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At least 127 records · Page 7

100th Anniversary of Macromolecular Science Viewpoint: Fundamentals for the Future of Macromolecular Nitroxide Radicals

Macromolecular radicals, radical polymers, and polyradicals bear unique functionalities derived from their pendant radical groups. Here, the increasing need for organic functional materials is driving the growth in research interest in macromolecular radicals for batteries, electronics, memory, and imaging. This Viewpoint summarizes the current state-of-knowledge regarding the macromolecular nitroxide radicals’ redox mechanism, conductivity, chain conformation, controlled polymerization, network structure, conjugated forms, and applications. The nitroxide radical group is the focus because it is the most widely studied. Although most literature focuses upon applications, an emerging body of work is highlighting the fundamental physicochemical properties of macromolecular radicals. To this end, this Viewpoint recommends areas of opportunity in fundamental studies and best practices in reporting.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Future precipitation increase constrained by climatological pattern of cloud effect

The fractional increase in global mean precipitation (?P ¯/P ¯) is a first-order measure of the hydrological cycle intensification under anthropogenic warming. However, ?P ¯/P ¯ varies by a factor of more than three among model projections, hindering credible assessments of the associated climate impacts. The uncertainty in ?P ¯/P ¯ stems from uncertainty in both hydrological sensitivity (global mean precipitation increase per unit warming) and climate sensitivity (global mean temperature increase per forcing). Here, by investigating hydrological and climate sensitivities in a unified surface-energy-balance perspective, we find that both sensitivities are significantly correlated with surface shortwave cloud feedback, which is further linked to the climatological pattern of cloud shortwave effect. The observed pattern of cloud effect thus constrains both sensitivities and consequently constrains ?P ¯/P ¯. The 5%-95% uncertainty range of ?P ¯/P ¯ from 1979-2005 to 2080-2100 under the high-emission (moderate-emission) scenario is constrained from 6.34±3.53% (4.19±2.28%) in the raw ensemble-model projection to 7.03±2.59% (4.63±1.71%). The constraint thus suggests a higher most-likely ?P ¯/P ¯ and reduces the uncertainty by ~25%, providing valuable information for impact assessments.

Zhou, Wenyu↗

Global energetics and local physics as drivers of past, present and future monsoons

Global constraints on momentum and energy govern the variability of the rainfall belt in the intertropical convergence zone and the structure of the zonal mean tropical circulation. The continental-scale monsoon systems are also facets of a momentum- and energy-constrained global circulation, but their modern and palaeo variability deviates substantially from that of the intertropical convergence zone. The mechanisms underlying deviations from expectations based on the longitudinal mean budgets are neither fully understood nor simulated accurately. We argue that a framework grounded in global constraints on energy and momentum yet encompassing the complexities of monsoon dynamics is needed to identify the causes of the mismatch between theory, models and observations, and ultimately to improve regional climate projections. In a first step towards this goal, disparate regional processes must be distilled into gross measures of energy flow in and out of continents and between the surface and the tropopause, so that monsoon dynamics may be coherently diagnosed across modern and palaeo observations and across idealized and comprehensive simulations. Accounting for zonal asymmetries in the circulation, land/ocean differences in surface fluxes, and the character of convective systems, such a monsoon framework would integrate our understanding at all relevant scales: from the fine details of how moisture and energy are lifted in the updrafts of thunderclouds, up to the global circulations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics: existing capabilities and future directions

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics provides a means for identification, characterization, and quantification of biomolecules that are integral components of the processes essential for life. Characterization of proteins present in a biological system at the proteome and sub-proteomes (e.g., the phosphoproteome, proteoglycome, or degradome/peptidome) levels provides a foundation for understanding fundamental aspects as well as potentially a range of translational applications. Emerging technologies such as ion mobility separations coupled with mass spectrometry and microchip-based - proteome measurements combined with continued enhancement of MS instrumentation and separation techniques, such as reversed phase liquid chromatography and potentially capillary electrophoresis, show great promise for both broad undirected as well as targeted measurements and will be critical for e.g., the proteome-wide characterization of post translational modifications and identification, or the verification, and validation of potential biomarkers of disease. MS-based proteomics is also increasingly demonstrating great potential for contributing to our understanding of the dynamics, reactions, and roles proteins and peptides play advancing our understanding of biology on a system wide level for a wide range of applications, from investigations of microbial communities, bioremediation, and human health and disease states alike.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Atomic data of tungsten for current and future uses in fusion and plasma science

Atomic physics has played an important role throughout the history of experimental plasma physics. For example, accurate knowledge of atomic properties has been crucial for understanding the plasma energy balance and for diagnostic development. With the shift in magnetic fusion research toward high-temperature burning plasmas like those expected to be produced in the ITER tokamak, the atomic physics of tungsten has become important. Tungsten will be a constituent of ITER plasmas because of its use as a plasma-facing material able to withstand high heat loads with lower tritium retention than other possible materials. Already, ITER diagnostics are being developed based on using tungsten radiation. In particular, the ITER Core Imaging X-ray Spectrometer (CIXS), which is designed to measure the core ion temperature and bulk plasma motion, is being based on the x-ray emission of neonlike tungsten ions (W{sup 64+}). In addition, tungsten emission will at ITER be measured by extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and optical spectrometers to determine its concentration in the plasma and to assess power loss and tungsten sputtering rates. On present-day tokamaks tungsten measurements are therefore being performed in preparation of ITER. Tungsten has very complex spectra and most are still unknown. The WOLFRAM project at Livermore aims to produce data for tungsten in various spectral bands: Lshell x-ray emission for CIXS development, soft x-ray and EUV M- and N-shell tungsten emission for understanding the edge radiation from ITER plasmas as well as from contemporary tokamaks, and O-shell emission for developing spectral diagnostics of the ITER divertor.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Spin pumping and inverse spin Hall effects—Insights for future spin-orbitronics (invited)

Quantification of spin-charge interconversion has become increasingly important in the fast-developing field of spin-orbitronics. Pure spin current generated by spin pumping acts as a sensitive probe for many bulk and interface spin-orbit effects, which has been indispensable for the discovery of many promising new spin-orbit materials. We apply spin pumping and inverse spin Hall effect experiments, as a useful metrology, and study spin-orbit effects in a variety of metals and metal interfaces. We quantify the spin Hall effects in Ir and W using the conventional bilayer structures and discuss the self-induced voltage in a single layer of ferromagnetic permalloy. Finally, we extend our discussions to multilayer structures and quantitatively reveal the spin current flow in two consecutive normal metal layers.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Future long-baseline neutrino oscillations: View from North America

In late 2012 the US Department of Energy gave approval for the first phase of the Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) that will conduct a broad scientific program including neutrino oscillations, neutrino scattering physics, search for baryon violation, supernova burst neutrinos and other related astrophysical phenomena. The project is now being reformulated as an international facility hosted by the United States. The facility will consist of an intense neutrino beam produced at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), a highly capable set of neutrino detectors on the Fermilab campus, and a large underground liquid argon time projection chamber at Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in South Dakota 1300 km from Fermilab. With an intense beam and massive far detector, the experimental program at the facility will make detailed studies of neutrino oscillations, including measurements of the neutrino mass hierarchy and Charge-Parity symmetry violation, by measuring neutrino and anti-neutrino mixing separately. At the near site, the high-statistics neutrino scattering data will allow for many cross section measurements and precision tests of the Standard Model. This presentation will describe the configuration developed by the LBNE collaboration, the broad physics program, and the status of the formation of the international facility.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Mobile Néel skyrmions at room temperature: status and future

Magnetic skyrmions are topologically protected spin textures that exhibit many fascinating features. As compared to the well-studied cryogenic Bloch skyrmions in bulk materials, we focus on the room-temperature Néel skyrmions in thin-film systems with an interfacial broken inversion symmetry in this article. Specifically, we show the stabilization, the creation, and the implementation of Néel skyrmions that are enabled by the electrical current-induced spin-orbit torques. Towards the nanoscale Néel skyrmions, we further discuss the challenges from both material optimization and imaging characterization perspectives.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Spin Hall effects in metallic antiferromagnets – perspectives for future spin-orbitronics

We investigate angular dependent spin-orbit torques from the spin Hall effect in a metallic antiferromagnet using the spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance technique. The large spin Hall effect exists in PtMn, a prototypical CuAu-I-type metallic antiferromagnet. By applying epitaxial growth, we previously reported an appreciable difference in spin-orbit torques for c- and a-axis orientated samples, implying anisotropic effects in magnetically ordered materials. In this work we demonstrate through bipolar-magnetic-field experiments a small but noticeable asymmetric behavior in the spin-transfer-torque that appears as a hysteresis effect. We also suggest that metallic antiferromagnets may be good candidates for the investigation of various unidirectional effects related to novel spin-orbitronics phenomena.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

The future of the Higgs boson

Experimentalists and theorists are still celebrating the Nobel-worthy discovery of the Higgs boson that was announced in July 2012 at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. Now they are working on the profound implications of that discovery.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

The future of electron microscopy

Modern transmission electron microscopes can image individual atoms and molecules. But to unlock new science, the next generation of instruments must look beyond just higher spatial resolution.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Observational consistency and future predictions for a 3.5 keV ALP to photon line

Motivated by the possibility of explaining the 3.5 keV line through dark matter decaying to axion-like particles that subsequently convert to photons, we study ALP-photon conversion for sightlines passing within 50 pc of the galactic centre. Conversion depends on the galactic centre magnetic field which is highly uncertain. For fields at low or mid-range of observational estimates (10–100 μG), no observable signal is possible. For fields at the high range of observational estimates (a pervasive poloidal mG field over the central 150 pc) it is possible to generate sufficient signal to explain recent observations of a 3.5 keV line in the galactic centre. In this scenario, the galactic centre line signal comes predominantly from the region with z>20pc, reconciling the results from the Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray telescopes. The dark matter to ALP to photon scenario also naturally predicts the non-observation of the 3.5 keV line in stacked galaxy spectra. We further explore predictions for the line flux in galaxies and suggest a set of galaxies that is optimised for observing the 3.5 keV line in this model.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Measuring galaxy cluster masses with CMB lensing using a Maximum Likelihood estimator: statistical and systematic error budgets for future experiments

We develop a Maximum Likelihood estimator (MLE) to measure the masses of galaxy clusters through the impact of gravitational lensing on the temperature and polarization anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). We show that, at low noise levels in temperature, this optimal estimator outperforms the standard quadratic estimator by a factor of two. For polarization, we show that the Stokes Q/U maps can be used instead of the traditional E- and B-mode maps without losing information. We test and quantify the bias in the recovered lensing mass for a comprehensive list of potential systematic errors. Using realistic simulations, we examine the cluster mass uncertainties from CMB-cluster lensing as a function of an experiment’s beam size and noise level. We predict the cluster mass uncertainties will be 3 - 6% for SPT-3G, AdvACT, and Simons Array experiments with 10,000 clusters and less than 1% for the CMB-S4 experiment with a sample containing 100,000 clusters. The mass constraints from CMB polarization are very sensitive to the experimental beam size and map noise level: for a factor of three reduction in either the beam size or noise level, the lensing signal-to-noise improves by roughly a factor of two.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗