Weighing of biomolecules, single cells and single nanoparticles in fluid

Nanomechanical resonators enable the measurement of mass with extraordinary sensitivity. Previously, samples as light as 7 zeptograms (1 zg = 10(-21) g) have been weighed in vacuum, and proton-level resolution seems to be within reach. Resolving small mass changes requires the resonator to be light and to ring at a very pure tone-that is, with a high quality factor. In solution, viscosity severely degrades both of these characteristics, thus preventing many applications in nanotechnology and the life sciences where fluid is required. Although the resonant structure can be designed to minimize viscous loss, resolution is still substantially degraded when compared to measurements made in air or vacuum. An entirely different approach eliminates viscous damping by placing the solution inside a hollow resonator that is surrounded by vacuum. Here we demonstrate that suspended microchannel resonators can weigh single nanoparticles, single bacterial cells and sub-monolayers of adsorbed proteins in water with sub-femtogram resolution (1 Hz bandwidth). Central to these results is our observation that viscous loss due to the fluid is negligible compared to the intrinsic damping of our silicon crystal resonator. The combination of the low resonator mass (100 ng) and high quality factor (15,000) enables an improvement in mass resolution of six orders of magnitude over a high-end commercial quartz crystal microbalance. This gives access to intriguing applications, such as mass-based flow cytometry, the direct detection of pathogens, or the non-optical sizing and mass density measurement of colloidal particles.     

基于高拉伸度遗传算法的相关干涉仪测向算法

针对相关干涉仪测向中相位差模糊导致的强非线性问题,提出一种基于高拉伸度的改进遗传算法,该算法以遗传算法中择优选取机制为基础,通过定义拉伸度,根据相关干涉仪测向中相关函数及其对自变量的偏导数在目标方向附近均趋近于0的特性,设计新的适应度函数,增大全局最大值附近适应度函数的拉伸度,扩大与其他方向的适应度的差距,从而实现对选取机制的优化。仿真实验表明,该算法复杂度低,当测向精度基本相同时,测向时间约为网格法的1/600,且具有良好的适用性,可以广泛应用于其他求解最大值的问题中。     

金坛盐穴储气库畸形对盐腔体积影响

金坛盐穴储气库属于层状盐岩型储气库，建设过程中经常出现腔体畸形、偏溶现象，严重降低盐腔有效体积。研究腔体畸形对盐腔体积的影响规律，并在造腔过程中加以控制，将有助于加快库容工作气形成。结合金坛盐穴储气库实际盐腔情况，分析了腔体畸形、偏溶和底坑形状对盐腔有效体积的影响，并根据其形成原因给出了相应解决措施。结果表明，金坛盐穴储气库畸形、偏溶腔体约占总数的30%，畸形系数（11.8~90.1）×10^-3，畸形系数越大盐层利用率越低；畸形导致横截面为椭圆形，且不同深度的腔体直径差别较大，使腔体周围盐层利用率降低；偏溶使井间矿柱宽度过低，矿柱比减小，腔体直径受限，腔体积严重降低；底坑形状可分为“V”形、“一”形、“\”形、“A”形4种，其注气排卤效率依次降低，其中，“\”形、“A”形最不利盐腔空间利用，严重降低储气体积。对于腔体畸形可采用的控制手段有降低排量、采用正循环、天然气阻溶回溶等技术。对于偏溶可采用预测偏溶方向合理设计井位、降低矿柱比增加腔体直径等措施。底坑畸形尚无有效控制手段和提高注气排卤措施。该研究为后期腔体形状控制和提高盐腔体积奠定了理论基础，将有助于加快金坛盐穴储气库建设速度。