803 research outputs found
Calculations of energy levels and lifetimes of low-lying states of barium and radium
We use the configuration interaction method and many-body perturbation theory
to perform accurate calculations of energy levels, transition amplitudes, and
lifetimes of low-lying states of barium and radium. Calculations for radium are
needed for the planning of measurements of parity and time invariance violating
effects which are strongly enhanced in this atom. Calculations for barium are
used to control the accuracy of the calculations.Comment: 8 page
Direct Visualization of Single Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins Using Genetically-Encoded Probes for DNA-PAINT
The nuclear pore complex (NPC) is one of the largest and most complex protein assemblies in the cell and, among other functions, serves as the gatekeeper of nucleocytoplasmic transport. Unraveling its molecular architecture and functioning has been an active research topic for decades with recent cryogenic electron microscopy and super-resolution studies advancing our understanding of the architecture of the NPC complex. However, the specific and direct visualization of single copies of NPC proteins is thus far elusive. Herein, we combine genetically-encoded self-labeling enzymes such as SNAP-tag and HaloTag with DNA-PAINT microscopy. We resolve single copies of nucleoporins in the human Y-complex in three dimensions with a precision of circa 3 nm, enabling studies of multicomponent complexes on the level of single proteins in cells using optical fluorescence microscopy
Lamb shift in muonic helium ion
The Lamb shift (2P_{1/2}-2S_{1/2}) in the muonic helium ion (mu ^4_2He)^+ is
calculated with the account of contributions of orders alpha^3, alpha^4,
alpha^5 and alpha^6. Special attention is given to corrections of the electron
vacuum polarization, the nuclear structure and recoil effects. The obtained
numerical value of the Lamb shift 1379.028 meV can be considered as a reliable
estimate for the comparison with experimental data.Comment: 18 pages, 11 figure
Visualization of Bacterial Protein Complexes Labeled with Fluorescent Proteins and Nanobody Binders for STED Microscopy
In situ visualization of molecular assemblies near their macromolecular scale is a powerful tool to investigate fundamental cellular processes. Super-resolution light microscopies (SRM) overcome the diffraction limit and allow researchers to investigate molecular arrangements at the nanoscale. However, in bacterial cells, visualization of these assemblies can be challenging because of their small size and the presence of the cell wall. Thus, although conceptually promising, successful application of SRM techniques requires careful optimization in labeling biochemistry, fluorescent dye choice, bacterial biology and microscopy to gain biological insights. Here, we apply Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) microscopy to visualize cell division proteins in bacterial cells, specifically E. coli and B. subtilis. We applied nanobodies that specifically recognize fluorescent proteins, such as GFP, mCherry2 and PAmCherry, fused to targets for STED imaging and evaluated the effect of various organic fluorescent dyes on the performance of STED in bacterial cells. We expect this research to guide scientists for in situ macromolecular visualization using STED in bacterial systems
Aspects of Cooling at the TRIP Facility
The TriP facility at KVI is dedicated to provide short lived radioactive
isotopes at low kinetic energies to users. It comprised different cooling
schemes for a variety of energy ranges, from GeV down to the neV scale. The
isotopes are produced using beam of the AGOR cyclotron at KVI. They are
separated from the primary beam by a magnetic separator. A crucial part of such
a facility is the ability to stop and extract isotopes into a low energy
beamline which guides them to the experiment. In particular we are
investigating stopping in matter and buffer gases. After the extraction the
isotopes can be stored in neutral atoms or ion traps for experiments. Our
research includes precision studies of nuclear -decay through
- momentum correlations as well as searches for permanent electric
dipole moments in heavy atomic systems like radium. Such experiments offer a
large potential for discovering new physics.Comment: COOL05 Workshop, Galena, Il, USA, 18-23. Sept. 2005, 5 pages, 3
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Visualizing the Coupling between Red and Blue Stark States Using Photoionization Microscopy
In nonhydrogenic atoms in a dc electric field, the finite size of the ionic
core introduces a coupling between quasibound Stark states that leads to
avoided crossings between states that would otherwise cross. Near an avoided
crossing, the interacting states may have decay amplitudes that cancel each
other, decoupling one of the states from the ionization continuum. This well-
known interference narrowing effect, observed as a strongly electric field-
dependent decrease in the ionization rate, was previously observed in several
atoms. Here we use photoionization microscopy to visualize interference
narrowing in helium atoms, thereby explicitly revealing the mechanism by which
Stark states decay. The interference narrowing allows measurements of the
nodal patterns of red Stark states, which are otherwise not observable due to
their intrinsic short lifetime
Calculation of energy levels and transition amplitudes for barium and radium
The radium atom is a promising system for studying parity and time invariance
violating weak interactions. However, available experimental spectroscopic data
for radium is insufficient for designing an optimal experimental setup. We
calculate the energy levels and transition amplitudes for radium states of
significant interest. Forty states corresponding to all possible configurations
consisting of the , and single-electron states as well as the
states of the , and configurations have been calculated.
The energies of ten of these states corresponding to the , ,
, and configurations are not known from experiment. Calculations
for barium are used to control the accuracy.Comment: 12 pages, 4 table
Single-molecule super-resolution imaging of chromosomes and in situ haplotype visualization using Oligopaint FISH probes
Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a powerful single-cell technique for studying nuclear structure and organization. Here we report two advances in FISH-based imaging. We first describe the in situ visualization of single-copy regions of the genome using two single-molecule super-resolution methodologies. We then introduce a robust and reliable system that harnesses single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to visually distinguish the maternal and paternal homologous chromosomes in mammalian and insect systems. Both of these new technologies are enabled by renewable, bioinformatically designed, oligonucleotide-based Oligopaint probes, which we augment with a strategy that uses secondary oligonucleotides (oligos) to produce and enhance fluorescent signals. These advances should substantially expand the capability to query parent-of-origin-specific chromosome positioning and gene expression on a cell-by-cell basis
Precise Measurement of Magnetic Field Gradients from Free Spin Precession Signals of He and Xe Magnetometers
We report on precise measurements of magnetic field gradients extracted from
transverse relaxation rates of precessing spin samples. The experimental
approach is based on the free precession of gaseous, nuclear spin polarized
He and Xe atoms in a spherical cell inside a magnetic guiding field
of about 400 nT using LT SQUIDs as low-noise magnetic flux detectors. The
transverse relaxation rates of both spin species are simultaneously monitored
as magnetic field gradients are varied. For transverse relaxation times
reaching 100 h, the residual longitudinal field gradient across the spin sample
could be deduced to be pT/cm. The method takes
advantage of the high signal-to-noise ratio with which the decaying spin
precession signal can be monitored that finally leads to the exceptional
accuracy to determine magnetic field gradients at the sub pT/cm scale
Measurement of the half-life of the T= mirror decay of Ne and its implication on physics beyond the standard model
The superallowed mixed mirror decay
of Ne to F is excellently suited for high precision studies of
the weak interaction. However, there is some disagreement on the value of the
half-life. In a new measurement we have determined this quantity to be
= s, which differs
from the previous world average by 3 standard deviations. The impact of this
measurement on limits for physics beyond the standard model such as the
presence of tensor currents is discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl
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