Search results for "X-rays."
showing 10 items of 443 documents
Active shape correction of a thin glass/plastic x-ray mirror
2015
Optics for future X-ray telescopes will be characterized by very large aperture and focal length, and will be made of lightweight materials like glass or plastic in order to keep the total mass within acceptable limits. Optics based on thin slumped glass foils are currently in use in the NuSTAR telescope and are being developed at various institutes like INAF/OAB, aiming at improving the angular resolution to a few arcsec HEW. Another possibility would be the use of thin plastic foils, being developed at SAO and the Palermo University. Even if relevant progresses in the achieved angular resolution were recently made, a viable possibility to further improve the mirror figure would be the app…
Direct imaging of delayed magneto-dynamic modes induced by surface acoustic waves.
2017
The magnetoelastic effect—the change of magnetic properties caused by the elastic deformation of a magnetic material—has been proposed as an alternative approach to magnetic fields for the low-power control of magnetization states of nanoelements since it avoids charge currents, which entail ohmic losses. Here, we have studied the effect of dynamic strain accompanying a surface acoustic wave on magnetic nanostructures in thermal equilibrium. We have developed an experimental technique based on stroboscopic X-ray microscopy that provides a pathway to the quantitative study of strain waves and magnetization at the nanoscale. We have simultaneously imaged the evolution of both strain and magne…
Domain wall transformations and hopping in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3nanostructures imaged with high resolution x-ray magnetic microscopy
2014
We investigate the effect of electric current pulse injection on domain walls in La(0.7)Sr(0.3)MnO(3) (LSMO) half-ring nanostructures by high resolution x-ray magnetic microscopy at room temperature. Due to the easily accessible Curie temperature of LSMO, we can employ reasonable current densities to induce the Joule heating necessary to observe effects such as hopping of the domain walls between different pinning sites and nucleation/annihilation events. Such effects are the dominant features close to the Curie temperature, while spin torque is found to play a small role close to room temperature. We are also able to observe thermally activated domain wall transformations and we find that,…
Tracking the structural dynamics of proteins in solution using time-resolved wide-angle X-ray scattering
2008
We demonstrate tracking of protein structural changes with time-resolved wide-angle X-ray scattering (TR-WAXS) with nanosecond time resolution. We investigated the tertiary and quaternary conformational changes of human hemoglobin under nearly physiological conditions triggered by laser-induced ligand photolysis. We also report data on optically induced tertiary relaxations of myoglobin and refolding of cytochrome c to illustrate the wide applicability of the technique. By providing insights into the structural dynamics of proteins functioning in their natural environment, TR-WAXS complements and extends results obtained with time-resolved optical spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography.
High-density polyethylene facial implants show surface oxidation in SEM and EDX examination: a pilot study.
2009
Previous histopathological studies on explanted Medpor high-density polyethylene (HDPE) facial implants indicated signs of material destruction and claimed to observe phagocytized HDPE particles within the tissue samples beside the usual type IV reaction with severe fibrosis. We examined new and explanted Medpor material with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The implant surface of three patient-derived specimens showed significantly higher oxygenation in EDX analysis and morphological changes in SEM compared to the new unused material directly after opening of the package and after 1 year of exposure to air. Our preliminary findings indicate a p…
ADAHELI+: Exploring the fast, dynamic Sun in the X-ray, optical, and near-infrared
2015
Advanced Astronomy for Heliophysics Plus (ADAHELI+) is a project concept for a small solar and space weather mission with a budget compatible with an European Space Agency (ESA) S-class mission, including launch, and a fast development cycle. ADAHELI+ was submitted to the European Space Agency by a European-wide consortium of solar physics research institutes in response to the "Call for a small mission opportunity for a launch in 2017," of March 9, 2012. The ADAHELI+ project builds on the heritage of the former ADAHELI mission, which had successfully completed its phase-A study under the Italian Space Agency 2007 Small Mission Programme, thus proving the soundness and feasibility of its in…
First lamina hybridization of high performance CFRP with Kevlar fibers: Effect on impact behavior and nondestructive evaluation
2022
The impact behavior of a carbon-Kevlar hybrid composite, widely used in sport car manufacturing, was evaluated. To highlight the hybridization effect, comparative analyses were performed with the basic CFRP laminate having the same lay-up. Tensile, bending and low velocity impact tests, followed by nondestructive inspections, highlighted that Kevlar first lamina hybridization leads to an increment in specific impact strength, up to 55%. To assess the most reliable technique to detect the impact damage, nondestructive evaluation was performed by pulsed thermography, phased array ultrasonic technique, computed tomography and digital radiography. Phased array ultrasonic technique can be consid…
Theory of CaL2,3-edge XAS using a novel multichannel multiple-scattering method
2003
A new method for calculating X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the L2,3 edges of Ca and transition metals is presented. It is based on the multichannel multiple-scattering theory by Natoli et al. [Phys. Rev. B, (1990), 42, 1944-1968] combined with the eigen-channel R-matrix formalism. Atomic multiplet-like effects, owing to the Coulomb interaction of photoelectrons and the 2p hole, are taken into account through a configuration interaction ansatz for the final-state wavefunction. The various multiplet states lead to a set of channels for the photoelectron wavefunction, which is calculated in multiple-scattering theory. The method is applied to Ca, an important element for biological ap…
Cytochrome c in a Dry Trehalose Matrix: Structural and Dynamical Effects Probed by X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy
2007
AbstractWe report on the structure and dynamics of the Fe ligand cluster of reduced horse heart cytochrome c in solution, in a dried polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film, and in two trehalose matrices characterized by different contents of residual water. The effect of the solvent/matrix environment was studied at room temperature using Fe K-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. XAFS data were analyzed by combining ab initio simulations and multi-parameter fitting in an attempt to disentangle structural from disorder parameters. Essentially the same structural and disorder parameters account adequately for the XAFS spectra measured in solution, both in the absence and in the pre…
Drug delivery devices based on mesoporous silicate.
2004
A mesoporous material based on aluminosilicate mixture was studied to investigate its ability to include drugs and then release them. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents such as diflunisal, naproxen, ibuprofen and its sodium salt have been used in this study. The preparation of the mesoporous material and its characterization by X-ray, N2 absorption-desorption isotherm, and thermogravimetry analysis have been described. Drug loading was performed by a soaking procedure. Drug-loaded matrices were characterized for entrapped drug amount, water absorption ability, and thermogravimetric behavior. Drug release studies also were performed at pH 1.1 and 6.8 mimicking gastrointestinal fluids. Exp…