286 research outputs found
Higher-order Kerr terms allow ionization-free filamentation in gases
We show that higher-order nonlinear indices (, , , )
provide the main defocusing contribution to self-channeling of ultrashort laser
pulses in air and Argon at 800 nm, in contrast with the previously accepted
mechanism of filamentation where plasma was considered as the dominant
defocusing process. Their consideration allows to reproduce experimentally
observed intensities and plasma densities in self-guided filaments.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures (11 panels
Mobile source of high-energy single-cycle terahertz pulses
The Teramobile laser facility was used to realize the first mobile source of high-power THz pulses. The source is based on a tilted-pulse-front pumping THz generation scheme optimized for application of terawatt laser pulses. Generation of 50-ÎŒJ single-cycle electromagnetic pulses centered at 0.19 THz with a repetition rate of 10Hz was obtained for incoming 700-fs 120-mJ near-infrared laser pulses. The corresponding laser-to-THz photon conversion efficiency is approximately 100
Conditions in the eastern equatorial Pacific related to the intertropical convergence zone of the winds. Qggp. gig _B_e
Abstract-Surface temperature and salinity data gathered by merchant ships along the TahitiPanama track from 1955 to 1978 are considered in relation t o cloud cover. Equatorial upwelling is associated with strong cloudiness at its northern boundary. The cloudiness indicates the presence of the intertropical convergence zone of the winds. During the seasonal absence of upwelling, the position of the intertropical convergence zone is southernmost and the cloudy zone is south of the equator. In the case of EI Niño, equatorial upwelling weakens, the northern cloud cover is minimal, and the intertropical convergence zone may shift southward. During EI Niño, the surface salinity is affected by the position of the intertropical convergence zone
On negative higher-order Kerr effect and filamentation
As a contribution to the ongoing controversy about the role of higher-order
Kerr effect (HOKE) in laser filamentation, we first provide thorough details
about the protocol that has been employed to infer the HOKE indices from the
experiment. Next, we discuss potential sources of artifact in the experimental
measurements of these terms and show that neither the value of the observed
birefringence, nor its inversion, nor the intensity at which it is observed,
appear to be flawed. Furthermore, we argue that, independently on our values,
the principle of including HOKE is straightforward. Due to the different
temporal and spectral dynamics, the respective efficiency of defocusing by the
plasma and by the HOKE is expected to depend substantially on both incident
wavelength and pulse duration. The discussion should therefore focus on
defining the conditions where each filamentation regime dominates.Comment: 22 pages, 11 figures. Submitted to Laser physics as proceedings of
the Laser Physics 2010 conferenc
Multijoule scaling of laser-induced condensation in air
Using 100 TW laser pulses, we demonstrate that laser-induced nanometric
particle generation in air increases much faster than the beam-averaged
incident intensity. This increase is due to a contribution from the photon
bath, which adds up with the previously identified one from the filaments and
becomes dominant above 550âGW/cm2. It appears related to ozone formation via
multiphotondissociation of the oxygen molecules and demonstrates the critical
need for further increasing the laser energy in view of macroscopic effects in
laser-induced condensation
Childhood loneliness as a predictor of adolescent depressive symptoms: an 8-year longitudinal study
Childhood loneliness is characterised by childrenâs perceived dissatisfaction with aspects of their social relationships. This 8-year prospective study investigates whether loneliness in childhood predicts depressive symptoms in adolescence, controlling for early childhood indicators of emotional problems and a sociometric measure of peer social preference. 296 children were tested in the infant years of primary school (T1 5 years of age), in the upper primary school (T2 9 years of age) and in secondary school (T3 13 years of age). At T1, children completed the loneliness assessment and sociometric interview. Their teachers completed externalisation and internalisation rating scales for each child. At T2, children completed a loneliness assessment, a measure of depressive symptoms, and the sociometric interview. At T3, children completed the depressive symptom assessment. An SEM analysis showed that depressive symptoms in early adolescence (age 13) were predicted by reports of depressive symptoms at age 8, which were themselves predicted by internalisation in the infant school (5 years). The interactive effect of loneliness at 5 and 9, indicative of prolonged loneliness in childhood, also predicted depressive symptoms at age 13. Parent and peer-related loneliness at age 5 and 9, peer acceptance variables, and duration of parent loneliness did not predict depression. Our results suggest that enduring peer-related loneliness during childhood constitutes an interpersonal stressor that predisposes children to adolescent depressive symptoms. Possible mediators are discussed
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Behavioral inhibition in childhood predicts smaller hippocampal volume in adolescent offspring of parents with panic disorder
Behavioral inhibition (BI) is a genetically influenced behavioral profile seen in 15â20% of 2-year-old children. Children with BI are timid with people, objects and situations that are novel or unfamiliar, and are more reactive physiologically to these challenges as evidenced by higher heart rate, pupillary dilation, vocal cord tension and higher levels of cortisol. BI predisposes to the later development of anxiety, depression and substance abuse. Reduced hippocampal volumes have been observed in anxiety disorders, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Animal models have demonstrated that chronic stress can damage the hippocampal formation and implicated cortisol in these effects. We, therefore, hypothesized that the hippocampi of late adolescents who had been behaviorally inhibited as children would be smaller compared with those who had not been inhibited. Hippocampal volume was measured with high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging in 43 females and 40 males at 17 years of age who were determined to be BI+ or BIâ based on behaviors observed in the laboratory as young children. BI in childhood predicted reduced hippocampal volumes in the adolescents who were offspring of parents with panic disorder, or panic disorder with comorbid major depression. We discuss genetic and environmental factors emanating from both child and parent that may explain these findings. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate a relationship between the most extensively studied form of temperamentally based human trait anxiety, BI, and hippocampal structure. The reduction in hippocampal volume, as reported by us, suggests a role for the hippocampus in human trait anxiety and anxiety disorder that warrants further investigation
White-light femtosecond Lidar at 100TW power level
We characterized the white-light supercontinuum emission by a sub-petawatt laser system in the atmosphere via light detection and ranging measurements. As much as 1J of supercontinuum is generated in the atmosphere, corresponding to a conversion efficiency of 30%. This generation occurs at altitudes below 100m. The high initial beam intensity results in the saturation of the number of self-guided filaments. Therefore, the "photon bathâ surrounding the filaments strongly contributes to the white-light generation. These finding is well reproduced by numerical simulations based on the experimental parameters
Two Dimensional Window Exchange Umbrella Sampling for Transmembrane Helix Assembly
The method of window exchange umbrella sampling molecular dynamics (WEUSMD) with a pre-optimized parameter set was recently used to obtain the most probable conformations and the energetics of transmembrane (TM) helix assembly of a generic TM sequence. When applied to glycophorin A TM domain (GpA-TM) using the restraint potentials along the helix-helix distance, however, tight interfacial packing of GpA-TM resulted in insufficient conformational sampling at short helix-helix separation. This sampling issue is addressed by extending the WEUSMD into two dimensions with the restraint potentials along the helix-helix distance and crossing angle. The two-dimensional WEUSMD results demonstrate that the incomplete sampling in the one-dimensional WEUSMD arises from high barriers along the crossing angle between the GpA-TM helices. Together with the faster convergence in both the assembled conformations and the potential of mean force, the 2D-WEUSMD can be a general and efficient approach in computational studies of TM helix assembly
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