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At least 109 records · Page 6

Absence of Off-Diagonal Long-Range Order in hcp 4 He Dislocation Cores

Here, the mass transport properties along dislocation cores in hcp 4 He are revisited by considering two types of edge dislocations as well as a screw dislocation, using a fully correlated quantum simulation approach. Specifically, we employ the zero-temperature path-integral ground state (PIGS) method together with ergodic sampling of the permutation space to investigate the fundamental dislocation core structures and their off-diagonal long-range order properties. It is found that the Bose-Einstein condensate fraction of such defective 4 He systems is practically null (≤ 10 –6 ), just as in the bulk defect-free crystal. These results provide compelling evidence for the absence of intrinsic superfluidity in dislocation cores in hcp 4 He and challenge the superfluid dislocation-network interpretation of the mass-flux-experiment observations, calling for further experimental investigation.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Electronic structure of α - RuCl 3 by fixed-node and fixed-phase diffusion Monte Carlo methods

Layered material α-RuCl 3 has caught wide attention due to its possible realization of Kitaev's spin liquid and its electronic structure that involves the interplay of electron-electron correlations and spin-orbit effects. Several DFT+U studies have suggested that both electron-electron correlations and spin-orbit effects are crucial for accurately describing the band gap. This work studies the importance of these two effects using fixed-node and fixed-phase diffusion Monte Carlo calculations both in spin-averaged and explicit spin-orbit formalisms. In the latter, the Slater-Jastrow trial function is constructed from two-component spin orbitals using our recent quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) developments and thoroughly tested effective core potentials. Our results show that the gap in the ideal crystal is already accurately described by the spin-averaged case, with the dominant role being played by the magnetic ground state with significant exchange and electron correlation effects. We find qualitative agreement between hybrid DFT, DFT+U, and QMC. In addition, QMC results agree very well with available experiments, and we identify the values of exact Fock exchange mixing that provide comparable gaps. Explicit spin-orbit QMC calculations reveal that the effect of spin-orbit coupling on the gap is minor, of the order of 0.2 eV, which corresponds to the strength of the spin orbit of the Ru atom.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Structural basis for the calmodulin-mediated activation of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase

Translation is a tightly regulated process that ensures optimal protein quality and enables adaptation to energy/nutrient availability. The α-kinase eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF-2K), a key regulator of translation, specifically phosphorylates the guanosine triphosphatase eEF-2, thereby reducing its affinity for the ribosome and suppressing the elongation phase of protein synthesis. eEF-2K activation requires calmodulin binding and autophosphorylation at the primary stimulatory site, T348. Biochemical studies predict a calmodulin-mediated activation mechanism for eEF-2K distinct from other calmodulin-dependent kinases. Here, we resolve the atomic details of this mechanism through a 2.3-Å crystal structure of the heterodimeric complex of calmodulin and the functional core of eEF-2K (eEF-2K TR ). This structure, which represents the activated T348-phosphorylated state of eEF-2K TR , highlights an intimate association of the kinase with the calmodulin C-lobe, creating an “activation spine” that connects its amino-terminal calmodulin-targeting motif to its active site through a conserved regulatory element.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Fast neutron background characterization of the future Ricochet experiment at the ILL research nuclear reactor

Abstract The future Ricochet experiment aims at searching for new physics in the electroweak sector by providing a high precision measurement of the Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CENNS) process down to the sub-100 eV nuclear recoil energy range. The experiment will deploy a kg-scale low-energy-threshold detector array combining Ge and Zn target crystals 8.8 m away from the 58 MW research nuclear reactor core of the Institut Laue Langevin (ILL) in Grenoble, France. Currently, the Ricochet Collaboration is characterizing the backgrounds at its future experimental site in order to optimize the experiment’s shielding design. The most threatening background component, which cannot be actively rejected by particle identification, consists of keV-scale neutron-induced nuclear recoils. These initial fast neutrons are generated by the reactor core and surrounding experiments (reactogenics), and by the cosmic rays producing primary neutrons and muon-induced neutrons in the surrounding materials. In this paper, we present the Ricochet neutron background characterization using $$^3$$ 3 He proportional counters which exhibit a high sensitivity to thermal, epithermal and fast neutrons. We compare these measurements to the Ricochet Geant4 simulations to validate our reactogenic and cosmogenic neutron background estimations. Eventually, we present our estimated neutron background for the future Ricochet experiment and the resulting CENNS detection significance. Our results show that depending on the effectiveness of the muon veto, we expect a total nuclear recoil background rate between 44 ± 3 and 9 ± 2 events/day/kg in the CENNS region of interest, i.e. between 50 eV and 1 keV. We therefore found that the Ricochet experiment should reach a statistical significance of 4.6 to 13.6 $$\sigma $$ σ for the detection of CENNS after one reactor cycle, when only the limiting neutron background is considered.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

X-ray Crystallographic Study of Preferred Spacing by the NF-κB p50 Homodimer on κB DNA

Though originally characterized as an inactive or transcriptionally repressive factor, the NF-κB p50 homodimer has become appreciated as a physiologically relevant driver of specific target gene expression. By virtue of its low affinity for cytoplasmic IκB protein inhibitors, p50 accumulates in the nucleus of resting cells, where it is a binding target for the transcriptional co-activator IκBζ. In this study, we employed X-ray crystallography to analyze the structure of the p50 homodimer on κB DNA from the promoters of human interleukin-6 (IL-6) and neutrophil-gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) genes, both of which respond to IκBζ. The NF-κB p50 homodimer binds 11-bp on IL-6 κB DNA, while, on NGAL κB DNA, the spacing is 12-bp. This begs the question: what DNA binding mode is preferred by NF-κB p50 homodimer? To address this, we engineered a “Test” κB-like DNA containing the core sequence 5'-GGGGAATTCCCC-3' and determined its X-ray crystal structure in complex with p50. This revealed that, when presented with multiple options, NF-κB p50 homodimer prefers to bind 11-bp, which necessarily imposes asymmetry on the complex despite the symmetry inherent in both the protein and its target DNA, and that the p50 dimerization domain can contact DNA via distinct modes.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Multistage nucleation pathway in LiF molten salt mirrors the crystal–melt interface structure

Despite over a century of studies, fundamental questions remain about the processes governing crystal nucleation from melts or solutions. Research over the past three decades has presented mounting evidence for kinetic pathways of crystal nucleation that are more complex than envisioned by the simplest forms of classical theory. Such observations have been presented for colloidal and elemental systems with covalent and metallic bonding. Despite the technological and geochemical importance of molten salts, similar studies for these ionically bonded systems are currently lacking. Here we develop a machine learning interatomic potential for a model ionic system: LiF. The potential features quantum-level accuracy for both liquid and multiple solid polymorphs over wide temperature and pressure ranges and accurately reproduces experimentally measured properties. Thanks to the efficiency of the potential, which enables microsecond-scale molecular dynamics simulations, induction times for nucleation of LiF solids from their melts are computed over a range of undercoolings. With the aid of a set of robust local order parameters established here, the simulations reveal that homogeneous crystal nucleation in undercooled melts preferentially initiates from liquid regions showing slow dynamics and high bond orientational order simultaneously, and the second-shell order of both precritical nuclei and the surface of postcritical nuclei is dominated by hexagonal close packing and body-centered cubic local structure, even though the nucleus core is dominated by face-centered cubic structure corresponding to the stable rocksalt crystal structure. Finally, we establish a connection between the crystallization pathway and the equilibrium crystal-melt interface structure.

Applied Physical Sciences↗

Impurity-enhanced core valence luminescence via Zn-doping in cesium magnesium chlorides

Scintillators with faster timing capabilities are currently in high demand for use in radiation detection systems in the fields of nuclear and medical physics. The limited number of suitable materials that meet the performance criteria of next generation detection systems presents an opportunity for discovery of new fast scintillator materials. In this work, the effects of doping several ultrafast core-valence luminescent (CVL) scintillators with divalent Zn is explored. Three compounds are investigated – CsMgCl 3 , Cs 2 MgCl 4 , and Cs 3 MgCl 5 – and single crystals of each doped with 5 mol% Zn are grown via the Bridgman method. Additionally, mixing across the full range of concentrations (from 0 % to 100 % Zn) is explored in the Cs 2 Mg 1-x Zn x Cl 4 and Cs 3 Mg 1-x Zn x Cl 5 systems. For low concentrations of Zn, light yields of all three compounds are enhanced (by up to ~60 %) compared to the pure crystals, achieving what we believe to be the brightest known CVL, CsMgCl 3 :Zn 5 % (3400 ± 170 ph/MeV light yield). More importantly, Zn doping does not affect the ultrafast timing properties, with each composition maintaining a single-component decay time around 1–3 ns. A sub-100 ps coincidence time resolution (CTR) is also achieved with CsMgCl 3 :Zn 5 %. The results of this work reveal a new avenue towards obtaining brighter CVL materials, which could open up possibilities for more advanced ultrafast scintillators to be discovered moving forward.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Functional anatomy of zinc finger antiviral protein complexes

Abstract ZAP is an antiviral protein that binds to and depletes viral RNA, which is often distinguished from vertebrate host RNA by its elevated CpG content. Two ZAP cofactors, TRIM25 and KHNYN, have activities that are poorly understood. Here, we show that functional interactions between ZAP, TRIM25 and KHNYN involve multiple domains of each protein, and that the ability of TRIM25 to multimerize via its RING domain augments ZAP activity and specificity. We show that KHNYN is an active nuclease that acts in a partly redundant manner with its homolog N4BP1. The ZAP N-terminal RNA binding domain constitutes a minimal core that is essential for antiviral complex activity, and we present a crystal structure of this domain that reveals contacts with the functionally required KHNYN C-terminal domain. These contacts are remote from the ZAP CpG binding site and would not interfere with RNA binding. Based on our dissection of ZAP, TRIM25 and KHNYN functional anatomy, we could design artificial chimeric antiviral proteins that reconstitute the antiviral function of the intact authentic proteins, but in the absence of protein domains that are otherwise required for activity. Together, these results suggest a model for the RNA recognition and action of ZAP-containing antiviral protein complexes.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

Semicomputational calculation of Bragg shift in stratified materials

The fiber Bragg grating (FBG) may be viewed as a one dimensional photonic band-gap crystal by virtue of the periodic spatial perturbation imposed on the fiber core dielectric material. Similar to media supporting Bloch waves, the engraved weak index modulation, presenting a periodic “potential” to an incoming guided mode photon of the fiber, yields useful spectral properties that have been the basis for sensing applications and emerging quantum squeezing and solitons. The response of an FBG sensor to arbitrary external stimuli represents a multiphysics problem without a known analytical solution despite the growing use of FBGs in classical and quantum sensing and metrology. Here, we study this problem by first presenting a solid mechanics model for the thermal and elastic states of a stratified material. Additionally, the model considers an embedded optical material domain that represents the Bragg grating, here in the form of an FBG. Using the output of this model, we then compute the optical modes and their temperature- and stress-induced behavior. The developed model is applicable to media of arbitrary shape and composition, including soft matter and materials with nonlinear elasticity and geometric nonlinearity. Finally, we employ the computed surface stress and temperature distributions along the grating to analytically calculate the Bragg shift, which is found to be in reasonable agreement with our experimental measurements.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Phase Field Dislocation Dynamics (PFDD) version 2.x

This disclosure is for version 2.x of a mesoscale model called Phase Field Dislocation Dynamics (PFDD). PFDD is used for investigating deformation in nanoscale (grain sizes of ~300 nm and less) materials, such as metals and alloys. This approach models the motion and interaction of individual defects, namely dislocations, in the material using scalar-valued phase field variables, also called order parameters. The system is evolved through energy minimization thus the model calculates the total energy density in terms of the phase field variables. The energy minimization is completed using the Ginzburg-Landau equation, and is implemented with explicit time integration. The total system energy can be comprised of several terms, including the strain energy (which describes dislocation-dislocation interactions), the energy due to an applied stress (dislocation interactions with the applied stress), and a core/lattice (perfect dislocations) or generalized stacking fault (partial dislocations) energy (described the dislocation core structure). The latter term in particular may vary based on the crystal structure being modeled and is typically informed using lower length scale (e.g., atomistic) approaches, although no such (atomistic) calculations are completed within the PFDD algorithm. This basic formulation was previously reviewed by Los Alamos National Laboratory and released under license number C17113. This previously reviewed version we will henceforth refer to as PFDD v1.0. PFDD v1.0 consisted of 2 codes (one parallel and one serial) plus input files, all written in the C language. This new disclosure is addressing the next versions of the PFDD, versions 2.x. There have been several enhancements of PFDD v1.0, which are described here and included in the attached code, which we will refer to as PFDD v2.0. There are also several new features described here that are either planned or already in process and are expected to be subsequent releases, i.e., v2.1, v2.2, ...v2.x.

Hunter, Abigail↗

ReaxFF Parameter Set for Boron Clusters and Icosahedral Boron Crystals: Comparison with Density Functional Theory and Machine-Learning Potentials

Icosahedral boron materials, which include regular icosahedra of 12 boron atoms have gained increasing attention due to their potential applications as superhard materials, semiconductors, and energy storage media. However, the synthesis of high quality crystals of these materials has been a major barrier to the development of these applications. To enable computational prediction of synthesis conditions yielding high-quality icosahedral boron crystals, herein we tested and refined a set of ReaxFF parameters for the nucleation and growth of such crystals. We focused on matching the relative energies of small boron clusters obtained by density functional theory since such small clusters and similar motifs are likely present in crystal nuclei and at the interface of growing crystals. Using a training set of B 80 clusters, including a low-energy core–shell structure containing a B 12 icosahedron core and a high-energy single-shell structure produced in preliminary ReaxFF simulations, the ReaxFF parameter set was refined to better reproduce energies calculated by density functional theory (DFT). Among existing ReaxFF parameter sets and the machine-learning interatomic potentials MACE-MP-0, MACE-MP-0b3, MACE-MPA-0, PFP v7.0.0, and SevenNet-MF-ompa, only our new parameter set and PFP v7.0.0 correctly ranked these B 80 clusters. This refinement led to improved agreement with DFT for a test set of 58 clusters consisting of 8–103 boron atoms. Furthermore, our refined parameter set yielded greater local icosahedral structure than the previously existing ReaxFF parameter set for larger scale simulations of crystallization from supercooled liquid boron. Additionally, simulations of solid boron in contact with molten nickel using our refined ReaxFF parameters yielded a boron solubility value that agrees moderately well with experimental expectations, while the previous boron parameters gave a value that was much too low.

boron↗

Ferrotorryweiserite, Rh 5 Fe 10 S 16 , a New Mineral Species from the Sisim Placer Zone, Eastern Sayans, Russia, and the Torryweiserite–Ferrotorryweiserite Series

Ferrotorryweiserite, Rh 5 Fe 10 S 16 , occurs as small grains (≤20 µm) among droplet-like inclusions (up to 50 μm in diameter) of platinum-group minerals (PGM), in association with oberthürite or Rh-bearing pentlandite, laurite, and a Pt-Pd-Fe alloy (likely isoferroplatinum and Fe-Pd-enriched platinum), hosted by placer grains of Os-Ir alloy (≤0.5 mm) in the River Ko deposit. The latter is a part of the Sisim placer zone, which is likely derived from ultramafic units of the Lysanskiy layered complex, southern Krasnoyarskiy kray, Russia. The mineral is opaque, gray to brownish gray in reflected light, very weakly bireflectant, not pleochroic to weakly pleochroic (grayish to light brown tints), and weakly anisotropic. The calculated density is 5.93 g·cm –3 . Mean results (and ranges) of four WDS analyses are: Ir 18.68 (15.55–21.96), Rh 18.34 (16.32–20.32), Pt 0.64 (0.19–1.14), Ru 0.03 (0.00–0.13), Os 0.07 (0.02–0.17), Fe 14.14 (13.63–14.64), Ni 13.63 (12.58–14.66), Cu 4.97 (3.42–6.41), Co 0.09 (0.07–0.11), S 29.06 (28.48–29.44), and total 99.66 wt.%. They correspond to the following formula calculated for a total of 31 atoms per formula unit: (Rh 3.16 Ir 1.72 Pt 0.06 Ru 0.01 Os 0.01 ) Σ 4.95 (Fe 4.48 Ni 4.11 Cu 1.38 Co 0.03 ) Σ10.00 S 16.05 . The results of synchrotron micro-Laue diffraction studies indicate that ferrotorryweiserite is trigonal; its probable space group is $R\bar{3}m$ (#166) based on its Ni-analog, torryweiserite. The unit-cell parameters refined from 177 reflections are a = 7.069 (2) Å, c = 34.286 (11) Å, V = 1484 (1) Å 3 , and Z = 3. The c:a ratio is 4.8502. The strongest eight peaks in the X-ray diffraction pattern derived from results of micro-Laue diffraction study [d in Å(hkil)(I)] are 2.7950 ($20\bar{2}5$) (100); 5.7143 (0006) (60); 1.7671 ($22\bar{4}0$) (44.4); 3.0486 ($20\bar{2}1$) (39.4); 5.7650 ($10\bar{1}2$) (38.6); 2.5956 ($20\bar{2}7$) (37.8); 3.0058 ($11\bar{2}6$) (36.5); and 1.5029 ($4\bar{2}\bar{2}12$) (35.3). Ferrotorryweiserite and the associated PGM crystallized from microvolumes of residual melt at late stages of crystallization of grains of Os- and Ir-dominant alloys occurred in lode zones of chromitites of the Lysanskiy layered complex. In a particular case, the residual melt is disposed peripherally around a core containing a disequilibrium association of magnesian olivine (Fo 72.9–75.6 ) and albite (Ab 81.6–86.4 ), with the development of skeletal crystals of titaniferous augite: Wo 40.8–43.2 En 26.5–29.3 Fs 20.3–22.6 Aeg 6.9–9.5 (2.82–3.12 wt.% TiO 2 ). Ferrotorryweiserite represents the Fe-dominant analog of torryweiserite. We also report occurrences of ferrotorryweiserite in the Marathon deposit, Coldwell Complex, Ontario, Canada, and infer the existence of the torryweiserite–ferrotorryweiserite solid solution in other deposits and complexes.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Fragile-to-strong transition in liquid As 2 S 3 under pressure: The effect of melt metallization

The well-known classification of glass-forming melts into fragile and strong liquids has several notable exceptions, including water, silica, and certain phase-change materials (PCMs). These exceptional fluid systems exhibit a fragile-to-strong transition (FST) upon cooling: a transformation from a high-temperature liquid with fast atomic dynamics, low viscosity, and low flow activation energy, to a viscous supercooled melt with high energy barriers near the glass transition temperature T g . This behavior is critically important for non-volatile memories, photonic tensor cores, reconfigurable metamaterials, and other devices, that use PCMs, enabling nanosecond-scale crystallization in the fragile regime and long data retention in the strong regime near or below T g . A significant structural transformation is expected between these two viscosity regimes, along with a semiconductor-metal (SC-M) transition upon heating, driven by high internal pressure and associated density increase. By applying high external pressure to the canonical low-conducting chalcogenide melt As 2 S 3 , we observed both the FST and the SC-M transition, occurring simultaneously within the same domain of the P, T−phase space. These findings suggest that the FST is not limited to a few exceptional liquids but is a common phenomenon, at least in systems that exhibit melt metallization within specific regions of their P, T−phase diagrams.

first-principles molecular dynamics↗

Electrical conductivities of (Mg,Fe)O at extreme pressures and implications for planetary magma oceans

During planet formation, planets undergo many impacts that can generate magma oceans. When these crystallize, part of the magma densifies via iron enrichment and migrates to the core–mantle boundary, forming an iron-rich basal magma ocean (BMO). The BMO could generate a dynamo in early Earth and super-Earths if the electrical conductivity of the BMO, which is thought to be sensitive to its Fe content, is sufficiently high. To test this hypothesis, here we conduct laser-driven shock experiments on ferropericlase (Mg x ,Fe 1−x )O (0.95 ≤ x ≤ 1) as an Fe-rich BMO analogue, perform density functional theory molecular dynamics simulations on MgO and calculate the long-term evolution of super-Earths. We find that the d.c. conductivities of MgO and (Mg,Fe)O are indistinguishable between 467 GPa and 1,400 GPa, despite previous predictions. Here, we predict that super-Earths larger than 3–6 Earth masses can produce BMO-driven dynamos that are almost one order of magnitude stronger than core-driven dynamos for several billion years.

Exoplanets↗

ADP enhances the allosteric activation of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase by calmodulin

Protein translation, one of the most energy-consumptive processes in a eukaryotic cell, requires robust regulation, especially under energy-deprived conditions. A critical component of this regulation is the suppression of translational elongation through reduced ribosome association of the GTPase eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF-2) resulting from its specific phosphorylation by the calmodulin (CaM)-activated α–kinase eEF-2 kinase (eEF-2K). It has been suggested that the eEF-2K response to reduced cellular energy levels is indirect and mediated by the universal energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) through direct stimulatory phosphorylation and/or downregulation of the eEF-2K-inhibitory nutrient-sensing mTOR pathway. Here, we provide structural, biochemical, and cell-biological evidence of a direct energy-sensing role of eEF-2K through its stimulation by ADP. A crystal structure of the nucleotide-bound complex between CaM and the functional core of eEF-2K phosphorylated at its primary stimulatory site (T348) reveals ADP bound at a unique pocket located on the face opposite that housing the kinase active site. Within this basic pocket (BP), created at the CaM/eEF-2K interface upon complex formation, ADP is stabilized through numerous interactions with both interacting partners. Biochemical analyses using wild-type eEF-2K and specific BP mutants indicate that ADP stabilizes CaM within the active complex, increasing the sensitivity of the kinase to CaM. Induction of energy stress through glycolysis inhibition results in significantly reduced enhancement of phosphorylated eEF-2 levels in cells expressing ADP-binding compromised BP mutants compared to cells expressing wild-type eEF-2K. These results suggest a direct energy-sensing role for eEF-2K through its cooperative interaction with CaM and ADP.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Structure of Pseudomonas aeruginosa spermidine dehydrogenase: a polyamine oxidase with a novel heme‐binding fold

The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa can utilize polyamines (including putrescine, cadaverine, 4‐aminobutyrate, spermidine, and spermine) as its sole source of carbon and nitrogen. Spermidine dehydrogenase (SpdH) is a component of one of the two polyamine utilization pathways identified in P . aeruginosa , but little is known about its structure and function. Here, we report the first crystal structure of SpdH from P . aeruginosa to 1.85 Å resolution. The resulting core structure confirms that SpdH belongs to the polyamine oxidase (PAO) family with flavin‐binding and substrate‐binding domains. A unique N‐terminal extension wraps around the flavin‐binding domain of SpdH and is required for heme binding, placing a heme cofactor in close proximity to the FAD cofactor. Structural and mutational analysis reveals that residues in the putative active site at the re side of the FAD isoalloxazine ring form part of the catalytic machinery. PaSpdH features an unusual active site and lacks the conserved lysine that forms part of a lysine–water–flavin N5 atom interaction in other PAO enzymes characterized to date. Mutational analysis further confirms that heme is required for catalytic activity. This work provides an important starting point for understanding the role of SpdH, which occurs universally in P . aeruginosa strains, in polyamine metabolism.

Che, Shiyou↗