Dissociative photoionization of NO across a shape resonance in the XUV range using circularly polarized synchrotron radiation.

We report benchmark results for dissociative photoionization (DPI) spectroscopy and dynamics of the NO molecule in the region of the σ* shape resonance in the ionization leading to the NO+(c3Π) ionic state. The experimental study combines well characterized extreme ultraviolet (XUV) circularly polarized synchrotron radiation, delivered at the DESIRS beamline (SOLEIL), with ion-electron coincidence 3D momentum spectroscopy. The measured (N+, e) kinetic energy correlation diagrams reported at four discrete photon energies in the extended 23-33 eV energy range allow for resolving the different active DPI reactions and underline the importance of spectrally resolved studies using synchrotron radiation in the context of time-resolved studies where photoionization is induced by broadband XUV attosecond pulses. In the dominant DPI reaction which leads to the NO+(c3Π) ionic state, photoionization dynamics across the σ* shape resonance are probed by molecular frame photoelectron angular distributions where the parallel and perpendicular transitions are highlighted, as well as the circular dichroism CDAD(θe) in the molecular frame. The latter also constitute benchmark references for molecular polarimetry. The measured dynamical parameters are well described by multichannel Schwinger configuration interaction calculations. Similar results are obtained for the DPI spectroscopy of highly excited NO+ electronic states populated in the explored XUV photon energy range

Phenomenological interpretation of internal erosion in granular soils from a discrete fluid-solid numerical model

Internal erosion in granular soils may involve different steps: the detachment of solid particles from the granular skeleton under the action of water seepage; the transport of the detached particles carried with the water flow in the pore space; and eventually, for some erosion processes, such as suffusion, the possible reattachment of some transported particles to the solid skeleton of the soil, acting as a filter. The first part of this paper is devoted to the description and interpretation of the first step about the particle detachment. The analysis is mainly based on direct numerical simulations performed with a fully coupled discrete element-lattice Boltzmann method. Dynamics of the solid granular phase is represented thanks to the discrete element method in which each solid particle is explicitly described, whereas dynamics of the interstitial water flow is solved with the lattice Boltzmann method. Interactions between the solid phase and the fluid phase are handled at the particle scale avoiding the introduction in the model of some phenomenological constituents to deal with fluid-solid interactions. Numerical modellings of hole erosion can be interpreted similarly to laboratory hole erosion tests where the erosion rate is linearly related to the hydraulic shear stress. Further investigations from the numerical results suggest that the erosion rate for hole erosion in granular soil, can also be interpreted as a function of the water flow power according to a power law. The latter interpretation is applied to experimental data from suffusion tests on a cohesionless soil and glass bead mixtures. Here again, if change of erosion rate due to filtration is discarded, erosion rate is correctly described by the water seepage power according to a power law. Finally, a simple phenomenological model is suggested to describe the whole suffusion process, based on the previous results, to describe the particle detachment, and completed to take also into account the transport and filtration phases. Predictions of this model are compared with experimental results from suffusion tests on glass bead mixtures

Circular dichroism in molecular-frame photoelectron angular distributions in the dissociative photoionization of H2 and D2 molecules

ABSTRACT: The presence of net circular dichroism in the photoionization of nonchiral homonuclear molecules has been put in evidence recently through the measurement of molecular-frame photoelectron angular distributions in dissociative photoionization of H2 [Dowek et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 233003 (2010)]. In this work we present a detailed study of circular dichroism in the photoelectron angular distributions of H2 and D2 molecules, oriented perpendicularly to the propagation vector of the circularly polarized light, at different photon energies (20, 27, and 32.5 eV). Circular dichroism in the angular distributions at 20 and to a large extent 27 eV exhibits the usual pattern in which inversion symmetry is preserved. In contrast, at 32.5 eV, the inversion symmetry breaks down, which eventually leads to total circular dichroism after integration over the polar emission angle. Time-dependent ab initio calculations support and explain the observed results for H2 in terms of quantum interferences between direct photoionization and delayed autoionization from the Q1 and Q2 doubly excited states into ionic states (1sσg and 2pσu) of different inversion symmetry. Nevertheless, for D2 at 32.5 eV, there is a particular case where theory and experiment disagree in the magnitude of the symmetry breaking: when D+ ions are produced with an energy of around 5 eV. This reflects the subleties associated to such simple molecules when exposed to this fine scrutiny

Ecological conditions determine extinction risk in co-evolving bacteria-phage populations.

BACKGROUND: Antagonistic coevolution between bacteria and their viral parasites, phage, drives continual evolution of resistance and infectivity traits through recurrent cycles of adaptation and counter-adaptation. Both partners are vulnerable to extinction through failure of adaptation. Environmental conditions may impose unequal abiotic selection pressures on each partner, destabilising the coevolutionary relationship and increasing the extinction risk of one partner. In this study we explore how the degree of population mixing and resource supply affect coevolution-induced extinction risk by coevolving replicate populations of Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 with its associated lytic phage SBW25Ф2 under four treatment regimens incorporating low and high resource availability with mixed or static growth conditions. RESULTS: We observed an increased risk of phage extinction under population mixing, and in low resource conditions. High levels of evolved bacterial resistance promoted phage extinction at low resources under both mixed and static conditions, whereas phage populations could survive when phage susceptible bacterial genotypes rose to high frequency. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that phage extinction risk is influenced by multiple abiotic conditions, which together act to destabilise the bacteria-phage coevolutionary relationship. The risk of coevolution-induced extinction is therefore dependent on the ecological context

Determination of the thermophysical properties of evolutive porous media: application to Civil Engineering materials

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and the use of two measurement techniques especially adapted to the rapid determination of the thermophysical properties of evolutive porous media. The first technique exploits the method of the “heated and non-heated wires” and is validated on wet clay by comparison with previous works [Mounanga et al., Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. 26, 65 (2004)]. It is then used to quantify the evolution of both thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity of hardening cement pastes maintained at 294 ± 1 K. The second technique is based on the classical method of the “heating film” and a data treatment using forward calculation. This technique is first used to measure the properties of well-known materials (hardened mortars, wet sand [Mounanga et al., Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. 26, 65 (2004); Delacre, Ph.D. thesis, University of Artois, 2000] and glass [Bastian, Rev. Phys. Appl. 22, 431 (1987)] and then applied to media whose properties evolve both over time and through space (drying sand)

The effect of particle shape on the marginal rigidity state in 2D granular media

Experimental results from an investigation of the assembly of two-dimensional granular piles are presented. Three different particle shapes were used in the investigation of the evolution of piles towards isostatic and isotropic granular assemblies. Good agreement is found with previous experimental results for all particle shapes. We attempt to classify the divergence of a characteristic length-scale of the system as a power law and provide an estimate of the critical exponent. We find that the results are independent of particle shapes and speculate this may be a general feature of two-dimensional convex particles

Commande optimale à flux libre des machines asynchrones

The subject of this paper is the optimal control with unconstrained flux of an induction motor being considered as a distributed parameter system described by a nonlinear diffusion equation. This approach allows to describe the electrodynamic state of the motor by taking into account, in a natural way, the influence of saturation and eddy-currents, as well as the nonlinearities due to the variable flux operation. Equations are approximated via a finite element formulation which leads to a finite dimensional dynamical system to which the techniques of optimal control may be applied. The generality of the methodology allows to treat various criteria. The objective aimed in this paper is to force the motor torque to follow a given input, especially under initially demagnetized conditions and with, naturally, constraints on the currents. For this purpose the criterion will be chosen as a norm of the difference between the electromagnetic torque and a given reference torque. Numerical simulations are presented for the case of a squirrel-cage rotor and for a solid iron rotor. Results are compared with those deduced from strategies based on lumped-parameter models. Torque responses obtained with field-oriented control method adapted to the case of flux-variable operation are also presented. Finally a modification of the criterion is proposed for identifying the command which allows to obtain the larger torque during transient states.Dans cet article on traite le problème du contrôle optimal à flux libre d'un moteur asynchrone considéré comme un système à paramètres répartis gouverné par une équation de diffusion non linéaire. Cette approche permet de décrire l'état électrodynamique de la machine en prenant naturellement en compte les effets de la saturation et des courants induits, ainsi que les non-linéarités liées au fonctionnement à flux variable. La formulation éléments finis est utilisée pour traduire le problème continu sous la forme d'un système dynamique de dimension finie pour lequel les techniques du contrôle optimal peuvent s'appliquer. La généralité de la méthodologie permet de traiter différents critères d'optimisation. Ici l'objectif est de maîtriser l'évolution du couple électromagnétique, en particulier lorsque le moteur est initialement démagnétisé, avec naturellement des contraintes sur les courants ; à cet effet le critère est défini comme une norme de la différence entre le couple électromagnétique et une consigne de couple. Les calculs sont effectués pour un moteur asynchrone à cage et un moteur à rotor massif. Les résultats sont comparés avec ceux déduits de stratégies basées sur des modèles à constantes localisées. Les réponses obtenues à partir de commandes vectorielles adaptées pour tenir compte du fonctionnement à flux variable sont également présentées. On indique finalement comment modifier le critère pour traiter le problème de la recherche de la capacité maximale de réponse en couple des moteurs