介质颗粒在尘埃等离子体金属棘轮中的运动

通过实验研究了等离子体环境中金属棘轮对介质尘埃颗粒的整流过程.单分散聚苯乙烯颗粒悬浮在处于等离子体环境中的金属棘轮通道内,通过调节气压和放电功率实现了对颗粒的整流,颗粒在锯齿通道内做可控性定向运动.实验中只观察到颗粒的逆向运动.由于金属棘轮电势低,其表面较厚的鞘层对颗粒形成较强的约束,颗粒受到的非平衡切向离子拖曳合力更大,这将引起颗粒更快的定向运动.实验结果为建立尘埃等离子体棘轮模型奠定基础.     

Asymmetric pores in a silicon membrane acting as massively parallel brownian ratchets

The brownian motion of mesoscopic particles is ubiquitous and usually random. But in systems with periodic asymmetric barriers to movement, directed or 'rectified' motion can arise and may even modulate some biological processes. In man-made devices, brownian ratchets and variants based on optical or quantum effects have been exploited to induce directed motion, and the dependence of the amplitude of motion on particle size has led to the size-dependent separation of biomolecules. Here we demonstrate that the one-dimensional pores of a macroporous silicon membrane, etched to exhibit a periodic asymmetric variation in pore diameter, can act as massively parallel and multiply stacked brownian ratchets that are potentially suitable for large-scale particle separations. We show that applying a periodic pressure profile with a mean value of zero to a basin separated by such a membrane induces a periodic flow of water and suspended particles through the pores, resulting in a net motion of the particles from one side of the membrane to the other without moving the liquid itself. We find that the experimentally observed pressure dependence of the particle transport, including an inversion of the transport direction, agrees with calculations of the transport properties in the type of ratchet devices used here.     

二维Josephson结阵列的钉扎及棘轮效应

利用电阻分流结动力学数值模拟了二维Josephson结阵列在六角点阵钉扎下系统的磁通分布,通过测量钉扎强度-电压关系,得到该超导系统的电阻随着钉扎强度增加而减小的规律.同时进一步研究了三角状的非对称钉扎势所产生的棘轮效应.     

不对称电极上尘埃等离子体颗粒分布

针对不对称电极射频(radio frequency, RF)辉光放电,通过构建二维尘埃等离子体鞘层模型,研究了不对称电极附近鞘层电势和电子密度等参量分布,并对鞘层中的颗粒进行受力分析,研究了尘埃颗粒在鞘层中的分布特征.结果表明：不对称电极鞘层附近电势具有棘轮势特点,颗粒受鞘层电场约束悬浮在鞘层内,其所在平衡位置处的电势呈现不对称周期性变化.通过对比不同大小的颗粒,发现小颗粒悬浮在鞘层较高位置成链状分布,大颗粒的平衡高度靠近极板,被“钉”到不对称电极产生的势阱中.     

Direct observation of second-order atom tunnelling

Tunnelling of material particles through a classically impenetrable barrier constitutes one of the hallmark effects of quantum physics. When interactions between the particles compete with their mobility through a tunnel junction, intriguing dynamical behaviour can arise because the particles do not tunnel independently. In single-electron or Bloch transistors, for example, the tunnelling of an electron or Cooper pair can be enabled or suppressed by the presence of a second charge carrier due to Coulomb blockade. Here we report direct, time-resolved observations of the correlated tunnelling of two interacting ultracold atoms through a barrier in a double-well potential. For the regime in which the interactions between the atoms are weak and tunnel coupling dominates, individual atoms can tunnel independently, similar to the case of a normal Josephson junction. However, when strong repulsive interactions are present, two atoms located on one side of the barrier cannot separate, but are observed to tunnel together as a pair in a second-order co-tunnelling process. By recording both the atom position and phase coherence over time, we fully characterize the tunnelling process for a single atom as well as the correlated dynamics of a pair of atoms for weak and strong interactions. In addition, we identify a conditional tunnelling regime in which a single atom can only tunnel in the presence of a second particle, acting as a single atom switch. Such second-order tunnelling events, which are the dominating dynamical effect in the strongly interacting regime, have not been previously observed with ultracold atoms. Similar second-order processes form the basis of superexchange interactions between atoms on neighbouring lattice sites of a periodic potential, a central component of proposals for realizing quantum magnetism.     

The total synthesis of (-)-cyanthiwigin F by means of double catalytic enantioselective alkylation

Double catalytic enantioselective transformations are powerful synthetic methods that can facilitate the construction of stereochemically complex molecules in a single operation. In addition to generating two or more stereocentres in a single reaction, multiple asymmetric reactions also impart increased enantiomeric excess to the final product in comparison with the analogous single transformation. Furthermore, multiple asymmetric operations have the potential to independently construct several stereocentres at remote points within the same molecular scaffold, rather than relying on pre-existing chiral centres that are proximal to the reactive site. Despite the inherent benefits of multiple catalytic enantioselective reactions, their application to natural product total synthesis remains largely underutilized. Here we report the use of a double stereoablative enantioselective alkylation reaction in a concise synthesis of the marine diterpenoid (-)-cyanthiwigin F (ref. 8). By employing a technique for independent, selective formation of two stereocentres in a single stereoconvergent operation, we demonstrate that a complicated mixture of racemic and meso diastereomers may be smoothly converted to a synthetically useful intermediate with exceptional enantiomeric excess. The stereochemical information generated by means of this catalytic transformation facilitates the easy and rapid completion of the total synthesis of this marine natural product.     

Fitness of RNA virus decreased by Muller's ratchet

Why sex exists remains an unsolved problem in biology. If mutations are on the average deleterious, a high mutation rate can account for the evolution of sex. One form of this mutational hypothesis is Muller's ratchet. If the mutation rate is high, mutation-free individuals become rare and they can be lost by genetic drift in small populations. In asexual populations, as Muller noted, the loss is irreversible and the load of deleterious mutations increases in a ratchet-like manner with the successive loss of the least-mutated individuals. Sex can be advantageous because it increases the fitness of sexual populations by re-creating mutation-free individuals from mutated individuals and stops (or slows) Muller's ratchet. Although Muller's ratchet is an appealing hypothesis, it has been investigated and documented experimentally in only one group of organisms--ciliated protozoa. I initiated a study to examine the role of Muller's ratchet on the evolution of sex in RNA viruses and report here a significant decrease in fitness due to Muller's ratchet in 20 lineages of the RNA bacteriophage phi 6. These results show that deleterious mutations are generated at a sufficiently high rate to advance Muller's ratchet in an RNA virus and that beneficial, backward and compensatory mutations cannot stop the ratchet in the observed range of fitness decrease.     

Mesoscopic superconductor as a ballistic quantum switch.

Several key experiments have revealed a rich variety of vortex structures in mesoscopic superconductors in which only a few quanta of magnetic flux are trapped: these structures are polygon-like vortex 'molecules' and multi-quanta giant vortices. Ginzburg-Landau calculations confirmed second-order phase transitions between the giant vortex states and stable molecule-like configurations. Here we study theoretically the electronic structure and the related phase-coherent transport properties of such mesoscopic superconductor systems. The quasiparticle excitations in the vortices form coherent quantum-mechanical states that offer the possibility of controlling the phase-coherent transport through the sample by changing the number of trapped flux quanta and their configuration. The sample conductance measured in the direction of the applied magnetic field is determined by the transparency of multi-vortex configurations, which form a set of quantum channels. The transmission coefficient for each channel is controlled by multiple Andreev reflections within the vortex cores and at the sample edge. These interference phenomena result in a stepwise behaviour of the conductance as a function of the applied magnetic field, and we propose to exploit this effect to realize a vortex-based quantum switch where the magnetic field plays the role of the gate voltage.     

A molecular information ratchet

Motor proteins and other biological machines are highly efficient at converting energy into directed motion and driving chemical systems away from thermodynamic equilibrium. But even though these biological structures have inspired the design of many molecules that mimic aspects of their behaviour, artificial nanomachine systems operate almost exclusively by moving towards thermodynamic equilibrium, not away from it. Here we show that information about the location of a macrocycle in a rotaxane-a molecular ring threaded onto a molecular axle-can be used, on the input of light energy, to alter the kinetics of the shuttling of the macrocycle between two compartments on the axle. For an ensemble of such molecular machines, the macrocycle distribution is directionally driven away from its equilibrium value without ever changing the relative binding affinities of the ring for the different parts of the axle. The selective transport of particles between two compartments by brownian motion in this way bears similarities to the hypothetical task performed without an energy input by a 'demon' in Maxwell's famous thought experiment. Our observations demonstrate that synthetic molecular machines can operate by an information ratchet mechanism, in which knowledge of a particle's position is used to control its transport away from equilibrium.     

Active phase compensation of quantum key distribution system

Quantum key distribution （QKD） system must be robust enough in practical communication. Besides birefringence of fiber, system performance is notably affected by phase drift. The Faraday-Michelson QKD system can auto-compensate the birefringence of fiber, but phase shift is still a serious problem in its practical operation. In this paper, the major reason of phase drift and its effect on Faraday- Michelson QKD system is analyzed and an effective active phase compensation scheme is proposed. By this means, we demonstrate a quantum key distribution system which can stably run over 37-km fiber in practical working condition with the long-time averaged quantum bit error rate of 1.59% and the standard derivation of 0.46%. This result shows that the active phase compensation scheme is suitable to be used in practical QKD systems based on double asymmetric interferometers without additional devices and thermal controller.     

一种内置旋流叶片的旋风分离器性能数值研究

提出了一种新的高效旋风分离器构造,在传统分离器的内外涡旋交界面上添加一组与气流旋转方向相同的旋流叶片,来阻挡含尘气流中的颗粒进入内涡旋区.基于计算流体力学(CFD),采用雷诺应力模型和离散相的随机轨道模型来计算分离器的气固两相流,并用试验数据验证了计算模型的正确性;通过数值计算分析、比较了添加旋流叶片前后的分离器性能,对旋流叶片进行了性能优化.结果显示,与传统分离器相比,添加旋流叶片能够使分割粒径减小60%～70%,有效地提高了分离效率,而压降仅增加19.3%,且旋流叶片对于小粒径、小密度颗粒的分离效率提升更为显著.     

Biomechanics: hydrodynamic function of the shark's tail

The tail of most sharks has an elongated upper lobe that differs from the externally symmetrical tail structure common among bony fishes, but the hydrodynamic purpose of this asymmetric tail shape is unclear. Here we quantify water flow patterns in the wakes of freely swimming dogfish sharks and find that they have a ring-within-a-ring vortex structure, in contrast to the single rings shed by symmetrical fish tails. The branched-ring vortex is generated by the inclined angle of the tail's trailing edge and by its motion at an angle to the horizontal body axis; the vortex directs water backwards and downwards, which may increase the shark's vertical manoeuvrability.     

Vortices and superfluidity in a strongly interacting Fermi gas

Quantum degenerate Fermi gases provide a remarkable opportunity to study strongly interacting fermions. In contrast to other Fermi systems, such as superconductors, neutron stars or the quark-gluon plasma of the early Universe, these gases have low densities and their interactions can be precisely controlled over an enormous range. Previous experiments with Fermi gases have revealed condensation of fermion pairs. Although these and other studies were consistent with predictions assuming superfluidity, proof of superfluid behaviour has been elusive. Here we report observations of vortex lattices in a strongly interacting, rotating Fermi gas that provide definitive evidence for superfluidity. The interaction and therefore the pairing strength between two 6Li fermions near a Feshbach resonance can be controlled by an external magnetic field. This allows us to explore the crossover from a Bose-Einstein condensate of molecules to a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superfluid of loosely bound pairs. The crossover is associated with a new form of superfluidity that may provide insights into high-transition-temperature superconductors.     

二维硬球系统的合作定向输运

研究了确定性周期闪烁棘齿势下欠阻尼的二维硬球系统的合作定向输运问题.结果表明,硬球之间的碰撞有利于定向输运,输运速度与硬球半径有关,因而该模型可用于粒子分离.     

两相流方柱绕流的离散涡模拟

运用离散涡方法对流体的方柱绕流进行了数值模拟,对涡团与颗粒相互作用条件下的流固两相绕流进行了计算,并探讨了不同初始位置处颗粒运动对尾流的形成所起的作用.研究表明,尾流中聚积的颗粒主要来源于方柱两侧,来流中夹杂的颗粒多与方柱两侧涡团作用并在方柱两侧聚积.模拟方法将对航天领域中非线性剥蚀问题的解决具有促进作用.     

纵向涡发生器在翅片管束中的位置优化

采用经过验证的层流模型,对带纵向涡发生器的单排翅片管束的流动换热进行建模分析,就距离圆心4种距离、5种角度的纵向涡发生器对翅片管束性能的影响机理展开分析,发现涡发生器对翅片管束的作用表现在翅片上弱换热区大小的改变和沿流动方向涡量强度的改变两个方面.涡发生器能够推迟圆柱绕流的分离点进而减小管后弱换热区,同时能够利用较大涡量的主涡使局部核心区的流体混合,提高流体的温度梯度.对比结果表明,在雷诺数范围为600～2 600,对单排圆管翅片管束而言,涡发生器相对翅片管束圆管中心为130°同时离圆心相对距离为1.36时效果最好,综合性能指标提高7%～30%;对于两排翅片圆管管束,顺排和叉排都在第二排涡发生器角度为120°时效果最好,综合性能指标提高分别可达15%和28%.     

适于无源阵列跟踪的粒子滤波交互多模型算法

针对无源阵列被动跟踪效果较差的问题,融合交互式多模型和粒子滤波方法,提出了一种基于粒子滤波的交互多模型(IMM-PF)算法。该算法采用多模型结构跟踪目标的任意机动;各模型采用粒子滤波算法处理非线性、非高斯问题。各模型中相对固定数目的粒子群经过相互交互、粒子滤波后再进行重抽样以减少滤波退化现象。在交互阶段,对各模型的相应粒子进行输入交互;在滤波阶段,抽取N个采样点,得到估计采样,从而求得估计输出和有关函数;在混合阶段,获得状态向量的后验条件概率密度函数,通过这个后验概率密度便可获得状态向量的估计量。与典型的交互式多模型算法(IMM-KF)进行了比较,计算机仿真结果证实了本文新算法的正确性和有效性。     

Application of interacting multi-model algorithm in gyro signal processing

There is one problem existing in gyroscope signal processing,which is that single models can＇ t adapt to change of carrier maneuvering process.Since it is difficult to identify the angular motion state of gyroscope carriers,interacting multiple model （IMM） is employed here to solve the problem.The Kalman filter-based IMM （IMMKF） algorithm is explained in detail and its application in gyro signal processing is introduced.And with the help of the Singer model,the system model set of gyro outputs is constructed.In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach,static experiment and dynamic experiment are carried out respectively.Simulation analysis results indicate that the IMMKF algorithm is excellent in eliminating gyro drift errors,which could adapt to the change of carrier maneuvering process well.     

磁化等离子体中的涡旋湍流和反常扩散

研究磁化等离子体中短波漂移阿尔芬波涡旋结构．采用涡旋气体动力学模型，估计出等离子体涡旋湍流谱，并求出反常扩散系数．研究结果表明，涡旋湍流产生的反常扩散系数与扰动场振幅的平方根成正比．     

用Monte Carlo方法计算非Gauss噪声的重整流和效率

为提高分子马达的流与效率,用Monte Carlo方法研究了非Gauss噪声驱动的布朗粒子在闪烁棘轮势场中的流和效率。在无势情况下,粒子向两边对称地自由扩散,其分布密度函数偏离Gauss分布,存在一个长拖尾或大随机力分布被截断;当势恢复后,不对称的棘轮势将无规扩散整流成定向输运流。结果表明:棘轮势整流非Gauss噪声驱动的布朗马达,能获得比Gauss噪声情况大很多的流和效率;而且随着噪声参数的变化,流能发生反向现象。