248,823 research outputs found
4D Scanning Transmission Ultrafast Electron Microscopy: Single-Particle Imaging and Spectroscopy
We report the development of 4D scanning
transmission ultrafast electron microscopy (ST-UEM). The
method was demonstrated in the imaging of silver nanowires
and gold nanoparticles. For the wire, the mechanical
motion and shape morphological dynamics were imaged,
and from the images we obtained the resonance frequency
and the dephasing time of the motion. Moreover, we
demonstrate here the simultaneous acquisition of dark-field
images and electron energy loss spectra from a single gold
nanoparticle, which is not possible with conventional methods.
The local probing capabilities of ST-UEM open new
avenues for probing dynamic processes, from single isolated
to embedded nanostructures, without being affected by the
heterogeneous processes of ensemble-averaged dynamics.
Such methodology promises to have wide-ranging applications
in materials science and in single-particle biological
imaging
Signatures of superfluidity for Feshbach-resonant Fermi gases
We consider atomic Fermi gases where Feshbach resonances can be used to
continuously tune the system from weak to strong interaction regime, allowing
to scan the whole BCS-BEC crossover. We show how a probing field transferring
atoms out of the superfluid can be used to detect the onset of the superfluid
transition in the high- and BCS regimes. The number of transferred atoms,
as a function of the energy given by the probing field, peaks at the gap
energy. The shape of the peak is asymmetric due to the single particle
excitation gap. Since the excitation gap includes also a pseudogap
contribution, the asymmetry alone is not a signature of superfluidity.
Incoherent nature of the non-condensed pairs leads to broadening of the peak.
The pseudogap and therefore the broadening decay below the critical
temperature, causing a drastic increase in the asymmetry. This provides a
signature of the transition.Comment: Revised version, accepted to Phys. Rev. Letters. Figures changed,
explanations adde
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Probing of RNA structures in a positive sense RNA virus reveals selection pressures for structural elements.
In single stranded (+)-sense RNA viruses, RNA structural elements (SEs) play essential roles in the infection process from replication to encapsidation. Using selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension sequencing (SHAPE-Seq) and covariation analysis, we explore the structural features of the third genome segment of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), RNA3 (2216 nt), both in vitro and in plant cell lysates. Comparing SHAPE-Seq and covariation analysis results revealed multiple SEs in the coat protein open reading frame and 3' untranslated region. Four of these SEs were mutated and serially passaged in Nicotiana tabacum plants to identify biologically selected changes to the original mutated sequences. After passaging, loop mutants showed partial reversion to their wild-type sequence and SEs that were structurally disrupted by mutations were restored to wild-type-like structures via synonymous mutations in planta. These results support the existence and selection of virus open reading frame SEs in the host organism and provide a framework for further studies on the role of RNA structure in viral infection. Additionally, this work demonstrates the applicability of high-throughput chemical probing in plant cell lysates and presents a new method for calculating SHAPE reactivities from overlapping reverse transcriptase priming sites
Resonance Raman and optical dephasing study of HITCI
Line shape analysis based on resonance Raman spectra of HITCI is used to determine the details of the vibrational part of the line broadening function. Forced Light Scattering with 20 fs pulses from a Ti: sapphire laser measured optical dephasing probing with an Ar+ laser. The observed response is well described by the line broadening function derived from the fluorescence line shape
Vortex signatures in annular Bose-Einstein condensates
We consider a Bose-Einstein condensate confined in a ``Mexican hat''
potential, with a quartic minus quadratic radial dependence. We find conditions
under which the ground state is annular in shape, with a hole in the center of
the condensate. Rotation leads to the appearance of stable multiply-quantized
vortices, giving rise to a superfluid flow around the ring. The collective
modes of the system are explored both numerically and analytically using the
Gross-Pitaevskii and hydrodynamic equations. Potential experimental schemes to
detect vorticity are proposed and evaluated, which include measuring the
splitting of collective mode frequencies, observing expansion following release
from the trap, and probing the momentum distribution of the condensate.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figure
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