467 research outputs found
A high-efficiency spin-resolved phototemission spectrometer combining time-of-flight spectroscopy with exchange-scattering polarimetry
We describe a spin-resolved electron spectrometer capable of uniquely
efficient and high energy resolution measurements. Spin analysis is obtained
through polarimetry based on low-energy exchange scattering from a
ferromagnetic thin-film target. This approach can achieve a similar analyzing
power (Sherman function) as state-of-the-art Mott scattering polarimeters, but
with as much as 100 times improved efficiency due to increased reflectivity.
Performance is further enhanced by integrating the polarimeter into a
time-of-flight (TOF) based energy analysis scheme with a precise and flexible
electrostatic lens system. The parallel acquisition of a range of electron
kinetic energies afforded by the TOF approach results in an order of magnitude
(or more) increase in efficiency compared to hemispherical analyzers. The lens
system additionally features a 90{\deg} bandpass filter, which by removing
unwanted parts of the photoelectron distribution allows the TOF technique to be
performed at low electron drift energy and high energy resolution within a wide
range of experimental parameters. The spectrometer is ideally suited for
high-resolution spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy
(spin-ARPES), and initial results are shown. The TOF approach makes the
spectrometer especially ideal for time-resolved spin-ARPES experiments.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figure
Antihydrogen formation dynamics in a multipolar neutral anti-atom trap
Antihydrogen production in a neutral atom trap formed by an octupole-based
magnetic field minimum is demonstrated using field-ionization of weakly bound
anti-atoms. Using our unique annihilation imaging detector, we correlate
antihydrogen detection by imaging and by field-ionization for the first time.
We further establish how field-ionization causes radial redistribution of the
antiprotons during antihydrogen formation and use this effect for the first
simultaneous measurements of strongly and weakly bound antihydrogen atoms.
Distinguishing between these provides critical information needed in the
process of optimizing for trappable antihydrogen. These observations are of
crucial importance to the ultimate goal of performing CPT tests involving
antihydrogen, which likely depends upon trapping the anti-atom
Search For Trapped Antihydrogen
We present the results of an experiment to search for trapped antihydrogen
atoms with the ALPHA antihydrogen trap at the CERN Antiproton Decelerator.
Sensitive diagnostics of the temperatures, sizes, and densities of the trapped
antiproton and positron plasmas have been developed, which in turn permitted
development of techniques to precisely and reproducibly control the initial
experimental parameters. The use of a position-sensitive annihilation vertex
detector, together with the capability of controllably quenching the
superconducting magnetic minimum trap, enabled us to carry out a
high-sensitivity and low-background search for trapped synthesised antihydrogen
atoms. We aim to identify the annihilations of antihydrogen atoms held for at
least 130 ms in the trap before being released over ~30 ms. After a three-week
experimental run in 2009 involving mixing of 10^7 antiprotons with 1.3 10^9
positrons to produce 6 10^5 antihydrogen atoms, we have identified six
antiproton annihilation events that are consistent with the release of trapped
antihydrogen. The cosmic ray background, estimated to contribute 0.14 counts,
is incompatible with this observation at a significance of 5.6 sigma. Extensive
simulations predict that an alternative source of annihilations, the escape of
mirror-trapped antiprotons, is highly unlikely, though this possibility has not
yet been ruled out experimentally.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figure
A Dark Excited State of Fluorescent Protein Chromophores, Considered as Brooker Dyes
The green fluorescent protein (GFP) chromophore is an asymmetric monomethine
dye system. In the resonance color theory of dyes, a strong optical excitation
arises from interactions of two valence-bond structures with a third, higher
structure. We use correlated quantum chemistry to show that the anionic
chromophore is a resonant Brooker dye, and that the third structure corresponds
to a higher stationary electronic state of this species. The excitation energy
of this state should be just below the first excitation energy of the neutral
form. This has implications for excited state mechanism in GFPs, which we
discuss.Comment: This paper has been submitted for publication in Chemical Physics
Letter
A novel antiproton radial diagnostic based on octupole induced ballistic loss
We report results from a novel diagnostic that probes the outer radial
profile of trapped antiproton clouds. The diagnostic allows us to determine the
profile by monitoring the time-history of antiproton losses that occur as an
octupole field in the antiproton confinement region is increased. We show
several examples of how this diagnostic helps us to understand the radial
dynamics of antiprotons in normal and nested Penning-Malmberg traps. Better
understanding of these dynamics may aid current attempts to trap antihydrogen
atoms
Compression of Antiproton Clouds for Antihydrogen Trapping
Control of the radial profile of trapped antiproton clouds is critical to
trapping antihydrogen. We report the first detailed measurements of the radial
manipulation of antiproton clouds, including areal density compressions by
factors as large as ten, by manipulating spatially overlapped electron plasmas.
We show detailed measurements of the near-axis antiproton radial profile and
its relation to that of the electron plasma
Contact-facilitated drug delivery with Sn2 lipase labile prodrugs optimize targeted lipid nanoparticle drug delivery
Sn2 lipase labile phospholipid prodrugs in conjunction with contact-facilitated drug delivery offer an important advancement in Nanomedicine. Many drugs incorporated into nanosystems, targeted or not, are substantially lost during circulation to the target. However, favorably altering the pharmacokinetics and volume of distribution of systemic drug delivery can offer greater efficacy with lower toxicity, leading to new prolonged-release nanoexcipients. However, the concept of achieving Paul Erhlich's inspired vision of a ‘magic bullet’ to treat disease has been largely unrealized due to unstable nanomedicines, nanosystems achieving low drug delivery to target cells, poor intracellular bioavailability of endocytosed nanoparticle payloads, and the substantial biological barriers of extravascular particle penetration into pathological sites. As shown here, Sn2 phospholipid prodrugs in conjunction with contact-facilitated drug delivery prevent premature drug diffusional loss during circulation and increase target cell bioavailability. The Sn2 phospholipid prodrug approach applies equally well for vascular constrained lipid-encapsulated particles and micelles the size of proteins that penetrate through naturally fenestrated endothelium in the bone marrow or thin-walled venules of an inflamed microcirculation. At one time Nanomedicine was considered a ‘Grail Quest’ by its loyal opposition and even many in the field adsorbing the pains of a long-learning curve about human biology and particles. However, Nanomedicine with innovations like Sn2 phospholipid prodrugs has finally made ‘made the turn’ toward meaningful translational success
Lipids, curvature, and nano-medicine*
The physical properties of the lamellar lipid-bilayer component of biological membranes are controlled by a host of thermodynamic forces leading to overall tensionless bilayers with a conspicuous lateral pressure profile and build-in curvature-stress instabilities that may be released locally or globally in terms of morphological changes. In particular, the average molecular shape and the propensity of the different lipid and protein species for forming non-lamellar and curved structures are a source of structural transitions and control of biological function. The effects of different lipids, sterols, and proteins on membrane structure are discussed and it is shown how one can take advantage of the curvature-stress modulations brought about by specific molecular agents, such as fatty acids, lysolipids, and other amphiphilic solutes, to construct intelligent drug-delivery systems that function by enzymatic triggering via curvature
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