216 research outputs found
X-ray emission from a crystal undulatorâExperimental results at channeling of electrons
Experiments have been performed at the Mainz Microtron MAMI
to explore the radiation emission from a 4-period epitaxially grown strained layer Si1âxGex undulator with a period length λu = 9.9 ÎŒm. Electron energies of 270 and
855MeV have been chosen. In comparison with a flat silicon reference crystal, a broad excess yield around the theoretically expected photon energies of 0.069 and 0.637 MeV, respectively, has been observed for channeling at the undulating (110) planes. The results are discussed within the framework of the classical undulator theory
Design considerations for table-top, laser-based VUV and X-ray free electron lasers
A recent breakthrough in laser-plasma accelerators, based upon ultrashort
high-intensity lasers, demonstrated the generation of quasi-monoenergetic
GeV-electrons. With future Petawatt lasers ultra-high beam currents of ~100 kA
in ~10 fs can be expected, allowing for drastic reduction in the undulator
length of free-electron-lasers (FELs). We present a discussion of the key
aspects of a table-top FEL design, including energy loss and chirps induced by
space-charge and wakefields. These effects become important for an optimized
table-top FEL operation. A first proof-of-principle VUV case is considered as
well as a table-top X-ray-FEL which may open a brilliant light source also for
new ways in clinical diagnostics.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures; accepted for publication in Appl. Phys.
Future aspects of X-ray emission from crystal undulators at channeling of positrons
In connection with ideas to produce undulator-like radiation in the hundreds of keV up to the MeV region by means of positron and electron channeling, there is renewed interest to study various channeling phenomena also experimentally. With electrons experiments have been performed at the Mainz Microtron MAMI to explore channeling-radiation emission by a 4-period epitaxially grown strained
layer Si1âxGex undulator with a period length of λu = 9.9 ÎŒm. Unfortunately, high-quality positron beams of sufficient intensity are not easily accessible. The only serious candidate in Europe seems to be the Beam Test Facility (BTF) at INFN/LNF, Frascati, Italy. Some requirements to extent BTF in a facility which is also well suited for positron channeling-radiation experiments will be outlined
TRIGA-SPEC: A setup for mass spectrometry and laser spectroscopy at the research reactor TRIGA Mainz
The research reactor TRIGA Mainz is an ideal facility to provide neutron-rich
nuclides with production rates sufficiently large for mass spectrometric and
laser spectroscopic studies. Within the TRIGA-SPEC project, a Penning trap as
well as a beam line for collinear laser spectroscopy are being installed.
Several new developments will ensure high sensitivity of the trap setup
enabling mass measurements even on a single ion. Besides neutron-rich fission
products produced in the reactor, also heavy nuclides such as 235-U or 252-Cf
can be investigated for the first time with an off-line ion source. The data
provided by the mass measurements will be of interest for astrophysical
calculations on the rapid neutron-capture process as well as for tests of mass
models in the heavy-mass region. The laser spectroscopic measurements will
yield model-independent information on nuclear ground-state properties such as
nuclear moments and charge radii of neutron-rich nuclei of refractory elements
far from stability. This publication describes the experimental setup as well
as its present status.Comment: 20 pages, 17 figure
Downregulation of a UDP-Arabinomutase Gene in Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) Results in Increased Cell Wall Lignin While Reducing Arabinose-Glycans
Background: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a C4 perennial prairie grass and a dedicated feedstock for lignocellulosic biofuels. Saccharification and biofuel yields are inhibited by the plant cell wallâs natural recalcitrance against enzymatic degradation. Plant hemicellulose polysaccharides such as arabinoxylans structurally support and cross-link other cell wall polymers. Grasses predominately have Type II cell walls that are abundant in arabinoxylan, which comprise nearly 25% of aboveground biomass. A primary component of arabinoxylan synthesis is uridine diphosphate (UDP) linked to arabinofuranose (Araf). A family of UDP-arabinopyranose mutase (UAM)/reversible glycosylated polypeptides catalyze the interconversion between UDP-arabinopyranose (UDP-Arap) and UDP-Araf.
Results: The expression of a switchgrass arabinoxylan biosynthesis pathway gene, PvUAM1, was decreased via RNAi to investigate its role in cell wall recalcitrance in the feedstock. PvUAM1 encodes a switchgrass homolog of UDP-arabinose mutase, which converts UDP-Arap to UDP-Araf. Southern blot analysis revealed each transgenic line contained between one to at least seven T-DNA insertions, resulting in some cases, a 95% reduction of native PvUAM1 transcript in stem internodes. Transgenic plants had increased pigmentation in vascular tissues at nodes, but were otherwise similar in morphology to the non-transgenic control. Cell wall-associated arabinose was decreased in leaves and stems by over 50%, but there was an increase in cellulose. In addition, there was a commensurate change in arabinose side chain extension. Cell wall lignin composition was altered with a concurrent increase in lignin content and transcript abundance of lignin biosynthetic genes in mature tillers. Enzymatic saccharification efficiency was unchanged in the transgenic plants relative to the control.
Conclusion: Plants with attenuated PvUAM1 transcript had increased cellulose and lignin in cell walls. A decrease in cell wall-associated arabinose was expected, which was likely caused by fewer Araf residues in the arabinoxylan. The decrease in arabinoxylan may cause a compensation response to maintain cell wall integrity by increasing cellulose and lignin biosynthesis. In cases in which increased lignin is desired, e.g., feedstocks for carbon fiber production, downregulated UAM1 coupled with altered expression of other arabinoxylan biosynthesis genes might result in even higher production of lignin in biomass
Precision Measurement of the First Ionization Potential of Nobelium
One of the most important atomic properties governing an elementâs chemical behavior is the energy required to remove its least-bound electron, referred to as the first ionization potential. For the heaviest elements, this fundamental quantity is strongly influenced by relativistic effects which lead to unique chemical properties. Laser spectroscopy on an atom-at-a-time scale was developed and applied to probe the optical spectrum of neutral nobelium near the ionization threshold. The first ionization potential of nobelium is determined here with a very high precision from the convergence of measured Rydberg series to be 6.626 â 21 ± 0.000 â 05 â â eV . This work provides a stringent benchmark for state-of-the-art many-body atomic modeling that considers relativistic and quantum electrodynamic effects and paves the way for high-precision measurements of atomic properties of elements only available from heavy-ion accelerator facilities
Race, colonial history and national identity: Resident Evil 5 as a Japanese game
Resident Evil 5 is a zombie game made by Capcom featuring a White American protagonist and set in Africa. This paper argues that approaching this as a Japanese game reveals aspects of a Japanese racial and colonial social imaginary that are missed if this context of production is ignored. In terms of race, the game presents hybrid racial subjectivities that can be related to Japanese perspectives of Blackness and Whiteness where these terms are two poles of difference and identity through which an essentialised Japanese identity is constructed in what Iwabuchi calls âstrategic hybridismâ (Iwabuchi, 2002). In terms of colonialism, the game echoes structures of Japanese colonialism through which Japanese colonialism is obliquely memorialised and a ânormalâ Japanese global subjectivity can be performed
Trace analysis of environmental matrices by large-volume injection and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry
The time-honored convention of concentrating aqueous samples by solid-phase extraction (SPE) is being challenged by the increasingly widespread use of large-volume injection (LVI) liquid chromatographyâmass spectrometry (LCâMS) for the determination of traces of polar organic contaminants in environmental samples. Although different LVI approaches have been proposed over the last 40 years, the simplest and most popular way of performing LVI is known as single-column LVI (SC-LVI), in which a large-volume of an aqueous sample is directly injected into an analytical column. For the purposes of this critical review, LVI is defined as an injected sample volume that is â„10% of the void volume of the analytical column. Compared with other techniques, SC-LVI is easier to set up, because it requires only small hardware modifications to existing autosamplers and, thus, it will be the main focus of this review. Although not new, SC-LVI is gaining acceptance and the approach is emerging as a technique that will render SPE nearly obsolete for many environmental applications.In this review, we discuss: the history and development of various forms of LVI; the critical factors that must be considered when creating and optimizing SC-LVI methods; and typical applications that demonstrate the range of environmental matrices to which LVI is applicable, for example drinking water, groundwater, and surface water including seawater and wastewater. Furthermore, we indicate direction and areas that must be addressed to fully delineate the limits of SC-LVI
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