145 research outputs found
Density functional theory calculations of the carbon ELNES of small diameter armchair and zigzag nanotubes: core-hole, curvature and momentum transfer orientation effects
We perform density functional theory calculations on a series of armchair and
zigzag nanotubes of diameters less than 1nm using the all-electron
Full-Potential(-Linearised)-Augmented-Plane-Wave (FPLAPW) method. Emphasis is
laid on the effects of curvature, the electron beam orientation and the
inclusion of the core-hole on the carbon electron energy loss K-edge. The
electron energy loss near-edge spectra of all the studied tubes show strong
curvature effects compared to that of flat graphene. The curvature induced
hybridisation is shown to have a more drastic effect on the
electronic properties of zigzag tubes than on those of armchair tubes. We show
that the core-hole effect must be accounted for in order to correctly reproduce
electron energy loss measurements. We also find that, the energy loss near edge
spectra of these carbon systems are dominantly dipole selected and that they
can be expressed simply as a proportionality with the local momentum projected
density of states, thus portraying the weak energy dependence of the transition
matrix elements. Compared to graphite, the ELNES of carbon nanotubes show a
reduced anisotropy.Comment: 25 pages, 15 figures, revtex4 submitted for publication to Phys. Rev.
A new protocol for the propagation of dendritic cells from rat bone marrow using recombinant GM-CSF, and their quantification using the mAb OX-62
Bone marrow (BM)-derived dendritic cells (DC) are the most potent known antigen (Ag) presenting cell in vivo and in vitro. Detailed analysis of their properties and mechanisms of action requires an ability to produce large numbers of DC. Although DC have been isolated from several rat tissues, including BM, the yield is uniformly low. We describe a simple method for the propagation of large numbers of DC from rat BM and document cell yield with the rat DC marker, OX-62. After depletion of plastic-adherent and Fc+ cells by panning on dishes coated with normal serum, residual BM cells were cultured in gelatin coated flasks using murine rGM-CSF supplemented medium. Prior to analysis, non-adherent cells were re-depleted of contaminating Fc+ cells. Propagation of DC was monitored by double staining for FACS analysis (major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II+ OX-62+, OX-19-). Functional assay, morphological analysis and evaluation of homing patterns of cultured cells revealed typical DC characteristics. MHC class II and OX-62 antigen expression increased with time in culture and correlated with allostimulatory ability. DC yield increased until day 7, when 3.3 à 106 DC were obtained from an initial 3 à 108 unfractionated BM cells. Significant numbers of DC can be generated from rat BM using these simple methods. This should permit analysis and manipulation of rat DC functions in vivo and in vitro. © 1995
Molecular beam epitaxy as a growth technique for achieving free-standing zinc-blende GaN and wurtzite AlxGa1-xN
Currently there is a high level of interest in the development of ultraviolet (UV) light sources for solid state lighting, optical sensors, surface decontamination and water purification. III-V semiconductor UV LEDs are now successfully manufactured using the AlGaN material system; however, their efficiency is still low. The majority of UV LEDs require AlxGa1-xN layers with compositions in the mid-range between AlN and GaN. Because there is a significant difference in the lattice parameters of GaN and AlN, AlxGa1-xN substrates would be preferable to those of either GaN or AlN for many ultraviolet device applications. However, the growth of AlxGa1-xN bulk crystals by any standard bulk growth techniques has not been developed so far.
There are very strong electric polarization fields inside the wurtzite (hexagonal) group III-nitride structures. The charge separation within quantum wells leads to a significant reduction in the efficiency of optoelectronic device structures. Therefore, the growth of non-polar and semi-polar group III-nitride structures has been the subject of considerable interest recently. A direct way to eliminate polarization effects is to use non-polar (001) zinc-blende (cubic) III-nitride layers. However, attempts to grow zinc-blende GaN bulk crystals by anystandard bulk growth techniques were not successful.
Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is normally regarded as an epitaxial technique for the growth of very thin layers with monolayer control of their thickness. In this study we have used plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA MBE) and have produced for the first time free-standing layers of zinc-blende GaN up to 100 ÎŒm in thickness and up to 3-inch in diameter. We have shown that our newly developed PA-MBE process for the growth of zinc-blende GaN layers can also be used to achieve free-standing wurtzite AlxGa1-xN wafers. Zinc-blende and wurtzite AlxGa1-xN polytypes can be grown on different orientations of GaAs substrates - (001) and (111)B respectively. We have subsequently removed the GaAs using a chemical etch in order to produce free-standing GaN and AlxGa1-xN wafers. At a thickness of âŒ30 ÎŒm, free-standing GaN and AlxGa1-xN wafers can easily be handled without cracking. Therefore, free-standing GaN and AlxGa1-xN wafers with thicknesses in the 30â100 ÎŒm range may be used as substrates for further growth of GaN and AlxGa1 xN-based structures and devices.
We have compared different RF nitrogen plasma sources for the growth of thick nitride AlxGa1-xN films including a standard HD25 source from Oxford Applied Research and a novel high efficiency source from Riber. We have investigated a wide range of the growth rates from 0.2 to 3 ÎŒm/h. The use of highly efficient nitrogen RF plasma sources makes PA-MBE a potentially viable commercial process, since free-standing films can be achieved in a single day.
Our results have demonstrated that MBE may be competitive with the other group III-nitrides bulk growth techniques in several important areas including production of free-standing zinc-blende (cubic) (Al)GaN and of free-standing wurtzite (hexagonal) AlGaN
Participatory Action Research on Alcoholism and Bonded Labor in Times of Prohibition in India
The research presented in this article examines whether participatory action research methods can transform violent, stigmatising approaches to alcohol consumption in marginalised communities into community-owned, evidence-informed, non-violent harm reduction approaches. In both locationsâ alcohol consumption is a highly stigmatised public secret. Bihar has banned alcohol production and consumption. Tamil Nadu alcohol consumption is frowned upon while sales are an important source of revenue for the state
Human Resource Flexibility as a Mediating Variable Between High Performance Work Systems and Performance
Much of the human resource management literature has demonstrated the impact of high performance
work systems (HPWS) on organizational performance. A new generation of studies is
emerging in this literature that recommends the inclusion of mediating variables between HPWS
and organizational performance. The increasing rate of dynamism in competitive environments
suggests that measures of employee adaptability should be included as a mechanism that may
explain the relevance of HPWS to firm competitiveness. On a sample of 226 Spanish firms, the
studyâs results confirm that HPWS influences performance through its impact on the firmâs
human resource (HR) flexibility
The LHCb upgrade I
The LHCb upgrade represents a major change of the experiment. The detectors have been almost completely renewed to allow running at an instantaneous luminosity five times larger than that of the previous running periods. Readout of all detectors into an all-software trigger is central to the new design, facilitating the reconstruction of events at the maximum LHC interaction rate, and their selection in real time. The experiment's tracking system has been completely upgraded with a new pixel vertex detector, a silicon tracker upstream of the dipole magnet and three scintillating fibre tracking stations downstream of the magnet. The whole photon detection system of the RICH detectors has been renewed and the readout electronics of the calorimeter and muon systems have been fully overhauled. The first stage of the all-software trigger is implemented on a GPU farm. The output of the trigger provides a combination of totally reconstructed physics objects, such as tracks and vertices, ready for final analysis, and of entire events which need further offline reprocessing. This scheme required a complete revision of the computing model and rewriting of the experiment's software
Study of the lineshape of the chi(c1) (3872) state
A study of the lineshape of the chi(c1) (3872) state is made using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1) collected in pp collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV with the LHCb detector. Candidate chi(c1)(3872) and psi(2S) mesons from b-hadron decays are selected in the J/psi pi(+)pi(-) decay mode. Describing the lineshape with a Breit-Wigner function, the mass splitting between the chi(c1 )(3872) and psi(2S) states, Delta m, and the width of the chi(c1 )(3872) state, Gamma(Bw), are determined to be (Delta m=185.598 +/- 0.067 +/- 0.068 Mev,)(Gamma BW=1.39 +/- 0.24 +/- 0.10 Mev,) where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. Using a Flatte-inspired model, the mode and full width at half maximum of the lineshape are determined to be (mode=3871.69+0.00+0.05 MeV.)(FWHM=0.22-0.04+0.13+0.07+0.11-0.06-0.13 MeV, ) An investigation of the analytic structure of the Flatte amplitude reveals a pole structure, which is compatible with a quasibound D-0(D) over bar*(0) state but a quasivirtual state is still allowed at the level of 2 standard deviations
Measurement of the CKM angle in and decays with
A measurement of -violating observables is performed using the decays
and , where the meson is
reconstructed in one of the self-conjugate three-body final states and (commonly denoted ). The decays are analysed in bins of the -decay phase space, leading
to a measurement that is independent of the modelling of the -decay
amplitude. The observables are interpreted in terms of the CKM angle .
Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of
collected in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass
energies of , , and with the LHCb experiment,
is measured to be . The hadronic
parameters , , , and ,
which are the ratios and strong-phase differences of the suppressed and
favoured decays, are also reported
Measurement of CP asymmetries and branching fraction ratios of Bâ decays to two charm mesons
The asymmetries of seven decays to two charm mesons are measured using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of of proton-proton collisions collected by the LHCb experiment. Decays involving a or meson are analysed by reconstructing only the or decay products. This paper presents the first measurement of and , and the most precise measurement of the other five asymmetries. There is no evidence of violation in any of the analysed decays. Additionally, two ratios between branching fractions of selected decays are measured.The CP asymmetries of seven B decays to two charm mesons are measured using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb of proton-proton collisions collected by the LHCb experiment. Decays involving a D or meson are analysed by reconstructing only the D or decay products. This paper presents the first measurement of (BâD) and (BâD), and the most precise measurement of the other five CP asymmetries. There is no evidence of CP violation in any of the analysed decays. Additionally, two ratios between branching fractions of selected decays are measured.[graphic not available: see fulltext]The asymmetries of seven decays to two charm mesons are measured using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of of proton-proton collisions collected by the LHCb experiment. Decays involving a or meson are analysed by reconstructing only the or decay products. This paper presents the first measurement of and , and the most precise measurement of the other five asymmetries. There is no evidence of violation in any of the analysed decays. Additionally, two ratios between branching fractions of selected decays are measured
Helium identification with LHCb
The identification of helium nuclei at LHCb is achieved using a method based on measurements of ionisation losses in the silicon sensors and timing measurements in the Outer Tracker drift tubes. The background from photon conversions is reduced using the RICH detectors and an isolation requirement. The method is developed using pp collision data at â(s) = 13 TeV recorded by the LHCb experiment in the years 2016 to 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.5 fb-1. A total of around 105 helium and antihelium candidates are identified with negligible background contamination. The helium identification efficiency is estimated to be approximately 50% with a corresponding background rejection rate of up to O(10^12). These results demonstrate the feasibility of a rich programme of measurements of QCD and astrophysics interest involving light nuclei
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