237 research outputs found
Real-time dynamics of the formation of hydrated electrons upon irradiation of water clusters with extreme ultraviolet light
Free electrons in a polar liquid can form a bound state via interaction with the molecular environment. This so-called hydrated electron state in water is of fundamental importance e.g.~in cellular biology or radiation chemistry. Hydrated electrons are highly reactive radicals that can either directly interact with DNA or enzymes, or form highly excited hydrogen (H∗) after being captured by protons. Here, we investigate the formation of the hydrated electron in real-time employing XUV femtosecond pulses from a free electron laser, in this way observing the initial steps of the hydration process. Using time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy we find formation timescales in the low picosecond range and resolve the prominent dynamics of forming excited hydrogen states
Temperatures of Exploding Nuclei
Breakup temperatures in central collisions of 197Au + 197Au at bombarding
energies E/A = 50 to 200 MeV were determined with two methods. Isotope
temperatures, deduced from double ratios of hydrogen, helium, and lithium
isotopic yields, increase monotonically with bombarding energy from 5 MeV to 12
MeV, in qualitative agreement with a scenario of chemical freeze-out after
adiabatic expansion. Excited-state temperatures, derived from yield ratios of
states in 4He, 5Li, 6Li, and 8Be, are about 5 MeV, independent of the
projectile energy, and seem to reflect the internal temperature of fragments at
their final separation from the system.
PACS numbers: 25.70.Mn, 25.70.Pq, 25.75.-qComment: 10 pages, RevTeX with 4 included figures; Also available from
http://www-kp3.gsi.de/www/kp3/aladin_publications.htm
Evolution and ion kinetics of a XUV-induced nanoplasma in ammonia clusters
High-intensity extreme ultraviolet (XUV) pulses from a free-electron laser
can be used to create a nanoplasma in clusters. In Ref. [Michiels et al. PCCP,
2020; 22: 7828-7834] we investigated the formation of excited states in an
XUV-induced nanoplasma in ammonia clusters. In the present article we expand
our previous study with a detailed analysis of the nanoplasma evolution and ion
kinetics. We use a time-delayed UV laser as probe to ionize excited states of H
and H in the XUV-induced plasma. Employing covariance mapping techniques,
we show that the correlated emission of protons plays an important role in the
plasma dynamics. The time-dependent kinetic energy of the ions created by the
probe laser is measured, revealing the charge neutralization of the cluster
happens on a sub-picosecond timescale. Furthermore, we observe ro-vibrationally
excited molecular hydrogen ions H being ejected from the clusters. We
rationalize our data through a qualitative model of a finite-size non-thermal
plasma
Cell Pattern in Adult Human Corneal Endothelium
A review of the current data on the cell density of normal adult human endothelial cells was carried out in order to establish some common parameters appearing in the different considered populations. From the analysis of cell growth patterns, it is inferred that the cell aging rate is similar for each of the different considered populations. Also, the morphology, the cell distribution and the tendency to hexagonallity are studied. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that this phenomenon is analogous with cell behavior in other structures such as dry foams and grains in polycrystalline materials. Therefore, its driving force may be controlled by the surface tension and the mobility of the boundaries
Across-arc geochemical variations in the Southern Volcanic Zone, Chile (34.5- 38.0°S): Constraints on Mantle Wedge and Input Compositions
Crustal assimilation (e.g. Hildreth and Moorbath, 1988) and/or subduction erosion (e.g. Stern, 1991; Kay et al., 2005) are believed to control the geochemical variations along the northern portion of the Chilean Southern Volcanic Zone. In order to evaluate these hypotheses, we present a comprehensive geochemical data set (major and trace elements and O-Sr-Nd-Hf-Pb isotopes) from Holocene primarily olivine-bearing volcanic rocks across the arc between 34.5-38.0°S, including volcanic front centers from Tinguiririca to Callaqui, the rear arc centers of Infernillo Volcanic Field, Laguna del Maule and Copahue, and extending 300 km into the backarc. We also present an equivalent data set for Chile Trench sediments outboard of this profile. The volcanic arc (including volcanic front and rear arc) samples primarily range from basalt to andesite/trachyandesite, whereas the backarc rocks are low-silica alkali basalts and trachybasalts. All samples show some characteristic subduction zone trace element enrichments and depletions, but the backarc samples show the least. Backarc basalts have higher Ce/Pb, Nb/U, Nb/Zr, and Ta/Hf, and lower Ba/Nb and Ba/La, consistent with less of a slab-derived component in the backarc and, consequently, lower degrees of mantle melting. The mantle-like δ18O in olivine and plagioclase phenocrysts (volcanic arc = 4.9-5.6 and backarc = 5.0-5.4 per mil) and lack of correlation between δ18O and indices of differentiation and other isotope ratios, argue against significant crustal assimilation. Volcanic arc and backarc samples almost completely overlap in Sr and Nd isotopic composition. High precision (double-spike) Pb isotope ratios are tightly correlated, precluding significant assimilation of older sialic crust but indicating mixing between a South Atlantic Mid Ocean-Ridge Basalt (MORB) source and a slab component derived from subducted sediments and altered oceanic crust. Hf-Nd isotope ratios define separate linear arrays for the volcanic arc and backarc, neither of which trend toward subducting sediment, possibly reflecting a primarily asthenospheric mantle array for the volcanic arc and involvement of enriched Proterozoic lithospheric mantle in the backarc. We propose a quantitative mixing model between a mixed-source, slab-derived melt and a heterogeneous mantle beneath the volcanic arc. The model is consistent with local geodynamic parameters, assuming water-saturated conditions within the slab
The Fluorescence Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Observatory is a hybrid detector for ultra-high energy
cosmic rays. It combines a surface array to measure secondary particles at
ground level together with a fluorescence detector to measure the development
of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The fluorescence detector
comprises 24 large telescopes specialized for measuring the nitrogen
fluorescence caused by charged particles of cosmic ray air showers. In this
paper we describe the components of the fluorescence detector including its
optical system, the design of the camera, the electronics, and the systems for
relative and absolute calibration. We also discuss the operation and the
monitoring of the detector. Finally, we evaluate the detector performance and
precision of shower reconstructions.Comment: 53 pages. Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics
Research Section
Moonraker -- Enceladus Multiple Flyby Mission
Enceladus, an icy moon of Saturn, possesses an internal water ocean and jets
expelling ocean material into space. Cassini investigations indicated that the
subsurface ocean could be a habitable environment having a complex interaction
with the rocky core. Further investigation of the composition of the plume
formed by the jets is necessary to fully understand the ocean, its potential
habitability, and what it tells us about Enceladus' origin. Moonraker has been
proposed as an ESA M-class mission designed to orbit Saturn and perform
multiple flybys of Enceladus, focusing on traversals of the plume. The proposed
Moonraker mission consists of an ESA-provided platform, with strong heritage
from JUICE and Mars Sample Return, and carrying a suite of instruments
dedicated to plume and surface analysis. The nominal Moonraker mission has a
duration of 13.5 years. It includes a 23-flyby segment with 189 days allocated
for the science phase, and can be expanded with additional segments if
resources allow. The mission concept consists in investigating: i) the
habitability conditions of present-day Enceladus and its internal ocean, ii)
the mechanisms at play for the communication between the internal ocean and the
surface of the South Polar Terrain, and iii) the formation conditions of the
moon. Moonraker, thanks to state-of-the-art instruments representing a
significant improvement over Cassini's payload, would quantify the abundance of
key species in the plume, isotopic ratios, and physical parameters of the plume
and the surface. Such a mission would pave the way for a possible future landed
mission.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Planetary Science Journa
Moonraker: Enceladus Multiple Flyby Mission
Enceladus, an icy moon of Saturn, possesses an internal water ocean and jets expelling ocean material into space. Cassini investigations indicated that the subsurface ocean could be a habitable environment having a complex interaction with the rocky core. Further investigation of the composition of the plume formed by the jets is necessary to fully understand the ocean, its potential habitability, and what it tells us about Enceladus’s origin. Moonraker has been proposed as an ESA M-class mission designed to orbit Saturn and perform multiple flybys of Enceladus, focusing on traversals of the plume. The proposed Moonraker mission consists of an ESA-provided platform with strong heritage from JUICE and Mars Sample Return and carrying a suite of instruments dedicated to plume and surface analysis. The nominal Moonraker mission has a duration of ∼13.5 yr. It includes a 23-flyby segment with 189 days allocated for the science phase and can be expanded with additional segments if resources allow. The mission concept consists of investigating (i) the habitability conditions of present-day Enceladus and its internal ocean, (ii) the mechanisms at play for the communication between the internal ocean and the surface of the South Polar Terrain, and (iii) the formation conditions of the moon. Moonraker, thanks to state-of-the-art instruments representing a significant improvement over Cassini's payload, would quantify the abundance of key species in the plume, isotopic ratios, and the physical parameters of the plume and the surface. Such a mission would pave the way for a possible future landed mission
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