@article{ReindlRauchMillerBertolamietal.2016, author = {Reindl, Nicole and Rauch, Thomas and Miller Bertolami, Marcelo Miguel and Todt, Helge Tobias and Werner, K.}, title = {Breaking news from the HST}, series = {Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society}, volume = {464}, journal = {Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society}, publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0035-8711}, doi = {10.1093/mnrasl/slw175}, pages = {L51 -- L55}, year = {2016}, abstract = {SAO 244567 is a rare example of a star that allows us to witness stellar evolution in real time. Between 1971 and 1990, it changed from a B-type star into the hot central star of the Stingray Nebula. This observed rapid heating has been a mystery for decades, since it is in strong contradiction with the low mass of the star and canonical post-asymptotic giant branch (AGB) evolution. We speculated that SAO 244567 might have suffered from a late thermal pulse (LTP) and obtained new observations with Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/COS to follow the evolution of the surface properties of SAO 244567 and to verify the LTP hypothesis. Our non-LTE spectral analysis reveals that the star cooled significantly since 2002 and that its envelope is now expanding. Therefore, we conclude that SAO 244567 is currently on its way back towards the AGB, which strongly supports the LTP hypothesis. A comparison with state-of-the-art LTP evolutionary calculations shows that these models cannot fully reproduce the evolution of all surface parameters simultaneously, pointing out possible shortcomings of stellar evolution models. Thereby, SAO 244567 keeps on challenging stellar evolution theory and we highly encourage further investigations.}, language = {en} } @article{deCarvalhoMetzlerCherstvy2016, author = {de Carvalho, Sidney J. and Metzler, Ralf and Cherstvy, Andrey G.}, title = {Critical adsorption of polyelectrolytes onto planar and convex highly charged surfaces}, series = {New journal of physics : the open-access journal for physics}, volume = {18}, journal = {New journal of physics : the open-access journal for physics}, publisher = {IOP Publ.}, address = {London}, issn = {1367-2630}, doi = {10.1088/1367-2630/18/8/083037}, year = {2016}, abstract = {We study the adsorption-desorption transition of polyelectrolyte chains onto planar, cylindrical and spherical surfaces with arbitrarily high surface charge densities by massive Monte Carlo computer simulations. We examine in detail how the well known scaling relations for the threshold transition—demarcating the adsorbed and desorbed domains of a polyelectrolyte near weakly charged surfaces—are altered for highly charged interfaces. In virtue of high surface potentials and large surface charge densities, the Debye-H{\"u}ckel approximation is often not feasible and the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann approach should be implemented. At low salt conditions, for instance, the electrostatic potential from the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation is smaller than the Debye-H{\"u}ckel result, such that the required critical surface charge density for polyelectrolyte adsorption σc increases. The nonlinear relation between the surface charge density and electrostatic potential leads to a sharply increasing critical surface charge density with growing ionic strength, imposing an additional limit to the critical salt concentration above which no polyelectrolyte adsorption occurs at all. We contrast our simulations findings with the known scaling results for weak critical polyelectrolyte adsorption onto oppositely charged surfaces for the three standard geometries. Finally, we discuss some applications of our results for some physical-chemical and biophysical systems.}, language = {en} } @article{SchildeKellingUmbreenetal.2016, author = {Schilde, Uwe and Kelling, Alexandra and Umbreen, Sumaira and Linker, Torsten}, title = {Crystal structures of three bicyclic carbohydrate derivatives}, series = {Acta crystallographica Section E ; Crystallographic communications}, volume = {72}, journal = {Acta crystallographica Section E ; Crystallographic communications}, number = {12}, publisher = {IUCR}, address = {Chester}, issn = {2056-9890}, doi = {10.1107/S2056989016018727}, pages = {1839 -- 1844}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The title compounds, [(1R,3R,4R,5R,6S)-4,5-bis(acetyloxy)-7-oxo-2-oxabicyclo- [4.2.0]octan-3-yl]methyl acetate, C14H18O8, (I), [(1S,4R,5S,6R)-5-acetyloxy-7- hydroxyimino-2-oxobicyclo[4.2.0]octan-4-yl acetate, C11H15NO6, (II), and [(3aR,5R,6R,7R,7aS)-6,7-bis(acetyloxy)-2-oxooctahydropyrano[3,2-b]pyrrol-5- yl]methyl acetate, C14H19NO8, (III), are stable bicyclic carbohydrate derivatives. They can easily be synthesized in a few steps from commercially available glycals. As a result of the ring strain from the four-membered rings in (I) and (II), the conformations of the carbohydrates deviate strongly from the ideal chair form. Compound (II) occurs in the boat form. In the five-membered lactam (III), on the other hand, the carbohydrate adopts an almost ideal chair conformation. As a result of the distortion of the sugar rings, the configurations of the three bicyclic carbohydrate derivatives could not be determined from their NMR coupling constants. From our three crystal structure determinations, we were able to establish for the first time the absolute configurations of all new stereocenters of the carbohydrate rings.}, language = {en} } @article{RaetzelWilkensMenzel2016, author = {R{\"a}tzel, Dennis and Wilkens, Martin and Menzel, Ralf}, title = {Gravitational properties of light}, series = {New journal of physics : the open-access journal for physics}, volume = {18}, journal = {New journal of physics : the open-access journal for physics}, publisher = {IOP Science}, address = {London}, issn = {1367-2630}, doi = {10.1088/1367-2630/18/2/023009}, pages = {1 -- 16}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The gravitational field of a laser pulse of finite lifetime, is investigated in the framework of linearized gravity. Although the effects are very small, they may be of fundamental physical interest. It is shown that the gravitational field of a linearly polarized light pulse is modulated as the norm of the corresponding electric field strength, while no modulations arise for circular polarization. In general, the gravitational field is independent of the polarization direction. It is shown that all physical effects are confined to spherical shells expanding with the speed of light, and that these shells are imprints of the spacetime events representing emission and absorption of the pulse. Nearby test particles at rest are attracted towards the pulse trajectory by the gravitational field due to the emission of the pulse, and they are repelled from the pulse trajectory by the gravitational field due to its absorption. Examples are given for the size of the attractive effect. It is recovered that massless test particles do not experience any physical effect if they are co-propagating with the pulse, and that the acceleration of massless test particles counter-propagating with respect to the pulse is four times stronger than for massive particles at rest. The similarities between the gravitational effect of a laser pulse and Newtonian gravity in two dimensions are pointed out. The spacetime curvature close to the pulse is compared to that induced by gravitational waves from astronomical sources.}, language = {en} } @article{GhoshCherstvyPetrovetal.2016, author = {Ghosh, Surya K. and Cherstvy, Andrey G. and Petrov, Eugene P. and Metzler, Ralf}, title = {Interactions of rod-like particles on responsive elastic sheets}, series = {Soft matter}, journal = {Soft matter}, publisher = {RSC}, address = {London}, issn = {1744-6848}, doi = {10.1039/C6SM01522K}, year = {2016}, abstract = {What are the physical laws of the mutual interactions of objects bound to cell membranes, such as various membrane proteins or elongated virus particles? To rationalise this, we here investigate by extensive computer simulations mutual interactions of rod-like particles adsorbed on the surface of responsive elastic two-dimensional sheets. Specifically, we quantify sheet deformations as a response to adhesion of such filamentous particles. We demonstrate that tip-to-tip contacts of rods are favoured for relatively soft sheets, while side-by-side contacts are preferred for stiffer elastic substrates. These attractive orientation-dependent substrate-mediated interactions between the rod-like particles on responsive sheets can drive their aggregation and self-assembly. The optimal orientation of the membrane-bound rods is established via responding to the elastic energy profiles created around the particles. We unveil the phase diagramme of attractive-repulsive rod-rod interactions in the plane of their separation and mutual orientation. Applications of our results to other systems featuring membrane-associated particles are also discussed.}, language = {en} } @article{FeldmannMaduarSanteretal.2016, author = {Feldmann, David and Maduar, Salim R. and Santer, Mark and Lomadze, Nino and Vinogradova, Olga I. and Santer, Svetlana}, title = {Manipulation of small particles at solid liquid interface}, series = {Scientific reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific reports}, publisher = {Nature Publishing Group}, address = {London}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/srep36443}, pages = {10}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The strong adhesion of sub-micron sized particles to surfaces is a nuisance, both for removing contaminating colloids from surfaces and for conscious manipulation of particles to create and test novel micro/nano-scale assemblies. The obvious idea of using detergents to ease these processes suffers from a lack of control: the action of any conventional surface-modifying agent is immediate and global. With photosensitive azobenzene containing surfactants we overcome these limitations. Such photo-soaps contain optical switches (azobenzene molecules), which upon illumination with light of appropriate wavelength undergo reversible trans-cis photo-isomerization resulting in a subsequent change of the physico-chemical molecular properties. In this work we show that when a spatial gradient in the composition of trans- and cis- isomers is created near a solid-liquid interface, a substantial hydrodynamic flow can be initiated, the spatial extent of which can be set, e.g., by the shape of a laser spot. We propose the concept of light induced diffusioosmosis driving the flow, which can remove, gather or pattern a particle assembly at a solid-liquid interface. In other words, in addition to providing a soap we implement selectivity: particles are mobilized and moved at the time of illumination, and only across the illuminated area.}, language = {en} } @article{vonReppertPuddellKocetal.2016, author = {von Reppert, Alexander and Puddell, J. and Koc, A. and Reinhardt, M. and Leitenberger, Wolfram and Dumesnil, K. and Zamponi, Flavio and Bargheer, Matias}, title = {Persistent nonequilibrium dynamics of the thermal energies in the spin and phonon systems of an antiferromagnet}, series = {Structural dynamics}, volume = {3}, journal = {Structural dynamics}, publisher = {AIP Publishing LLC}, address = {Melville, NY}, issn = {2329-7778}, doi = {10.1063/1.4961253}, year = {2016}, abstract = {We present a temperature and fluence dependent Ultrafast X-Ray Diffraction study of a laser-heated antiferromagnetic dysprosium thin film. The loss of antiferromagnetic order is evidenced by a pronounced lattice contraction. We devise a method to determine the energy flow between the phonon and spin system from calibrated Bragg peak positions in thermal equilibrium. Reestablishing the magnetic order is much slower than the cooling of the lattice, especially around the N{\´e}el temperature. Despite the pronounced magnetostriction, the transfer of energy from the spin system to the phonons in Dy is slow after the spin-order is lost.}, language = {en} } @article{BodrovaChechkinCherstvyetal.2016, author = {Bodrova, Anna S. and Chechkin, Aleksei V. and Cherstvy, Andrey G. and Safdari, Hadiseh and Sokolov, Igor M. and Metzler, Ralf}, title = {Underdamped scaled Brownian motion}, series = {Scientific reports}, volume = {6}, journal = {Scientific reports}, publisher = {Nature Publishing Group}, address = {London}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/srep30520}, year = {2016}, abstract = {It is quite generally assumed that the overdamped Langevin equation provides a quantitative description of the dynamics of a classical Brownian particle in the long time limit. We establish and investigate a paradigm anomalous diffusion process governed by an underdamped Langevin equation with an explicit time dependence of the system temperature and thus the diffusion and damping coefficients. We show that for this underdamped scaled Brownian motion (UDSBM) the overdamped limit fails to describe the long time behaviour of the system and may practically even not exist at all for a certain range of the parameter values. Thus persistent inertial effects play a non-negligible role even at significantly long times. From this study a general questions on the applicability of the overdamped limit to describe the long time motion of an anomalously diffusing particle arises, with profound consequences for the relevance of overdamped anomalous diffusion models. We elucidate our results in view of analytical and simulations results for the anomalous diffusion of particles in free cooling granular gases.}, language = {en} } @article{SchickEckertPontiusetal.2016, author = {Schick, Daniel and Eckert, Sebastian and Pontius, Niko and Mitzner, Rolf and F{\"o}hlisch, Alexander and Holldack, Karsten and Sorgenfrei, Nomi}, title = {Versatile soft X-ray-optical cross-correlator for ultrafast applications}, series = {Structural dynamics}, volume = {3}, journal = {Structural dynamics}, publisher = {American Institute of Physics}, address = {Melville}, issn = {2329-7778}, doi = {10.1063/1.4964296}, pages = {054304-1 -- 054304-8}, year = {2016}, abstract = {We present an X-ray-optical cross-correlator for the soft (> 150 eV) up to the hard X-ray regime based on a molybdenum-silicon superlattice. The cross-correlation is done by probing intensity and position changes of superlattice Bragg peaks caused by photoexcitation of coherent phonons. This approach is applicable for a wide range of X-ray photon energies as well as for a broad range of excitation wavelengths and requires no external fields or changes of temperature. Moreover, the cross-correlator can be employed on a 10 ps or 100 fs time scale featuring up to 50\% total X-ray reflectivity and transient signal changes of more than 20\%. (C) 2016 Author(s).}, language = {en} }