All optical cooling of 39^{39}K to Bose Einstein condensation

We report the all-optical production of Bose Einstein condensates (BEC) of $^{39}$K atoms. We directly load $3 \times 10^{7}$ atoms in a large volume optical dipole trap from gray molasses on the D1 transition. We then apply a small magnetic quadrupole field to polarize the sample before transferring the atoms in a tightly confining optical trap. Evaporative cooling is finally performed close to a Feshbach resonance to enhance the scattering length. Our setup allows to cross the BEC threshold with $3 \times 10^5$ atoms every 7s. As an illustration of the interest of the tunability of the interactions we study the expansion of Bose-Einstein condensates in the 1D to 3D crossover

Effect of disorder close to the superfluid transition in a two-dimensional Bose gas

We experimentally study the effect of disorder on trapped quasi two-dimensional (2D) 87Rb clouds in the vicinity of the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) phase transition. The disorder correlation length is of the order of the Bose gas characteristic length scales (thermal de Broglie wavelength, healing length) and disorder thus modifies the physics at a microscopic level. We analyze the coherence properties of the cloud through measurements of the momentum distributions, for two disorder strengths, as a function of its degeneracy. For moderate disorder, the emergence of coherence remains steep but is shifted to a lower entropy. In contrast, for strong disorder, the growth of coherence is hindered. Our study is an experimental realization of the dirty boson problem in a well controlled atomic system suitable for quantitative analysis

Performance of an induction motor

Thesis (B.S.)--University of Illinois, 1902.Typescript

HIGH-RESOLUTION INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY OF CARBON-SELENIUM CHAINS: SeC3Se and C3Se

To date, carbon-selenium clusters have received little attention from both experiment and quantum-chemistry. Recent high-resolution infrared survey scans of the ablation products from carbon-selenium targets in the 5$\mu$m regime have revealed two bands previously not observed in the gas phase. On the basis of comparison with high-level quantum-chemical calculations performed at the CCSD(T) level of theory these bands are attributed to the linear SeC$_3$Se and C$_3$Se chains. Following the microwave detection of diatomic CSe some 45 years ago\footnote{J. McGurk, H. L. Tigelaar, S. L. Rock, C. L. Norris, and W. H. Flygare, J. Chem. Phys. 58, 1420 (1973).} the present work marks the first high-resolution detection of polycarbon selenium clusters

Analog Simulation of Weyl Particles with Cold Atoms

We study theoretically, numerically, and experimentally the relaxation of a collisionless gas in a quadrupole trap after a momentum kick. The non-separability of the potential enables a quasi thermalization of the single particle distribution function even in the absence of interactions. Suprinsingly, the dynamics features an effective decoupling between the strong trapping axis and the weak trapping plane. The energy delivered during the kick is redistributed according to the symmetries of the system and satisfies the Virial theorem, allowing for the prediction of the final temperatures. We show that this behaviour is formally equivalent to the relaxation of massless relativistic Weyl fermions after a sudden displacement from the center of a harmonic trap

Ensiling and hydrothermal pretreatment of grass: Consequences for enzymatic biomass conversion and total monosaccharide yields

BACKGROUND: Ensiling may act as a pretreatment of fresh grass biomass and increase the enzymatic conversion of structural carbohydrates to fermentable sugars. However, ensiling does not provide sufficient severity to be a standalone pretreatment method. Here, ensiling of grass is combined with hydrothermal treatment (HTT) with the aim of improving the enzymatic biomass convertibility and decrease the required temperature of the HTT. RESULTS: Grass silage (Festulolium Hykor) was hydrothermally treated at temperatures of 170, 180, and 190°C for 10 minutes. Relative to HTT treated dry grass, ensiling increased the solubilization of dry matter (DM) during HTT and gave increased glucan content, but lower lignin in the insoluble fiber fraction. Ensiling improved glucose yields in the enzymatic hydrolysis of the washed solid fiber fraction at the lower HTT temperatures. At 170°C glucose yield improved from 17 to 24 (w/w)% (45 to 57% cellulose convertibility), and at 180°C glucose yield improved from 22 to 29 (w/w)% (54 to 69% cellulose convertibility). Direct HTT of grass at 190°C gave the same high glucose yield as for grass silage (35 (w/w)% (77% cellulose convertibility)) and improved xylan yields (27% xylan convertibility). The effect of ensiling of grass prior to HTT improved the enzymatic conversion of cellulose for HTT at 170 and 180°C, but the increased glucose release did not make up for the loss of water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) during ensiling. Overall, sugar yields (C6 + C5) were similar for HTT of grass and grass silage at both 170 and 180°C, but at 190°C the overall sugar yield was better for HTT of dry grass. CONCLUSIONS: This study unequivocally establishes that ensiling of grass as a biomass pretreatment method comes with a loss of WSC. The loss of WSC by ensiling is not necessarily compensated for by providing a lower temperature requirement for HTT for high enzymatic monosaccharide release. However, ensiling can be an advantageous storage method prior to grass processing

Microstructure and fluid flow in the vicinity of basin bounding faults in rifts – The Dombjerg Fault, NE Greenland rift system

Faults commonly form loci for high fluid flux in sedimentary basins, where fluids, rocks and deformation processes frequently interact. Here, we elucidate the interaction of fluid flow, diagenesis and deformation near basin-bounding faults in sedimentary basins through a study in the vicinity (0–3.5 km) of the Dombjerg Fault in the NE Greenland rift system. Due to fault-controlled fluid circulation, fault-proximal syn-rift clastics underwent pervasive calcite cementation, whereas uncemented clastics at some distance from the fault remained highly porous and friable. Correspondingly, two distinct deformation regimes developed to accommodate continued deformation: discrete brittle fractures formed in calcite cemented rocks, whereas cataclastic deformation bands formed in uncemented deposits. We show that low-permeable deformation bands forming in highly porous rocks were associated with localized host rock alteration, and chemical reduction of porosity along bands. In rocks with cementation-induced low porosity, brittle fractures created new pathways for fluids, but were subsequently filled with calcite. Occasionally, veins comprise multiple generations of microcrystalline calcite, likely precipitated from rapidly super-saturated fluids injected into the fractures. This suggests cemented deposits sealed uncemented compartments, where fluid overpressure developed. We conclude that compartmentalized flow regimes may form in fault-bounded basins, which has wide implications for assessments of potential carbon storage, hydrocarbon, groundwater, and geothermal site