Ruthenium and osmium carbonyl clusters incorporating stannylene and stannyl ligands

The reaction of [Ru₃ (CO)₁₂] with Ph₃SnSPh in refluxing benzene furnished the bimetallic Ru-Sn compound [Ru₃(CO)₈(μ-SPh)₂(μ3-SnPh₂)(SnPh₃)₂] 1 which consists of a SnPh₂ stannylene bonded to three Ru atoms to give a planar tetra-metal core, with two peripheral SnPh₃ ligands. The stannylene ligand forms a very short bond to one Ru atom [Sn-Ru 2.538(1) Å] and very long bonds to the other two [Sn-Ru 3.074(1) Å]. The germanium compound [Ru₃(CO)₈(μ-SPh)₂(μ₃-GePh₂)(GePh₃)₂] 2 was obtained from the reaction of [Ru₃ (CO)₁₂] with Ph₃GeSPh and has a similar structure to that of 1 as evidenced by spectroscopic data. Treatment of [Os₃(CO)₁₀(MeCN)₂] with Ph₃SnSPh in refluxing benzene yielded the bimetallic Os-Sn compound [Os₃(CO)₉(μ-SPh)(μ₃-SnPh₂)(MeCN)(ƞ¹-C₆H₅)] 3. Cluster 3 has a superficially similar planar metal core, but with a different bonding mode with respect to that of 1. The Ph₂Sn group is bonded most closely to Os(2) and Os(3) [2.7862(3) and 2.7476(3) Å respectively] with a significantly longer bond to Os(1), 2.9981(3) Å indicating a weak back-donation to the Sn. The reaction of the bridging dppm compound [Ru₃(CO)₁₀(μ-dppm)] with Ph₃SnSPh afforded [Ru₃(CO)₆(μ-dppm)(μ₃-S)(μ₃-SPh)(SnPh₃)] 5. Compound 5 contains an open triangle of Ru atoms simultaneously capped by a sulfido and a PhS ligand on opposite sides of the cluster with a dppm ligand bridging one of the Ru-Ru edges and a Ph₃Sn group occupying an axial position on the Ru atom not bridged by the dppm ligand

An electron-deficient triosmium cluster containing the thianthrene ligand: Synthesis, structure and reactivity of [Os₃(CO)₉(μ3-η2-C₁₂H₇S₂)(μ-H)]

Reaction of [Os₃(CO)₁₀(CH₃CN)₂] with thianthrene at 80 °C leads to the nonacarbonyl dihydride compound [Os₃(CO)₉(μ-3,4-η²-C₁₂H₆S₂)(μ-H)₂] (1) and the 46-electron monohydride compound [Os₃(CO)₉(μ₃-η²-C₁₂H₇S₂)(μ-H)] (2). Compound 2 reacts reversibly with CO to give the CO adduct [Os₃(CO)₁₀(μ-η²-C₁₂H₇S₂)(μ-H)] (3) whereas with PPh₃ it gives the addition product [Os₃(CO)₉)(PPh₃)(μ-η²-C₁₂H₇S₂)(μ-H)] (4) as well as the substitution product 1,2-[Os₃(CO)₁₀ ((PPh₃)₂] (5) Compound 2 represents a unique example of an electron-deficient triosmium cluster in which the thianthrene ring is bound to cluster by coordination of the sulfur lone pair and a three-center-two-electron bond with the C(2) carbon which bridges the same edge of the triangle as the hydride. Electrochemical and DFT studies which elucidate the electronic properties of 2 are reported

Practical long-distance quantum key distribution system using decoy levels

Quantum key distribution (QKD) has the potential for widespread real-world applications. To date no secure long-distance experiment has demonstrated the truly practical operation needed to move QKD from the laboratory to the real world due largely to limitations in synchronization and poor detector performance. Here we report results obtained using a fully automated, robust QKD system based on the Bennett Brassard 1984 protocol (BB84) with low-noise superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) and decoy levels. Secret key is produced with unconditional security over a record 144.3 km of optical fibre, an increase of more than a factor of five compared to the previous record for unconditionally secure key generation in a practical QKD system.Comment: 9 page

Human endogenous retrovirus K106 (HERV-K106) was infectious after the emergence of anatomically modern humans.

HERV-K113 and HERV-K115 have been considered to be among the youngest HERVs because they are the only known full-length proviruses that are insertionally polymorphic and maintain the open reading frames of their coding genes. However, recent data suggest that HERV-K113 is at least 800,000 years old, and HERV-K115 even older. A systematic study of HERV-K HML2 members to identify HERVs that may have infected the human genome in the more recent evolutionary past is lacking. Therefore, we sought to determine how recently HERVs were exogenous and infectious by examining sequence variation in the long terminal repeat (LTR) regions of all full-length HERV-K loci. We used the traditional method of inter-LTR comparison to analyze all full length HERV-Ks and determined that two insertions, HERV-K106 and HERV-K116 have no differences between their 5' and 3' LTR sequences, suggesting that these insertions were endogenized in the recent evolutionary past. Among these insertions with no sequence differences between their LTR regions, HERV-K106 had the most intact viral sequence structure. Coalescent analysis of HERV-K106 3' LTR sequences representing 51 ethnically diverse individuals suggests that HERV-K106 integrated into the human germ line approximately 150,000 years ago, after the emergence of anatomically modern humans

High-resolution computed tomography reconstructions of invertebrate burrow systems

The architecture of biogenic structures can be highly influential in determining species contributions to major soil and sediment processes, but detailed 3-D characterisations are rare and descriptors of form and complexity are lacking. Here we provide replicate high-resolution micro-focus computed tomography (μ-CT) data for the complete burrow systems of three co-occurring, but functionally contrasting, sediment-dwelling inter-tidal invertebrates assembled alone, and in combination, in representative model aquaria. These data (≤2,000 raw image slices aquarium−1, isotropic voxel resolution, 81 μm) provide reference models that can be used for the development of novel structural analysis routines that will be of value within the fields of ecology, pedology, geomorphology, palaeobiology, ichnology and mechanical engineering. We also envisage opportunity for those investigating transport networks, vascular systems, plant rooting systems, neuron connectivity patterns, or those developing image analysis or statistics related to pattern or shape recognition. The dataset will allow investigators to develop or test novel methodology and ideas without the need to generate a complete three-dimensional computation of exemplar architecture

Systematically Asymmetric Heliospheric Magnetic Field: Evidence for a Quadrupole Mode and Non-axisymmetry with Polarity Flip-flops

Recent studies of the heliospheric magnetic field (HMF) have detected interesting, systematic hemispherical and longitudinal asymmetries which have a profound significance for the understanding of solar magnetic fields. The in situ HMF measurements since 1960s show that the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) is systematically shifted (coned) southward during solar minimum times, leading to the concept of a bashful ballerina. While temporary shifts can be considerably larger, the average HCS shift (coning) angle is a few degrees, less than the $7.2^{\circ}$ tilt of the solar rotation axis. Recent solar observations during the last two solar cycles verify these results and show that the magnetic areas in the northern solar hemisphere are larger and their intensity weaker than in the south during long intervals in the late declining to minimum phase. The multipole expansion reveals a strong quadrupole term which is oppositely directed to the dipole term. These results imply that the Sun has a symmetric quadrupole S0 dynamo mode that oscillates in phase with the dominant dipole A0 mode. Moreover, the heliospheric magnetic field has a strong tendency to produce solar tilts that are roughly opposite in longitudinal phase. This implies is a systematic longitudinal asymmetry and leads to a "flip-flop" type behaviour in the dominant HMF sector whose period is about 3.2 years. This agrees very well with the similar flip-flop period found recently in sunspots, as well as with the observed ratio of three between the activity cycle period and the flip-flop period of sun-like stars. Accordingly, these results require that the solar dynamo includes three modes, A0, S0 and a non-axisymmetric mode. Obviously, these results have a great impact on solar modelling.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, Solar Physics, Topical Issue of Space Climate Symposium, in pres

Simulations of Electron Cloud Build Up and Saturation in the APS

In studies with positron beams in the Advanced Photon Source, a dramatic amplification was observed in the electron cloud for certain bunch current and bunch spacings. In modeling presented previously, we found qualitative agreement with the observed beam-induced multipacting condition, provided reasonable values were chosen for the secondary electron yield parameters, including the energy distribution. In this paper, we model and discuss the build-up and saturation process observed over long bunch trains at the resonance condition. Understanding this saturation mechanism in more detail may have implications for predicting electron cloud amplification, multipacting, and instabilities in future rings

The Arecibo Galaxy Environment Survey: II. A HI view of the Abell cluster 1367 and its outskirts

We present 21 cm HI line observations of 5x1 square degrees centered on the local Abell cluster 1367 obtained as part of the Arecibo Galaxy Environment Survey. One hundred sources are detected (79 new HI measurements and 50 new redshifts), more than half belonging to the cluster core and its infalling region. Combining the HI data with SDSS optical imaging we show that our HI selected sample follows scaling relations similar to the ones usually observed in optically selected samples. Interestingly all galaxies in our sample appear to have nearly the same baryon fraction independently of their size, surface brightness and luminosity. The most striking difference between HI and optically selected samples resides in their large scale distribution: whereas optical and X-ray observations trace the cluster core very well, in HI there is almost no evidence of the presence of the cluster. Some implications on the determination of the cluster luminosity function and HI distribution for samples selected at different wavelength are also discussed.Comment: 22 pages, 15 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication on MNRAS Main Journal. High resolution version of this paper can be downloaded at http://www.astro.cf.ac.uk/pub/Luca.Cortese/papers/ages_a1367.pdf . Datacubes and catalogs can be downloaded at http://www.naic.edu/~ages/public_data.htm

Structures in magnetohydrodynamic turbulence: detection and scaling

We present a systematic analysis of statistical properties of turbulent current and vorticity structures at a given time using cluster analysis. The data stems from numerical simulations of decaying three-dimensional (3D) magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in the absence of an imposed uniform magnetic field; the magnetic Prandtl number is taken equal to unity, and we use a periodic box with grids of up to 1536^3 points, and with Taylor Reynolds numbers up to 1100. The initial conditions are either an X-point configuration embedded in 3D, the so-called Orszag-Tang vortex, or an Arn'old-Beltrami-Childress configuration with a fully helical velocity and magnetic field. In each case two snapshots are analyzed, separated by one turn-over time, starting just after the peak of dissipation. We show that the algorithm is able to select a large number of structures (in excess of 8,000) for each snapshot and that the statistical properties of these clusters are remarkably similar for the two snapshots as well as for the two flows under study in terms of scaling laws for the cluster characteristics, with the structures in the vorticity and in the current behaving in the same way. We also study the effect of Reynolds number on cluster statistics, and we finally analyze the properties of these clusters in terms of their velocity-magnetic field correlation. Self-organized criticality features have been identified in the dissipative range of scales. A different scaling arises in the inertial range, which cannot be identified for the moment with a known self-organized criticality class consistent with MHD. We suggest that this range can be governed by turbulence dynamics as opposed to criticality, and propose an interpretation of intermittency in terms of propagation of local instabilities.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, 5 table

Finitely Many Dirac-Delta Interactions on Riemannian Manifolds

This work is intended as an attempt to study the non-perturbative renormalization of bound state problem of finitely many Dirac-delta interactions on Riemannian manifolds, S^2, H^2 and H^3. We formulate the problem in terms of a finite dimensional matrix, called the characteristic matrix. The bound state energies can be found from the characteristic equation. The characteristic matrix can be found after a regularization and renormalization by using a sharp cut-off in the eigenvalue spectrum of the Laplacian, as it is done in the flat space, or using the heat kernel method. These two approaches are equivalent in the case of compact manifolds. The heat kernel method has a general advantage to find lower bounds on the spectrum even for compact manifolds as shown in the case of S^2. The heat kernels for H^2 and H^3 are known explicitly, thus we can calculate the characteristic matrix. Using the result, we give lower bound estimates of the discrete spectrum.Comment: To be published in JM