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In July 2004 the Cassini–Huygens mission reached the Saturnian system and started its orbital tour. A total of 75 orbits will be carried out during the primary mission until August 2008. In these four years Cassini crosses the ring plane 150 times and spends approx. 400 h within Titan's orbit. The Cosmic Dust Analyser (CDA) onboard Cassini characterises the dust environment with its extended E ring and embedded moons. Here, we focus on the CDA results of the first year and we present the Dust Analyser (DA) data within Titan's orbit. This paper does investigate High Rate Detector data and dust composition measurements. The authors focus on the analysis of impact rates, which were strongly variable primarily due to changes of the spacecraft pointing. An overview is given about the ring plane crossings and the DA counter measurements. The DA dust impact rates are compared with the DA boresight configuration around all ring plane crossings between June 2004 and July 2005. Dust impacts were registered at altitudes as high as 100 000 km above the ring plane at distances from Saturn between 4 and 10 Saturn radii. In those regions the dust density of particles bigger than 0.5 can reach values of 0.001m-3.
To develop and investigate detailed mathematical models of metabolic processes is one of the primary challenges in systems biology. However, despite considerable advance in the topological analysis of metabolic networks, kinetic modeling is still often severely hampered by inadequate knowledge of the enzyme-kinetic rate laws and their associated parameter values. Here we propose a method that aims to give a quantitative account of the dynamical capabilities of a metabolic system, without requiring any explicit information about the functional form of the rate equations. Our approach is based on constructing a local linear model at each point in parameter space, such that each element of the model is either directly experimentally accessible or amenable to a straightforward biochemical interpretation. This ensemble of local linear models, encompassing all possible explicit kinetic models, then allows for a statistical exploration of the comprehensive parameter space. The method is exemplified on two paradigmatic metabolic systems: the glycolytic pathway of yeast and a realistic-scale representation of the photosynthetic Calvin cycle.
We develop a model of stochastic radiation pressure for rotating non-spherical particles and apply the model to circumplanetary dynamics of dust grains. The stochastic properties of the radiation pressure are related to the ensemble-averaged characteristics of the rotating particles, which are given in terms of the rotational time-correlation function of a grain. We investigate the model analytically and show that an ensemble of particle trajectories demonstrates a diffusion-like behaviour. The analytical results are compared with numerical simulations, performed for the motion of the dusty ejecta from Deimos in orbit around Mars. We find that the theoretical predictions are in a good agreement with the simulation results. The agreement however deteriorates at later time, when the impact of non-linear terms, neglected in the analytic approach, becomes significant. Our results indicate that the stochastic modulation of the radiation pressure can play an important role in the circumplanetary dynamics of dust and may in case of some dusty systems noticeably alter an optical depth. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Recurrence plot analyses suggest a novel reference system involved in newborn spontaneous movements
(2006)
The movements of newborns have been thoroughly studied in terms of reflexes, muscle synergies, leg coordination, and target-directed arm/hand movements. Since these approaches have concentrated mainly on separate accomplishments, there has remained a clear need for more integrated investigations. Here, we report an inquiry in which we explicitly concentrated on taking such a perspective and, additionally, were guided by the methodological concept of home base behavior, which Ilan Golard developed for studies of exploratory behavior in animals. Methods from nonlinear dynamics, such as symbolic dynamics and recurrence plot analyses of kinematic data received from audiovisual newborn recordings, yielded new insights into the spatial and temporal organization of limb movements. In the framework of home base behavior, our approach uncovered a novel reference system of spontaneous newborn movements.
Nous évaluons la force de Casimir entre deux surfaces planes métalliques constituées d'argent. Nous prenons, pour effectuer cette évaluation, des propriétés optiques de l'argent à différentes températures [1]. Nous montrons que cette dépendance en température modifie la force de Casimir (de 0.2%) y compris à des distances inférieures à la longueur d'onde thermique.
Experimental results show that the polymerization of pyrrole in the presence of beta-naphthalenesulfonic acid and different fluorosurfactants like perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, perfluorooctyldiethanolamide, and ammonium perfluorooctanoate leads to polypyrrole with special morphologies, such as rings or disks and rectangular frames or plates. The formation of these unusually shaped particles of polymer dispersions is explained by the chemical and colloidal peculiarities of the oxidative pyrrole polymerization with ammonium peroxodisulfate in aqueous medium.
Three methods for the determination of the surface tension of liquids based on force measurements namely, the vertical plate method of Wilhelmy, the frame method of Lenard and the ring method of du Nouy are compared and studied in respect of a common principle of correction. It is shown that these three most important force-based methods allow the determination of the surface tension under static conditions. The force components of the corresponding liquid column below the measuring wire obtained for the straight part of the withdrawal curve up to the transition in its curved part provides exact surface tension values. The experimentally accessible value of the force component describes the physical background of the measured value correction contrary to the approximate equations obtained by mathematical way. Usually the determination of surface tension of liquids is based merely at the vertical plate method on exact equations thermodynamically derived whereas in the case of the frame and ring methods correction factors in approximate equations are used. At usual application of the force-based methods under the non-static condition of the withdrawal of a liquid column, the force maximum measured at withdrawal of the measuring object (plate, frame, or ring) is the basis for the determination of surface tension. In these cases, the measured surface tension values are compensated by correction equations for the frame and ring methods which are based on an correction factor and correction tables empirically obtained. The surface tension values obtained in this usual way agree with those obtained by using the force component of the corresponding liquid column below the measuring wire for the straight part of the withdrawal curve up to the transition in its curved part. Problems arising at the force measurements with increasing thickness of the measuring wires inside and outside the rings are discussed.
The velocity distribution function of granular gases in the homogeneous cooling state as well as some heated granular gases decays for large velocities as f proportional to exp(-const x nu). That is, its high-energy tail is overpopulated as compared with the Maxwell distribution. At the present time, there is no theory to describe the influence of the tail on the kinetic characteristics of granular gases. We develop an approach to quantify the overpopulated tail and analyze its impact on granular gas properties, in particular on the cooling coefficient. We observe and explain anomalously slow relaxation of the velocity distribution function to its steady state.
This paper discusses translocation features of the 20S proteasome in order to explain typical proteasome length distributions. We assume that the protein transport depends significantly on the fragment length with some optimal length which is transported most efficiently. By means of a simple one-channel model, we show that this hypothesis can explain both the one- and the three-peak length distributions found in experiments. A possible mechanism of such translocation is provided by so-called fluctuation-driven transport.
Archival X-ray spectra of the four prominent single, non-magnetic O stars zeta Pup, zeta Ori, xi Per and zeta Oph, obtained in high resolution with Chandra HETGS/MEG have been studied. The resolved X-ray emission line profiles provide information about the shocked, hot gas which emits the X-radiation, and about the bulk of comparably cool stellar wind material which partly absorbs this radiation. In this paper, we synthesize X-ray line profiles with a model of a clumpy stellar wind. We find that the geometrical shape of the wind inhomogeneities is important: better agreement with the observations can be achieved with radially compressed clumps than with spherical clumps. The parameters of the model, i.e. chemical abundances, stellar radius, mass-loss rate and terminal wind velocity, are taken from existing analyses of UV and optical spectra of the programme stars. On this basis, we also calculate the continuum-absorption coefficient of the cool-wind material, using the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet (POWR) model atmosphere code. The radial location of X-ray emitting gas is restricted from analysing the FIR line ratios of helium-like ions. The only remaining free parameter of our model is the typical distance between the clumps; here, we assume that at any point in the wind there is one clump passing by per one dynamical time-scale of the wind. The total emission in a model line is scaled to the observation. There is a good agreement between synthetic and observed line profiles. We conclude that the X-ray emission line profiles in O stars can be explained by hot plasma embedded in a cool wind which is highly clumped in the form of radially compressed shell fragments.
Context. Very massive stars pass through the Wolf-Rayet (WR) stage before they finally explode. Details of their evolution have not yet been safely established, and their physics are not well understood. Their spectral analysis requires adequate model atmospheres, which have been developed step by step during the past decades and account in their recent version for line blanketing by the millions of lines from iron and iron-group elements. However, only very few WN stars have been re-analyzed by means of line-blanketed models yet. Aims. The quantitative spectral analysis of a large sample of Galactic WN stars with the most advanced generation of model atmospheres should provide an empirical basis for various studies about the origin, evolution, and physics of the Wolf-Rayet stars and their powerful winds. Methods. We analyze a large sample of Galactic WN stars by means of the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet (PoWR) model atmospheres, which account for iron line blanketing and clumping. The results are compared with a synthetic population, generated from the Geneva tracks for massive star evolution. Results. We obtain a homogeneous set of stellar and atmospheric parameters for the GalacticWN stars, partly revising earlier results. Conclusions. Comparing the results of our spectral analyses of the Galactic WN stars with the predictions of the Geneva evolutionary calculations, we conclude that there is rough qualitative agreement. However, the quantitative discrepancies are still severe, and there is no preference for the tracks that account for the effects of rotation. It seems that the evolution of massive stars is still not satisfactorily understood.
We demonstrate that a multiple delayed feedback is a powerful tool to control coherence properties of autonomous self-sustained oscillators. We derive the equation for the phase dynamics in presence of noise and delay, and analyze it analytically. In Gaussian approximation a closed set of equations for the frequency and the diffusion constant is obtained. Solutions of these equations are in good agreement with direct numerical simulations.
It is shown that several polymers can form insoluble interfacial layers on a poly (ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) layer after annealing of the double-layer structure. The thickness of the interlayer is dependent on the characteristics of the underlying PEDOT.PSS and the molecular weight of the polymers. It is further shown that the electronic structures of the interlayer polymers have a significant effect on the properties of red-light-emitting polymer-based electrophosphorescent devices. Upon increasing the highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital positions, a significant increase in current density and device efficiency is observed. This is attributed to efficient blocking of electrons in combination with direct injection of holes from the interlayer to the phosphorescent dye. Upon proper choice of the interlayer polymer, efficient red, polymer-based electrophosphorescent devices with a peak luminance efficiency of 5.5 cd A(-1) (external quantum efficiency = 6 %) and a maximum power-conversion efficiency of 5 Im W-1 can be realized.
We investigate the effects of a time-delayed all-to-all coupling scheme in a large population of oscillators with natural frequencies following a bimodal distribution. The regions of parameter space corresponding to synchronized and incoherent solutions are obtained both numerically and analytically for particular frequency distributions. In particular, we find that bimodality introduces a new time scale that results in a quasiperiodic disposition of the regions of incoherence.
We present experimental results showing the diffuse reflection of a Bose Einstein condensate from a rough mirror, consisting of a dielectric substrate supporting a blue-detuned evanescent wave. The scattering is anisotropic, more pronounced in the direction of the surface propagation of the evanescent wave. These results agree very well with theoretical predictions.
We present experimental and numerical evidence of synchronization of burst events in two different modulated CO2 lasers. Bursts appear randomly in each laser as trains of large amplitude spikes intercalated by a small amplitude chaotic regime. Experimental data and model show the frequency locking of bursts in a suitable interval of coupling strength. We explain the mechanism of this phenomenon and demonstrate the inhibitory properties of the implemented coupling.
Recent research using the complex network approach has revealed a rich and complicated network topology in the cortical connectivity of mammalian brains. It is of importance to understand the implications of such complex network structures in the functional organization of the brain activities. Here we study this problem from the viewpoint of dynamical complex networks. We investigate synchronization dynamics on the corticocortical network of the cat by modeling each node (cortical area) of the network with a sub-network of interacting excitable neurons. We find that the network displays clustered synchronization behavior, and the dynamical clusters coincide with the topological community structures observed in the anatomical network. Our results provide insights into the relationship between the global organization and the functional specialization of the brain cortex.
New amphiphilic compounds 1-9 that feature a construction with dendronized hydrophilic and hydrophobic segment groups connected to a specific aromatic or aliphatic spacer unit have been synthesized, following a modular building block strategy. The hydrophilic dendrons are typically branched elements with peripheral carboxylic groups, unlike the hydrophobic dendrons that contain peripheral alkyl chains as part of respective amide functions. The hydrophilic dendrons are in different generations of branching, while the hydrophobic dendrons are all in the first generation of branching (three terminal branching), but differ in the length of the alkyl chains, thus giving rise to designed structure and amphiphilic properties in the new compounds. The resulting surfactants are capable of forming well-defined Langmuir films of remarkable stability when spread from a solution onto an aqueous subphase. Nevertheless, specific packing behaviour and orientation of the amphiphilic molecules were found, depending on the molecular structure, as determined using analysis of the surface pressure-area (pi-A) isotherms. Langmuir-Blodgett transfer of the first monolayer from a pure water subphase to a clean silicon wafer proved possible for the amphiphiles of peripheral alkyl chain length C-12, while the amphiphiles with the longer alkyl chains failed, possibly due to the more rigid monolayers they form, impeding the transfer.
Atrial natriuretic peptides (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptides (BNP) are powerful neurohormonal indicators of left-ventricular function and prognosis in heart failure (HF). Chagas disease (CD) caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. remains a major cause of HF in Latin America. We assessed whether the plasma concentration of the third natriuretic peptide, C-type natnuretic peptide (CNP), also has diagnostic and prognostic properties in patients with CD or other dilated cardiomyopathies (DCM). Blood samples were obtained from 66 patients with CD, 50 patients with DCM from other causes, and 30 gender- and age-matched healthy subjects. Patients were subdivided according to the New York Heart Association (NYHA) class. The CNP concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay (Immundiagnostik, Bensheim, Germany). The main duration of follow-up was 31.4 months (range 13 to 54 months), 19 patients had died and 11 patients received a heart transplant. CNP concentrations were only significantly altered in patients with DCM or CD of the NYHA classes III and IV (P < 0.05). The Pearson correlation of echocardiographic data with CNP revealed an association only with the left-ventricular end systolic volume (P = 0.03) in patients with DCM. Furthermore, CNP did not predict mortality or the necessity for heart transplant. Our data are the first to demonstrate the raised levels of the third natriuretic peptide CNP in CD and other DCM Whereas ANP and BNP have a high predictive value for mortality in both diseases, CNP is without any predictive potency.
We investigate the bifurcation structures in a two-dimensional parameter space (PS) of a parametrically excited system with two degrees of freedom both analytically and numerically. By means of the Renyi entropy of second order K-2, which is estimated from recurrence plots, we uncover that regions of chaotic behavior are intermingled with many complex periodic windows, such as shrimp structures in the PS. A detailed numerical analysis shows that, the stable solutions lose stability either via period doubling, or via intermittency when the parameters leave these shrimps in different directions, indicating different bifurcation properties of the boundaries. The shrimps of different sizes offer promising ways to control the dynamics of such a complex system.
Fast, three-dimensional polarization mapping in piezoelectric sensor cables was performed by means of the novel thermal-pulse tomography (TPT) technique with a lateral resolution of 200 mum. The active piezoelectric cable material (a copolymer of polyvinylidene fluoride with trifluoroethylene) was electrically poled with a point-to-cable corona discharge. A focused laser was employed to heat the opaque outer electrode, and the short-circuit current generated by the thermal pulse was used to obtain 3D polarization maps via the scale transformation method. The article describes the TPT technique as a fast non-destructive option for studying cylindrical geometries.
We analytically describe the complex scenario of homoclinic bifurcations in the Chua’s circuit. We obtain a general scaling law that gives the ratio between bifurcation parameters of different nearby homoclinic orbits. As an application of this theoretical approach, we estimate the number of higher order subsidiary homoclinic orbits that appear between two consecutive lower order subsidiary orbits. Our analytical finds might be valid for a large class of dynamical systems and are numerically confirmed in the parameter space of the Chua’s circuit.
Shilnikov homoclinic orbits are trajectories that depart from a fixed saddle-focus point, with specific eigenvalues, and return to it after an infinite amount of time (that is also true to time reversal evolution). That results in an orbit that is unstable and has an infinite period. These two main characteristics contribute in the hardness for its observation in a dynamical system as well as in nature. However, its presence reveals fundamental characteristics of the system involved, as the existence of unstable periodic orbits embedded in a chaotic set. Once the unstable periodic orbits give invariants quantities of this set,1 the Shilnikov homoclinic orbits are also related to the characteristics of the chaotic set. Their connection with the fundamental dynamical properties is verified in a wide variety of systems. A series of numerical and experimental investigations reveal how Shilnikov homoclinic orbits, in the vicinity of a chaotic attractor, determine its dynamical and topological properties.4 Thus, the Shilnikov orbits are related to the returning time of the trajectory of a CO2 laser,5 also to the topology of a glow-discharge system.6 Moreover, some class of spiking neurons are modeled by chaos governed by such orbits,7,8 and their presence are connected to the intermittence present in rabbit arteries.9 These orbits are shown to be behind the mechanism of noise-induced phenomena,10 and they are also responsible for the dynamics of an electrochemical oscillator.11 In this work, we contribute to the understanding of how Shilnikov homoclinic orbits appear on the parameter space of systems as the ones above mentioned, by showing that these orbits are not only distributed following an universal rule but also exist for large parameter variations. We then confirm our previsions in the Chua’s circuit system
Crystal structures of four different di-aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazole compounds (aryl = 2-pyridyl-, 3-pyridyl-, 2-aminophenyl-, 3-aminophenyl-) are determined. Crystallization of di(2-pyridyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole yielded monoclinic and triclinic polymorphs. The structures are characterized by the occurrence of pi-pi interactions. Additionally, in case of the aminophenyl compounds intra- as well as intermolecular hydrogen bonds are found that influence the packing motif as well. Since these molecules are often used as ligands in metal-organic complexes similarities and differences of the molecular conformation between the molecules in the pure crystals and that of the ligands in the complexes are discussed. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Relaxation processes at the glass transition in polyamide 11: From rigidity to viscoelasticity
(2006)
Relaxation processes associated with the glass transition in nonferroelectric and ferroelectric polyamide (PA) 11 are investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, and dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) in order to obtain information about the molecular mobility within the amorphous phase. In particular, the effects of melt quenching, cold drawing, and annealing just below the melting region are studied with respect to potential possibilities and limitations for improving the piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties of PA 11. A relaxation map is obtained from DRS that shows especially the crossover region where the cooperative alpha relaxation and the local beta relaxation merge into a single high-temperature process. No fundamental difference between quenched, cold-drawn, and annealed films is found, though in the cold-drawn (ferroelectric) film the alpha relaxation is suppressed and slowed down, but it is at least partly recovered by subsequent annealing. It is concluded that there exists an amorphous phase in all structures, even in the cold-drawn film. The amorphous phase can be more rigid or more viscoelastic depending on preparation. Cold drawing not only leads to crystallization in a ferroelectric form but also to higher rigidity of the remaining amorphous phase. Annealing just below the melting region after cold drawing causes a stronger phase separation between the crystalline phase and a more viscoelastic amorphous phase.
How do diverse dynamical patterns arise from the topology of complex networks? We study synchronization dynamics in the cortical brain network of the cat, which displays a hierarchically clustered organization, by modeling each node (cortical area) with a subnetwork of interacting excitable neurons. We find that in the biologically plausible regime the dynamics exhibits a hierarchical modular organization, in particular, revealing functional clusters coinciding with the anatomical communities at different scales. Our results provide insights into the relationship between network topology and functional organization of complex brain networks.
Translational diffusion of fluorescent tracer molecules in azobenzene polymer layers is studied at different temperatures and under illumination using the method of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. Diffusion is clearly observed in the dark above the glass transition temperature, while homogeneous illumination at 488 nm and 100 mW/cm(2) does not cause any detectable diffusion of the dye molecules within azobenzene layers. This implies that the viscosity of azobenzene layers remains nearly unchanged under illumination with visible light in the absence of internal or external forces. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.
We study the overdamped version of two coupled anharmonic oscillators under the influence of both low- and high-frequency forces respectively and a Gaussian noise term added to one of the two state variables of the system. The dynamics of the system is first studied in the presence of both forces separately without noise. In the presence of only one of the forces, no resonance behaviour is observed, however, hysteresis happens there. Then the influence of the high-frequency force in the presence of a low-frequency, i.e. biharmonic forcing, is studied. Vibrational resonance is found to occur when the amplitude of the high-frequency force is varied. The resonance curve resembles a stochastic resonance-like curve. It is maximum at the value of g at which the orbit lies in one well during one half of the drive cycle of the low-frequency force and in the other for the remaining half cycle. Vibrational resonance is characterized using the response amplitude and mean residence time. We show the occurrence of stochastic resonance behaviour in the overdamped system by replacing the high-frequency force by Gaussian noise. Similarities and differences between both types of resonance are presented. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
We study synchronization behavior in networks of coupled chaotic oscillators with heterogeneous connection degrees. Our focus is on regimes away from the complete synchronization state, when the coupling is not strong enough, when the oscillators are under the influence of noise or when the oscillators are nonidentical. We have found a hierarchical organization of the synchronization behavior with respect to the collective dynamics of the network. Oscillators with more connections (hubs) are synchronized more closely by the collective dynamics and constitute the dynamical core of the network. The numerical observation of this hierarchical synchronization is supported with an analysis based on a mean field approximation and the master stability function. (C) 2006 American Institute of Physics
Realistic networks display not only a complex topological structure, but also a heterogeneous distribution of weights in the connection strengths. Here we study synchronization in weighted complex networks and show that the synchronizability of random networks with a large minimum degree is determined by two leading parameters: the mean degree and the heterogeneity of the distribution of node's intensity, where the intensity of a node, defined as the total strength of input connections, is a natural combination of topology and weights. Our results provide a possibility for the control of synchronization in complex networks by the manipulation of a few parameters
Dynamical organization of connection weights is studied in scale-free networks of chaotic oscillators, where the coupling strength of a node from its neighbors develops adaptively according to the local synchronization property between the node and its neighbors. We find that when complete synchronization is achieved, the coupling strength becomes weighted and correlated with the topology due to a hierarchical transition to synchronization in heterogeneous networks. Importantly, such an adaptive process enhances significantly the synchronizability of the networks, which could have meaningful implications in the manipulation of dynamical networks
Graphical models applying partial coherence to multivariate time series are a powerful tool to distinguish direct and indirect interdependencies in multivariate linear systems. We carry over the concept of graphical models and partialization analysis to phase signals of nonlinear synchronizing systems. This procedure leads to the partial phase synchronization index which generalizes a bivariate phase synchronization index to the multivariate case and reveals the coupling structure in multivariate synchronizing systems by differentiating direct and indirect interactions. This ensures that no false positive conclusions are drawn concerning the interaction structure in multivariate synchronizing systems. By application to the paradigmatic model of a coupled chaotic Roessler system, the power of the partial phase synchronization index is demonstrated
New ferroelectrets were developed on the basis of foams from cyclo-olefin polymers and copolymers. The results obtained on the cyclo-olefin polymer foam demonstrate a significant improvement of the service temperature for ferroelectret transducer materials. Suitable compounding and preparation led to cyclo-olefin ferroelectrets with an electromechanical activity of around 15 pC/N, which is thermally stable at least up to 110 degrees C. The properties in sensor and actuator applications are strongly dependent on the processing parameters related to film-making, sensor and actuator preparation, gas content and electric charging. The processing window for the film stretching was very narrow compared to the earlier developed polypropylene ferroelectrets. The film porosity, softness and thus the electromechanical activity are adjusted by gas-diffusion expansion. The activity of the electromechanically operating sensors and actuators was increased by stacking several layers of cellular cyclo-olefin film. For applications such as flat loudspeakers, the foamed films are tuned by tensioning them on a support frame. Correct tensioning was essential also for reducing the distortion levels.
The results of the theoretical consideration of stochastic resonance in overdamped bistable oscillators are given. These results are founded not on the model of two states as in [McNamara B, Wiesenfeld K. Theory of stochastic resonance. Phys Rev A 1989;39:4854-69], but on splitting of motion into regular and random and the rigorous solution of the Fokker-Planck equation for the random component. We show that this resonance is caused by a change, under the influence of noise, of the system's effective stiffness and damping factor contained in the equation for the regular component. For a certain value of the noise intensity the effective stiffness is minimal, and this fact causes non-monotonic change of the output signal amplitude as the noise intensity changes. It is important that the location of the minimum and its value depend essentially on the signal frequency.
The emission dynamics of a mode-locked laser oscillator with a nonlinear mirror based on stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) has been investigated with regard to its spectrum and to its intensity distribution. The investigation was carried out experimentally as well as by numerical simulations. The laser yields trains of pulses with measured durations of 410 ps and energies of the single pulse of up to 2 mJ. Two theoretical models describing the complex emission dynamics of a mode-locked SBS-laser oscillator are introduced. The first model consists of spectrally resolved laser rate equations and thus describes the mode locking in the frequency domain by the superposition of the longitudinal resonator modes. The SBS-Q-switch is incorporated by a phenomenological description of the time dependent SBS reflectivity. Numerical simulations based on this model yield the evolution of a few 100 longitudinal laser modes and the corresponding intensity distribution during the course of a Q-switch pulse with 10-ps resolution. The influences of the different components on the spectrum and thus on the pulse duration will be discussed. The second model describes all occurring dynamics in the time domain providing easy access to the study of misalignment on the output dynamics. Results of numerical simulations of both models and measurement results are compared
The development of surface relief and density patterns in azobenzene polymer films was studied by diffraction at two different wavelengths. We used x-ray diffraction of synchrotron radiation at 0.124 nm in combination with visible light diffraction at a wavelength of 633 nm. In contrast to visible light scattering x-ray diffraction allows the separation of a surface relief and a density grating contribution due to the different functional dependence of the scattering power. Additionally, the x-ray probe is most sensitive for the onset of the surface grating formation
We describe effects of the asymmetry of cycles and non-stationarity in time series on the phase synchronization method which may lead to artifacts. We develop a modified method that overcomes these effects and apply it to study parkinsonian tremor. Our results indicate that there is synchronization between two different hands and provide information about the time delay separating their dynamics. These findings suggest that this method may be useful for detecting and quantifying weak synchronization between two non-stationary signals.
To test the consequences of decreased diversity and exclusion of keystone species, we compared the planktonic food webs in two acidic (pH <= 3), species-poor mining lakes with those in two species-rich, neutral lakes. The ratio of heterotrophic to autotrophic biomass (HIA) was similar in acidic and neutral lakes with comparable productivity. However, food webs in both acidic lakes were largely restricted to two trophic levels in contrast to the four levels found in neutral lakes. This restriction in food chain length was attributed to the absence of efficient secondary consumers, rather than to productivity or lake size which resulted in unusually low predator-prey weight ratios, with small top predators hardly exceeding their pry in size. In contrast to the neutral lakes, plankton biomass size spectra of acidic lakes were discontinuous due to a lack of major functional groups. The unique size-dependence of feeding modes in pelagic food webs, with bacteria in the smallest size classes followed by autotrophs, herbivores and carnivores, was maintained for bacteria but the other feeding modes strongly overlapped in size. Thus, their characteristic succession along the size gradient was roughly preserved under extreme conditions but the flow of energy along the size gradient was truncated in the acidic lakes. For most but not all attributes studied, differences were larger between acidic and neutral lakes than between neutral lakes of different trophic state
Results of a high pressure x-ray study of 2,5-di(4-pyridyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole up to 2.5 GPa are presented and discussed. Parameters for the Murnaghan equation of state are derived. The bulk modulus amounts to K-0 = 4.6 +/- 0.3 GPa and its pressure derivative to K-0' = 7.4 +/- 0.6. These values are comparable to values of other diphenyl-1,3,4- oxadiazoles. The anisotropy of the compression is analysed using the strain tensor and discussed based on the anisotropy of the intermolecular interactions
The velocity distributions of the laser-induced desorption of NO molecules from an epitaxially grown film of NiO(100) on Ni(100) have been studied [ Mull et al., J. Chem. Phys., 1992, 96, 7108]. A pronounced bimodality of velocity distributions has been found, where the NO molecules desorbing with higher velocities exhibit a coupling to the rotational quantum states J. In this article we present simulations of state resolved velocity distributions on a full ab initio level. As a basis for this quantum mechanical treatment a 4D potential energy surface (PES) was constructed for the electronic ground and a representative excited state, using a NiO5Mg1318+ cluster. The PESs of the electronic ground and an excited state were calculated at the CASPT2 and the configuration interaction (CI) level of theory, respectively. Multi-dimensional quantum wave packet simulations on these two surfaces were performed for different sets of degrees of freedom. Our key finding is that at least a 3D wave packet simulation, in which the desorption coordinate Z, polar angle theta and lateral coordinate X are included, is necessary to allow the simulation of experimental velocity distributions. Analysis of the wave packet dynamics demonstrates that essentially the lateral coordinate, which was neglected in previous studies [Kluner et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 1998, 80, 5208], is responsible for the experimentally observed bimodality. An extensive analysis shows that the bimodality is due to a bifurcation of the wave packet on the excited state PES, where the motion of the molecule parallel to the surface plays a decisive role
Two metal tetrapyrroles containing gallium, gallium hydroxyl tetratolylporphyrin and 13(2)-demethoxycarbonyl- (gallium hydroxyl)methyl pheophorbide a (Ga-(OH)-chlorin), were synthesized from their respective free bases using Ga(III)-acetylacetonate in a phenol melt. Their photophysical properties were investigated and the quantum yields of different monomolecular deactivation processes were determined. For Ga-(OH)-porphyrin S-2-fluorescence was observed and quantified. In contrast. for Ga-(OH)-chlorin no S-2-fluorescence was observed. Both compounds should be useful as efficient photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy.
We study the spontaneous emission of a single emitter close to a metallic nanoparticle, with the aim to clarify the distance dependence of the radiative and non-radiative decay rates. We derive analytical formulas based on a dipole- dipole model, and show that the nonradiative decay rate follows a R-6 dependence at short distance, where R is the distance between the emitter and the center of the nanoparticle, as in Forster's energy transfer. The distance dependence of the radiative decay rate is more subtle. It is chiefly dominated by a R-3 dependence, a R-6 dependence being visible at plasmon resonance. The latter is a consequence of radiative damping in the effective dipole polarizability of the nanoparticle. The different distance behavior of the radiative and non-radiative decay rates implies that the apparent quantum yield always vanishes at short distance. Moreover, non-radiative decay is strongly enhanced when the emitter radiates at the plasmon-resonance frequency of the nanoparticle.
We apply linear and nonlinear methods to study the properties of surfaces generated by a laser beam melt ablation process. As a result we present a characterization and ordering of the surfaces depending on the adjusted process parameters. Our findings give some insight into the performance of two widely applied multifractal analysis methods-the detrended fluctuation analysis and the wavelet transform modulus maxima method-on short real world data
Six Earth system models of intermediate complexity that are able to simulate interaction between atmosphere, ocean, and land surface, were forced with a scenario of land cover changes during the last millennium. In response to historical deforestation of about 18 million sq km, the models simulate a decrease in global mean annual temperature in the range of 0.13-0.25 degrees C. The rate of this cooling accelerated during the 19th century, reached a maximum in the first half of the 20th century, and declined at the end of the 20th century. This trend is explained by temporal and spatial dynamics of land cover changes, as the effect of deforestation on temperature is less pronounced for tropical than for temperate regions, and reforestation in the northern temperate areas during the second part of the 20th century partly offset the cooling trend. In most of the models, land cover changes lead to a decline in annual land evapotranspiration, while seasonal changes are rather equivocal because of spatial shifts in convergence zones. In the future, reforestation might be chosen as an option for the enhancement of terrestrial carbon sequestration. Our study indicates that biogeophysical mechanisms need to be accounted for in the assessment of land management options for climate change mitigation
The paper provides an introduction and survey of conservative discretization methods for Hamiltonian partial differential equations. The emphasis is on variational, symplectic and multi-symplectic methods. The derivation of methods as well as some of their fundamental geometric properties are discussed. Basic principles are illustrated by means of examples from wave and fluid dynamics
We present ground-based and Hubble Space Telescope optical observations of the X-ray flash ( XRF) 020903, covering 300 days. The afterglow showed a very rapid rise in the first day, followed by a relatively slow decay in the next few days. There was a clear bump in the light curve after similar to 25 days, accompanied by a drastic change in the spectral energy distribution. The light curve and the spectral energy distribution are naturally interpreted as describing the emergence and subsequent decay of a supernova ( SN), similar to SN 1998bw. At peak luminosity, the SN is estimated to be 0.8 +/- 0.1 mag fainter than SN 1998bw. This argues in favor of the existence of a SN associated with this XRF. A spectrum obtained 35 days after the burst shows emission lines from the host galaxy. We use this spectrum to put an upper limit on the oxygen abundance of the host at [O/H] <= 0.6 dex. We also discuss a possible trend between the softness of several bursts and the early behavior of the optical afterglow, in the sense that XRFs and X-ray-rich gamma- ray bursts ( GRBs) seem to have a plateau phase or even a rising light curve. This can be naturally explained in models in which XRFs are similar to GRBs but are seen off the jet axis.