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At least 415 records · Page 23

Structural dynamics and vibrations of damped, aircraft-type structures

Engineering preliminary design methods for approximating and predicting the effects of viscous or equivalent viscous-type damping treatments on the free and forced vibration of lightly damped aircraft-type structures are developed. Similar developments are presented for dynamic hysteresis viscoelastic-type damping treatments. It is shown by both engineering analysis and numerical illustrations that the intermodal coupling of the undamped modes arising from the introduction of damping may be neglected in applying these preliminary design methods, except when dissimilar modes of these lightly damped, complex aircraft-type structures have identical or nearly identical natural frequencies. In such cases, it is shown that a relatively simple, additional interaction calculation between pairs of modes exhibiting this 'modal response' phenomenon suffices in the prediction of interacting modal damping fractions. The accuracy of the methods is shown to be very good to excellent, depending on the normal natural frequency separation of the system modes, thereby permitting a relatively simple preliminary design approach. This approach is shown to be a natural precursor to elaborate finite element, digital computer design computations in evaluating the type, quantity, and location of damping treatment.

Young, Maurice I.↗

Observation of Quasiparticle Pair Production and Quantum Entanglement in Atomic Quantum Gases Quenched to an Attractive Interaction

We report observation of quasiparticle pair-production and characterize quantum entanglement created by a modulational instability in an atomic superfluid. By quenching the atomic interaction to attractive and then back to weakly repulsive, we produce correlated quasiparticles and monitor their evolution in a superfluid through evaluating the in situ density noise power spectrum, which essentially measures a 'homodyne' interference between ground state atoms and quasiparticles of opposite momenta. We observe large amplitude growth in the power spectrum and subsequent coherent oscillations in a wide spatial frequency band within our resolution limit, demonstrating coherent quasiparticle generation and evolution. Here, the spectrum is observed to oscillate below a quantum limit set by the Peres-Horodecki separability criterion of continuous-variable states, thereby confirming quantum entanglement between interaction quench-induced quasiparticles.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Cooperative and inhibitory ion transport in functionalized angstrom-scale two-dimensional channels

Significant success has been achieved in fabricating angstrom-scale artificial solid ionic channels aiming to replicate the biological ion channels (BICs). Besides high selectivity, BICs also exhibit sophisticated ion gating and interplay. However, such behavior and functionality are seldomly recreated in the artificial counterparts due to the insufficient understanding of the molecular origin. Here we report cooperative and inhibitory ion transport in angstrom-scale acetate functionalized MoS 2 two-dimensional channels. For cooperative ion transport, the permeability of K + is doubled in the presence of only 1% Pb 2+ (versus K + by molarity), while the permeability of Pb 2+ is independent of K + . Molecular dynamics simulations reveal complex interplay among K + , Pb 2+ , and the anions in governing the cooperativity, such that Pb 2+ ions capture and slow down the anions via long-range interaction, which leads to the synchronization of anions with K + to transport as ion pairs with reduced interaction with the channel surface. For inhibitory ion transport, divalent Co 2+ (or Ba 2+ ) and Pb 2+ can replace each other in the confined channel and compete for the limited transport cross section. Our work reveals ion transport phenomena in extreme confinement and highlights the potential of manipulating ion interplay in confinement for achieving advanced functionalities.

Functionalized Angstrom↗

Superconductivity in the presence of spin-orbit interactions stabilized by Hund coupling

The intraorbital repulsive Hubbard interaction cannot lead to attractive superconducting pairing states, except through the Kohn-Luttinger mechanism. This situation may change when we include additional local interactions such as the interorbital repulsion U' and Hund interactions J . Adding these local interactions, we study the nature of the superconducting pairs in systems with tetragonal crystal symmetry including the d xz and d yz orbitals, and in octahedral systems including all three of d xz , d yz , and d xy orbitals. In the tetragonal case, spin-orbit interactions can stabilize attractive pairing channels containing a spin triplet, orbital singlet character. Here, depending on the form of spin-orbit coupling, pairing channels belonging to degenerate, nontrivial irreducible representations may be stabilized. In the octahedral case, the pairing interactions of superconducting channels are found to depend critically on the number of bands crossing the Fermi energy.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Valley-Mediated Singlet- and Triplet-Polaron Interactions and Quantum Dynamics in a Doped WSe 2 Monolayer

In doped transition metal dichalcogenides, optically created excitons (bound electron-hole pairs) can strongly interact with a Fermi sea of electrons to form Fermi polaron quasiparticles. When there are two distinct Fermi seas, as is the case in WSe 2 , there are two flavors of lowest-energy (attractive) polarons—singlet and triplet—where the exciton is coupled to the Fermi sea in the same or opposite valley, respectively. Using two-dimensional coherent electronic spectroscopy, we analyze how their quantum decoherence evolves with doping density and determine the condition under which stable Fermi polarons form. Because of the large oscillator strength associated with these resonances, intrinsic quantum dynamics of polarons as well as valley coherence between coupled singlet- and triplet polarons occur on subpicosecond timescales. Surprisingly, we find that a dark-to-bright state conversion process leads to a particularly long-lived singlet polaron valley polarization, persisting up to 200–800 ps. Valley coherence between the singlet- and triplet polaron is correlated with their energy fluctuations. In conclusion, our finding provides valuable guidance for the electrical and optical control of spin and valley indexes in atomically thin semiconductors.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Theory of Novel Superconductors (Final Technical Report)

This Final Technical Report gives the results of a series of problems related to the origin of superconductivity, the quantum mechanical state of matter where electrical resistance vanishes, in several classes of new materials where the conventional mechanism that binds electrons into pairs based on the electron-phonon interaction apparently fails. In several families of quantum materials including cuprates, iron-based superconductors, and heavy fermion materials, it is believed that the repulsive Coulomb interaction between electrons can create effective attractive interactions, generally in higher pair momentum channels. These "unconventional" superconductors include materials with the highest critical temperatures at ambient pressure known, so it is imperative to understand how superconductivity arises to guide the search for materials that superconduct at or near room temperature, which would have enormous technological impact. A second objective has been to construct a theory that can quantitatively explain the properties of existing materials, based on information from first-principles electronic structure calculations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Cooperatively enhanced hydrogen bonds in ionic liquids: closing the loop with molecular mimics of hydroxy-functionalized cations

Here, we address the cooperative hydrogen bonding interactions in play between the ionic constituents of ionic liquids (ILs) with particular attention to those involving the attractive interactions between two cations in the system 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)pyridinium tetrafluoroborate [HEPy][BF 4 ]. This is accomplished by comparing the temperature-dependent linear infrared spectra of [HEPy][BF 4 ] with that of the molecular mimic of its cation, 2-phenylethanol (PhenEthOH). We then explored the structural motifs of these H-bonded configurations at the molecular level by analyzing the cryogenic ion vibrational predissociation spectroscopy of cold (~35 K) gas phase cluster ions with quantum chemical methods. The analysis of the OH stretching bands reveals the formation of the various binding motifs ranging from the common +OH∙∙∙BF 4 - interaction in ion-pairs (c–a) to the unusual + OH∙∙∙ + OH interaction (c–c) in linear and cyclic, homodromic H-bonding domains. Replacing ion-pairs by the molecular (neutral) analogue of the IL cation also results in the formation of positively charged cyclic motifs, with the bands of the gas phase cationic cyclic tetramer (HEPy+)(PhenEthOH) 3 appearing quite close to those assigned previously to cyclic tetramers in the liquid. These conclusions are supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the cationic and neutral clusters as well as the local structures in the liquid. Our combined experimental and theoretical approach for the gas and the liquid phases provides important insight into the competition between differently H-bonded and charged constituents in liquids.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Excessive production of electron pairs by soft photons in low multiplicity ion interactions

Three multiply charged primary cosmic ray interactions with carbon nuclei are reported, in which the number of materialized electron pairs within a distance of about 0.3 conversion length is larger than predicted from isospin considerations. These are the most energetic (sigma E gamma 4 TeV) of the low multiplicity ( 15 tracks) events observed in the Japanese-American Cooperative Experiment (JACEE-2) emulsion chamber.

Burnett, T. H.↗

Structural basis for C-degron selectivity across KLHDCX family E3 ubiquitin ligases

Abstract Specificity of the ubiquitin-proteasome system depends on E3 ligase-substrate interactions. Many such pairings depend on E3 ligases binding to peptide-like sequences - termed N- or C-degrons - at the termini of substrates. However, our knowledge of structural features distinguishing closely related C-degron substrate-E3 pairings is limited. Here, by systematically comparing ubiquitylation activities towards a suite of common model substrates, and defining interactions by biochemistry, crystallography, and cryo-EM, we reveal principles of C-degron recognition across the KLHDCX family of Cullin-RING ligases (CRLs). First, a motif common across these E3 ligases anchors a substrate’s C-terminus. However, distinct locations of this C-terminus anchor motif in different blades of the KLHDC2, KLHDC3, and KLHDC10 β-propellers establishes distinct relative positioning and molecular environments for substrate C-termini. Second, our structural data show KLHDC3 has a pre-formed pocket establishing preference for an Arg or Gln preceding a C-terminal Gly, whereas conformational malleability contributes to KLHDC10’s recognition of varying features adjacent to substrate C-termini. Finally, additional non-consensus interactions, mediated by C-degron binding grooves and/or by distal propeller surfaces and substrate globular domains, can substantially impact substrate binding and ubiquitylatability. Overall, the data reveal combinatorial mechanisms determining specificity and plasticity of substrate recognition by KLDCX-family C-degron E3 ligases.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

The Unusual X-Ray Collision Morphology of NGC 4782/4783 (3C 278)

Deep ROSAT HRI (High-Resolution Imager) imaging of the X-ray-emitting gas associated with the colliding elliptical galaxy pair NGC 4782/4783 reveals for the first time the complexity of the hot gas distribution in a pair of close interacting galaxies. The HRI image of NGC 4782/4783 shows hot gas around each galaxy, a high surface brightness X-ray bridge connecting the galaxy pair, tidal-like tails emerging from the two galaxies, and a sheet of gas at the interaction interface between the two galaxies. The hot gas distributions do not peak at the optical centers of the galaxies but are displaced in the same sense as the tidal distensions seen in the optical luminosity distributions. All of these remarkable features show the complexity of structure that develops in the hot gas distribution when both hydrodynamical and tidal forces come into play during collisions between ellipticals with hot gas components. Models by Borne and Colina of the bent two-sided radio jet 3C 278 (associated with NGC 4782) indicated that there must be a strong interaction between the hot gas components of NGC 4782,/4783 and that the deflection of the radio jets is likely caused by the ram pressure exerted on the jet plasma by the hot gas associated with the passing companion NGC 4783. These conclusions are qualitatively confirmed by the HRI image and substantiate the major role played by the hot interstellar medium, and its asymmetries, in the propagation and entrainment of radio jets in colliding radio host ellipticals.

Colina, Luis↗

Gas flows in S-E binary systems of galaxies

Tidal interaction between the galaxies in binary systems leads to important consequences. Some peculiarities in galactic morphology as well as the transfer of matter from one galaxy to another may be due to this factor. In particular, gas flows in intergalactic space may be formed. Such flows enriching one component with gas from the other may play a substantial role in the evolution of mixed (S-E) pairs. One can mention several facts corroborating the possibility of the gas transfer from the spiral to the elliptical galaxy. High HI content (10(exp 7) to 10(exp 9) solar mass) is detected in nearly 40 E galaxies (Bottinelli and Gougenheim, 1979; Knapp et al., 1985). Such galaxies are often members of pairs or of multiple systems including an S galaxy, which may be the source of gas (Smirnov and Komberg, 1980). Moreover, the gas kinematics and its distribution also indicate an external origin for this gas (Knapp et al., 1985). In many cases there is an outer gaseous disk. The directions of the disk and of stellar rotation don't always coincide (van Gorkom et al., 1985; Varnas et al., 1987). The galaxy colors in S-E pairs are correlated (the Holmberg effect): bluer ellipticals have spiral components that are usually bluer (Demin et al., 1984). The fraction of E galaxies with emission lines (N sub em) in S-E pairs showing traces of tidal interaction is twice as large (N sub em approx. equals 0.24) as in pairs without interaction (N sub em approx. equals 0.12) (Sotnikova, 1988b). Since the presence of emission lines in a galaxy spectrum strongly depends on gas content, this fact also leads to the conclusion that ellipticals in interacting S-E pairs are enriched with gas. These facts may be considered as a serious indication of the existence of gas transfer. Hence, investigation of this process is of interest.

Sotnikova, N. YA.↗

Simulating exotic phases of matter with bond-directed interactions with arrays of Majorana-Cooper pair boxes

It is suggested that networks of Majorana-Cooper pair boxes connected by metallic nanowirescan simulate various exotic states of matter. In this simulations Majorana-Cooper boxes play therole of effective spins S=1/2 and the metallic connections generate the Kondo screening and theRuderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction. Depending on what prevails - whether it isthe Kondo effect or the RKKY exchange, one will have either an effective spin model or a Kondolattice. The list of exotic stets includes the famous hexagonal Kitaev model, a generalization of thismodel for a Kondo lattice and various spin models with three-spin interactions. A special emphasizeis made on the discussion of the Kondo lattice scenario.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Thermodynamics and Mechanism of a Photocatalyzed Stereoselective [2 + 2] Cycloaddition on a CdSe Quantum Dot

Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) have shown promise over the last few decades for a range of applications including single photon emission, in vivo imaging and photocatalysis. Recent experiments demonstrated that QDs impart stereoselectivity to triplet excited-state [2+2] cycloaddition reactions of alkenes photocatalyzed by the QD through self-assembly of the reagent molecules on the QD surface, but these experiments did not reveal the precise geometries of surface-bound molecules or their interactions with surface atoms. Here, a theoretical mechanistic approach is used to study such interactions for [2+2] cycloadditions of 4-vinylbenzoic acid derivatives on CdSe QDs. Spin-polarized periodic density functional theory (DFT) and non-periodic DFT calculations are deployed to determine the origin of the selectivity for the syn diastereomer of the resultant tetrasubstituted cyclobutane product via atomistic modelling of the CdSe surface and substrates, and determination of the thermodynamic energies of reactions for each step, the intermolecular interactions between the substrates, and the triplet state reaction paths. The calculations indicate that reaction selectivity arises from preferred binding of pairs through intermolecular interactions of substrate molecules on the QD surface in a syn-precursor structure followed by dimerization after triplet excitation. Further, these mechanisms are generalizable to other metal-enriched QD surfaces that have a similar surface structure to CdSe, such as InSe or CdTe. Design principles for anti diastereomer derivatives are also discussed.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Structure of Dirithromycin Bound to the Bacterial Ribosome Suggests New Ways for Rational Improvement of Macrolides

Although macrolides are known as excellent antibacterials, their medical use has been significantly limited due to the spread of bacterial drug resistance. As such, it is necessary to develop new potent macrolides to combat the emergence of drug-resistant pathogens. One of the key steps in rational drug design is the identification of chemical groups that mediate binding of the drug to its target and their subsequent derivatization to strengthen drug-target interactions. In the case of macrolides, a few groups are known to be important for drug binding to the ribosome, such as desosamine. Search for new chemical moieties that improve the interactions of a macrolide with the 70S ribosome might be of crucial importance for the invention of new macrolides. For this purpose, here we studied a classic macrolide, dirithromycin, which has an extended (2-methoxyethoxy)-methyl side chain attached to the C-9/C-11 atoms of the macrolactone ring that can account for strong binding of dirithromycin to the 70S ribosome. By solving the crystal structure of the 70S ribosome in complex with dirithromycin, we found that its side chain interacts with the wall of the nascent peptide exit tunnel in an idiosyncratic fashion: its side chain forms a lone pair-π stacking interaction with the aromatic imidazole ring of the His69 residue in ribosomal protein uL4. To our knowledge, the ability of this side chain to form a contact in the macrolide binding pocket has not been reported previously and potentially can open new avenues for further exploration by medicinal chemists developing next-generation macrolide antibiotics active against resistant pathogens.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Star-formation rates, molecular clouds, and the origin of the far-infrared luminosity of isolated and interacting galaxies

The CO luminosities of 93 galaxies have been determined and are compared with their IRAS FIR luminosities. Strongly interacting/merging galaxies have L(FIR)/L(CO) substantially higher than that of isolated galaxies or galactic giant molecular clouds (GMCs). Galaxies with tidal tails/bridges are the most extreme type with L(FIR)/L(CO) nine times as high as isolated galaxies. Interactions between close pairs of galaxies do not have much effect on the molecular content and global star-formation rate. If the high ratio L(FIR)/L(CO) in strongly interacting galaxies is due to star formation then the efficiency of this process is higher than that of any galactic GMC. Isolated galaxies, distant pairs, and close pairs have an FIR/CO luminosity ratio which is within a factor of two of galactic GMCs with H II regions. The CO luminosities of FIR-luminous galaxies are among the highest observed for any spiral galaxies.

Solomon, P. M.↗

Is solid copper oxalate a spin chain or a mixture of entangled spin pairs?

Macroscopic assemblies of interacting spins give rise to a broad spectrum of behaviors determined by the spatial arrangement of the magnetic sites and the electronic interactions between them. Compounds of copper (II), in which each copper carries spin 1/2, exhibit a vast variety of physical properties. For antiferromagnetically coupled spin sites, there are two limiting scenarios: spin chains in which the spins can exhibit a long-range order or a mixture of dimers in which the spins within each pair are entangled but do not communicate with the spins from other dimers. In principle, the two types can be distinguished on the basis of experimental observations and modeling using empirically parameterized effective Hamiltonians, but in practice, ambiguity may persist for decades, as is the case for copper oxalate. Here we use high-level ab initio calculations to establish the validity of the nearest-site Heisenberg model and to predict the interaction strength between the magnetic sites. Finally, the computed magnetic susceptibility provides an unambiguous interpretation of magnetic experiments performed throughout half a century, clearly supporting the infinite spin-chain behavior of solid copper oxalate.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Pairing in a dry Fermi sea

In the traditional Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer theory of superconductivity, the amplitude for the propagation of a pair of electrons with momentum k and -k has a log singularity as the temperature decreases. This so-called Cooper instability arises from the presence of an electron Fermi sea. It means that an attractive interaction, no matter how weak, will eventually lead to a pairing instability. However, in the pseudogap regime of the cuprate superconductors, where parts of the Fermi surface are destroyed, this log singularity is suppressed, raising the question of how pairing occurs in the absence of a Fermi sea. In this paper, we report Hubbard model numerical results and the analysis of angular-resolved photoemission experiments on a cuprate superconductor. Finally, in contrast to the traditional theory, we find that in the pseudogap regime the pairing instability arises from an increase in the strength of the spin–fluctuation pairing interaction as the temperature decreases rather than the Cooper log instability.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Dynamics and control of coherent structure in turbulent jets

Current understanding of coherent structure dynamics in incompressible turbulent jets as explained by the nonlinear stability theory is reviewed, focusing on nonswirling turbulent jets. Topics addressed include hydrodynamic stability theory and coherent structures; dynamics of energy transfers among different scales of motion; nonlinear development of amplitude; development of single-frequency coherent mode; fundamental-subharmonic interaction and vortex pairing; and reversal of Reynolds stresses. Attention is also given to the effect of initial phase-difference angle between fundamental and subharmonic, conditions for resonance interaction, modulation of spreading rate by controlling coherent structure, turbulence enhancement or suppression due to excitation, 3D effects, jet noise, and swirling jets.

Mankbadi, Reda R.↗