Two-chamber lattice model for thermodiffusion in polymer solutions

When a temperature gradient is applied to a polymer solution, the polymer typically migrates to the colder regions of the fluid as a result of thermal diffusion (Soret effect). However, in recent thermodiffusion experiments on poly(ethylene-oxide) (PEO) in a mixed ethanol/water solvent it is observed that for some solvent compositions the polymer migrates to the cold side, while for other compositions it migrates to the warm side. In order to understand this behavior, we have developed a two-chamber lattice model approach to investigate thermodiffusion in dilute polymer solutions. For a short polymer chain in an incompressible, one-component solvent we obtain exact results for the partitioning of the polymer between a warm and a cold chamber. In order to describe mixtures of PEO, ethanol, and water, we have extended this simple model to account for compressibility and hydrogen bonding between PEO and water molecules. For this complex system, we obtain approximate results for the composition in the warmer and cooler chambers that allow us to calculate Soret coefficients for given temperature, pressure, and solvent composition. The sign of the Soret coefficient is found to change from negative (polymer enriched in warmer region) to positive (polymer enriched in cooler region) as the water content of the solution is increased, in agreement with experimental data. We also investigate the temperature dependence of the Soret effect and find that a change in temperature can induce a change in the sign of the Soret coefficient. We note a close relationship between the solvent quality and the partitioning of the polymer between the two chambers, which may explain why negative Soret coefficients for polymers are so rarely observed.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figure

A Tale of Immigration Told by Geneaology

A 23andMe DNA ancestry composition test was taken to derive specific genetic information such as my maternal mitochondrial DNA (maternal haplogroup) and my ancestral DNA composition from different regions of the world based on similarities to other individuals in those regions with the same genotype patterns. Deep historical ancestry showed my maternal haplogroup as U5a1b. This indicated a maternal heritage line migrating north through Africa and up into Western Europe around 47,000 years ago. My ancestral DNA composition showed heritage from the following regions: French & German (Germany) 84.9%, Eastern European (Russia/Lithuania) 8.7%, and Southern European (Italy) 3.1%. The German and Italian results were expected however the Russian/Lithuiana heritage was originally hypothesized from my paternal grandfather due to a past ancestor\u27s Germany to Russia immigration. However this has been dismissed as socially unacceptable/unexpected in that period, so the Eastern European heritage remains a mystery in origin. Verbal and document-supported accounts from ancestors and family members explain the various immigrations conducted through my maternal/Humer family and my paternal/Wirtz family. Specifically, my maternal grandparents and their separate immigrations in the 1950s to southern Ontario and my separate paternal great-grandparents immigration from Germany to Russia to Port Huron, Michigan

Collisions of Slow Highly Charged Ions with Surfaces

Progress in the study of collisions of multiply charged ions with surfaces is reviewed with the help of a few recent examples. They range from fundamental quasi-one electron processes to highly complex ablation and material modification processes. Open questions and possible future directions will be discussed.Comment: 13 pages, 16 figures, review pape

Spatially Resolved Raman Spectroscopy of Single- and Few-Layer Graphene

We present Raman spectroscopy measurements on single- and few-layer graphene flakes. Using a scanning confocal approach we collect spectral data with spatial resolution, which allows us to directly compare Raman images with scanning force micrographs. Single-layer graphene can be distinguished from double- and few-layer by the width of the D' line: the single peak for single-layer graphene splits into different peaks for the double-layer. These findings are explained using the double-resonant Raman model based on ab-initio calculations of the electronic structure and of the phonon dispersion. We investigate the D line intensity and find no defects within the flake. A finite D line response originating from the edges can be attributed either to defects or to the breakdown of translational symmetry

Raman imaging of doping domains in graphene on SiO2

We present spatially resolved Raman images of the G and 2D lines of single-layer graphene flakes. The spatial fluctuations of G and 2D lines are correlated and are thus shown to be affiliated with local doping domains. We investigate the position of the 2D line -- the most significant Raman peak to identify single-layer graphene -- as a function of charging up to |n|~4 10^12 cm^-2. Contrary to the G line which exhibits a strong and symmetric stiffening with respect to electron and hole-doping, the 2D line shows a weak and slightly asymmetric stiffening for low doping. Additionally, the line width of the 2D line is, in contrast to the G line, doping-independent making this quantity a reliable measure for identifying single-layer graphene