12,035 research outputs found
Nickel oxide photocathodes prepared using rapid discharge sintering for p-type dye-sensitized solar cells
This paper compares the photoelectrochemical performances of nickel oxide (NiO) thin films processed using two different sintering procedures: rapid discharge sintering (RDS) and conventional furnace sintering (CS). Prior to sintering, NiO nanoparticles were sprayed onto substrates to form loosely adherent nanoparticulate coatings. After RDS and furnace sintering the resultant NiO coatings were sensitized with erythrosine B dye and corresponding p-type dyesensitized solar cells were fabricated and characterized. NiO electrodes fabricated using the RDS technique exhibited a fourfold enhancement in electroactivity compared to CS electrodes. A possible explanation is the smaller sintered grain size and more open mesoporous structure achieved using the microwave plasma treatments
Exploration of Lorentz violation in neutral-kaon decay
The KLOE collaboration recently reported bounds on the directional dependence
of the lifetime of the short-lived neutral kaon with respect to the
dipole anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background. We interpret their
results in an effective field theory framework developed to probe the violation
of Lorentz invariance in the weak interaction and previously applied to
semileptonic processes, in particular decay. In this approach a general
Lorentz-violating tensor is added to the standard propagator of
the boson. We perform an exploratory study of the prospects to search for
Lorentz violation in nonleptonic decays. For the kaon, we find that the
sensitivity to Lorentz violation is limited by the velocity of the kaons and by
the extent to which hadronic effects can be calculated. In a simple model we
derive the decay rate and calculate the asymmetry for the lifetime.
Using the KLOE data, limits on the values of are determined.Comment: accepted for publication in Physics Letters
Focusing Light through Random Photonic Media by Binary Amplitude Modulation
We study the focusing of light through random photonic materials using
wavefront shaping. We explore a novel approach namely binary amplitude
modulation. To this end, the light incident to a random photonic medium is
spatially divided into a number of segments. We identify the segments that give
rise to fields that are out of phase with the total field at the intended focus
and assign these a zero amplitude, whereas the remaining segments maintain
their original amplitude. Using 812 independently controlled segments of light,
we find the intensity at the target to be 75 +/- 6 times enhanced over the
average intensity behind the sample. We experimentally demonstrate focusing of
light through random photonic media using both an amplitude only mode liquid
crystal spatial light modulator and a MEMS-based spatial light modulator. Our
use of Micro Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS)-based digital micromirror devices
for the control of the incident light field opens an avenue to high speed
implementations of wavefront shaping
A Comparative Study of the Valence Electronic Excitations of N_2 by Inelastic X-ray and Electron Scattering
Bound state, valence electronic excitation spectra of N_2 are probed by
nonresonant inelastic x-ray and electron scattering. Within the usual
theoretical treatments, dynamical structure factors derived from the two probes
should be identical. However, we find strong disagreements outside the dipole
scattering limit, even at high probe energies. This suggests an unexpectedly
important contribution from intra-molecular multiple scattering of the probe
electron from core electrons or the nucleus. These effects should grow
progressively stronger as the atomic number of the target species increases.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review Letters April 27, 2010. 12 pages
including 2 figure pages
Exploiting speckle correlations to improve the resolution of wide-field fluorescence microscopy
Fluorescence microscopy is indispensable in nanoscience and biological
sciences. The versatility of labeling target structures with fluorescent dyes
permits to visualize structure and function at a subcellular resolution with a
wide field of view. Due to the diffraction limit, conventional optical
microscopes are limited to resolving structures larger than 200 nm. The
resolution can be enhanced by near-field and far-field super-resolution
microscopy methods. Near-field methods typically have a limited field of view
and far-field methods are limited by the involved conventional optics. Here, we
introduce a combined high-resolution and wide-field fluorescence microscopy
method that improves the resolution of a conventional optical microscope by
exploiting correlations in speckle illumination through a randomly scattering
high-index medium: Speckle correlation resolution enhancement (SCORE). As a
test, we collect two-dimensional fluorescence images of 100-nm diameter
dye-doped nanospheres. We demonstrate a deconvolved resolution of 130 nm with a
field of view of 10 x 10 \text{\mu m}^2
Scattering Lens Resolves sub-100 nm Structures with Visible Light
The smallest structures that conventional lenses are able to optically
resolve are of the order of 200 nm. We introduce a new type of lens that
exploits multiple scattering of light to generate a scanning nano-sized optical
focus. With an experimental realization of this lens in gallium phosphide we
have succeeded to image gold nanoparticles at 97 nm optical resolution. Our
work is the first lens that provides a resolution in the nanometer regime at
visible wavelengths.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Generation Expansion Models including Technical Constraints and Demand Uncertainty
This article presents a Generation Expansion Model of the power system taking into account the operational constraints and the uncertainty of long-term electricity demand projections. The model is based on a discretization of the load duration curve and explicitly considers that power plant ramping capabilities must meet demand variations. A model predictive control method is used to improve the long-term planning decisions while considering the uncertainty of demand projections. The model presented in this paper allows integrating technical constraints and uncertainty in the simulations, improving the accuracy of the results, while maintaining feasible computational time. Results are tested over three scenarios based on load data of an energy retailer in Colombia
Lower Cost Lightweight Cold-formed Portal Frames
Southern Africa has a dire need for housing small industries and people, and concomitantly the creation of employment. It is common to use hot-rolled steel sections for industrial structures, which are pre-manufactured and then bolted together on site. In this paper an alternative structural concept for low-rise portals for light industries is proposed, whereby the total frame is made up of standard cold-formed sections which are cut and welded together on site. The cladding material is employed as an integral structural component through the principles of stressed skin diaphragm action. A short pile footing is proposed to provide a degree of rotational fixity for the colunns of the frame. Different frame configurations are investigated and the practical application of the concept is discussed
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