Emission Spectra Research Articles

Nonlinear change of ion-induced secondary electron emission in the κ-Al2O3 surface charging from first-principle modelling

Secondary electron emission (SEE) induced by the positive ion is an essential physical process to influence the dynamics of gas discharge which relies on the specific surface material. Surface charging has a significant impact on the material properties, thereby affecting the SEE in the plasma-surface interactions. However, it does not attract enough attention in the previous studies. In this paper, SEE dependent on the charged surface of specific materials is described with the computational method combining a density functional theory (DFT) model from the first-principle theory and the theory of Auger neutralization. The effect of κ-Al2O3 surface charge, as an example, on the ion-induced secondary electron emission coefficient (SEEC) is investigated by analyzing the defect energy level and band structure on the charged surface. Simulation results indicate that, with the surface charge from negative to positive, the SEEC of a part of low ionization energy ions (such as E i = 12.6 eV) increases first and then decreases, exhibiting a nonlinear changing trend. This is quite different from the monotonic decreasing tendency observed in the previous model which simplifies the electronic structure. This irregular increase of the SEEC can be attributed to the lower escaped probability of orbital energy. The results further illustrate that the excessive charge could cause the bottom of the conduction band close to the valence band, thus leading to the decrease of the orbital energy occupied by the excited electrons. The nonlinear change of SEEC demonstrates a more realistic situation of how the electronic structure of material surface influences the SEE process. This work provides an accurate method of calculating SEEC from specific materials, which is urgent in widespread physical scenarios sensitive to surface materials, such as increasingly growing practical applications concerning plasma-surface interactions.

Simulation and Prediction of Land Use Change and Carbon Emission under Multiple Development Scenarios at the City Level: A Case Study of Xi’an, China

Studying urban land use and its impact on carbon emissions is crucial for achieving China’s dual carbon goals. This research utilized the Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs) scenarios 126, 245, and 585 from the Sixth International Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6), along with a coupled System Dynamics (SD) and Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model and a carbon emission coefficient method to simulate and predict Xi’an’s land use carbon emissions from 2020 to 2040. The results indicate the following: (1) Cultivated and forest lands are the predominant land use types in Xi’an, with cultivated and grassland areas projected to decline under all three SSP scenarios by 2040. The most significant expansion of construction land, primarily at the expense of farmland, is projected under the SSP585 scenario, with an increase of 515.92 km2 by 2040. (2) Land use carbon emissions increased from 414.15 × 104 t in 2000 to 2376.10 × 104 t in 2020, with construction land being the primary source of emissions and forest land serving as the main carbon sink. However, the carbon sink capacity remained low at only 21.38 × 104 t in 2020. (3) Carbon emissions are expected to continue increasing under all scenarios through 2030 and 2040, though at a decreasing rate. The SSP126 scenario predicts the lowest emissions, reaching 9186.00 × 104 t by 2040, while SSP585 predicts the highest at 14,935.00 × 104 t. The findings of this study provide theoretical support for future low-carbon and high-quality urban development strategies.

Clinical and functional studies of MTOR variants in Smith-Kingsmore syndrome reveal deficits of circadian rhythm and sleep-wake behavior

Heterozygous de novo or inherited gain-of-function mutations in the MTOR gene cause Smith-Kingsmore syndrome (SKS). SKS is a rare autosomal dominant condition, and individuals with SKS display macrocephaly/megalencephaly, developmental delay, intellectual disability, and seizures. A few dozen individuals are reported in the literature. Here, we report a cohort of 28 individuals with SKS that represent nine MTOR pathogenic variants. We conducted a detailed natural history study and found pathophysiological deficits among individuals with SKS in addition to the common neurodevelopmental symptoms. These symptoms include sleep-wake disturbance, hyperphagia, and hyperactivity, indicative of homeostatic imbalance. To characterize these variants, we developed cell models and characterized their functional consequences. We showed that these SKS variants display a range of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) activities and respond to the mTOR inhibitor, rapamycin, differently. For example, the R1480_C1483del variant we identified here and the previously known C1483F are more active than wild-type controls and less responsive to rapamycin. Further, we showed that SKS mutations dampened circadian rhythms and low-dose rapamycin improved the rhythm amplitude, suggesting that optimal mTOR activity is required for normal circadian function. As SKS is caused by gain-of-function mutations in MTOR, rapamycin was used to treat several patients. While higher doses of rapamycin caused delayed sleep-wake phase disorder in a subset of patients, optimized lower doses improved sleep. Our study expands the clinical and molecular spectrum of SKS and supports further studies for mechanism-guided treatment options to improve sleep-wake behavior and overall health.

Discovery of a damped Lyα absorber in the circumnuclear zone of the FeLoBAL quasar SDSS J083942.11+380526.3

Abstract SDSS J083942.11+380526.3 (z = 2.315) is a FeLoBAL quasar that exhibits visible Balmer absorption lines (Hα), implying a significant n = 2 population. The quasar also shows an array of absorption lines, including O I, Ni II, Fe II, Mg II, Al III to C IV and N V. The high-ionization absorption lines such as C IV and Si IV are revealed by slightly blueshifted BAL troughs. The resonance doublets such as Mg II and Al III are saturated but did not reached zero intensity which indicates that the BLR is partially covered. Overall, however, the absorption is predominantly from low-ionization Fe II lines, emitted from ground and excited states up to at least 3.814 eV. This implies that the absorbing gas spans the hydrogen ionization front and extends into the partially ionized zone where neutral hydrogen is certainly present. Notably, the hydrogen line spectrum of the quasar shows no signature of expected Lyα absorption. Instead, the line spectrum shows an unusual Lyα emission characterized by a fully filled emission line spectrum which is a composite of a strong narrow core superposed on a weak broad base. Taking into account the effect of partial covering to BLR, we have extracted a strong DLA trough in Lyα emission region. To fit the spectrum, we performed photoionized model calculations and compared them to the observations. We found that photoionization modeling using CLOUDY can successfully reproduce the main characteristics of the quasar spectrum, and the predicted neutral hydrogen column density arising from the clouds responsible for the low-ionization absorption provides a good match to the extracted DLA trough. This indicates that both the DLA and the low-ionization absorption arise from the same medium that is roughly collocated with the dusty torus.

Silver sulfide quantum dots stabilized with l-Cysteine - Optimization of synthesis in aqueous phase and optical characterization

In this study, we investigate the properties of silver sulfide (Ag₂S) quantum dots (QDs) coated with l-cysteine (L-Cys). We elucidate the formation mechanism of Ag₂S/L-Cys QDs from AgNO₃, Na₂S, and L-Cys through FT-IR, TEM and luminescent analyses. The influence of reaction parameters on the spectroscopic properties, including absorption spectra, emission spectra, fluorescence lifetime, and quantum yield, is thoroughly examined. We propose an optimal fabrication processing by analyzing the properties of QDs throughout the reaction process. Additionally, we demonstrate that 4–6 nm Ag₂S QDs can be effectively imaged using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) which is particularly beneficial for developing layers incorporating these nanoparticles. Our findings are systematically compared with previous literature, providing a comprehensive understanding of the properties and potential applications of L-Cys coated Ag₂S QDs.

Theory for proton-coupled energy transfer.

In the recently discovered proton-coupled energy transfer (PCEnT) mechanism, the transfer of electronic excitation energy between donor and acceptor chromophores is coupled to a proton transfer reaction. Herein, we develop a general theory for PCEnT and derive an analytical expression for the nonadiabatic PCEnT rate constant. This theory treats the transferring hydrogen nucleus quantum mechanically and describes the PCEnT process in terms of nonadiabatic transitions between reactant and product electron-proton vibronic states. The rate constant is expressed as a summation over these vibronic states, and the contribution of each pair of vibronic states depends on the square of the vibronic coupling as well as the spectral convolution integral, which can be viewed as a generalization of the Förster-type spectral overlap integral for vibronic rather than electronic states. The convolution integral also accounts for the common vibrational modes shared by the donor and acceptor chromophores for intramolecular PCEnT. We apply this theory to model systems to investigate the key features of PCEnT processes. The excited vibronic states can contribute significantly to the total PCEnT rate constant, and the common modes can either slow down or speed up the process. Because the pairs of vibronic states that contribute the most to the PCEnT rate constant may correspond to spectroscopically dark states, PCEnT could occur even when there is no apparent overlap between the donor emission and acceptor absorption spectra. This theory will assist in the interpretation of experimental data and will guide the design of additional PCEnT systems.

Line spectrum target recognition algorithm based on time‐delay autoencoder

AbstractEffective extraction of target features has always been a key issue in target recognition technology in the field of signal processing. Traditional deep learning algorithms often require extensive data for pre‐training models to ensure the accuracy of feature extraction. Moreover, it is challenging to completely remove noise due to the complexity of the underwater environment. A Time‐Delay Autoencoder (TDAE) is employed to extract ship‐radiated noise characteristics by leveraging the strong coherent properties of line spectrum. This approach eliminates the need for previous data to adaptively develop a nonlinear model for line spectrum extraction. The test data was processed using three distinct approaches, and plots of recognition accuracy curves at various signal‐to‐noise ratios were made. On the dataset utilised in the research, experimental results show that the proposed approach achieves over 75% recognition accuracy, even at a signal‐to‐noise ratio of −15 dB.

The time evolution of electrical and thermodynamic characteristics of surface dielectric barrier discharge caused by dielectric degradation

Abstract The degradation of the dielectric layer is a common issue in dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). The performance of DBD devices may suffer from instability due to potential corrosion of the dielectric layer caused by discharge, which could even result in structural failure. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the degradation of DBD devices during discharge, the evolution of the performance of DBD devices with various dielectric materials over time is studied. Periodic patterns are found to form on the dielectric surface along the edge of the high-voltage electrode. The electrical data, emission spectra, and surface morphologies of DBD devices with three different dielectric materials, namely ceramics, glass, and PCB, are obtained during an eight-hour discharge. The electrical and thermodynamic characteristics of DBD devices with the three dielectric materials are found to initially decrease by about 20~40%. Subsequently, they remain stable in devices with ceramics and PCB dielectric layers but increase in devices with glass dielectric layers until the end. Surface morphologies reveal that periodic patterns consisting of metal accumulations, etching pits, and metal depositions form on the surfaces of ceramics, glass, and PCBs, respectively. Some organic compounds vaporize from the surface of PCBs. The deposition, etching, and vaporization could be reasons for changes in the electrical and thermodynamic characteristics. It shows that degradation occurs not only in organic dielectrics like polymers but also in inorganic dielectrics such as ceramics and glass. To enhance stability and prevent potential failures and overestimations, electrical and optical measurements could be utilized as diagnostic methods in applications involving DBD devices.


Enhancement of terahertz emission during single-color filamentation by chirping laser pulse

We experimentally demonstrate that terahertz emission yield from single-color filament plasma can be increased by more than 3 times by ordinary laser pulse chirping at constant energy. The enhancement is spectrally selective, for each terahertz frequency there is an optimal laser pulse duration providing maximal terahertz emission. This provides a prospective tool for tailoring both spectrum and energy of the terahertz emission from a single-color filament.

Color class and structure-related observable fluorescence response in arctic macroalgae as coastal underwater lidar substrates

In the context of underwater marine biological remote sensing surveys, we consider the fluorescence response of macroalgal and kelp targets to underwater fluorescence laser serial and lidar imaging applications. An investigation of absorption and fluorescence emission via excitation–emission (EEM) spectra of Arctic macroalgal substrates is presented via naturally and artificially generated structural scenarios. Fluorescence was found to increase with algal structure thickness for the kelp Alaria esculenta, both when its output is tested with or without structural modification (increase thickness) of the kelp thallus. Several trials involving other species of all three color classes showed fluorescence output decreased after a thickness increase via layering or structure reconfiguration: a process we suggest is due to fluorescence re-absorption sometimes occurring within and between the rearranged algal structures.

Dynamics and resonance fluorescence from a superconducting artificial atom doubly driven by quantized and classical fields

We report an experimental demonstration of resonance fluorescence in a two-level superconducting artificial atom under two driving fields coupled to a detuned cavity. One of the fields is classical and the other is varied from quantum (vacuum fluctuations) to classical by controlling the photon number inside the cavity. The device consists of a transmon qubit strongly coupled to a one-dimensional transmission line and a coplanar waveguide resonator. We observe a sideband anticrossing and asymmetry in the emission spectra of the system through a one-dimensional transmission line, which is fundamentally different from the weak-coupling case. By changing the photon number inside the cavity, the emission spectrum of our doubly driven system approaches the case when the atom is driven by two classical bichromatic fields. We also measure the dynamical evolution of the system through the transmission line and study the properties of the first-order correlation function, Rabi oscillations, and energy relaxation in the system. The study of resonance fluorescence from an atom driven by two fields promotes understanding decoherence in superconducting quantum circuits and may find applications in superconducting quantum computing and quantum networks. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Far-infrared therapy promotes exercise capacity and glucose metabolism in mice by modulating microbiota homeostasis and activating AMPK

The benefits of physical exercise on human health make it desirable to identify new approaches that would mimic or potentiate the effects of exercise to treat metabolic diseases. However, whether far-infrared (FIR) hyperthermia therapy could be used as exercise mimetic to realize wide-ranging metabolic regulation, and its underling mechanisms remain unclear. Here, a specific far-infrared (FIR) rays generated from graphene-based hyperthermia devices might promote exercise capacity and metabolisms. The material characterization showed that the graphene synthesized by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) was different from carbon fiber, with single-layer structure and high electrothermal transform efficiency. The emission spectra generated by graphene-FIR device would maximize matching those adsorbed by tissues. Graphene-FIR enhanced both core and epidermal temperatures, leading to increased blood flow in the femoral muscle and the abdominal region. The combination of microbiomic and metabolomic analysis revealed that graphene-FIR modulates the metabolism of the gut-muscle axis. This modulation was characterized by an increased abundance of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA)-producing bacteria and AMP, while lactic acid levels decreased. Furthermore, the principal routes involved in glucose metabolism, such as glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, were found to be altered. Graphene-FIR managed to stimulate AMPK activity by activating GPR43, thus enhancing muscle glucose uptake. Furthermore, a microbiota disorder model also demonstrated that the graphene-FIR effectively restore the exercise endurance with enhanced p-AMPK and GLUT4. Our results provided convincing evidence that graphene-based FIR therapy promoted exercise capacity and glucose metabolism via AMPK in gut-muscle axis. These novel findings regarding the therapeutic effects of graphene-FIR suggested its potential utility as a mimetic agent in clinical management of metabolic disorders.

Vibronic splitting of the electronic origin in two conformers of the 3-tolunitrile dimer.

3-tolunitrile (3-TN) can from three different dimers, which differ in the relative orientation of the methyl groups. We determined the geometry changes of two of these conformers of 3-TN upon electronic excitation via a Franck-Condon fit of the vibronic intensities in the fluorescence emission spectra. Both aromatic rings expand upon electronic excitation, showing a delocalized one-photon excitation of the cluster. The conformer with the smaller COM distance shows an unusual order of the split components of the electronic origin. We attribute this changed order to the stronger CT contributions to the splitting and a partial breakdown of the point dipole approximation, made in the Frenkel type interaction.

Crystal-Rigidifying Strategy in Hybrid Manganese Halide to Achieve Narrow Green Emission and High Structural Stability.

Although organic-inorganic hybrid Mn2+ halides have advanced significantly, achieving high stability and narrow-band emission remains enormously challenging owing to the weak ionic nature and soft crystal lattice of the halide structure. To address these issues, we proposed a cationic engineering strategy of long-range cation π···π stacking and C-H···π interactions to simultaneously improve the crystal structural stability and rigidity. Herein, two organic zero-dimensional (0D) manganese halide hybrids of (BACQ)2MnX4 [BACQ = 4-(butylamino)-7-chloroquinolin-1-ium; X = Cl and Br] were synthesized. (BACQ)2MnX4 display strong green-light emissions with the narrowest full width at half-maximum (fwhm) of 39 nm, which is significantly smaller than those of commercial green phosphor β-SiAlON:Eu2+ and most of reported manganese halides. Detailed Hirshfeld surface analyses demonstrate the rigid environment around the [MnX4]2- units originating from the interactions between [BACQ]+. The rigid crystal structure weakens the electron-phonon coupling and renders narrow fwhm of these manganese halides, which is further confirmed by temperature-dependent emission spectra. Remarkably, (BACQ)2MnX4 realizes outstanding structural and luminescence stabilities in various extreme environments. Benefiting from the excellent performance, these Mn2+ halides are used to assemble light-emitting diodes with a wide color gamut of 105% of the National Television System Committee 1931 standard, showcasing the advanced applications in liquid-crystal-display backlighting.

First spectroscopic study of HFRC plasma

An advanced spectral diagnostic system was developed to measure the electron temperature (T e), electron density (N e), and ion temperature (T i) of the Huazhong University of Science and Technology field-reversed configuration plasma. The system consists of an optic fiber spectrometer with a wide spectral band and a 670 mm focal length high throughout Czerny–Turner monochromator equipped with both a 3600 g mm−1 grating and a 2400 g mm−1 grating to measure the line spectrum. Accompanying these components is an electron-multiplying charge-coupled device camera to capture spectral data. The relative intensity of the optical fiber spectrometer was calibrated using a standard luminance source, and the wavelength calibration of the spectrometer was accomplished using a Hg/Ar lamp. This diagnostic setup was configured to measure electron density based on the Stark effect of Hγ (n = 5 → n = 2; 434.04 nm). Doppler broadening of an O III (2s22p(2P0)3p → 2s22p(2P0)3s; 375.988 nm) emission line was measured and analyzed to obtain the ion temperature, and electron temperatures were estimated from the relative strength of Hβ (n = 4 → n = 2; 486.14 nm) (Dβ) and Hγ (Dγ) spectral lines when the electron density was obtained from Stark effect measurements. The initial experimental results indicate that the highest electron temperature of the formation region was approximately 8 eV, the electron density of the colliding-and-merging region was approaching 1020 m−3, and the ion temperature reached about 40 eV.

Contemporary review of papillary renal cell carcinoma-current state and future directions.

Historically, papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) was divided into two types, type 1 and type 2, based solely on morphology. However, it is apparent that PRCC is far more complex and represents a histological, clinical, and molecular spectrum. There has been a significant evolution in our understanding of PRCC, highlighted by the recognition of new and molecularly defined entities that were previously included in PRCC type 2. This contemporary review addresses the evolving concepts regarding the PRCC, including why it is no longer needed to subtype PRCC, the current molecular landscape, prognostic parameters,and PRCC variants, including biphasic PRCC, papillary renal neoplasm with reverse polarity, and Warthin-like PRCC. Pathologists should also be aware of the potential mimickers of both low-grade and high-grade PRCCs as well as some new and emerging entities that may show papillary growth that should be excluded in the diagnostic workup. The evolving knowledge of PRCC biomarkers, morphologic patterns, and PRCC variants could also have important implications for clinical management. Lastly, the heterogeneity within the PRCC spectrum needs to be further studied, aiming to better stratify PRCC for appropriate clinical management and systemic therapy.

BCR::ZNF711 and BCR::CYLC2 Fusions: Novel BCR Fusions Expanding the Molecular Spectrum of Gene Fusions in Melanoma.

BCR::ZNF711 and BCR::CYLC2 Fusions: Novel BCR Fusions Expanding the Molecular Spectrum of Gene Fusions in Melanoma.

Machine learning-based prediction of the electron energy distribution function and electron density of argon plasma from the optical emission spectra

Machine learning-based prediction of the electron energy distribution function and electron density of argon plasma from the optical emission spectra

Heterojunction composites of covalent organic frameworks grown on the surface of persistent luminescent nanoparticles for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and degradation of organic pollutants

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have shown great promise for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water and photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. However, a single COFs suffers from poor photogenerated charge separation efficiency. In this study, we synthesized persistent luminescent nanoparticles (PLNPs)@COFs composites with core–shell heterostructures by the in situ growth of COFs on the surface of PLNPs. The PLNPs@COFs composites demonstrated better photocatalytic performance than pure PLNPs and COFs. The hydrogen production rate of PLNPs@COFs (1:6) was about 35 mmol h−1 g−1, and the photodegradation efficiency of Rhodamine B by PLNPs@COFs (3:1) reached 100 % in 50 min. Evidently, the combination of COFs with PLNPs to form a core–shell heterostructure with a tight contact interface can effectively improve the photogenerated charge separation efficiency. Our covalent bonding and in situ growth approach is more conducive to the formation of stable core-shell heterostructures. A good match between the persistent luminescence emission spectrum of the PLNPs and the absorption range of the COFs improves the potential of PLNPs@COFs to function as a round-the-clock photocatalyst. This strategy holds excellent promise in the efficient use of solar photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and in environmental purification in the future.

Broadband terahertz frequency-domain emission spectroscopy of DAST with a widely tunable quasi-monochromatic source and sensitive up-conversion detection

A continuous 4–32 THz emission spectrum of organic crystal DAST is obtained through a widely tunable quasi-monochromatic terahertz source and sensitive up-conversion detection. The spectrum is characterized by a frequency resolution of ∼0.05 THz and a highest signal-to-noise ratio of ∼65 dB. Terahertz signals are detectable at room temperature even in the high absorption regions of DAST, thus most of the absorption peaks of DAST are clearly located. The results verify the findings of previous works well, including density functional theory calculations and other similar experiments. This paper provides a highly sensitive instrument for broadband terahertz spectroscopic characterization.