551 research outputs found
Similarity and contrasts between thermodynamic properties at the critical point of liquid alkali metals and of electron-hole droplets
The recent experimental study by means of time-resolved luminescence
measurements of an electron-hole liquid (EHL) in diamond by Shimano et al.
[Phys. Rev. Lett. 88 (2002) 057404] prompts us to compare and contrast critical
temperature T_c and critical density n_c relations in liquid alkali metals with
those in electron-hole liquids. The conclusion drawn is that these systems have
similarities with regard to critical properties. In both cases the critical
temperature is related to the cube root of the critical density. The existence
of this relation is traced to Coulomb interactions and to systematic trends in
the dielectric constant of the electron-hole systems. Finally a brief
comparison between the alkalis and EHLs of the critical values for the
compressibility ratio Z_c is also given
Syros Metasomatic Tourmaline: Evidence for Very High-δ11B Fluids in Subduction Zones
High-pressure (HP) metamorphic blocks enclosed in a mafic to ultramafic matrix from a mélange on the island of Syros are rimmed by tourmaline-bearing reaction zones (blackwalls). The B isotopic composition of dravitic tourmaline within these blackwalls was investigated in situ by secondary ion mass spectrometry. Boron in these tourmalines is unusually heavy, with δ11B values exceeding +18‰ in all investigated samples and reaching an extreme value of +28·4‰ in one sample. Blackwalls formed during exhumation of the HP mélange at a depth of 20-25 km at temperatures of 400-430°C, by influx of external hydrous fluids. The compositions of the fluids are estimated to be in the range of 100-300 μg/g B with δ11B values of +18 to +28‰. The high δ11B values cannot be explained by tourmaline formation from unmodified slab-derived fluids. However, such fluids could interact with the material in the exhumation channel on their way from the dehydrating slab to the site of tourmaline formation in the blackwalls. This could produce exceptionally high δ11B values in the fluids, a case that is modelled in this study. The model demonstrates that subduction fluids may be effectively modified in both trace element and isotopic composition during their migration through the material overlying the subducting slab. Blackwall tourmaline from Syros has a large grain size (several centimetres), high abundance, and an exceptionally high δ11B value. The formation of tourmaline at the contact between mafic or felsic HP blocks and their ultramafic matrix involved fluids released during dehydration reactions in the subducting slab. It forms a heavy-boron reservoir in hybrid rocks overlying the subducting slab, and may, thus, have a significant impact on the geochemical cycle of B and its isotopes in subduction zone
Optical spin pumping of modulation doped electrons probed by a two-color Kerr rotation technique
We report on optical spin pumping of modulation electrons in CdTe-based
quantum wells with low intrinsic electron density (by 10^10 cm^{-2}). Under
continuous wave excitation, we reach a steady state accumulated spin density of
about 10^8 cm^{-2}. Using a two-color Hanle-MOKE technique, we find a spin
relaxation time of 34 ns for the localized electrons in the nearly unperturbed
electron gas. Independent variation of the pump and probe energies demonstrates
the presence of additional non-localized electrons in the quantum well, whose
spin relaxation time is substantially shorter
Coherence Length of Excitons in a Semiconductor Quantum Well
We report on the first experimental determination of the coherence length of
excitons in semiconductors using the combination of spatially resolved
photoluminescence with phonon sideband spectroscopy. The coherence length of
excitons in ZnSe quantum wells is determined to be 300 ~ 400 nm, about 25 ~ 30
times the exciton de Broglie wavelength. With increasing exciton kinetic
energy, the coherence length decreases slowly. The discrepancy between the
coherence lengths measured and calculated by only considering the acoustic
phonon scattering suggests an important influence of static disorder.Comment: 4 Pages, 4 figure
Recent Research on the Health Benefits of Blueberries and Their Anthocyanins
Awareness of the human health benefits of blueberries is underpinned by a growing body of positive scientific evidence from human observational and clinical research, plus mechanistic research using animal and in vitro models. Blueberries contain a large number of phytochemicals, including abundant anthocyanin pigments. Of their various phytochemicals, anthocyanins probably make the greatest impact on blueberry health functionality. Epidemiological studies associate regular, moderate intake of blueberries and/or anthocyanins with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, death, and type 2 diabetes, and with improved weight maintenance and neuroprotection. These findings are supported by biomarker-based evidence from human clinical studies. Among the more important healthful aspects of blueberries are their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions and their beneficial effects on vascular and glucoregulatory function. Blueberry phytochemicals may affect gastrointestinal microflora and contribute to host health. These aspects have implications in degenerative diseases and conditions as well as the aging process. More evidence, and particularly human clinical evidence, is needed to better understand the potential for anthocyanin-rich blueberries to benefit public health. However, it is widely agreed that the regular consumption of tasty, ripe blueberries can be unconditionally recommended
Band gap renormalization in photoexcited semiconductor quantum wire structures in the GW approximation
We investigate the dynamical self-energy corrections of the electron-hole
plasma due to electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions at the band
edges of a quasi-one dimensional (1D) photoexcited electron-hole plasma. The
leading-order dynamical screening approximation is used in the calculation
by treating electron-electron Coulomb interaction and electron-optical phonon
Fr\"{o}hlich interaction on an equal footing. We calculate the
exchange-correlation induced band gap renormalization (BGR) as a function of
the electron-hole plasma density and the quantum wire width. The calculated BGR
shows good agreement with existing experimental results, and the BGR normalized
by the effective quasi-1D excitonic Rydberg exhibits an approximate
one-parameter universality.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure
Palladium-catalysed synthesis of arylnaphthoquinones as antiprotozoal and antimycobacterial agents
Malaria and tuberculosis are still among the leading causes of death in low-income countries. The 1,4-naphthoquinone (NQ) scaffold can be found in a variety of anti-infective agents. Herein, we report an optimised, high yield process for the preparation of various 2-arylnaphthoquinones by a palladium-catalysed Suzuki reaction. All synthesised compounds were evaluated for their in-vitro antiprotozoal and antimycobacterial activity. Antiprotozoal activity was assessed against Plasmodium falciparum (P.f.) NF54 and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (T.b.r.) STIB900, and antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis (M.s.) mc(2) 155. Substitution with pyridine and pyrimidine rings significantly increased antiplasmodial potency of our compounds. The 2-aryl-NQs exhibited trypanocidal activity in the nM range with a very favourable selectivity profile. (Pseudo)halogenated aryl-NQs were found to have a pronounced effect indicating inhibition of mycobacterial efflux pumps. Cytotoxicity of all compounds towards L6 cells was evaluated and the respective selectivity indices (SI) were calculated. In addition, the physicochemical parameters of the synthesised compounds were discussed
Optical properties of (AlxGa1-x)(0.52)In0.48P at the crossover from a direct-gap to an indirect-gap semiconductor
The optical properties and the dynamics of excitons and the electron-hole plasma have been studied in disordered (AlxGa1−x)0.52In0.48P near to the direct-to-indirect band gap crossover. In particular we have investigated three epitaxial layers grown by solid-source molecular beam epitaxy with varying Al content x. Two of them have compositions in the immediate vicinity of the crossover point, the other is assigned to the indirect-gap regime. Both direct and indirect recombination processes contribute to the photon emission from the material. Since the relative importance of the different recombination processes depends strongly on temperature, excitation intensity, and excitation pulse duration, the processes can be identified by changing these parameters. As a result, we can determine the relative alignment of the conduction band minima and the distribution of the electrons among them. At high excitation levels the two crossover samples show stimulated emission at a photon energy of ∼2.29 eV, i.e., in the green spectral range. Using the variable stripe length method, we find an optical gain of up to ∼600 cm−1 at excitation levels of ∼350 kW/cm2.Stimulated emission involves direct recombination. This conclusion is reached from the experiments and from line-shape modeling, including a self-consistent treatment of populations and renormalization of the conduction band minima
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