The effect of SU-8 patterned surfaces on the response of the quartz crystal microbalance

In this work we present data showing the effect of patterning layers of SU-8 photoresist on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and subsequent chemical treatment to increase their hydrophobicity. Patterns with 5 mu m diameter pillars spaced every 10 mu m have been fabricated with heights of 3, 5 and 10 mu m in addition to equivalent thickness flat layers. Contact angle measurements have been made before and after the hydrophobic chemical treatment. The change in resonant frequency of the QCM has been investigated as the surfaces were submerged in solutions of water/PEG with changing viscosity-density product

Luminescence and formation of alkali-halide ionic excimers in solid Ne and Ar

Transitions from ionic states A²⁺X– of alkalihalides CsF, CsCl and RbF isolated in solid Ne and Ar films recorded under pulsed e-beam excitation are studied. The B(²∑₁/₂)-X(²∑₁/₂) and C(²П₃/₂)-A(²П₃/₂) luminescence bands of Cs2+F– (196.5 nm, 227 nm), Cs²⁺Cl– (220.1 nm, 249.2 nm) and Rb²⁺F– (136 nm) in Ne, and a weakerB–X emission of Cs²⁺F– (211.2 nm) in Ar are identified. For CsF the depopulation of the A²⁺X– state is dominated by the radiative decay. A ratio of the recorded exciplex emission intensities of I(CsF)/I(CsCl)/I(RbF) = 20/5/1 reflects the luminescence efficiency and for RbF and CsCl a competitive emission channel due to predissociation in the A²⁺X⁻(B²∑₁/₂) state is observed. For these molecules an efficient formation of the state X*₂ is confirmed through recording the molecular D`(³П₂g)-A`(³П₂u) transition. A strong dependence of the luminescence intensities on the alkalihalide content reveals quenching at concentrations higher than 0.7%

Surface Oscillations in Overdense Plasmas Irradiated by Ultrashort Laser Pulses

The generation of electron surface oscillations in overdense plasmas irradiated at normal incidence by an intense laser pulse is investigated. Two-dimensional (2D) particle-in-cell simulations show a transition from a planar, electrostatic oscillation at $2\omega$, with $\omega$ the laser frequency, to a 2D electromagnetic oscillation at frequency $\omega$ and wavevector $k>\omega/c$. A new electron parametric instability, involving the decay of a 1D electrostatic oscillation into two surface waves, is introduced to explain the basic features of the 2D oscillations. This effect leads to the rippling of the plasma surface within a few laser cycles, and is likely to have a strong impact on laser interaction with solid targets.Comment: 9 pages (LaTeX, Revtex4), 4 GIF color figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let

Dynamics of viscous amphiphilic films supported by elastic solid substrates

The dynamics of amphiphilic films deposited on a solid surface is analyzed for the case when shear oscillations of the solid surface are excited. The two cases of surface- and bulk shear waves are studied with film exposed to gas or to a liquid. By solving the corresponding dispersion equation and the wave equation while maintaining the energy balance we are able to connect the surface density and the shear viscocity of a fluid amphiphilic overlayer with experimentally accessible damping coefficients, phase velocity, dissipation factor and resonant frequency shifts of shear waves.Comment: 19 pages, latex, 3 figures in eps-forma

Role of surface roughness in hard x-ray emission from femtosecond laser produced copper plasmas

The hard x-ray emission in the energy range of 30-300 keV from copper plasmas produced by 100 fs, 806 nm laser pulses at intensities in the range of 10$^{15}-10^{16}$ W cm$^{-2}$ is investigated. We demonstrate that surface roughness of the targets overrides the role of polarization state in the coupling of light to the plasma. We further show that surface roughness has a significant role in enhancing the x-ray emission in the above mentioned energy range.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Algorithm for J-Integral Measurements by Digital Image Correlation

The work is devoted to the testing of the algorithm for calculating J-integral based on the construction of vector fields by digital image correlation (DIC) method. A comparative analysis of J-integral values calculated using DIC and instrumental data obtained in accordance with ASTM E 1820 "Standard Test Method for Measurement of Fracture Toughness" has made. It is shown that this approach can be used for cases when the standard technique for measuring the J-integral cannot be applied, or the standard technique does not allow achieving the required accuracy for the integral determination in local areas of the loaded material

Characterization of silicon carbide surfaces of 6H- 15R- and 3Cpolytypes by optical second-harmonic generation in comparison with X-ray diffraction techniques

Abstract. Second-harmonic (SH) generation is a versatile method applicable to in-situ characterization of even noncentrosymmetric media like silicon carbide (SiC). In particular, the azimuthal rotational anisotropy of the SH response from SiC observed in reflection allows identification of various polytypes. The nonlinear-optical results are compared to X-ray diffraction data. The abundance of information obtained through the SH studies makes characteristic fingerprinting of the 6H, 15R, and 3C polytypes of SiC is possible. The spatial resolution of the optical sampling was about 50 µm in the lateral direction with a typical penetration depth of 100 nm for the fundamental radiation. Defect regions of different crystallographic structures in large SiC samples were identified by observing the spatially resolved dependence of the SH intensity. 42.65.Nx; 78.66; 42.70.N Silicon carbide (SiC) is a widely studied semiconductor that crystallizes in over 200 known polytypes. The most common structure is α-SiC, which consists of a mixture of hexagonal polytypes (6H, 4H) and the rhombohedral polytype 15R PACS: As already demonstrated in other studies on centrosymmetric materials like silicon, second-harmonic generation (SHG) has proved to be a sensitive tool for studying a large variety of surface and interface structural and electronic properties. Although SHG from non-centrosymmetric materials is not restricted to the surface but is also possible in the bulk material SHG studies in reflection geometry provide substantial crystallographic information on the near-surface region. The generation depth of the second-harmonic (SH) radiation detected in reflection of approximately λ/2π, where λ is the fundamental wavelength, allows higher surface specificity, as compared to the typical interaction lengths of several micrometers in conventional X-ray diffraction techniques in back-reflection geometry (X-ray examination of SiC cf. [4]). The tensorial properties of the second-order susceptibility, which characterizes the SHG effect, provide information on the crystal structure in case of non-centrosymmetric materials in the near-surface region by investigating its azimuthal rotational anisotropy. Although studies on non-centrosymmetric gallium arsenide (GaAs) demonstrated sensitively surface reconstruction changes In the present work, we demonstrate that SHG is a versatile tool to characterize the crystalline structure of SiC. By investigating the rotational anisotropy of the SH response of various polytypes of SiC, we could fingerprint the most important species 6H, 15R and 3C, which are revealed by different crystalline structures. We were also able to distinguish between bulk and surface contributions to the SH signal from cubic and hexagonal SiC by differences in the rotationa

Adhesive and conformational behaviour of mycolic acid monolayers

We have studied the pH-dependent interaction between mycolic acid (MA) monolayers and hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces using molecular (colloidal probe) force spectroscopy. In both cases, hydrophobic and hydrophilic monolayers (prepared by Langmuir-Blodgett and Langmuir-Schaefer deposition on silicon or hydrophobized silicon substrates, respectively) were studied. The force spectroscopy data, fitted with classical DLVO (Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek) theory to examine the contribution of electrostatic and van der Waals forces, revealed that electrostatic forces are the dominant contribution to the repulsive force between the approaching colloidal probe and MA monolayers. The good agreement between data and the DLVO model suggest that beyond a few nm away from the surface, hydrophobic, hydration, and specific chemical bonding are unlikely to contribute to any significant extent to the interaction energy between the probe and the surface. The pH-dependent conformation of MA molecules in the monolayer at the solid-liquid interface was studied by ellipsometry, neutron reflectometry, and with a quartz crystal microbalance. Monolayers prepared by the Langmuir-Blodgett method demonstrated a distinct pH-responsive behaviour, while monolayers prepared by the Langmuir-Schaefer method were less sensitive to pH variation. It was found that the attachment of water molecules plays a vital role in determining the conformation of the MA monolayers. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Quantum Theory in Accelerated Frames of Reference

The observational basis of quantum theory in accelerated systems is studied. The extension of Lorentz invariance to accelerated systems via the hypothesis of locality is discussed and the limitations of this hypothesis are pointed out. The nonlocal theory of accelerated observers is briefly described. Moreover, the main observational aspects of Dirac's equation in noninertial frames of reference are presented. The Galilean invariance of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics and the mass superselection rule are examined in the light of the invariance of physical laws under inhomogeneous Lorentz transformations.Comment: 25 pages, no figures, contribution to Springer Lecture Notes in Physics (Proc. SR 2005, Potsdam, Germany, February 13 - 18, 2005

Factors Associated with the Rapid and Durable Decline in Malaria Incidence in El Salvador, 1980-2017

A decade after the Global Malaria Eradication Program, El Salvador had the highest burden of malaria in Mesoamerica, with approximately 20% due to Plasmodium falciparum. A resurgence of malaria in the 1970s led El Salvador to alter its national malaria control strategy. By 1995, El Salvador recorded its last autochthonous P. falciparum case with fewer than 20 Plasmodium vivax cases annually since 2011. By contrast, its immediate neighbors continue to have the highest incidences of malaria in the region. We reviewed and evaluated the policies and interventions implemented by the Salvadoran National Malaria Program that likely contributed to this progress toward malaria elimination. Decentralization of the malaria program, early regional stratification by risk, and data-driven stratum-specific actions resulted in the timely and targeted allocation of resources for vector control, surveillance, case detection, and treatment. Weekly reporting by health workers and volunteer collaborators-distributed throughout the country by strata and informed via the national surveillance system-enabled local malaria teams to provide rapid, adaptive, and focalized program actions. Sustained investments in surveillance and response have led to a dramatic reduction in local transmission, with most current malaria cases in El Salvador due to importation from neighboring countries. Additional support for systematic elimination efforts in neighboring countries would benefit the region and may be needed for El Salvador to achieve and maintain malaria elimination. El Salvador's experience provides a relevant case study that can guide the application of similar strategies in other countries committed to malaria elimination