Configurational temperatures and interactions in charge-stabilized colloid

We demonstrate that the configurational temperature formalism can be derived from the classical hypervirial theorem, and introduce a hierarchy of hyperconfigurational temperature definitions, which are particularly well suited for experimental studies. We then use these analytical tools to probe the electrostatic interactions in monolayers of charge-stabilized colloidal spheres confined by parallel glass surfaces. The configurational and hyperconfigurational temperatures, together with a novel thermodynamic sum rule, provide previously lacking self-consistency tests for interaction measurements based on digital video microscopy, and thereby cast new light on controversial reports of confinement-induced like-charge attractions. We further introduce a new method for measuring the pair potential directly that uses consistency of the configurational and hyperconfigurational temperatures as a set of constraints for a model-free search.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, submitted to J. Chem. Phy

Guidance, flight mechanics and trajectory optimization. Volume 11 - Guidance equations for orbital operations

Mathematical formulation of guidance equations and solutions for orbital space mission

Anomalous interactions in confined charge-stabilized colloid

Charge-stabilized colloidal spheres dispersed in weak 1:1 electrolytes are supposed to repel each other. Consequently, experimental evidence for anomalous long-ranged like-charged attractions induced by geometric confinement inspired a burst of activity. This has largely subsided because of nagging doubts regarding the experiments' reliability and interpretation. We describe a new class of thermodynamically self-consistent colloidal interaction measurements that confirm the appearance of pairwise attractions among colloidal spheres confined by one or two bounding walls. In addition to supporting previous claims for this as-yet unexplained effect, these measurements also cast new light on its mechanism.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, RevTeX4. Conference proceedings for CODEF-04, Colloidal Dispersions in External Fields, March 29 - April 1, 200

Blunted Cystine–Glutamate Antiporter Function in the Nucleus Accumbens Promotes Cocaine-induced Drug Seeking

Repeated cocaine alters glutamate neurotransmission, in part, by reducing cystine–glutamate exchange via system xc−, which maintains glutamate levels and receptor stimulation in the extrasynaptic compartment. In the present study, we undertook two approaches to determine the significance of plasticity involving system xc−. First, we examined whether the cysteine prodrug N-acetylcysteine attenuates cocaine-primed reinstatement by targeting system xc−. Rats were trained to self-administer cocaine (1 mg/kg/200 μl, i.v.) under extended access conditions (6 h/day). After extinction training, cocaine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) primed reinstatement was assessed in rats pretreated with N-acetylcysteine (0–60 mg/kg, i.p.) in the presence or absence of the system xc− inhibitor (S)-4-carboxyphenylglycine (CPG; 0.5 μM; infused into the nucleus accumbens). N-acetylcysteine attenuated cocaine-primed reinstatement, and this effect was reversed by co-administration of CPG. Secondly, we examined whether reduced system xc− activity is necessary for cocaine-primed reinstatement. To do this, we administered N-acetylcysteine (0 or 90 mg/kg, i.p.) prior to 12 daily self-administration sessions (1 mg/kg/200 μl, i.v.; 6 h/day) since this procedure has previously been shown to prevent reduced activity of system xc−. On the reinstatement test day, we then acutely impaired system xc− in some of the rats by infusing CPG (0.5 μM) into the nucleus accumbens. Rats that had received N-acetylcysteine prior to daily self-administration sessions exhibited diminished cocaine-primed reinstatement; this effect was reversed by infusing the cystine–glutamate exchange inhibitor CPG into the nucleus accumbens. Collectively these data establish system xc− in the nucleus accumbens as a key mechanism contributing to cocaine-primed reinstatement

Guidance, Flight Mechanics and Trajectory Optimization. Volume 5 - State Determination And/or Estimation

Guidance, flight mechanics, and trajectory optimizatio

Weak Long-Ranged Casimir Attraction in Colloidal Crystals

We investigate the influence of geometric confinement on the free energy of an idealized model for charge-stabilized colloidal suspensions. The mean-field Poisson-Boltzmann formulation for this system predicts pure repulsion among macroionic colloidal spheres. Fluctuations in the simple ions' distribution provide a mechanism for the macroions to attract each other at large separations. Although this Casimir interaction is long-ranged, it is too weak to influence colloidal crystals' dynamics.Comment: 5 pages 2 figures ReVTe

The PS 80 MHz cavities

As part of the preparation of the PS as injector for LHC, two new 80 MHz cavities have been designed and built at CERN. Bunches spaced by 25 ns and less than 4 ns long are required at injection into t he SPS. The bunch spacing is obtained with a 40 MHz system installed in the PS in 1996, but the nominal small bunch length will only be obtained with the 80 MHz systems producing a total of 600 kV. Th ese systems also have the capability to accelerate leptons in the PS, providing a total of 400 kV with high duty cycle (25 %). The mechanical design is similar to that of the 40 MHz cavity with many c ommon parts, but cooling water circuits had to be added. The cavity is equipped with an efficient, pneumatically operated, coaxial short-circuit. The power coupling loop has the form of a wide strip t o minimize the ratio of self to mutual inductance. It has a DC insulation permitting multipactor suppression by a bias voltage. The final amplifier is mounted directly onto the cavity. A fast RF feedb ack with a loop gain of 44 dB reduces the Q to about 100. Higher-order-mode dampers designed and built at TRIUMF have been installed

Repeated \u3cem\u3eN\u3c/em\u3e-Acetylcysteine Administration Alters Plasticity-Dependent Effects of Cocaine

Cocaine produces a persistent reduction in cystine–glutamate exchange via system xc− in the nucleus accumbens that may contribute to pathological glutamate signaling linked to addiction. System xc− influences glutamate neurotransmission by maintaining basal, extracellular glutamate in the nucleus accumbens, which, in turn, shapes synaptic activity by stimulating group II metabotropic glutamate autoreceptors. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that a long-term reduction in system xc− activity is part of the plasticity produced by repeated cocaine that results in the establishment of compulsive drug seeking. To test this, the cysteine prodrug N-acetylcysteine was administered before daily cocaine to determine the impact of increased cystine–glutamate exchange on the development of plasticity-dependent cocaine seeking. Although N-acetylcysteine administered before cocaine did not alter the acute effects of cocaine on self-administration or locomotor activity, it prevented behaviors produced by repeated cocaine including escalation of drug intake, behavioral sensitization, and cocaine-primed reinstatement. Because sensitization or reinstatement was not evident even 2–3 weeks after the last injection of N-acetylcysteine, we examined whether N-acetylcysteine administered before daily cocaine also prevented the persistent reduction in system xc− activity produced by repeated cocaine. Interestingly, N-acetylcysteine pretreatment prevented cocaine-induced changes in [35S]cystine transport via system xc−, basal glutamate, and cocaine-evoked glutamate in the nucleus accumbens when assessed at least 3 weeks after the last N-acetylcysteine pretreatment. These findings indicate that N-acetylcysteine selectively alters plasticity-dependent behaviors and that normal system xc− activity prevents pathological changes in extracellular glutamate that may be necessary for compulsive drug seeking

Extended density matrix model applied to tall barrier quantum cascade lasers

Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are promising sources of terahertz (THz) radiation that have applications such as security and medical screening. While optical output power has recently exceeded 1 W, their highest operating temperature is currently limited to ~200 K due to mechanisms such as thermal back filling and non-radiative phonon emission between lasing states. Another possible cause of performance degradation is parasitic leakage currents over barriers into continuum states as subband electron temperatures increase with lattice temperature. Novel designs with new injection schemes remain an intensive research area and new efforts are being made assuming that barrier heights no longer need to be constant. A possible advantage of this is using tall barriers to reduce the leakage current, and in this work we present a theoretical study of recent experimental evidence supporting this. Interface roughness (IFR) scattering scales with the conduction band discontinuity squared and the calculations also assume a typical correlation length Λ and root mean roughness value Δ which are related to growth quality of the individual sample. We take typical values of Λ=60 Å and Δ=3 Å for these parameters. The QCL gain and current output characteristics are calculated using an extended density matrix solver which models transport through the injection barrier coherently. We obtain similar current and gain values at resonance for both structures, indicating that the experimentally observed reduction in current density could be accredited to the reduction of parasitic current leakage. Additionally, this work attempted a similar design with all AlAs barriers which did not lase and it was conjectured that this was due to excessive IFR scattering as well as increased susceptibility to monolayer fluctuations with thinner layers. Our model, which accounts for the lifetime broadening in the gain calculation, confirms that modifying the IFR parameters to Λ=100 Å and Δ=1 Å (i.e. unrealistically sharp interfaces) leads to a significant improvement in performance as shown in Figure 1. We extend this work by proposing designs which aim to balance leakage current reduction and excessive scattering to achieve higher operating temperatures