James

Time-dependent electronic structure theory has the power to predict and probe the ways electron dynamics leads to useful phenomena and spectroscopic data. Here we report several advances and extensions of broken-symmetry time-dependent electronic structure theory in order to capture the flexibility required to describe non-equilibrium spin dynamics, as well as electron dynamics for chiroptical properties and vibrational effects. In the first half, we begin by discussing the generalization of self-consistent field methods to the so-called two-component structure in order to capture non-collinear spin states. This means that individual electrons are allowed to take a superposition of spin-1/2 projection states, instead of being constrained to either spin-up or spin-down. The system is no longer a spin eigenfunction, and is known a a spin-symmetry broken wave function. This flexibility to break spin symmetry may lead to variational instabilities in the approximate wave function, and we discuss how these may be overcome. With a stable non-collinear wave function in hand, we then discuss how to obtain electronic excited states from the non-collinear reference, along with associated challenges in their physical interpretation. Finally, we extend the two-component methods to relativistic Hamiltonians, which is the proper setting for describing spin-orbit driven phenomena. We describe the first implementation of the explicit time propagation of relativistic two-component methods and how this may be used to capture spin-forbidden states in electronic absorption spectra. In the second half, we describe the extension of explicitly time-propagated wave functions to the simulation of chiroptical properties, namely circular dichroism (CD) spectra of chiral molecules. Natural circular dichroism, that is, CD in the absence of magnetic fields, originates in the broken parity symmetry of chiral molecules. This proves to be an efficient method for computing circular dichroism spectra for high density-of-states chiral molecules. Next, we explore the impact of allowing nuclear motion on electronic absorption spectra within the context of mixed quantum-classical dynamics. We show that nuclear motion modulates the electronic response, and this gives rise to infrared absorption as well as Raman scattering phenomena in the computed dynamic polarizability. Finally, we explore the accuracy of several perturbative approximations to the equation-of-motion coupled-cluster methods for the efficient and accurate prediction of electronic absorption spectra.

A novel electron gun for inline MRI-linac configurations.

PubMed

Constantin, Dragoş E; Holloway, Lois; Keall, Paul J; Fahrig, Rebecca

2014-02-01

This work introduces a new electron gun geometry capable of robust functioning in the presence of a high strength external magnetic field for axisymmetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-linac configurations. This allows an inline MRI-linac to operate without the need to isolate the linear accelerator (linac) using a magnetic shield. This MRI-linac integration approach not only leaves the magnet homogeneity unchanged but also provides the linac flexibility to move along the magnet axis of symmetry if the source to target distance needs to be adjusted. Simple electron gun geometry modifications of a Varian 600 C electron gun are considered and solved in the presence of an external magnetic field in order to determine a set of design principles for the new geometry. Based on these results, a new gun geometry is proposed and optimized in the fringe field of a 0.5 T open bore MRI magnet (GE Signa SP). A computer model for the 6 MeV Varian 600 C linac is used to determine the capture efficiency of the new electron gun-linac system in the presence of the fringe field of the same MRI scanner. The behavior of the new electron gun plus the linac system is also studied in the fringe fields of two other magnets, a 1.0 T prototype open bore magnet and a 1.5 T GE Conquest scanner. Simple geometrical modifications of the original electron gun geometry do not provide feasible solutions. However, these tests show that a smaller transverse cathode diameter with a flat surface and a slightly larger anode diameter could alleviate the current loss due to beam interactions with the anode in the presence of magnetic fields. Based on these findings, an initial geometry resembling a parallel plate capacitor with a hole in the anode is proposed. The optimization procedure finds a cathode-anode distance of 5 mm, a focusing electrode angle of 5°, and an anode drift tube length of 17.1 mm. Also, the linac can be displaced with ± 15 cm along the axis of the 0.5 T magnet without capture efficiency reduction below the experimental value in zero field. In this range of linac displacements, the electron beam generated by the new gun geometry is more effectively injected into the linac in the presence of an external magnetic field, resulting in approximately 20% increase of the target current compared to the original gun geometry behavior at zero field. The new gun geometry can generate and accelerate electron beams in external magnetic fields without current loss for fields higher than 0.11 T. The new electron-gun geometry is robust enough to function in the fringe fields of the other two magnets with a target current loss of no more than 16% with respect to the current obtained with no external magnetic fields. In this work, a specially designed electron gun was presented which can operate in the presence of axisymmetric strong magnetic fringe fields of MRI magnets. Computer simulations show that the electron gun can produce high quality beams which can be injected into a straight through linac such as Varian 600 C and accelerated with more efficiency in the presence of the external magnetic fields. Also, the new configuration allows linac displacements along the magnet axis in a range equal to the diameter of the imaging spherical volume of the magnet under consideration. The new electron gun-linac system can function in the fringe field of a MRI magnet if the field strength at the cathode position is higher than 0.11 T. The capture efficiency of the linac depends on the magnetic field strength and the field gradient. The higher the gradient the better the capture efficiency. The capture efficiency does not degrade more than 16%.

A novel electron gun for inline MRI-linac configurations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Constantin, Dragoş E., E-mail: dragos.constantin@varian.com; Fahrig, Rebecca; Holloway, Lois

2014-02-15

Purpose: This work introduces a new electron gun geometry capable of robust functioning in the presence of a high strength external magnetic field for axisymmetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-linac configurations. This allows an inline MRI-linac to operate without the need to isolate the linear accelerator (linac) using a magnetic shield. This MRI-linac integration approach not only leaves the magnet homogeneity unchanged but also provides the linac flexibility to move along the magnet axis of symmetry if the source to target distance needs to be adjusted. Methods: Simple electron gun geometry modifications of a Varian 600C electron gun are considered andmore » solved in the presence of an external magnetic field in order to determine a set of design principles for the new geometry. Based on these results, a new gun geometry is proposed and optimized in the fringe field of a 0.5 T open bore MRI magnet (GE Signa SP). A computer model for the 6 MeV Varian 600C linac is used to determine the capture efficiency of the new electron gun-linac system in the presence of the fringe field of the same MRI scanner. The behavior of the new electron gun plus the linac system is also studied in the fringe fields of two other magnets, a 1.0 T prototype open bore magnet and a 1.5 T GE Conquest scanner. Results: Simple geometrical modifications of the original electron gun geometry do not provide feasible solutions. However, these tests show that a smaller transverse cathode diameter with a flat surface and a slightly larger anode diameter could alleviate the current loss due to beam interactions with the anode in the presence of magnetic fields. Based on these findings, an initial geometry resembling a parallel plate capacitor with a hole in the anode is proposed. The optimization procedure finds a cathode-anode distance of 5 mm, a focusing electrode angle of 5°, and an anode drift tube length of 17.1 mm. Also, the linac can be displaced with ±15 cm along the axis of the 0.5 T magnet without capture efficiency reduction below the experimental value in zero field. In this range of linac displacements, the electron beam generated by the new gun geometry is more effectively injected into the linac in the presence of an external magnetic field, resulting in approximately 20% increase of the target current compared to the original gun geometry behavior at zero field. The new gun geometry can generate and accelerate electron beams in external magnetic fields without current loss for fields higher than 0.11 T. The new electron-gun geometry is robust enough to function in the fringe fields of the other two magnets with a target current loss of no more than 16% with respect to the current obtained with no external magnetic fields. Conclusions: In this work, a specially designed electron gun was presented which can operate in the presence of axisymmetric strong magnetic fringe fields of MRI magnets. Computer simulations show that the electron gun can produce high quality beams which can be injected into a straight through linac such as Varian 600C and accelerated with more efficiency in the presence of the external magnetic fields. Also, the new configuration allows linac displacements along the magnet axis in a range equal to the diameter of the imaging spherical volume of the magnet under consideration. The new electron gun-linac system can function in the fringe field of a MRI magnet if the field strength at the cathode position is higher than 0.11 T. The capture efficiency of the linac depends on the magnetic field strength and the field gradient. The higher the gradient the better the capture efficiency. The capture efficiency does not degrade more than 16%.« less

A novel electron gun for inline MRI-linac configurations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Constantin, Dragoş E., E-mail: dragos.constantin@varian.com; Fahrig, Rebecca; Holloway, Lois

Purpose: This work introduces a new electron gun geometry capable of robust functioning in the presence of a high strength external magnetic field for axisymmetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-linac configurations. This allows an inline MRI-linac to operate without the need to isolate the linear accelerator (linac) using a magnetic shield. This MRI-linac integration approach not only leaves the magnet homogeneity unchanged but also provides the linac flexibility to move along the magnet axis of symmetry if the source to target distance needs to be adjusted. Methods: Simple electron gun geometry modifications of a Varian 600C electron gun are considered andmore » solved in the presence of an external magnetic field in order to determine a set of design principles for the new geometry. Based on these results, a new gun geometry is proposed and optimized in the fringe field of a 0.5 T open bore MRI magnet (GE Signa SP). A computer model for the 6 MeV Varian 600C linac is used to determine the capture efficiency of the new electron gun-linac system in the presence of the fringe field of the same MRI scanner. The behavior of the new electron gun plus the linac system is also studied in the fringe fields of two other magnets, a 1.0 T prototype open bore magnet and a 1.5 T GE Conquest scanner. Results: Simple geometrical modifications of the original electron gun geometry do not provide feasible solutions. However, these tests show that a smaller transverse cathode diameter with a flat surface and a slightly larger anode diameter could alleviate the current loss due to beam interactions with the anode in the presence of magnetic fields. Based on these findings, an initial geometry resembling a parallel plate capacitor with a hole in the anode is proposed. The optimization procedure finds a cathode-anode distance of 5 mm, a focusing electrode angle of 5°, and an anode drift tube length of 17.1 mm. Also, the linac can be displaced with ±15 cm along the axis of the 0.5 T magnet without capture efficiency reduction below the experimental value in zero field. In this range of linac displacements, the electron beam generated by the new gun geometry is more effectively injected into the linac in the presence of an external magnetic field, resulting in approximately 20% increase of the target current compared to the original gun geometry behavior at zero field. The new gun geometry can generate and accelerate electron beams in external magnetic fields without current loss for fields higher than 0.11 T. The new electron-gun geometry is robust enough to function in the fringe fields of the other two magnets with a target current loss of no more than 16% with respect to the current obtained with no external magnetic fields. Conclusions: In this work, a specially designed electron gun was presented which can operate in the presence of axisymmetric strong magnetic fringe fields of MRI magnets. Computer simulations show that the electron gun can produce high quality beams which can be injected into a straight through linac such as Varian 600C and accelerated with more efficiency in the presence of the external magnetic fields. Also, the new configuration allows linac displacements along the magnet axis in a range equal to the diameter of the imaging spherical volume of the magnet under consideration. The new electron gun-linac system can function in the fringe field of a MRI magnet if the field strength at the cathode position is higher than 0.11 T. The capture efficiency of the linac depends on the magnetic field strength and the field gradient. The higher the gradient the better the capture efficiency. The capture efficiency does not degrade more than 16%.« less

Structural biologists capture detailed image of gene regulator’s fleeting form | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Using an ultrafast, high-intensity radiation source called an X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL), scientists have captured an atomic-level picture of an RNA structure called a riboswitch as it reorganizes itself to regulate protein production. The structure they visualized has never before been seen, and likely exists for only milliseconds after the riboswitch first encounters

Effects of using structured templates for recalling chemistry experiments.

PubMed

Willoughby, Cerys; Logothetis, Thomas A; Frey, Jeremy G

2016-01-01

The way that we recall information is dependent upon both the knowledge in our memories and the conditions under which we recall the information. Electronic Laboratory Notebooks can provide a structured interface for the capture of experiment records through the use of forms and templates. These templates can be useful by providing cues to help researchers to remember to record particular aspects of their experiment, but they may also constrain the information that is recorded by encouraging them to record only what is asked for. It is therefore unknown whether using structured templates for capturing experiment records will have positive or negative effects on the quality and usefulness of the records for assessment and future use. In this paper we report on the results of a set of studies investigating the effects of different template designs on the recording of experiments by undergraduate students and academic researchers. The results indicate that using structured templates to write up experiments does make a significant difference to the information that is recalled and recorded. These differences have both positive and negative effects, with templates prompting the capture of specific information that is otherwise forgotten, but also apparently losing some of the personal elements of the experiment experience such as observations and explanations. Other unexpected effects were seen with templates that can change the information that is captured, but also interfere with the way an experiment is conducted. Our results showed that using structured templates can improve the completeness of the experiment context information captured but can also cause a loss of personal elements of the experiment experience when compared with allowing the researcher to structure their own record. The results suggest that interfaces for recording information about chemistry experiments, whether paper-based questionnaires or templates in Electronic Laboratory Notebooks, can be an effective way to improve the quality of experiment write-ups, but that care needs to be taken to ensure that the correct cues are provided.Graphical abstractScientists have traditionally recorded their research in paper notebooks, a format that provides great flexibility for capturing information. In contrast, Electronic Laboratory Notebooks frequently make use of forms or structured templates for capturing experiment records. Structured templates can provide cues that can improve record quality by increasing the amount of information captured and encouraging consistency. However, using the wrong cues can lead to a loss of personal elements of the experiment experience and frustrate users. This image shows two participants from one of our studies recording their experiment using a computer-based template.

Large electron capture-cross-section of the major nonradiative recombination centers in Mg-doped GaN epilayers grown on a GaN substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chichibu, S. F.; Shima, K.; Kojima, K.; Takashima, S.; Edo, M.; Ueno, K.; Ishibashi, S.; Uedono, A.

2018-05-01

Complementary time-resolved photoluminescence and positron annihilation measurements were carried out at room temperature on Mg-doped p-type GaN homoepitaxial films for identifying the origin and estimating the electron capture-cross-section ( σ n ) of the major nonradiative recombination centers (NRCs). To eliminate any influence by threading dislocations, free-standing GaN substrates were used. In Mg-doped p-type GaN, defect complexes composed of a Ga-vacancy (VGa) and multiple N-vacancies (VNs), namely, VGa(VN)2 [or even VGa(VN)3], are identified as the major intrinsic NRCs. Different from the case of 4H-SiC, atomic structures of intrinsic NRCs in p-type and n-type GaN are different: VGaVN divacancies are the major NRCs in n-type GaN. The σ n value approximately the middle of 10-13 cm2 is obtained for VGa(VN)n, which is larger than the hole capture-cross-section (σp = 7 × 10-14 cm2) of VGaVN in n-type GaN. Combined with larger thermal velocity of an electron, minority carrier lifetime in Mg-doped GaN becomes much shorter than that of n-type GaN.

Development of tungsten-tantalum generator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leblanc, A.; Babich, J.; Jhingran, S. G.

1985-01-01

The purpose of this project was to develop a useable tungsten (W)/tantalum (Ta) generator. Ta-178 is formed following the decay of its parent, W-178 (half-life: 21.7d) and has a half life of 9.3 minutes in turn yielding stable Hf-178. The decay of the parent isotope (W-178) occurs entirely by electron capture to the 9.3 minute Ta-178 state, without feeding the high spin Ta-178 isomer (half life 2.2 hours). In Ta-178 decay, 99.2% of the disintegrations proceed by electron capture and 0.18% by positron emission. Electron capture results in a 61.2% branch to the ground state of Hf-178 and 33.7% to the first excited state at 93 1KeV. The most prominent features of the radionuclide's energy spectrum are the hafnium characteristic radiation peaks with energies between 54.6 and 65.0 KeV. The radiation exposure dose of Ta-118 was calculated to be approximately one-twentieth that of Tc-99m on a per millicurie basis. A twenty-fold reduction in radiation exposure from Ta-178 compared with Tc-99m means that the usual administered dose can be increased three or four times, greatly increasing statistical accuracy while reducing radiation exposure by a factor of five.

Activation of Rho GTPases by Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor 1 Induces Macropinocytosis and Scavenging Activity in Epithelial Cells

PubMed Central

Fiorentini, Carla; Falzano, Loredana; Fabbri, Alessia; Stringaro, Annarita; Logozzi, Mariaantonia; Travaglione, Sara; Contamin, Stéphanette; Arancia, Giuseppe; Malorni, Walter; Fais, Stefano

2001-01-01

Macropinocytosis, a ruffling-driven process that allows the capture of large material, is an essential aspect of normal cell function. It can be either constitutive, as in professional phagocytes where it ends with the digestion of captured material, or induced, as in epithelial cells stimulated by growth factors. In this case, the internalized material recycles back to the cell surface. We herein show that activation of Rho GTPases by a bacterial protein toxin, the Escherichia coli cytotoxic necrotizing factor 1 (CNF1), allowed epithelial cells to engulf and digest apoptotic cells in a manner similar to that of professional phagocytes. In particular, we have demonstrated that 1) the activation of all Rho, Rac, and Cdc42 by CNF1 was essential for the capture and internalization of apoptotic cells; and 2) such activation allowed the discharge of macropinosomal content into Rab7 and lysosomal associated membrane protein-1 acidic lysosomal vesicles where the ingested particles underwent degradation. Taken together, these findings indicate that CNF1-induced “switching on” of Rho GTPases may induce in epithelial cells a scavenging activity, comparable to that exerted by professional phagocytes. The activation of such activity in epithelial cells may be relevant, in mucosal tissues, in supporting or integrating the scavenging activity of resident macrophages. PMID:11452003

Exploring incomplete fusion fraction in 6,7Li induced nuclear reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parkar, V. V.; Jha, V.; Kailas, S.

2017-11-01

We have included breakup effects explicitly to simultaneously calculate the measured cross-sections of the complete fusion, incomplete fusion, and total fusion for 6,7Li projectiles on various targets using the Continuum Discretized Coupled Channels method. The breakup absorption cross-sections obtained with different choices of short range imaginary potentials are utilized to evaluate the individual α-capture and d/t-capture cross-sections and compare with the measured data. It is interesting to note, while in case of 7Li projectile the cross-sections for triton-ICF/triton-capture is far more dominant than α-ICF/α-capture at all energies, similar behavior is not observed in case of 6Li projectile for the deuteron-ICF/deuteron-capture and α-ICF/α-capture. Both these observations are also corroborated by the experimental data for all the systems studied.

Determining Steady-state Tissue Residues for Invertebrates in Contaminated Sediment

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-01

meter (Thermo Orion Electron Corp., Beverly, MA) equipped with a 95-12 ammonia sensitive electrode (Thermo Orion Electron Corp., Beverly, MA...analyzed using an Agilent 5890 gas chromatograph with electron capture detection. Metals were analyzed following methods 6010B and 6020 using a Perkin...readily into cyto- plasm , making it a strong candidate for biomagnification up the food chain (Mason et al. 1996; Wiener et al. 2003). The BSAF

The role of electron irradiation history in liquid cell transmission electron microscopy.

PubMed

Moser, Trevor H; Mehta, Hardeep; Park, Chiwoo; Kelly, Ryan T; Shokuhfar, Tolou; Evans, James E

2018-04-01

In situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (LC-TEM) allows dynamic nanoscale characterization of systems in a hydrated state. Although powerful, this technique remains impaired by issues of repeatability that limit experimental fidelity and hinder the identification and control of some variables underlying observed dynamics. We detail new LC-TEM devices that improve experimental reproducibility by expanding available imaging area and providing a platform for investigating electron flux history on the sample. Irradiation history is an important factor influencing LC-TEM results that has, to this point, been largely qualitatively and not quantitatively described. We use these devices to highlight the role of cumulative electron flux history on samples from both nanoparticle growth and biological imaging experiments and demonstrate capture of time zero, low-dose images on beam-sensitive samples. In particular, the ability to capture pristine images of biological samples, where the acquired image is the first time that the cell experiences significant electron flux, allowed us to determine that nanoparticle movement compared to the cell membrane was a function of cell damage and therefore an artifact rather than visualizing cell dynamics in action. These results highlight just a subset of the new science that is accessible with LC-TEM through the new multiwindow devices with patterned focusing aides.

The role of electron irradiation history in liquid cell transmission electron microscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moser, Trevor H.; Mehta, Hardeep; Park, Chiwoo

In situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (LC-TEM) allows dynamic nanoscale characterization of systems in a hydrated state. Although powerful, this technique remains impaired by issues of repeatability that limit experimental fidelity and hinder the identification and control of some variables underlying observed dynamics. We detail new LC- TEM devices that improve experimental reproducibility by expanding available imaging area and providing a platform for investigating electron flux history on the sample. Irradiation history is an important factor influencing LC-TEM results that has, to this point, been largely qualitatively and not quantitatively described. We use these devices to highlight the rolemore » of cumulative electron flux history on samples from both nanoparticle growth and biological imaging experiments and demonstrate capture of time zero, low-dose images on beam-sensitive samples. In particular, the ability to capture pristine images of biological samples, where the acquired image is the first time that the cell experiences significant electron flux, allowed us to determine that nanoparticle movement compared to the cell membrane was a function of cell damage and therefore an artifact rather than visualizing cell dynamics in action. These results highlight just a subset of the new science that is accessible with LC-TEM through the new multiwindow devices with patterned focusing aides.« less

The role of electron irradiation history in liquid cell transmission electron microscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moser, Trevor H.; Mehta, Hardeep; Park, Chiwoo

In situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (LC-TEM) allows dynamic nanoscale characterization of systems in a hydrated state. Although powerful, this technique remains impaired by issues of repeatability that limit experimental fidelity and hinder the identification and control of some variables underlying observed dynamics. We detail new LC-TEM devices that improve experimental reproducibility by expanding available imaging area and providing a platform for investigating electron flux history on the sample. Irradiation history is an important factor influencing LC-TEM results that has, to this point, been largely qualitatively and not quantitatively described. We use these devices to highlight the role ofmore » cumulative electron flux history on samples from both nanoparticle growth and biological imaging experiments and demonstrate capture of time zero, low-dose images on beam-sensitive samples. In particular, the ability to capture pristine images of biological samples, where the acquired image is the first time that the cell experiences significant electron flux, allowed us to determine that nanoparticle movement compared to the cell membrane was a function of cell damage and therefore an artifact rather than visualizing cell dynamics in action. Lastly, these results highlight just a subset of the new science that is accessible with LC-TEM through the new multiwindow devices with patterned focusing aides.« less

Electronic Information Standards to Support Obesity Prevention and Bridge Services Across Systems, 2010-2015.

PubMed

Wiltz, Jennifer L; Blanck, Heidi M; Lee, Brian; Kocot, S Lawrence; Seeff, Laura; McGuire, Lisa C; Collins, Janet

2017-10-26

Electronic information technology standards facilitate high-quality, uniform collection of data for improved delivery and measurement of health care services. Electronic information standards also aid information exchange between secure systems that link health care and public health for better coordination of patient care and better-informed population health improvement activities. We developed international data standards for healthy weight that provide common definitions for electronic information technology. The standards capture healthy weight data on the "ABCDs" of a visit to a health care provider that addresses initial obesity prevention and care: assessment, behaviors, continuity, identify resources, and set goals. The process of creating healthy weight standards consisted of identifying needs and priorities, developing and harmonizing standards, testing the exchange of data messages, and demonstrating use-cases. Healthy weight products include 2 message standards, 5 use-cases, 31 LOINC (Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes) question codes, 7 healthy weight value sets, 15 public-private engagements with health information technology implementers, and 2 technical guides. A logic model and action steps outline activities toward better data capture, interoperable systems, and information use. Sharing experiences and leveraging this work in the context of broader priorities can inform the development of electronic information standards for similar core conditions and guide strategic activities in electronic systems.

Electronic Information Standards to Support Obesity Prevention and Bridge Services Across Systems, 2010–2015

PubMed Central

Blanck, Heidi M.; Lee, Brian; Kocot, S. Lawrence; Seeff, Laura; McGuire, Lisa C.; Collins, Janet

2017-01-01

Electronic information technology standards facilitate high-quality, uniform collection of data for improved delivery and measurement of health care services. Electronic information standards also aid information exchange between secure systems that link health care and public health for better coordination of patient care and better-informed population health improvement activities. We developed international data standards for healthy weight that provide common definitions for electronic information technology. The standards capture healthy weight data on the “ABCDs” of a visit to a health care provider that addresses initial obesity prevention and care: assessment, behaviors, continuity, identify resources, and set goals. The process of creating healthy weight standards consisted of identifying needs and priorities, developing and harmonizing standards, testing the exchange of data messages, and demonstrating use-cases. Healthy weight products include 2 message standards, 5 use-cases, 31 LOINC (Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes) question codes, 7 healthy weight value sets, 15 public–private engagements with health information technology implementers, and 2 technical guides. A logic model and action steps outline activities toward better data capture, interoperable systems, and information use. Sharing experiences and leveraging this work in the context of broader priorities can inform the development of electronic information standards for similar core conditions and guide strategic activities in electronic systems. PMID:29072985

The role of electron irradiation history in liquid cell transmission electron microscopy

PubMed Central

Mehta, Hardeep

2018-01-01

In situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (LC-TEM) allows dynamic nanoscale characterization of systems in a hydrated state. Although powerful, this technique remains impaired by issues of repeatability that limit experimental fidelity and hinder the identification and control of some variables underlying observed dynamics. We detail new LC-TEM devices that improve experimental reproducibility by expanding available imaging area and providing a platform for investigating electron flux history on the sample. Irradiation history is an important factor influencing LC-TEM results that has, to this point, been largely qualitatively and not quantitatively described. We use these devices to highlight the role of cumulative electron flux history on samples from both nanoparticle growth and biological imaging experiments and demonstrate capture of time zero, low-dose images on beam-sensitive samples. In particular, the ability to capture pristine images of biological samples, where the acquired image is the first time that the cell experiences significant electron flux, allowed us to determine that nanoparticle movement compared to the cell membrane was a function of cell damage and therefore an artifact rather than visualizing cell dynamics in action. These results highlight just a subset of the new science that is accessible with LC-TEM through the new multiwindow devices with patterned focusing aides. PMID:29725619

The role of electron irradiation history in liquid cell transmission electron microscopy

DOE PAGES

Moser, Trevor H.; Mehta, Hardeep; Park, Chiwoo; ...

2018-04-20

In situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (LC-TEM) allows dynamic nanoscale characterization of systems in a hydrated state. Although powerful, this technique remains impaired by issues of repeatability that limit experimental fidelity and hinder the identification and control of some variables underlying observed dynamics. We detail new LC-TEM devices that improve experimental reproducibility by expanding available imaging area and providing a platform for investigating electron flux history on the sample. Irradiation history is an important factor influencing LC-TEM results that has, to this point, been largely qualitatively and not quantitatively described. We use these devices to highlight the role ofmore » cumulative electron flux history on samples from both nanoparticle growth and biological imaging experiments and demonstrate capture of time zero, low-dose images on beam-sensitive samples. In particular, the ability to capture pristine images of biological samples, where the acquired image is the first time that the cell experiences significant electron flux, allowed us to determine that nanoparticle movement compared to the cell membrane was a function of cell damage and therefore an artifact rather than visualizing cell dynamics in action. Lastly, these results highlight just a subset of the new science that is accessible with LC-TEM through the new multiwindow devices with patterned focusing aides.« less

Natural and synthetic vocalizations of brown rat pups, Rattus norvegicus, enhance attractiveness of bait boxes in laboratory and field experiments.

PubMed

Takács, Stephen; Kowalski, Pawel; Gries, Gerhard

2016-10-01

Rats are often neophobic and thus do not readily enter trap boxes which are mandated in rodent management to help reduce the risk of accidental poisoning or capture of non-target animals. Working with brown rats, Rattus norvegicus, as a model species, our overall objective was to test whether sound cues from pups could be developed as a means to enhance captures of rats in trap boxes. Recording vocalizations from three-day-old pups after removal from their natal nest with both sonic and ultrasonic microphones revealed frequency components in the sonic range (1.8-7.5 kHz) and ultrasonic range (18-24 kHz, 33-55 kHz, 60-96 kHz). In two-choice laboratory bioassays, playback recordings of these vocalizations induced significant phonotactic and arrestment responses by juvenile, subadult and adult female and male rats. The effectiveness of engineered 'synthetic' rat pup sounds was dependent upon their frequency components, sound durations and the sound delivery system. Unlike other speakers, a piezoelectric transducer emitting sound bursts of 21 kHz with a 63-KHz harmonic, and persisting for 20-300 ms, proved highly effective in attracting and arresting adult female rats. In a field experiment, a battery-powered electronic device fitted with a piezoelectric transducer and driven by an algorithm that randomly generated sound cues resembling those recorded from rat pups and varying in fundamental frequency (19-23 kHz), duration (20-300 ms) and intermittent silence (300-5000 ms) significantly enhanced captures of rats in trap boxes baited with a food lure and soiled bedding material of adult female rats. Our study provides proof of concept that rat-specific sound cues or signals can be effectively reproduced and deployed as a means to enhance capture of wild rats. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Current and Future Research at DANCE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jandel, M.; Baramsai, B.; Bredeweg, T. A.; Couture, A.; Hayes, A.; Kawano, T.; Mosby, S.; Rusev, G.; Stetcu, I.; Taddeucci, T. N.; Talou, P.; Ullmann, J. L.; Walker, C. L.; Wilhelmy, J. B.

2015-05-01

An overview of the current experimental program on measurements of neutron capture and neutron induced fission at the Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE) is presented. Three major projects are currently under way: 1) high precision measurements of neutron capture cross sections on Uranium isotopes, 2) research aimed at studies of the short-lived actinide isomer production in neutron capture on 235U and 3) measurements of correlated data of fission observables. New projects include developments of auxiliary detectors to improve the capability of DANCE. We are building a compact, segmented NEUtron detector Array at DANCE (NEUANCE), which will be installed in the central cavity of the DANCE array. It will provide experimental information on prompt fission neutrons in coincidence with the prompt fission gamma-rays measured by 160 BaF2 crystals of DANCE. Unique correlated data will be obtained for neutron capture and neutron-induced fission using the DANCE-NEUANCE experimental set up in the future.

Neutron radiative capture methods for surface elemental analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trombka, J.I.; Senftle, F.; Schmadebeck, R.

1970-01-01

Both an accelerator and a 252Cf neutron source have been used to induce characteristic gamma radiation from extended soil samples. To demonstrate the method, measurements of the neutron-induced radiative capture and activation gamma rays have been made with both Ge(Li) and NaI(Tl) detectors, Because of the possible application to space flight geochemical analysis, it is believed that NaI(Tl) detectors must be used. Analytical procedures have been developed to obtain both qualitative and semiquantitative results from an interpretation of the measured NaI(Tl) pulse-height spectrum. Experiment results and the analytic procedure are presented. ?? 1970.

γ{\\hbox-}Flash suppression using a gated photomultiplier assembled with an LaBr3(Ce) detector to measure fast neutron capture reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hara, K. Y.; Harada, H.; Toh, Y.; Hori, J.

2013-09-01

A gated photomultiplier tube (PMT) assembled with an LaBr3(Ce) detector was applied toward the prompt γ{hbox-}ray measurement of fast neutron capture reactions. Time-of-flight measurements of the neutron capture reactions of Cl and Al were performed using the 46-MeV electron linear accelerator at the Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute (KURRI) as a pulsed neutron source. The photomultiplier gating technique effectively suppressed the saturation of the PMT output and extended the energy region of the TOF measurement.

Baseline and stress-induced levels of corticosterone in male and female Afrotropical and European temperate stonechats during breeding.

PubMed

Apfelbeck, Beate; Helm, Barbara; Illera, Juan Carlos; Mortega, Kim G; Smiddy, Patrick; Evans, Neil P

2017-05-22

Latitudinal variation in avian life histories falls along a slow-fast pace of life continuum: tropical species produce small clutches, but have a high survival probability, while in temperate species the opposite pattern is found. This study investigated whether differential investment into reproduction and survival of tropical and temperate species is paralleled by differences in the secretion of the vertebrate hormone corticosterone (CORT). Depending on circulating concentrations, CORT can both act as a metabolic (low to medium levels) and a stress hormone (high levels) and, thereby, influence reproductive decisions. Baseline and stress-induced CORT was measured across sequential stages of the breeding season in males and females of closely related taxa of stonechats (Saxicola spp) from a wide distribution area. We compared stonechats from 13 sites, representing Canary Islands, European temperate and East African tropical areas. Stonechats are highly seasonal breeders at all these sites, but vary between tropical and temperate regions with regard to reproductive investment and presumably also survival. In accordance with life-history theory, during parental stages, post-capture (baseline) CORT was overall lower in tropical than in temperate stonechats. However, during mating stages, tropical males had elevated post-capture (baseline) CORT concentrations, which did not differ from those of temperate males. Female and male mates of a pair showed correlated levels of post-capture CORT when sampled after simulated territorial intrusions. In contrast to the hypothesis that species with low reproduction and high annual survival should be more risk-sensitive, tropical stonechats had lower stress-induced CORT concentrations than temperate stonechats. We also found relatively high post-capture (baseline) and stress-induced CORT concentrations, in slow-paced Canary Islands stonechats. Our data support and refine the view that baseline CORT facilitates energetically demanding activities in males and females and reflects investment into reproduction. Low parental workload was associated with lower post-capture (baseline) CORT as expected for a slow pace of life in tropical species. On a finer resolution, however, this tropical-temperate contrast did not generally hold. Post-capture (baseline) CORT was higher during mating stages in particular in tropical males, possibly to support the energetic needs of mate-guarding. Counter to predictions based on life history theory, our data do not confirm the hypothesis that long-lived tropical populations have higher stress-induced CORT concentrations than short-lived temperate populations. Instead, in the predator-rich tropical environments of African stonechats, a dampened stress response during parental stages may increase survival probabilities of young. Overall our data further support an association between life history and baseline CORT, but challenge the role of stress-induced CORT as a mediator of tropical-temperate variation in life history.

DNA strand breaks and crosslinks induced by transient anions in the range 2-20 eV

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luo, Xinglan; Zheng, Yi, E-mail: Yizheng@fzu.edu.cn; Sanche, Léon

2014-04-21

The energy dependence of the yields of single and double strand breaks (SSB and DSB) and crosslinks induced by electron impact on plasmid DNA films is measured in the 2-20 eV range. The yield functions exhibit two strong maxima, which are interpreted to result from the formation of core-excited resonances (i.e., transient anions) of the bases, and their decay into the autoionization channel, resulting in π → π{sup *} electronic transitions of the bases followed by electron transfer to the C–O σ{sup *} bond in the phosphate group. Occupancy of the σ{sup *} orbital ruptures the C–O bond of themore » backbone via dissociative electron attachment, producing a SSB. From a comparison of our results with those of other works, including theoretical calculations and electron-energy-loss spectra of the bases, the 4.6 eV peak in the SSB yield function is attributed to the resonance decay into the lowest electronically excited states of the bases; in particular, those resulting from the transitions 1{sup 3}A{sup ′} (π{sub 2} → π{sub 3}{sup *}) and 1{sup 3}A{sup ″} (n{sub 2} → π{sub 3}{sup *}) of thymine and 1{sup 3}A{sup ′} (π → π{sup *}) of cytosine. The strongest peak at 9.6 eV in the SSB yield function is also associated with electron captured by excited states of the bases, resulting mostly from a multitude of higher-energy π → π{sup *} transitions. The DSB yield function exhibits strong maxima at 6.1 and 9.6 eV. The peak at 9.6 eV is probably related to the same resonance manifold as that leading to SSB, but the other at 6.1 eV may be more restricted to decay into the electronic state 1{sup 3}A{sup ′} (π → π{sup *}) of cytosine via autoionization. The yield function of crosslinks is dominated by a broad peak extending over the 3.6-11.6 eV range with a sharper one at 17.6 eV. The different line shape of the latter function, compared to that of SSB and DSB, appears to be due to the formation of reactive radical sites in the initial supercoiled configuration of the plasmid, which react with the circular form (i.e., DNA with a SSB) to produce a crosslink.« less

Can one measure the Cosmic Neutrino Background?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faessler, Amand; Hodák, Rastislav; Kovalenko, Sergey; Šimkovic, Fedor

The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) yields information about our Universe at around 380,000 years after the Big Bang (BB). Due to the weak interaction of the neutrinos with matter, the Cosmic Neutrino Background (CNB) should give information about a much earlier time of our Universe, around one second after the BB. Probably, the most promising method to “see” the CNB is the capture of the electron neutrinos from the Background by Tritium, which then decays into 3He and an electron with the energy of the the Q-value = 18.562keV plus the electron neutrino rest mass. The “KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino” (KATRIN) experiment, which is in preparation, seems presently the most sensitive proposed method for measuring the electron antineutrino mass. At the same time, KATRIN can also look by the reaction νe(˜ 1.95K) +3H →3He + e-(Q = 18.6keV + m νec2). The capture of the Cosmic Background Neutrinos (CNB) should show in the electron spectrum as a peak by the electron neutrino rest mass above Q. Here, the possibility to see the CNB with KATRIN is studied. A detection of the CNB by KATRIN seems not to be possible at the moment. But KATRIN should be able to determine an upper limit for the local electron neutrino density of the CNB.

Can one measure the Cosmic Neutrino Background?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faessler, Amand; Hodák, Rastislav; Kovalenko, Sergey; Šimkovic, Fedor

The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) yields information about our Universe at around 380,000 years after the Big Bang (BB). Due to the weak interaction of the neutrinos with matter, the Cosmic Neutrino Background (CNB) should give information about a much earlier time of our Universe, around one second after the BB. Probably, the most promising method to "see" the CNB is the capture of the electron neutrinos from the Background by Tritium, which then decays into 3He and an electron with the energy of the the Q-value = 18.562 keV plus the electron neutrino rest mass. The "KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino" (KATRIN) experiment, which is in preparation, seems presently the most sensitive proposed method for measuring the electron antineutrino mass. At the same time, KATRIN can also look by the reaction νe(˜1.95K) + 3H → 3He + e-(Q = 18.6keV + mνec2). The capture of the Cosmic Background Neutrinos (CNB) should show in the electron spectrum as a peak by the electron neutrino rest mass above Q. Here, the possibility to see the CNB with KATRIN is studied. A detection of the CNB by KATRIN seems not to be possible at the moment. But KATRIN should be able to determine an upper limit for the local electron neutrino density of the CNB.

Characterization of twin boundaries in an Fe–17.5Mn–0.56C twinning induced plasticity steel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patterson, Erin E., E-mail: erin.diedrich@yahoo.com; Field, David P., E-mail: dfield@wsu.edu; Zhang, Yudong, E-mail: yudong.zhang@univ-metz.fr

2013-11-15

A twinning-induced plasticity steel of composition Fe–17.5 wt.% Mn–0.56 wt.% C–1.39 wt.% Al–0.24 wt.% Si was analyzed for the purpose of characterizing the relationship between tensile strain and deformation twinning. Tensile samples achieved a maximum of 0.46 true strain at failure, and a maximum ultimate tensile strength of 1599 MPa. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis showed that the grain orientation rotated heavily to < 111 > parallel to the tensile axis above 0.3 true strain. Sigma 3 misorientations, as identified by EBSD orientation measurements, and using the image quality maps were used to quantify the number of twins present inmore » the scanned areas of the samples. The image quality method yielded a distinct positive correlation between the twin area density and deformation, but the orientation measurements were unreliable in quantifying twin density in these structures. Quantitative analysis of the twin fraction is limited from orientation information because of the poor spatial resolution of EBSD in relation to the twin thickness. The EBSD orientation maps created for a thin foil sample showed some improvement in the resolution of the twins, but not enough to be significant. Measurements of the twins in the transmission electron microscopy micrographs yielded an average thickness of 23 nm, which is near the resolution capabilities of EBSD on this material for the instrumentation used. Electron channeling contrast imaging performed on one bulk tensile specimen of 0.34 true strain, using a method of controlled diffraction, yielded several images of twinning, dislocation structures and strain fields. A twin thickness of 66 nm was measured by the same method used for the transmission electron microscopy measurement. It is apparent that the results obtain by electron channeling contrast imaging were better than those by EBSD but did not capture all information on the twin boundaries such as was observed by transmission electron microscopy. - Highlights: • Performed tensile tests to assess mechanical performance of TWIP alloy • Analyzed tensile specimens using EBSD, TEM, and ECCI • EBSD showed that most twinning occurred at or near the < 111 >//TA orientation. • EBSD, TEM and ECCI were used to measure average twin density. • Compared spatial resolution of EBSD, ECCI and TEM for the instrumentation used.« less

Constraining Nuclear Weak Interactions in Astrophysics and New Many-Core Algorithms for Neuroevolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, Christopher James

Weak interactions involving atomic nuclei are critical components in a broad range of as- trophysical phenomenon. As allowed Gamow-Teller transitions are the primary path through which weak interactions in nuclei operate in astrophysical contexts, the constraint of these nuclear transitions is an important goal of nuclear astrophysics. In this work, the charged current nuclear weak interaction known as electron capture is studied in the context of stellar core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe). Specifically, the sensitivity of the core-collapse and early post-bounce phases of CCSNe to nuclear electron capture rates are examined. Electron capture rates are adjusted by factors consistent with uncer- tainties indicated by comparing theoretical rates to those deduced from charge-exchange and beta-decay measurements. With the aide of such sensitivity studies, the diverse role of electron capture on thousands of nuclear species is constrained to a few tens of nuclei near N 50 and A 80 which dictate the primary response of CCSNe to nuclear electron capture. As electron capture is shown to be a leading order uncertainty during the core-collapse phase of CCSNe, future experimental and theoretical efforts should seek to constrain the rates of nuclei in this region. Furthermore, neutral current neutrino-nuclear interactions in the tens-of-MeV energy range are important in a variety of astrophysical environments including core-collapse super- novae as well as in the synthesis of some of the solar systems rarest elements. Estimates for inelastic neutrino scattering on nuclei are also important for neutrino detector construction aimed at the detection of astrophysical neutrinos. Due to the small cross sections involved, direct measurements are rare and have only been performed on a few nuclei. For this rea- son, indirect measurements provide a unique opportunity to constrain the nuclear transition strength needed to infer inelastic neutrino-nucleus cross sections. Herein the (6Li, 6Li‧) inelastic scattering reaction at 100 MeV/u is shown to indirectly select the relevant transitions for inelastic neutrino-nucleus scattering. Specifically, the probes unique selectivity of isovector- spin transfer excitations (Delta S = 1, DeltaT = 1, DeltaTz = 0) is demonstrated, thereby allowing the extraction of Gamow-Teller transition strength in the inelastic channel. Finally, the development and performance of a newly established technique for the sub- field of artificial intelligence known as neuroevolution is described. While separate from the physics that is discussed, these algorithmic advancements seek to improve the adoption of machine learning in the scientific domain by enabling neuroevolution to take advantage of modern heterogeneous compute architectures. Because the evolution of neural network pop- ulations offloads the choice of specific details about the neural networks to an evolutionary search algorithm, neuroevolution can increase the accessibility of machine learning. However, the evolution of neural networks through parameter and structural space presents a novel di- vergence problem when mapping the evaluation of these networks to many-core architectures. The principal focus of the algorithm optimizations described herein are on improving the feed-forward evaluation time when tens-to-hundreds of thousands of heterogeneous neural networks are evaluated concurrently.

First-principles study of complex halide scintillators for radiation detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Qingguo; Kang, Byungkyun; Mize, Jonathan; Biswas, Koushik

Current demands for cost-effective and high-performance scintillators have led to a discernible shift from simple binary halides (e.g., NaI, CsI) toward host compounds that are structurally and electronically more complex. Eu-doped SrI2 is a prominant example. Despite its advanced properties, improvements are needed for extensive deployment at low cost. Codoping techniques are often useful to improve the electronic response of such insulators. Using first-principles based approach we report on the influence of codoping with aliovalent and isovalent impurities. We find all codopants induce deep levels, show amphoteric character, and may bind with I-vacancy forming charge compensated donor-acceptor pairs. Lack of deep-to-shallow behavior upon codoping and its ramifications will be discussed. We studied another set of stable monoclinic phase of ternary ns2 containing iodides, e.g. TlBa2I5. One objective is to explore them as scintillators where ns2 ions play a central role. Interestingly, we predict Eu2+ activation will be rendered ineffective in these compounds, caused by changes in the valence and conduction band edges. However, the prospect of fast electron capture at ns2 sites and self-activated scintillation could be important for detector applications. This material is based upon work supported by the US Department of Homeland Security under Grant Award Number, 2014-DN-077-ARI075-04.

CdS/MoS2 heterojunction-based photoelectrochemical DNA biosensor via enhanced chemiluminescence excitation.

PubMed

Zang, Yang; Lei, Jianping; Hao, Qing; Ju, Huangxian

2016-03-15

This work developed a CdS/MoS2 heterojunction-based photoelectrochemical biosensor for sensitive detection of DNA under the enhanced chemiluminescence excitation of luminol catalyzed by hemin-DNA complex. The CdS/MoS2 photocathode was prepared by the stepwise assembly of MoS2 and CdS quantum dots (QDs) on indium tin oxide (ITO), and achieved about 280% increasing of photocurrent compared to pure CdS QDs electrode due to the formation of heterostructure. High photoconversion efficiency in the photoelectrochemical system was identified to be the rapid spatial charge separation of electron-hole pairs by the extension of electron transport time and electron lifetime. In the presence of target DNA, the catalytic hairpin assembly was triggered, and simultaneously the dual hemin-labeled DNA probe was introduced to capture DNA/CdS/MoS2 modified ITO electrode. Thus the chemiluminescence emission of luminol was enhanced via hemin-induced mimetic catalysis, leading to the physical light-free photoelectrochemical strategy. Under optimized conditions, the resulting photoelectrode was proportional to the logarithm of target DNA concentration in the range from 1 fM to 100 pM with a detection limit of 0.39 fM. Moreover, the cascade amplification biosensor demonstrated high selectivity, desirable stability and good reproducibility, showing great prospect in molecular diagnosis and bioanalysis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Challenges in photon-starved space astronomy in a harsh radiation environment using CCDs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, David J.; Bush, Nathan; Murray, Neil; Gow, Jason; Clarke, Andrew; Burgon, Ross; Holland, Andrew

2015-09-01

The Charge Coupled Device (CCD) has a long heritage for imaging and spectroscopy in many space astronomy missions. However, the harsh radiation environment experienced in orbit creates defects in the silicon that capture the signal being transferred through the CCD. This radiation damage has a detrimental impact on the detector performance and requires carefully planned mitigation strategies. The ESA Gaia mission uses 106 CCDs, now orbiting around the second Lagrange point as part of the largest focal-plane ever launched. Following readout, signal electrons will be affected by the traps generated in the devices from the radiation environment and this degradation will be corrected for using a charge distortion model. ESA's Euclid mission will contain a focal plane of 36 CCDs in the VIS instrument. Moving further forwards, the World Space Observatory (WSO) UV spectrographs and the WFIRST-AFTA coronagraph intend to look at very faint sources in which mitigating the impact of traps on the transfer of single electron signals will be of great interest. Following the development of novel experimental and analysis techniques, one is now able to study the impact of radiation on the detector to new levels of detail. Through a combination of TCAD simulations, defect studies and device testing, we are now probing the interaction of single electrons with individual radiation-induced traps to analyse the impact of radiation in photon-starved applications.

Effect of nuclear shielding in collision of positive charged helium ions with helium atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghavaminia, Hoda; Ghavaminia, Shirin

2018-03-01

Differential in angle and absolute cross sections in energy of the scattered particles are obtained for single charge exchange in ^3He^+-^4He collisions by means of the four body boundary-corrected first Born approximation (CB1-4B). The quantum-mechanical post and prior transition amplitudes are derived in terms of two-dimensional real integrals in the case of the prior form and five-dimensional quadratures for the post form. The effect of the dynamic electron correlation through the complete perturbation potential and the nuclear-screening influence of the passive electrons on the electron capture process is investigated. The results obtained in the CB1-4B method are compared with the available experimental data. For differential cross sections, the present results are in better agreement with experimental data than other theoretical data at extreme forward scattering angles. The integral cross sections are in excellent agreement with the experiment. Also, total cross sections for single electron capture, has been investigated using the classical trajectory Monte Carlo method. The present calculated results are found to be in an excellent agreement with the experimental data.

Carrier-density-dependent recombination dynamics of excitons and electron-hole plasma in m -plane InGaN/GaN quantum wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, W.; Butté, R.; Dussaigne, A.; Grandjean, N.; Deveaud, B.; Jacopin, G.

2016-11-01

We study the carrier-density-dependent recombination dynamics in m -plane InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells in the presence of n -type background doping by time-resolved photoluminescence. Based on Fermi's golden rule and Saha's equation, we decompose the radiative recombination channel into an excitonic and an electron-hole pair contribution, and extract the injected carrier-density-dependent bimolecular recombination coefficients. Contrary to the standard electron-hole picture, our results confirm the strong influence of excitons even at room temperature. Indeed, at 300 K, excitons represent up to 63 ± 6% of the photoexcited carriers. In addition, following the Shockley-Read-Hall model, we extract the electron and hole capture rates by deep levels and demonstrate that the increase in the effective lifetime with injected carrier density is due to asymmetric capture rates in presence of an n -type background doping. Thanks to the proper determination of the density-dependent recombination coefficients up to high injection densities, our method provides a way to evaluate the importance of Auger recombination.

Lattice distortion mechanism study of TiO2 nanoparticles during photocatalysis degradation and reactivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Wenhui; Xue, Xudong; Jiang, Xudong; Zhang, Yupeng; Wu, Yichu; Pan, Chunxu

2015-05-01

In this paper, the photocatalytic process of TiO2 (P25) is directly characterized by using a positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and UV Raman spectroscopy (Raman). The experimental results reveal that: 1) From PALS measurements, because τ1 and τ2 values and their intensity (I1 and I2) assigned to the different size and amounts of defects, respectively, their variations indicate the formation of different types and amounts of defects during the absorption and degradation. 2) HRTEM observations show that the lattice images become partly blurring when the methylene blue is fully degradated, and clear again after exposed in the air for 30 days. According to the results, we propose a mechanism that the lattice distortion induces the defects as electron capture sites and provides energy for improving photocatalytic process. Meanwhile, the lattice distortion relaxation after exposing in the air for 30 days perfectly explains the gradual deactivation of TiO2, because the smaller vacancy defects grow and agglomerate through the several photocatalytic processes. The instrumental PL and Raman are also used to analyze the samples and approved the results of PALS and HRTEM.

Real-time monitoring of the laser hot-wire welding process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wei; Liu, Shuang; Ma, Junjie; Kovacevic, Radovan

2014-04-01

The laser hot-wire welding process was investigated in this work. The dynamics of the molten pool during welding was visualized by using a high-speed charge-coupled device (CCD) camera assisted by a green laser as an illumination source. It was found that the molten pool is formed by the irradiation of the laser beam on the filler wire. The effect of the hot-wire voltage on the stability of the welding process was monitored by using a spectrometer that captured the emission spectrum of the laser-induced plasma plume. The spectroscopic study showed that when the hot-wire voltage is above 9 V a great deal of spatters occur, resulting in the instability of the plasma plume and the welding process. The effect of spatters on the plasma plume was shown by the identified spectral lines of the element Mn I. The correlation between the Fe I electron temperature and the weld-bead shape was studied. It was noted that the electron temperature of the plasma plume can be used to real-time monitor the variation of the weld-bead features and the formation of the weld defects.

Uniaxial pressure effect on the magnetic ordered moment and transition temperatures in BaFe 2 - x T x As 2 ( T = Co , Ni )

DOE PAGES

Tam, David W.; Song, Yu; Man, Haoran; ...

2017-02-17

In this paper, we use neutron diffraction and muon spin relaxation to study the effect of in-plane uniaxial pressure on the antiferromagnetic (AF) orthorhombic phase in BaFe 2As 2 and its Co- and Ni-substituted members near optimal superconductivity. In the low-temperature AF ordered state, uniaxial pressure necessary to detwin the orthorhombic crystals also increases the magnetic ordered moment, reaching an 11% increase under 40 MPa for BaFe 1.9Co 0.1As 2, and a 15% increase for BaFe 1.915Ni 0.085As 2. We also observe an increase of the AF ordering temperature (T N) of about 0.25 K/MPa in all compounds, consistent withmore » density functional theory calculations that reveal better Fermi surface nesting for itinerant electrons under uniaxial pressure. Finally, the doping dependence of the magnetic ordered moment is captured by combining dynamical mean field theory with density functional theory, suggesting that the pressure-induced moment increase near optimal superconductivity is closely related to quantum fluctuations and the nearby electronic nematic phase.« less

Measurement of Minority Charge Carrier Diffusion Length in Gallium Nitride Nanowires Using Electron Beam Induced Current (EBIC)

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

MINORITY CHARGE CARRIER DIFFUSION LENGTH IN GALLIUM NITRIDE NANOWIRES USING ELECTRON BEAM INDUCED CURRENT (EBIC) by Chiou Perng Ong December... Gallium Nitride Nanowires Using Electron Beam Induced Current (EBIC) 6. AUTHOR(S) Ong, Chiou Perng 5. FUNDING NUMBERS DMR 0804527 7. PERFORMING...CARRIER DIFFUSION LENGTH IN GALLIUM NITRIDE NANOWIRES USING ELECTRON BEAM INDUCED CURRENT (EBIC) Chiou Perng Ong Major, Singapore Armed Forces B

Visualizing Ebolavirus Particles Using Single-Particle Interferometric Reflectance Imaging Sensor (SP-IRIS).

PubMed

Carter, Erik P; Seymour, Elif Ç; Scherr, Steven M; Daaboul, George G; Freedman, David S; Selim Ünlü, M; Connor, John H

2017-01-01

This chapter describes an approach for the label-free imaging and quantification of intact Ebola virus (EBOV) and EBOV viruslike particles (VLPs) using a light microscopy technique. In this technique, individual virus particles are captured onto a silicon chip that has been printed with spots of virus-specific capture antibodies. These captured virions are then detected using an optical approach called interference reflectance imaging. This approach allows for the detection of each virus particle that is captured on an antibody spot and can resolve the filamentous structure of EBOV VLPs without the need for electron microscopy. Capture of VLPs and virions can be done from a variety of sample types ranging from tissue culture medium to blood. The technique also allows automated quantitative analysis of the number of virions captured. This can be used to identify the virus concentration in an unknown sample. In addition, this technique offers the opportunity to easily image virions captured from native solutions without the need for additional labeling approaches while offering a means of assessing the range of particle sizes and morphologies in a quantitative manner.

Ortho-para transition rate in mu-molecular hydrogen and the proton's induced pseudoscalar coupling gp.

PubMed

Clark, J H D; Armstrong, D S; Gorringe, T P; Hasinoff, M D; King, P M; Stocki, T J; Tripathi, S; Wright, D H; Zolnierczuk, P A

2006-02-24

We report a measurement of the ortho-para transition rate in the p mu p molecule. The experiment was conducted at TRIUMF via the measurement of the time dependence of the 5.2 MeV neutrons from muon capture in liquid hydrogen. The measurement yielded an ortho-para rate Lambda op = (11.1 +/- 1.7 +/-(0.9)(0.6)) x 10(4) s(-1), which is substantially larger than the earlier result of Bardin et al. The result has striking implications for the proton's induced pseudoscalar coupling g(p), changing the value of g(p) obtained from the most precise ordinary muon capture measurement from 10.6 +/- 2.7 to 0.8 +/- 2.8, and from the sole radiative muon capture measurement from 12.2 +/- 1.1 to 10.6 +/- 1.2, bringing the latter result closer to theoretical predictions.

Structural biologists capture detailed image of gene regulator’s fleeting form | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Using an ultrafast, high-intensity radiation source called an X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL), scientists have captured an atomic-level picture of an RNA structure called a riboswitch as it reorganizes itself to regulate protein production. The structure they visualized has never before been seen, and likely exists for only milliseconds after the riboswitch first encounters its activating molecule.  Read more...  

Electronic Equipment Proposal to Improve the Photovoltaic Systems Efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores-Mena, J. E.; Juárez Morán, L. A.; Díaz Reyes, J.

2011-05-01

This paper reports a new technique proposal to improve the photovoltaic systems. It was made to design and implement an electronic system that will detect, capture, and transfer the maximum power of the photovoltaic (PV) panel to optimize the supplied power of a solar panel. The electronic system works on base technical proposal of electrical sweeping of electric characteristics using capacitive impedance. The maximum power is transformed and the solar panel energy is sent to an automotive battery. This electronic system reduces the energy lost originated when the solar radiation level decreases or the PV panel temperature is increased. This electronic system tracks, captures, and stores the PV module's maximum power into a capacitor. After, a higher voltage level step-up circuit was designed to increase the voltage of the PV module's maximum power and then its current can be sent to a battery. The experimental results show that the developed electronic system has 95% efficiency. The measurement was made to 50 W, the electronic system works rightly with solar radiation rate from 100 to 1,000 W m - 2 and the PV panel temperature rate changed from 1 to 75°C. The main advantage of this electronic system compared with conventional methods is the elimination of microprocessors, computers, and sophisticated numerical approximations, and it does not need any small electrical signals to track the maximum power. The proposed method is simple, fast, and it is also cheaper.

The Physiological Role of Abscisic Acid in Eliciting Turion Morphogenesis.

PubMed Central

Smart, C. C.; Fleming, A. J.; Chaloupkova, K.; Hanke, D. E.

1995-01-01

The exogenous application of hormones has led to their implication in a number of processes within the plant. However, proof of their function in vivo depends on quantitative data demonstrating that the exogenous concentration used to elicit a response leads to tissue hormone levels within the physiological range. Such proof is often lacking in many investigations. We are using abscisic acid (ABA)-induced turion formation in Spirodela polyrrhiza L. to investigate the mechanism by which a hormone can trigger a morphogenic switch. In this paper, we demonstrate that the exogenous concentration of ABA used to induce turions leads to tissue concentrations of ABA within the physiological range, as quantified by both enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and high-performance liquid chromatography/gas chromatography-electron capture detection analysis. These results are consistent with ABA having a physiological role in turion formation, and they provide an estimate of the changes in endogenous ABA concentration required if environmental effectors of turion formation (e.g. nitrate deficiency, cold) act via an increased level of ABA. In addition, we show that the (+)- and (-)-enantiomers of ABA are equally effective in inducing turions. Moreover, comparison of the ABA; levels attained after treatment with (+)-, (-)-, and ([plus or minus])-ABA and their effect on turion induction and comparison of the effectiveness of ABA on turion induction under different pH regimes suggest that ABA most likely interacts with a plasmalemma-located receptor system to induce turion formation. PMID:12228499

Preparation of graphene thin films for radioactive samples.

PubMed

Roteta, Miguel; Fernández-Martínez, Rodolfo; Mejuto, Marcos; Rucandio, Isabel

2016-03-01

A new method for the preparation of conductive thin films is presented. The metallization of VYNS films guarantees the electrical conductivity but it results in the breaking of a high proportion of them. Graphene, a two-dimensional nanostructure of monolayer or few layers graphite has attracted a great deal of attention because of its excellent properties such as a good chemical stability, mechanical resistance and extraordinary electronic transport properties. In this work, the possibilities of graphene have been explored as a way to produce electrical conductive thin films without an extra metallization process. The procedure starts with preparing homogenous suspensions of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in conventional VYNS solutions. Ultra-sonication is used to ensure a good dispersibility of rGO. Graphene oxide (GO) is prepared via oxidation of graphite and subsequent exfoliation by sonication. Different chemically rGO were obtained by reaction with hydrazine sulfate, sodium borohydride, ascorbic acid and hydroiodic acid as reducing agents. The preparation of the thin graphene films is done in a similar way as the conventional VYNS foil preparation procedure. Drops of the solution are deposited onto water. The graphene films have been used to prepare sources containing some electron capture radionuclides ((109)Cd, (55)Fe, (139)Ce) with an activity in the order of 3kBq. The samples have been measured to test the attainable low energy electron efficiency and the energy resolution of Auger and conversion electrons by 4π (electron capture)-γ coincidence measurements. The 4π (electron capture)-γ coincidence setup includes a pressurized proportional counter and a NaI(Tl) detector. Tests with different pressures up to 1000kPa were carried out. All these tests show similar values in both parameters (efficiency and resolution) as those obtained by using the conventional metallized films without the drawback of the high percentage of broken films. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High Pressure Gas Filled RF Cavity Beam Test at the Fermilab MuCool Test Area

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Freemire, Ben

2013-05-01

The high energy physics community is continually looking to push the limits with respect to the energy and luminosity of particle accelerators. In the realm of leptons, only electron colliders have been built to date. Compared to hadrons, electrons lose a large amount of energy when accelerated in a ring through synchrotron radiation. A solution to this problem is to build long, straight accelerators for electrons, which has been done with great success. With a new generation of lepton colliders being conceived, building longer, more powerful accelerators is not the most enticing option. Muons have been proposed as an alternativemore » particle to electrons. Muons lose less energy to synchrotron radiation and a Muon Collider can provide luminosity within a much smaller energy range than a comparable electron collider. This allows a circular collider to be built with higher attainable energy than any present electron collider. As part of the accelerator, but separate from the collider, it would also be possible to allow the muons to decay to study neutrinos. The possibility of a high energy, high luminosity muon collider and an abundant, precise source of neutrinos is an attractive one. The technological challenges of building a muon accelerator are many and diverse. Because the muon is an unstable particle, a muon beam must be cooled and accelerated to the desired energy within a short amount of time. This requirement places strict requisites on the type of acceleration and focusing that can be used. Muons are generated as tertiary beams with a huge phase space, so strong magnetic fields are required to capture and focus them. Radio frequency (RF) cavities are needed to capture, bunch and accelerate the muons. Unfortunately, traditional vacuum RF cavities have been shown to break down in the magnetic fields necessary for capture and focusing.« less

Electron capture rates in stars studied with heavy ion charge exchange reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertulani, C. A.

2018-01-01

Indirect methods using nucleus-nucleus reactions at high energies (here, high energies mean ~ 50 MeV/nucleon and higher) are now routinely used to extract information of interest for nuclear astrophysics. This is of extreme relevance as many of the nuclei involved in stellar evolution are short-lived. Therefore, indirect methods became the focus of recent studies carried out in major nuclear physics facilities. Among such methods, heavy ion charge exchange is thought to be a useful tool to infer Gamow-Teller matrix elements needed to describe electron capture rates in stars and also double beta-decay experiments. In this short review, I provide a theoretical guidance based on a simple reaction model for charge exchange reactions.

The concept of quasi-tissue-equivalent nanodosimeter based on the glow peak 5a/5 in LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-100).

PubMed

Oster, L; Horowitz, Y S; Biderman, S; Haddad, J

2003-12-01

We demonstrate the viability of the concept of using existing molecular nanostructures in thermoluminescent solid-state materials as solid-state nanodosimeters. The concept is based on mimicking radiobiology (specifically the ionization density dependence of double strand breaks in DNA) by using the similar ionization density dependence of simultaneous electron-hole capture in spatially correlated trapping and luminescent centres pairs in the thermoluminescence of LiF:Mg,Ti. This simultaneous electron-hole capture has been shown to lead to ionization density dependence in the relative intensity of peak 5a to peak 5 similar to the ratio of double-strand breaks to single-strand breaks for low energy He ions.

Optical pumping and negative luminescence polarization in charged GaAs quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shabaev, Andrew; Stinaff, Eric A.; Bracker, Allan S.; Gammon, Daniel; Efros, Alexander L.; Korenev, Vladimir L.; Merkulov, Igor

2009-01-01

Optical pumping of electron spins and negative photoluminescence polarization are observed when interface quantum dots in a GaAs quantum well are excited nonresonantly by circularly polarized light. Both observations can be explained by the formation of long-lived dark excitons through hole spin relaxation in the GaAs quantum well prior to exciton capture. In this model, optical pumping of resident electron spins is caused by capture of dark excitons and recombination in charged quantum dots. Negative polarization results from accumulation of dark excitons in the quantum well and is enhanced by optical pumping. The dark exciton model describes the experimental results very well, including intensity and bias dependence of the photoluminescence polarization and the Hanle effect.

Supporting research sites in resource-limited settings: challenges in implementing information technology infrastructure.

PubMed

Whalen, Christopher J; Donnell, Deborah; Tartakovsky, Michael

2014-01-01

As information and communication technology infrastructure becomes more reliable, new methods of electronic data capture, data marts/data warehouses, and mobile computing provide platforms for rapid coordination of international research projects and multisite studies. However, despite the increasing availability of Internet connectivity and communication systems in remote regions of the world, there are still significant obstacles. Sites with poor infrastructure face serious challenges participating in modern clinical and basic research, particularly that relying on electronic data capture and Internet communication technologies. This report discusses our experiences in supporting research in resource-limited settings. We describe examples of the practical and ethical/regulatory challenges raised by the use of these newer technologies for data collection in multisite clinical studies.

Innovative scheme for high-repetition-rate imaging of CN radical.

PubMed

Satija, Aman; Ruesch, Morgan D; Powell, Michael S; Son, Steven F; Lucht, Robert P

2018-02-01

We have employed, to the best of our knowledge, a novel excitation scheme to perform the first high-repetition-rate planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) measurements of a CN radical in combustion. The third harmonic of a Nd:YVO 4 laser at 355 nm due to its relatively large linewidth overlaps with several R branch transitions in a CN ground electronic state. Therefore, the 355 nm beam was employed to directly excite the CN transitions with good efficiency. The CN measurements were performed in premixed CH 4 -N 2 O flames with varying equivalence ratios. A detailed characterization of the high-speed CN PLIF imaging system is presented via its ability to capture statistical and dynamical information in these premixed flames. Single-shot CN PLIF images obtained over a HMX pellet undergoing self-supported deflagration are presented as an example of the imaging system being applied towards characterizing the flame structure of energetic materials.

Nanotextured Shrink Wrap Superhydrophobic Surfaces by Argon Plasma Etching

PubMed Central

Nokes, Jolie M.; Sharma, Himanshu; Tu, Roger; Kim, Monica Y.; Chu, Michael; Siddiqui, Ali; Khine, Michelle

2016-01-01

We present a rapid, simple, and scalable approach to achieve superhydrophobic (SH) substrates directly in commodity shrink wrap film utilizing Argon (Ar) plasma. Ar plasma treatment creates a stiff skin layer on the surface of the shrink film. When the film shrinks, the mismatch in stiffness between the stiff skin layer and bulk shrink film causes the formation of multiscale hierarchical wrinkles with nano-textured features. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images confirm the presence of these biomimetic structures. Contact angle (CA) and contact angle hysteresis (CAH) measurements, respectively, defined as values greater than 150° and less than 10°, verified the SH nature of the substrates. Furthermore, we demonstrate the ability to reliably pattern hydrophilic regions onto the SH substrates, allowing precise capture and detection of proteins in urine. Finally, we achieved self-driven microfluidics via patterning contrasting superhydrophilic microchannels on the SH Ar substrates to induce flow for biosensing. PMID:28773318

Nanotextured Shrink Wrap Superhydrophobic Surfaces by Argon Plasma Etching.

PubMed

Nokes, Jolie M; Sharma, Himanshu; Tu, Roger; Kim, Monica Y; Chu, Michael; Siddiqui, Ali; Khine, Michelle

2016-03-14

We present a rapid, simple, and scalable approach to achieve superhydrophobic (SH) substrates directly in commodity shrink wrap film utilizing Argon (Ar) plasma. Ar plasma treatment creates a stiff skin layer on the surface of the shrink film. When the film shrinks, the mismatch in stiffness between the stiff skin layer and bulk shrink film causes the formation of multiscale hierarchical wrinkles with nano-textured features. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images confirm the presence of these biomimetic structures. Contact angle (CA) and contact angle hysteresis (CAH) measurements, respectively, defined as values greater than 150° and less than 10°, verified the SH nature of the substrates. Furthermore, we demonstrate the ability to reliably pattern hydrophilic regions onto the SH substrates, allowing precise capture and detection of proteins in urine. Finally, we achieved self-driven microfluidics via patterning contrasting superhydrophilic microchannels on the SH Ar substrates to induce flow for biosensing.

Application of accelerator sources for pulsed neutron logging of oil and gas wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Randall, R. R.

1985-05-01

Dresser Atlas introduced the first commercial pulsed neutron oil well log in the early 1960s. This log had the capability of differentiating oil from salt water in a completed well. In the late 1970s the first continuous carbon/oxygen (C/O) log capable of differentiating oil from fresh water was introduced. The sources used in these commercial logs are radial geometry deuterium-tritium reaction devices with Cockcroft-Walton voltage multipliers providing the accelerator voltage. The commercial logging tools using these accelerators are comprised of scintillators detectors, power supplies, line drivers and receivers, and various timing and communications electronics. They are used to measure either the time decay or energy spectra of neutron-induced gamma events. The time decay information is useful in determining the neutron capture cross section, and the energy spectra is used to characterize inelastic neutron events.

Radiation grafted adsorbents for newly emerging environmental applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmoud Nasef, Mohamed; Ting, T. M.; Abbasi, Ali; Layeghi-moghaddam, Alireza; Sara Alinezhad, S.; Hashim, Kamaruddin

2016-01-01

Radiation induced grafting (RIG) is acquired to prepare a number of adsorbents for newly emerging environmental applications using a single route involving RIG of glycidymethacrylate (GMA) onto polyethylene-polypropylene (PE-PP) non-woven fabric. The grafted fabric was subjected to one of three functionalization reactions to impart desired ionic characters. This included treatment with (1) N-dimethyl-D-glucamine, (2) triethylamine and (3) triethylamine and alkalisation with KOH. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to study the changes in chemical and physical structures of the obtained fibrous adsorbents. The potential applications of the three adsorbents for removal of boron from solutions, capturing CO2 from CO2/N2 mixtures and catalysing transesterification of triacetin/methanol to methyl acetate (biodiesel) were explored. The obtained fibrous adsorbents provide potential alternatives to granular resins for the investigated applications and require further development.

Energy Security: From Deal Killers to Game Changers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orbach, Raymond L.

2010-03-01

Five ``deal killers'' for achieving energy security will be addressed: 1) Global warming and CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion, 2) Intermittent energy sources (wind, solar) and the presence and stability of the grid, 3) Penetration of plant defenses to produce transportation fuels from biomass, 4) Mimicking nature: artificial photosynthesis for solar energy-to-fuels, and 5) Spent fuel from nuclear power reactors. Basic research can lead to ``game changers'' for these five fields: 1) Carbon capture and storage through enhanced oil and gas recovery, 2) Electrical energy storage for base-load electricity through batteries and supercapacitors, 3) Genetic modification of the plant cell wall, and catalytic methods for conversion of plant sugars to fuels, 4) Separation of solar-induced electrons from holes, and catalysis to produce fuels, and 5) Closing the nuclear fuel cycle. The present state for each of these game changers will be summarized, and future research opportunities discussed.

Supramolecular reactivity in the gas phase: investigating the intrinsic properties of non-covalent complexes.

PubMed

Cera, Luca; Schalley, Christoph A

2014-03-21

The high vacuum inside a mass spectrometer offers unique conditions to broaden our view on the reactivity of supramolecules. Because dynamic exchange processes between complexes are efficiently suppressed, the intrinsic and intramolecular reactivity of the complexes of interest is observed. Besides this, the significantly higher strength of non-covalent interactions in the absence of competing solvent allows processes to occur that are unable to compete in solution. The present review highlights a series of examples illustrating different aspects of supramolecular gas-phase reactivity ranging from the dissociation and formation of covalent bonds in non-covalent complexes through the reactivity in the restricted inner phase of container molecules and step-by-step mechanistic studies of organocatalytic reaction cycles to cage contraction reactions, processes induced by electron capture, and finally dynamic molecular motion within non-covalent complexes as unravelled by hydrogen-deuterium exchange processes performed in the gas phase.

A new physics-based modeling approach for tsunami-ionosphere coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, X.; Komjathy, A.; Verkhoglyadova, O. P.; Yang, Y.-M.; Deng, Y.; Mannucci, A. J.

2015-06-01

Tsunamis can generate gravity waves propagating upward through the atmosphere, inducing total electron content (TEC) disturbances in the ionosphere. To capture this process, we have implemented tsunami-generated gravity waves into the Global Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model (GITM) to construct a three-dimensional physics-based model WP (Wave Perturbation)-GITM. WP-GITM takes tsunami wave properties, including the wave height, wave period, wavelength, and propagation direction, as inputs and time-dependently characterizes the responses of the upper atmosphere between 100 km and 600 km altitudes. We apply WP-GITM to simulate the ionosphere above the West Coast of the United States around the time when the tsunami associated with the March 2011 Tohuku-Oki earthquke arrived. The simulated TEC perturbations agree with Global Positioning System observations reasonably well. For the first time, a fully self-consistent and physics-based model has reproduced the GPS-observed traveling ionospheric signatures of an actual tsunami event.

Photophysical Properties on Functional Pi-Electronic Molecular Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

the aromaticity; i) it is possible to control the number of conjugated π-electrons by changing the number of connected pyrrole rings, ii) by...flexibilities, and facile capture and release of two pyrrolic protons upon two-electron oxidation and reduction, respectively. Scheme 2. (a...nitrogen atoms of pyrrole A, B, C and D, and the ortho-carbon atom of meso-pentafluorophenyl group in a trigonal bipyramidal manner. The 1 H NMR spectrum

The Demonstration of the Feasibility of the Tuning and Stimulation of Nuclear Radiation.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-10-31

line, or the center of a resonance pattern, is called the isomer shift. It is due to the electrostatic interaction of the nucleus with the electron ...magnetic moment due to the presence of unpaired electrons , the material is either paramagnetic or ferromagnetic. In paramagnetic materials these moments...capture and fission.4,5,8 A very fertile interdisciplinary area of nuclear quantum electronics 7 appeared to be developing, encouraged by the

Density Functional Theory Calculations of Activation Energies for Non-radiative Carrier Capture by Deep Defect Levels in Semiconductors.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Modine, Normand Arthur; Wright, Alan F.; Lee, Stephen R.

Carrier recombination due to defects can have a major impact on device performance. The rate of defect-induced carrier recombination is determined by both defect levels and carrier capture cross-sections. Kohn-Sham density functional theory (DFT) has been widely and successfully used to predict defect levels in semiconductors and insulators, but only recently has work begun to focus on using DFT to determine carrier capture cross-sections. Lang and Henry worked out the fundamental theory of carrier-capture cross-sections in the 1970s and showed that, in most cases, room temperature carrier-capture cross-sections differ between defects primarily due to differences in the carrier capture activationmore » energies. Here, we present an approach to using DFT to calculate carrier capture activation energies that does not depend on perturbation theory or an assumed configuration coordinate, and we demonstrate this approach for the -3/-2 level of the Ga vacancy in wurtzite GaN.« less

Comment on: Negative ions, molecular electron affinity and orbital structure of cata-condensed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by Rustem V. Khatymov, Mars V. Muftakhov and Pavel V. Shchukin.

PubMed

Chen, Edward S; Chen, Edward C M

2018-02-15

The anion mass spectral lifetimes for several aromatic hydrocarbons reported in the subject article were related to significantly different electron affinities. The different values are rationalized using negative ion mass spectral data. Electron affinities for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are reported from the temperature dependence of unpublished electron capture detector data. These are compared with published values and the largest values are assigned to the ground state. The ground state adiabatic electron affinities: (eV) pentacene, 1.41 (3); tetracene, 1.058 (5); benz(a)pyrene, 0.82 (4); benz(a) anthracene, 0.69 (2) anthracene, 0.68 (2); and pyrene, 0.59 (1) are used to assign excited state adiabatic electron affinities: (eV) tetracene: 0.88 (4); anthracene 0.53 (1); pyrene, 0.41 (1); benz(a)anthracene, 0.39 (10); chrysene, 0.32 (1); and phenanthrene, 0.12 (2) and ground state adiabatic electron affinities: (eV) dibenz(a,j)anthracene, 0.69 (3); dibenz(a,h)anthracene, 0.68 (3); benz(e)pyrene, 0.60 (3); and picene, 0.59 (3) from experimental data. The lifetime of benz(a)pyrene is predicted to be larger than 150 μs and for benzo(c)phenanthrene and picene about 40 μs, from ground state adiabatic electron affinities. The assignments of adiabatic electron affinities of aromatic hydrocarbons determined from electron capture detector and mass spectrometric data to ground and excited states are supported by constant electronegativities. A set of consistent ground state adiabatic electron affinities for 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is related to lifetimes from the subject article. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

High-resolution, high-throughput imaging with a multibeam scanning electron microscope

PubMed Central

EBERLE, AL; MIKULA, S; SCHALEK, R; LICHTMAN, J; TATE, ML KNOTHE; ZEIDLER, D

2015-01-01

Electron–electron interactions and detector bandwidth limit the maximal imaging speed of single-beam scanning electron microscopes. We use multiple electron beams in a single column and detect secondary electrons in parallel to increase the imaging speed by close to two orders of magnitude and demonstrate imaging for a variety of samples ranging from biological brain tissue to semiconductor wafers. Lay Description The composition of our world and our bodies on the very small scale has always fascinated people, making them search for ways to make this visible to the human eye. Where light microscopes reach their resolution limit at a certain magnification, electron microscopes can go beyond. But their capability of visualizing extremely small features comes at the cost of a very small field of view. Some of the questions researchers seek to answer today deal with the ultrafine structure of brains, bones or computer chips. Capturing these objects with electron microscopes takes a lot of time – maybe even exceeding the time span of a human being – or new tools that do the job much faster. A new type of scanning electron microscope scans with 61 electron beams in parallel, acquiring 61 adjacent images of the sample at the same time a conventional scanning electron microscope captures one of these images. In principle, the multibeam scanning electron microscope’s field of view is 61 times larger and therefore coverage of the sample surface can be accomplished in less time. This enables researchers to think about large-scale projects, for example in the rather new field of connectomics. A very good introduction to imaging a brain at nanometre resolution can be found within course material from Harvard University on http://www.mcb80x.org/# as featured media entitled ‘connectomics’. PMID:25627873

Proportional counter device for detecting electronegative species in an air sample

DOEpatents

Allman, Steve L.; Chen, Fang C.; Chen, Chung-Hsuan

1994-01-01

Apparatus for detecting an electronegative species comprises an analysis chamber, an inlet communicating with the analysis chamber for admitting a sample containing the electronegative species and an ionizable component, a radioactive source within the analysis chamber for emitting radioactive energy for ionizing a component of the sample, a proportional electron detector within the analysis chamber for detecting electrons emitted from the ionized component, and a circuit for measuring the electrons and determining the presence of the electronegative species by detecting a reduction in the number of available electrons due to capture of electrons by the electronegative species.

Proportional counter device for detecting electronegative species in an air sample

DOEpatents

Allman, S.L.; Chen, F.C.; Chen, C.H.

1994-03-08

Apparatus for detecting an electronegative species comprises an analysis chamber, an inlet communicating with the analysis chamber for admitting a sample containing the electronegative species and an ionizable component, a radioactive source within the analysis chamber for emitting radioactive energy for ionizing a component of the sample, a proportional electron detector within the analysis chamber for detecting electrons emitted from the ionized component, and a circuit for measuring the electrons and determining the presence of the electronegative species by detecting a reduction in the number of available electrons due to capture of electrons by the electronegative species. 2 figures.

ERCS08: A FORTRAN program equipped with a Windows graphics user interface that calculates ECPSSR cross sections for the removal of atomic electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horvat, Vladimir

2009-06-01

ERCS08 is a program for computing the atomic electron removal cross sections. It is written in FORTRAN in order to make it more portable and easier to customize by a large community of physicists, but it also comes with a separate windows graphics user interface control application ERCS08w that makes it easy to quickly prepare the input file, run the program, as well as view and analyze the output. The calculations are based on the ECPSSR theory for direct (Coulomb) ionization and non-radiative electron capture. With versatility in mind, the program allows for selective inclusion or exclusion of individual contributions to the cross sections from effects such as projectile energy loss, Coulomb deflection of the projectile, perturbation of electron's stationary state (polarization and binding), as well as relativity. This makes it straightforward to assess the importance of each effect in a given collision regime. The control application also makes it easy to setup for calculations in inverse kinematics (i.e. ionization of projectile ions by target atoms or ions). Program summaryProgram title: ERCS08 Catalogue identifier: AECU_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AECU_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 12 832 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 318 420 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Once the input file is prepared (using a text editor or ERCS08w), all the calculations are done in FORTRAN using double precision. Computer: see "Operating system" below Operating system: The main program (ERCS08) can run on any computer equipped with a FORTRAN compiler. Its pre-compiled executable file (supplied) runs under DOS or Windows. The supplied graphics user interface control application (ERCS08w) requires a Windows operating system. ERCS08w is designed to be used along with a text editor. Any editor can be used, including the one that comes with the operating system (for example, Edit for DOS or Notepad for Windows). Classification: 16.7, 16.8 Nature of problem: ECPSSR has become a typical tag word for a theory that goes beyond the standard plane wave Born approximation (PWBA) in order to predict the cross sections for direct (Coulomb) ionization of atomic electrons by projectile ions, taking into account the energy loss (E) and Coulomb deflection (C) of the projectile, as well as the perturbed stationary state (PSS) and relativistic nature (R) of the target electron. Its treatment of non-radiative electron capture to the projectile goes beyond the Oppenheimer-Brinkman-Kramers approximation (OBK) to include the effects of C, PSS, and R. PSS is described in terms of increased target electron binding (B) due to the presence of the projectile in the vicinity of the target nucleus, and (for direct ionization only) polarization of the target electron cloud (P) while projectile is outside the electron's shell radius. Several modifications of the theory have been recently suggested or endorsed by one of its authors (Lapicki). These modifications are sometimes explicit in the tag word (for example, eCPSSR, eCUSR, ReCPSShsR, etc.) A cross section for the ionization of a target electron is assumed to equal the sum of the cross sections for direct ionization (DI) and electron capture (EC). Solution method: The calculations are based on the ECPSSR theory for direct (Coulomb) ionization and non-radiative electron capture. With versatility in mind, the program allows for selective inclusion or exclusion of individual contributions to the cross sections from effects such as projectile energy loss, Coulomb deflection of the projectile, perturbation of electron's stationary state (polarization and binding), as well as relativity. This makes it straightforward to assess the importance of each effect in a given collision regime. The control application also makes it easy to setup for calculations in inverse kinematics (i.e. ionization of projectile ions by target atoms or ions). Restrictions: The program is restricted to the ionization of K, L, and M electrons. The theory is non-relativistic, which effectively limits its applicability to projectile energies up to about 50 MeV/amu. However, the theory is extended to apply to relativistic light projectiles. Radiative electron capture is not taken into account, since its contribution is found to be negligible in the collision regimes covered by the ECPSSR theory. Unusual features: Windows graphics user interface along with a FORTRAN code for calculations, selective inclusion or exclusion of specific corrections, inclusion of the extension to relativistic light projectiles, inclusion of non-radiative electron capture. Running time: Running the program using the input data provided with the distribution only takes a few seconds.

NOR-DMARD data management: implementation of data capture from electronic health records.

PubMed

Olsen, I C; Haavardsholm, E A; Moholt, E; Kvien, T K; Lie, E

2014-01-01

The use of electronic health records (EHR) is an essential part of modern health care, and electronic data capture (EDC) has become essential for managing clinical trials. Usually, these two entities are independent of each other, and transfer from one system to another is done manually. Our aim was to develop a method to capture data directly from the EHR system and transfer them into an EDC system for the NORwegian Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (NOR-DMARD) registry. All rheumatology departments contributing to NOR-DMARD had implemented a structured EHR system. Data are extracted locally and securely transferred to the study data management once a month. The study data management then parse the data into a readable format for the EDC and import the data. Once the data is in the EDC, they are available to all authorized researchers and downloadable in a preferred format. From May 2012 to August 2014 almost 6400 visits in 3400 patients treated with biologics have been successfully registered in the EDC system. Previously, NOR-DMARD used standard paper-based case report forms (CRFs), with a substantial cost for data entry. Setting up and maintaining the EDC system required some investments, but the amount saved from avoiding paper handling has made the shift into EDC profitable. In addition to this, gains have been made in administration and data quality. The transition from paper and pencil format to a fully electronic data management system in NOR-DMARD has had obvious advantages regarding feasibility, cost, data quality and accessibility of the data.

Cross sections of relativistic radiative electron capture by use of the strong-potential Born calculation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hino, K.; Watanabe, T.

1987-07-15

The relativistically extended strong-potential Born (SPB) formalism is applied to the radiative electron capture process caused by the bombardment of a heavy and highly stripped charged particle with relativistically high velocity. The results are compared with those by use of nonrelativistic SPB calculations and with those by use of the relativistic Born calculation (Sauter's formula), which includes no distortion effects between a heavy projectile ion and an active electron. Even if the strong distortion effects are taken into consideration, the shapes of photon angular distributions in the laboratory frame still nearly depend on sin/sup 2/theta/sub L/(theta/sub L/ is the anglemore » of the emitted photon) in the vicinity of the angle of 90/sup 0/, which is the same as the results by use of Sauter's formula. The higher the charge of a projectile ion becomes, however, the greater the discrepancy between the angular shape of our results and that of Sauter's becomes at both smaller and larger angles than at 90/sup 0/. As is expected, the magnitudes of the differential and the total cross sections are drastically influenced by the distortion effects ascribable to a large charge of a heavy projectile ion such as U/sup 92+/. Our results are in good agreement with recent experiments. In addition, the Coulomb off-shell factor introduced by the SPB theory is found playing important roles in the case of the relativistic radiative electron capture process because the results calculated by using the relativistic impulse approximation are too underestimated.« less

Toward a mechanistic modeling of nitrogen limitation on vegetation dynamics.

PubMed

Xu, Chonggang; Fisher, Rosie; Wullschleger, Stan D; Wilson, Cathy J; Cai, Michael; McDowell, Nate G

2012-01-01

Nitrogen is a dominant regulator of vegetation dynamics, net primary production, and terrestrial carbon cycles; however, most ecosystem models use a rather simplistic relationship between leaf nitrogen content and photosynthetic capacity. Such an approach does not consider how patterns of nitrogen allocation may change with differences in light intensity, growing-season temperature and CO(2) concentration. To account for this known variability in nitrogen-photosynthesis relationships, we develop a mechanistic nitrogen allocation model based on a trade-off of nitrogen allocated between growth and storage, and an optimization of nitrogen allocated among light capture, electron transport, carboxylation, and respiration. The developed model is able to predict the acclimation of photosynthetic capacity to changes in CO(2) concentration, temperature, and radiation when evaluated against published data of V(c,max) (maximum carboxylation rate) and J(max) (maximum electron transport rate). A sensitivity analysis of the model for herbaceous plants, deciduous and evergreen trees implies that elevated CO(2) concentrations lead to lower allocation of nitrogen to carboxylation but higher allocation to storage. Higher growing-season temperatures cause lower allocation of nitrogen to carboxylation, due to higher nitrogen requirements for light capture pigments and for storage. Lower levels of radiation have a much stronger effect on allocation of nitrogen to carboxylation for herbaceous plants than for trees, resulting from higher nitrogen requirements for light capture for herbaceous plants. As far as we know, this is the first model of complete nitrogen allocation that simultaneously considers nitrogen allocation to light capture, electron transport, carboxylation, respiration and storage, and the responses of each to altered environmental conditions. We expect this model could potentially improve our confidence in simulations of carbon-nitrogen interactions and the vegetation feedbacks to climate in Earth system models.

Toward a Mechanistic Modeling of Nitrogen Limitation on Vegetation Dynamics

PubMed Central

Xu, Chonggang; Fisher, Rosie; Wullschleger, Stan D.; Wilson, Cathy J.; Cai, Michael; McDowell, Nate G.

2012-01-01

Nitrogen is a dominant regulator of vegetation dynamics, net primary production, and terrestrial carbon cycles; however, most ecosystem models use a rather simplistic relationship between leaf nitrogen content and photosynthetic capacity. Such an approach does not consider how patterns of nitrogen allocation may change with differences in light intensity, growing-season temperature and CO2 concentration. To account for this known variability in nitrogen-photosynthesis relationships, we develop a mechanistic nitrogen allocation model based on a trade-off of nitrogen allocated between growth and storage, and an optimization of nitrogen allocated among light capture, electron transport, carboxylation, and respiration. The developed model is able to predict the acclimation of photosynthetic capacity to changes in CO2 concentration, temperature, and radiation when evaluated against published data of Vc,max (maximum carboxylation rate) and Jmax (maximum electron transport rate). A sensitivity analysis of the model for herbaceous plants, deciduous and evergreen trees implies that elevated CO2 concentrations lead to lower allocation of nitrogen to carboxylation but higher allocation to storage. Higher growing-season temperatures cause lower allocation of nitrogen to carboxylation, due to higher nitrogen requirements for light capture pigments and for storage. Lower levels of radiation have a much stronger effect on allocation of nitrogen to carboxylation for herbaceous plants than for trees, resulting from higher nitrogen requirements for light capture for herbaceous plants. As far as we know, this is the first model of complete nitrogen allocation that simultaneously considers nitrogen allocation to light capture, electron transport, carboxylation, respiration and storage, and the responses of each to altered environmental conditions. We expect this model could potentially improve our confidence in simulations of carbon-nitrogen interactions and the vegetation feedbacks to climate in Earth system models. PMID:22649564

In-situ probing of coupled atomic restructuring and metallicity of oxide heterointerfaces induced by polar adsorbates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryu, S.; Zhou, H.; Paudel, T. R.; Irwin, J.; Podkaminer, J. P.; Bark, C. W.; Lee, D.; Kim, T. H.; Fong, D. D.; Rzchowski, M. S.; Tsymbal, E. Y.; Eom, C. B.

2017-10-01

Microscopic understanding of the surface-controlled conductivity of the two dimensional electron gas at complex oxide interfaces is crucial for developing functional interfaces. We observe conductivity and structural modification using in-situ synchrotron surface x-ray diffraction as the surface of a model LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (001) heterostructure is changed by polar adsorbates. We find that polar adsorbate-induced interfacial metallicity reduces polar distortions in the LaAlO3 layer. First-principles density functional theory calculations show that surface dipoles introduced by polar adsorbates lead to additional charge transfer and the reduction of polar displacements in the LaAlO3 layer, consistent with the experimental observations. Our study supports that internal structural deformations controlling functionalities can be driven without the application of direct electrical or thermal bias and offers a route to tuning interfacial properties. These results also highlight the important role of in-situ x-ray scattering with atomic resolution in capturing and exploring structural distortions and charge density changes caused by external perturbations such as chemical adsorption, redox reaction, and generation and/or annihilation of surface defects.

Coarse gaining of molecular crystals: limitations imposed by molecular flexibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picu, Catalin; Pal, Anirban

Molecular crystals include molecular electronics, energetic materials, pharmaceuticals and some food components. In many of these applications the small scale mechanical behavior of the crystal is important such as for example in energetic materials where detonation is induced by the formation of hot spots which are induced thermomechanically, and in pharmaceuticals where phase stability is critical for the biochemical activity of the drug. Accurate modeling of these processes requires resolving the atomistic scale details of the material. However, the cost of these models is very large due to the complexity of the molecules forming the crystal, and some form of coarse graning is necessary. In this study we identify the limitations imposed by the need to accurately capture molecular flexibility on the development of coarse grained models for the energetic molecular crystal RDX. We define guidelines for the definition of coarse grained models that target elastic and plastic crystal scale properties such as elastic constants, thermal expansion, compressibility, the critical stress for the motion of dislocations (Peierls stress) and the stacking fault energy This work was supported by the ARO through Grant W911NF-09-1-0330 and AFRL through Grant FA8651-16-1-0004.

Effect of Vacuum Properties on Electroweak Processes - A Theoretical Interpretation of Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stumpf, Harald

2008-06-01

Recently for discharges in fluids induced nuclear transmutations have been observed. It is our hypothesis that these reactions are due to a symmetry breaking of the electroweak vacuum by the experimental arrangement. The treatment of this hypothesis is based on the assumption that electroweak bosons, leptons and quarks possess a substructure of elementary fermionic constituents. The dynamical law of these fermionic constituents is given by a relativistically invariant nonlinear spinor field equation with local interaction, canonical quantization, selfregularization and probability interpretation. Phenomenological quantities of electroweak processes follow from the derivation of corresponding effective theories obtained by algebraic weak mapping theorems where the latter theories depend on the spinor field propagator, i. e. a vacuum expectation value. This propagator and its equation are studied for conserved and for broken discrete symmetries. For combined CP- and isospin symmetry breaking it is shown that the propagator corresponds to the experimental arrangements under consideration. The modifications of the effective electroweak theory due to this modified propagator are discussed. Based on these results a mechanism is sketched which offers a qualitative interpretation of the appearance of induced nuclear transmutations. A numerical estimate of electron capture is given.

Dynamics of interacting fermions under spin-orbit coupling in an optical lattice clock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bromley, S. L.; Kolkowitz, S.; Bothwell, T.; Kedar, D.; Safavi-Naini, A.; Wall, M. L.; Salomon, C.; Rey, A. M.; Ye, J.

2018-04-01

Quantum statistics and symmetrization dictate that identical fermions do not interact via s-wave collisions. However, in the presence of spin-orbit coupling (SOC), fermions prepared in identical internal states with distinct momenta become distinguishable. The resulting strongly interacting system can exhibit exotic topological and pairing behaviours, many of which are yet to be observed in condensed matter systems. Ultracold atomic gases offer a promising pathway for simulating these rich phenomena, but until recently have been hindered by heating and losses. Here we enter a new regime of many-body interacting SOC in a fermionic optical lattice clock (OLC), where the long-lived electronic clock states mitigate unwanted dissipation. Using clock spectroscopy, we observe the precession of the collective magnetization and the emergence of spin-locking effects arising from an interplay between p-wave and SOC-induced exchange interactions. The many-body dynamics are well captured by a collective XXZ spin model, which describes a broad class of condensed matter systems ranging from superconductors to quantum magnets. Furthermore, our work will aid in the design of next-generation OLCs by offering a route for avoiding the observed large density shifts caused by SOC-induced exchange interactions.

In-situ probing of coupled atomic restructuring and metallicity of oxide heterointerfaces induced by polar adsorbates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ryu, S.; Zhou, H.; Paudel, T. R.

Microscopic understanding of the surface-controlled conductivity of the two dimensional electron gas at complex oxide interfaces is crucial for developing functional interfaces. We observe conductivity and structural modification using in-situ synchrotron surface x-ray diffraction as the surface of a model LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (001) heterostructure is changed by polar adsorbates. We find that polar adsorbate-induced interfacial metallicity reduces polar distortions in the LaAlO3 layer. First-principles density functional theory calculations show that surface dipoles introduced by polar adsorbates lead to additional charge transfer and the reduction of polar displacements in the LaAlO3 layer, consistent with the experimental observations. Our study supports that internalmore » structural deformations controlling functionalities can be driven without the application of direct electrical or thermal bias and offers a route to tuning interfacial properties. These results also highlight the important role of in-situ x-ray scattering with atomic resolution in capturing and exploring structural distortions and charge density changes caused by external perturbations such as chemical adsorption, redox reaction, and generation and/or annihilation of surface defects.« less

Teaching Cellular Respiration & Alternate Energy Sources with a Laboratory Exercise Developed by a Scientist-Teacher Partnership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Briggs, Brandon; Mitton, Teri; Smith, Rosemary; Magnuson, Timothy

2009-01-01

Microbial fuel cells are a current research area that harvests electricity from bacteria capable of anaerobic respiration. Graphite is an electrically conductive material that bacteria can respire on, thus it can be used to capture electrons from bacteria. When bacteria transfer electrons to graphite, an electrical potential is created that can…

School Security Solutions: Bringing Corporate Safety to Schools and Colleges with EasyLobbyTM Software.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pendzick, Richard E.; Downs, Robert L.

2002-01-01

Describes software for electronic visitor management (EVM) called EasyLobbyTM, currently in use in thousands of federal and corporate installations throughout the world and its application for school and campus environments. Explains EasyLobbyTM's use to replace visitor logs, capture and store visitor data electronically, and provide badges that…

Neutron capture reactions at DANCE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bredeweg, T. A.

2008-05-12

The Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE) is a 4{pi} BaF{sub 2} array consisting of 160 active detector elements. The primary purpose of the array is to perform neutron capture cross section measurements on small (> or approx.100 {mu}g) and/or radioactive (< or approx. 100 mCi) species. The measurements made possible with this array will be useful in answering outstanding questions in the areas of national security, threat reduction, nuclear astrophysics, advanced reactor design and accelerator transmutation of waste. Since the commissioning of DANCE we have performed neutron capture cross section measurements on a wide array of medium tomore » heavy mass nuclides. Measurements to date include neutron capture cross sections on {sup 241,243}Am, neutron capture and neutron-induced fission cross sections and capture-to-fission ratio ({alpha} = {sigma}{sub {gamma}}/{sigma}{sub f}) for {sup 235}U using a new fission-tagging detector as well as neutron capture cross sections for several astrophysics branch-point nuclei. Results from several of these measurements will be presented along with a discussion of additional physics information that can be extracted from the DANCE data.« less

Electron self-injection in the donut bubble wakefield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Firouzjaei, Ali Shekari; Shokri, Babak

2018-05-01

We investigate electron self-injection in a donut bubble wakefield driven by a Laguerre-Gauss laser pulse. The present work discusses the electron capture by modeling the analytical donut bubble field. We discuss the self-injection of the electrons from plasma for various initial conditions and then compare the results. We show that the donut bubble can trap plasma electrons forming a hollow beam. We present the phase spaces and longitudinal momentum evolution for the trapped electrons in the bubble and discuss their characteristic behaviors and stability. It will be shown that the electrons self-injected in the front are ideal for applications in which a good stability and low energy spread are essential.

A new technique for Auger analysis of surface species subject to electron-induced desorption

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pepper, S. V.

1973-01-01

A method is presented to observe surface species subject to electron-induced desorption by Auger electron spectroscopy. The surface to be examined is moved under the electron beam at constant velocity, establishing a time independent condition and eliminating the time response of the electron spectrometer as a limiting factor. The dependence of the Auger signal on the surface velocity, incident electron current, beam diameter, and desorption cross section are analyzed. The method is illustrated by the Auger analysis of PTFE, in which the fluorine is removed by electron induced desorption.

76 FR 55804 - Dicamba; Pesticide Tolerances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-09

... Considerations A. Analytical Enforcement Methodology Adequate enforcement methodologies, Methods I and II--gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC/ECD), are available to enforce the tolerance expression. The...

Borophene as a Promising Material for Charge-Modulated Switchable CO2 Capture.

PubMed

Tan, Xin; Tahini, Hassan A; Smith, Sean C

2017-06-14

Ideal carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture materials for practical applications should bind CO 2 molecules neither too weakly to limit good loading kinetics nor too strongly to limit facile release. Although charge-modulated switchable CO 2 capture has been proposed to be a controllable, highly selective, and reversible CO 2 capture strategy, the development of a practical gas-adsorbent material remains a great challenge. In this study, by means of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we have examined the possibility of conductive borophene nanosheets as promising sorbent materials for charge-modulated switchable CO 2 capture. Our results reveal that the binding strength of CO 2 molecules on negatively charged borophene can be significantly enhanced by injecting extra electrons into the adsorbent. At saturation CO 2 capture coverage, the negatively charged borophene achieves CO 2 capture capacities up to 6.73 × 10 14 cm -2 . In contrast to the other CO 2 capture methods, the CO 2 capture/release processes on negatively charged borophene are reversible with fast kinetics and can be easily controlled via switching on/off the charges carried by borophene nanosheets. Moreover, these negatively charged borophene nanosheets are highly selective for separating CO 2 from mixtures with CH 4 , H 2 , and/or N 2 . This theoretical exploration will provide helpful guidance for identifying experimentally feasible, controllable, highly selective, and high-capacity CO 2 capture materials with ideal thermodynamics and reversibility.