Physics Commons^™

Optical Control Of Thermocapillary Effects In Complex Nanofluids, Yuval Lamhot, Assaf Barak, Carmel Rotschild, Mordechai Segev, Meirav Saraf, Efrat Lifshitz, Abraham Marmur, Ramy El-Ganainy, Demetrios N. Christodoulides

Ramy El-Ganainy

We study the strong coupling of light and nanoparticle suspensions and their surface tension effect in capillaries. We show experimentally and theoretically that increasing the intensity of a narrow laser beam passing through a capillary far away from the surface results in a significant decrease in the fluid level. The underlying mechanism relies on light-induced redistribution of nanoparticles in the bulk and the surface of the fluid, facilitating continuous optical control over the surface position. The experiments manifest optical control from afar over properties of fluid surfaces.

Polarimetry Studies For The Npdgamma Experiment At The Sns, Jonny Dadras

Jonny Dadras

The NPDGamma collaboration aims to measure a parity-violating directional gamma-ray asymmetry from the capture of polarized cold neutrons on protons. The asymmetry, predicted to be on the order of 50 ppb, is a result of the weak interaction between mesons and nucleons during the neutron capture reaction. The experiment is designed to make a statistics limited measurement of the asymmetry at the level of about 20%. The experiment will be carried out at the Fundamental neutron Physics Beamline (FnPB) at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS). The neutron beam is polarized by a super-mirror polarizer. A 9.5 G magnetic field guides …

Nonlinear Optical Dynamics In Nonideal Gases Of Interacting Colloidal Nanoparticles, Ramy El-Ganainy, Demetrios N. Christodoulides, E. M. Wright, W. M. Lee, K. Dholakia

Ramy El-Ganainy

We show that many-body effects in stabilized nanocolloidal suspensions can have a profound effect on their optical nonlinearity. By considering the screened Coulomb repulsions between nanoparticles, we find that the nonlinear optical behavior of these colloids can range from polynomial to exponential depending on their composition and chemistry. The dynamics and stability properties of optical beams propagating in such nonideal gas environments of interacting colloidal particles are investigated. Our analysis provides a theoretical foundation for understanding the recently observed super-Kerr nonlinear optical response of such systems.

Measurements Of Electron Density, Temperature And Photoionization Cross Sections Of The Excited States Of Neon In A Discharge Plasma, Shaukat Mahmood, Nek Shaikh, M. Kalyar, Naveed Piracha, M. Baig

Naveed K. Piracha

In the present work emission and absorption spectroscopy have been used to determine the plasma parameters of neon in a hollow cathode discharge lamp. The excitation temperature is determined using the intensity ratio method and Boltzmann’s plot method whereas the electron density is determined from the Stark broadening of the spectral lines. The behavior of the optogalvanic signal as a function of laser energy has been studied for three transitions from the 2p53s [1/2]2 metastable state following ΔJ=ΔK=0, ±1 dipole selection rules. The saturation technique has been used to measure the photoionization cross section from three intermediate states 2p53p′ [1/2]1, …

Absolute Nitrogen Atom Density Measurements By Two-Photon Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy In Atmospheric Pressure Dielectric Barrier Discharges Of Pure Nitrogen, Et-Touhami Es-Sebbar, Christian Sarra-Bournet, Nicolas Naudé, Françoise Massines, Nicolas Gherardi

Dr. Et-touhami Es-sebbar

In this paper, two-photon absorption laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy is used to follow the nitrogen atom density in flowing dielectric barrier discharges fed with pure nitrogen and operating at atmospheric pressure. Two different dielectric barrier discharge regimes are investigated: the Townsend regime, which is homogeneous although operating at atmospheric pressure, and the more common filamentary regime. In both regimes, densities as high as 3x1014 /cm3 are detected. However, the N atoms kinetic formation depends on the discharge regime. The saturation level is reached more rapidly with a filamentary discharge. For a given discharge regime, the N atom density depends strongly …

Contributions To The Development Of The S.E.T.U.P. (Experimental And Theoretical Simulations Useful For Planetology) Project, E. Arzoumanian, C. Romanzin, M-C. Gazeau, Et. Es-Sebbar, A. Jolly, S. Perrier, Y. Benilan

Dr. Et-touhami Es-sebbar

No abstract provided.

Multiwavelength Studies For Titan's Atmospheric Composition Analysis, Y. Benilan, Et. Es-Sebbar, N. Fray, M-C. Gazeau, A. Jolly, M. Schwell, J. Guillemin

Dr. Et-touhami Es-sebbar

Titan's atmosphere mainly made of nitrogen and methane is rich in organic molecules. Hydrocarbons are formed from the photolytic dissociation of CH4 and nitriles are created by dissociation of N2 followed by reactions with hydrocarbons. In order to understand the physicochemical mechanisms responsible for the evolution of Titan's atmosphere, photochemical models are built. The latter need constrains for vertical profiles of organic compounds from the high thermosphere down to the low stratosphere as well as photodissociation rates. Those profiles over the entire atmosphere can be retrieved from Cassini observations, in particular by limb sounding, coupling infrared and ultraviolet spectroscopy. However, …

Electron Self-Injection And Trapping Into An Evolving Plasma Bubble, Serguei Y. Kalmykov, Sunghwan A. Yi, Vladimir N. Khudik, Gennady Shvets

Serge Youri Kalmykov

The blowout (or bubble) regime of laser wakefield acceleration is promising for generating monochromatic high-energy electron beams out of low-density plasmas. It is shown analytically and by particle-in-cell simulations that self-injection of the background plasma electrons into the quasistatic plasma bubble can be caused by slow temporal expansion of the bubble. Sufficient criteria for the electron trapping and bubble’s expansion rate are derived using a semianalytic nonstationary Hamiltonian theory. It is further shown that the combination of bubble’s expansion and contraction results in monoenergetic electron beams.

Neutrons And Hadronic Parity Violation, Br Holstein

Barry R Holstein

The history and phenomenology of hadronic parity violation are reviewed, and the important role of the neutron in unlocking the physics of this subject is outlined.

Vuv Photostability Of Prebiotic Species, M. Schwell, Y. Bénilan, M.-C. Gazeau, N. Fray, A. Jolly, Et. Es-Sebbar, N. Champion, S. Leach, H. W Jochims, H. Baumgärtel, E. Rühl

Dr. Et-touhami Es-sebbar

No abstract provided.

S.E.T.U.P. Experimental And Theoretical Simulations Useful For Planetology- Related Studies In The Frame Of A Program Of Titan’S Atmosphere Laboratory Simulations, M.-C. Gazeau, Et. Es-Sebbar, E. Arzoumanian, C. Romanzin, A. Jolly, S. Perrier, Y. Bénilan

Dr. Et-touhami Es-sebbar

No abstract provided.

Flexoelectricity Of A Calamitic Liquid Crystal Elastomer Swollen With A Bent-Core Liquid Crystal, M. Chambers, R. Verduzco, J. T. Gleeson, S. Sprunt, Antal Jakli

Antal Jakli

We have measured the electric current induced by mechanical distortion of a calamitic liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) swollen with a low molecular weight bent-core nematic (BCN) liquid crystal, and have determined, for the first time, the bend flexoelectric coefficient e(3) of such a BCN-LCE composite. In one method, we utilise air-pressure to induce a mechanical bend deformation and flexoelectric polarization in a BCN-LCE film, and then measure the polarization current as a function of time. An alternative technique uses a rotary-motor driven scotch yoke to periodically flex the BCN-LCE; in this case, the magnitude and phase of the induced current …

Light-Driven Molecular Switches With Tetrahedral And Axial Chirality, Lisa Green, Yannian Li, Timothy White, Augustine Urbas, Timothy Bunning, Quan Li

Quan Li

Two light-driven molecular switches with tetrahedral and axial chirality were synthesized, which can induce a helical superstructure in an achiral liquid crystal host and dynamically phototune it to achieve reversible reflection color.

Rheological Properties Of Bent-Core Liquid Crystals, C. Bailey, K. Fodor-Csorba, J. T. Gleeson, Samuel N. Sprunt, Antal Jákli

Antal Jakli

We show that bent-core liquid crystalline materials exhibit non-Newtonian flow in their optically isotropic liquid phase. We conjecture that this behavior is due to the existence of nanostructured, fluctuating clusters composed of a few smectic-like layers. Shear alignment of these clusters explains the shear thinning observed in bent-core liquid crystals having either a nematic phase or non-modulated smectic phase. By contrast, smectogens having a modulated smectic phase do not shear thin at low shear rates, but even show a slight shear thickening which may be due to entanglements of wormlike and/or helical clusters.

Charge Transfer Assisted By Collective H-Bonding Network Dynamics, Omar F. Mohammed, Christina M. Othon, Oh-Hoon Kwon, Ahmed H. Zewail

Christina M Othon

Although there have been numerous studies of solvation, the role of solvent specific and collective interactions, especially for charge-transfer processes, remains difficult to unravel. Here, we report, using femtosecond fluorescence up-conversion and steady-state spectroscopic measurements, studies of well-designed single-sited formylperylene (FPe) in binary solvents. One of the solvents (methanol, MOH) can selectively hydrogen (H) bond to the carbonyl (C=O) site, while the other (acetonitrile, ACN) cannot, but both have similar polarity ( for MOH and for ACN). The results reveal that ultrafast charge transfer from the perylene unit to the carbonyl group of FPe is facilitated by site-specific H-bonding interactions …

Comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz): Parent Volatiles, A Search For Deuterated Methane, And Constraint On The Ch4 Spin Temperature, Boncho P. Bonev, Michael J. Mumma, Erika L. Gibb, Michael A. Disanti, Geronimo L. Villanueva, Karen Magee-Sauer, Richard S. Ellis

Erika Gibb

Acoustically Driven Oscillations Of Freely Suspended Liquid Crystal Filaments, J. Petzold, A. Nemes, A. Eremin, C. Bailey, N. Diorio, Antal Jakli, R. Stannarius

Antal Jakli

Some liquid crystalline phases of bent-core mesogens are known to form stable freely-suspended filaments with length to diameter ratios of 1000 and larger. These structures can behave like thin liquid chords. We study filament oscillations excited with harmonic sound waves. From amplitudes of the filament motion and phase shifts respective to the harmonic excitation signal we develop a model for the filament dynamics. Like in solid chords, the resonance frequency f(0) is inversely proportional to their length. The dependence of f(0) upon the filament radius allows one to draw conclusions on the nature of the filament tension. For thin filaments, …

The Study Of The 1s4–2pj Optogalvanic Transients In A Neon Discharge Plasma, Naveed Piracha, R. Feaver, T. Gilani, Rizwan Ahmed, R. Ali, M. Baig

Naveed K. Piracha

Time dependent optogalvanic signals induced by the 1s4→2pj laser excitations have been studied in neon DC plasma. The decay rates related to all the four 1si levels have been derived by fitting the waveforms with a mathematical rate equation model. The temporal signatures of three transitions namely 638.3, 650.7 and 724.5nm related to the 2p7, 2p8 and 2p10 upper levels, respectively, have been found to be different from the rest of the transitions. We relate these effects to the population redistribution of decaying channels and to the processes responsible for the optogalvanic effect.

Hadronic Parity Violation And Effective Field Theory, Br Holstein

Barry R Holstein

The history and phenomenology of hadronic parity violation is reviewed and a new modelindependent approach based on effective field theory is developed. Possible future developments are discussed.

Characterization Of An N2 Flowing Microwave Post-Discharge By Oes Spectroscopy And Determination Of Absolute Ground-State Nitrogen Atom Densities By Talif, Et. Es-Sebbar, Y. Benilan, A. Jolly, M-C. Gazeau

Dr. Et-touhami Es-sebbar

A flowing microwave post-discharge source sustained at 2.45 GHz in pure nitrogen has been investigated by optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and two-photon absorption laser-induced fluorescence (TALIF) spectroscopy. Variations of the optical emission along the post-discharge (near, pink and late afterglow) have been studied and the gas temperature has been determined. TALIF spectroscopy has been used in the late afterglow to determine the absolute ground-state nitrogen atomic densities using krypton as a reference gas. Measurements show that the microwave flowing post-discharge is an efficient source of N (4S) atoms in late afterglow. In our experimental conditions, the maximum N (4S) density …

Intra-Annual Comparison Of Mesospheric Gravity Waves Over Halley And Rothera Stations, Antarctica., Jonathan R. Pugmire, Mike J. Taylor, Kim Nielsen

Jonathan Pugmire

As part of a collaborative program between British Antarctic Survey and Utah State University, we present an intra-annual study of short-period, mesospheric gravity wave events observed over Antarctica in the near infrared OH emission. The measurements were made using an all-sky airglow imager operated at either Halley Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf, or Rothera Station, situated on the Antarctic Peninsula. A total of six austral winter seasons have been analyzed (2000-2006). This study comprises the first detailed winter seasonal investigation of short-period mesospheric gravity waves at high-Antarctic latitudes. Distributions of their observed wave parameters were found to be similar …

Solvation In Protein (Un)Folding: Effect Of Local And Bulk Dynamics In The Melittin Tetramer-Monomer Transition, Christina M. Othon, Oh-Hoon Kwon, Milo M. Lin, Ahmed H. Zewail

Christina M Othon

Protein structural integrity and flexibility are intimately tied to solvation. Here we examine the effect that changes in bulk and local solvent properties have on protein structure and stability. We observe the change in solvation of an unfolding of the protein model, melittin, in the presence of a denaturant, trifluoroethanol. The peptide system displays a well defined transition in that the tetramer unfolds without disrupting the secondary or tertiary structure. In the absence of local structural perturbation, we are able to reveal exclusively the role of solvation dynamics in protein structure stabilization and the (un)folding pathway. A sudden retardation in …

Simulation Of Ultrashort Laser Pulse Propagation And Plasma Generation In Nonlinear Media. Dissertation, Jeremy Gulley

Jeremy R. Gulley

In this dissertation, a modified nonlinear Schrödinger equation is derived, which describes the propagation of ultrashort laser pulses through nonlinear materials in which plasma generation and laser-induced damage can occur. Differences between this model and models currently used in the literature are investigated and analyzed by numerical simulations. Ultrafast laser-induced material modification is investigated using this method by simulating the propagation of fully 3+1D (3 spatial plus 1 time dimension) laser pulses, which are numerically constructed from experimentally measured beam profiles and pulse shape data. The latest of these investigations reveals that standard rate-equation models for the free-electron plasma generation …

Analytical Solution For Stokes Flow Inside An Evaporating Sessile Drop: Spherical And Cylindrical Cap Shapes, Hassan Masoud, James D. Felske

Hassan Masoud

Organo-Soluble Photoresponsive Azo Thiol Monolayer-Protected Gold Nanorods, Jouliana M. El Khoury, Xiaoli Zhou, Liangti Qu, Liming Dai, Augustine Urbas, Quan Li

Quan Li

Organo-soluble photoresponsive azo thiol monolayer-protected gold nanorods were synthesized; the resulting gold nanorods encapsulated by thiols on their entire surface with strong covalent Au-S linkages were very stable in both organic solvents and in the solid state without aggregation or decomposition.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring In Non-Insulin-Using Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes: Acceptability, Feasibility, And Teaching Opportunities, Nancy A. Allen, James A. Fain, Barry Braun, Stuart R. Chipkin

Stuart R. Chipkin

Background: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has the potential to provide useful data for behavioral interventions targeting non–insulin-using, sedentary individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The aims of this study were to describe CGM in terms of (1) feasibility and acceptability and (2) dietary- and exerciseteaching events. Methods: Cross-sectional data were analyzed from 27 non–insulin-using adults with T2DM who wore CGM for 72 h as part of a larger study on using CGM for exercise counseling in this population. Feasibility data included accuracy of entering daily self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG) readings and events (e.g., meals, exercise), sensor failures, alarms, optimal …

Ir-Dielectric Functions Of Znbete Alloys Determined By Spectroscopic Ellipsometry, Frank Peiris, Et Al.

Frank Peiris

All-Optical Control Of Nonlinear Focusing Of Laser Beams In Plasma Beat Wave Accelerator, Serguei Y. Kalmykov, Sunghwan A. Yi, Gennady Shvets

Serge Youri Kalmykov

Nonlinear focusing of a bi-color laser in plasma can be controlled by varying the difference frequency \Omega. The driven electron density perturbation forms a co-moving periodic focusing (de-focusing) channel if \Omega is below (above) the electron Langmuir frequency \omega_p. Hence, the beam focusing is enhanced for \Omega < \omega_p and is suppressed otherwise. In particular, a catastrophic relativistic self-focusing of a high-power laser beam can be prevented all-optically by a second, much weaker, co-propagating beam shifted in frequency by \Omega > \omega_p. A bi-envelope equation describing the early stage of the mutual de-focusing is derived and analyzed. Later stages, characterized by a well-developed electromagnetic cascade, are investigated numerically. Stable propagation of the over-critical laser pulse over several Rayleigh lengths is predicted. The non-resonant plasma beat wave (\Omega \not= \omega_p) can accelerate pre-injected electrons above …

First Measurement Of The Neutron Beta Asymmetry With Ultracold Neutrons, Robert W. Pattie, J. Anaya, Henning O. Back, J. G. Boissevain, Thomas J. Bowles, Leah J. Broussard, Richard Carr, D. J. Clark, Scott Currie, S. Du, Bradley W. Filippone, Peter Geltenbort, A. García, Ayman I. Hawari, Kevin P. Hickerson, R. Hill, M. Hino, S. A. Hoedl, Gary E. Hogan, Anthony T. Holley, Takeyasu M. Ito, T. Kawai, K. Kirch, S. Kitagaki, Steve K. Lamoreaux, Chenyu Liu, Jingyang Liu, Mark Makela, Russell R. Mammei, J. W. Martin, Daniel Melconian, N. Meier, Michael P. Mendenhall, Charles L. Morris, R. Mortensen, A. Pichlmaier, Margaret L. Pitt, Blakely Plaster, John C. Ramsey, Roger Rios, Konstantin Sabourov, A. L. Sallaska, Alexander Saunders, R. Schmid, Susan J. Seestrom, C. Servicky, Sky K. L. Sjue, D. Smith, Walter E. Sondheim, E. Tatar, W. Teasdale, Christopher R. Terai, B. Tipton, M. Utsuro, R. Bruce Vogelaar, Bernard Wehring, Y. P. Xu, Andrew R. Young, J. Yuan

Robert W. Pattie Jr.

Target Finding Time For Microtubules In A Confined Geometry, Mitra Shojania-Feizabadi

Mitra Shojania-Feizabadi

Dynamic instability of microtubules may reach the steady state with exponentially growing or decaying length distribution in a confined geometry such as a cell-like environment. In this brief communication, the target finding time for these microtubules with the stochastic polymerization in a confined geometry is compared with the reversible polymerization. It is shown that the efficiency of microtubules with increasing length distribution at the steady state depends on the location of a target. They are very efficient in finding a target located at the cell cortex, which confirms the significant biological role they play in rapidly reaching the cell cortex …