Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort:
Hottest Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Type:
All Topic Review Biography
Topic Review
Lipid Bilayers on Silicon Substrates
Artificial membranes are models for biological systems that are important for several applications. In the present entry we talk about artificial membranes such as supported lipid bilayers (SLB) and ways to self- assemble them. We mainly focus on the results of a new dry evaporation process in high vacuum, i.e., physical vapor deposition, to make samples of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) on silicon substrates. We have characterized the main phase transitions and adhesion of our SLBs using high-resolution ellipsometry and AFM techniques. The finding of this new SLB fabrication approach is relevant for the understanding the interaction of lipid bilayers in contact with surfaces in dry environments, with the aim to develop new kinds of lab-on-chip bionanosensors. This discovery is especially relevant in the context of the viability of organisms covered with lipid bilayer structures. An example of this kind of interaction occurs between bilayer-protected viruses, e.g., corona viruses, and solid surfaces, allowing the virus to stay active during long periods of time. The prolonged stability of SLBs on dry SiO2/Si substrates detected in our research can explain the long-term stability of some viruses deposited or adsorbed on dry surfaces, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus. 
  • 1.0K
  • 03 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Electrostatic Nuclear Accelerator
An electrostatic nuclear accelerator is one of the two main types of particle accelerators, where charged particles can be accelerated by subjection to a static high voltage potential. The static high voltage method is contrasted with the dynamic fields used in oscillating field particle accelerators. Owing to their simpler design, historically these accelerators were developed earlier. These machines are operated at lower energy than some larger oscillating field accelerators, and to the extent that the energy regime scales with the cost of these machines, in broad terms these machines are less expensive than higher energy machines, and as such they are much more common. Many universities worldwide have electrostatic accelerators for research purposes.
  • 1.0K
  • 25 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Terahertz Technology
The unique features of terahertz radiation in the context of industrial applications are highlighted. The most common terahertz systems and the way they have been applied in the industry are described. The main barriers from wide spread industry adoption and the outlook of terahertz technology are also discussed.
  • 1.0K
  • 01 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Convection
Convection is single or multiphase fluid flow that occurs spontaneously due to the combined effects of material property heterogeneity and body forces on a fluid, most commonly density and gravity (see buoyancy). When the cause of the convection is unspecified, convection due to the effects of thermal expansion and buoyancy can be assumed. Convection may also take place in soft solids or mixtures where particles can flow. Convective flow may be transient (such as when a multiphase mixture of oil and water separates) or steady state (see Convection cell). The convection may be due to gravitational, electromagnetic or fictitious body forces. Heat transfer by natural convection plays a role in the structure of Earth's atmosphere, its oceans, and its mantle. Discrete convective cells in the atmosphere can be identified by clouds, with stronger convection resulting in thunderstorms. Natural convection also plays a role in stellar physics. Convection is often categorised or described by the main effect causing the convective flow, e.g. Thermal convection. Convection cannot take place in most solids because neither bulk current flows nor significant diffusion of matter can take place.
  • 1.0K
  • 02 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Quantum Rayleigh Annihilation of Entangled Photons and Quantum Local Realism
The interpretation of published experimental results intended to prove the existence of a quantum phenomenon of non-locality involving photonic entangled states did not take into consideration the existence of the quantum Rayleigh conversion of photons in dielectric media. This phenomenon leads to the existence of high levels of correlations between two independent photonic and linearly polarized quantum states generated after the entangled photons have been absorbed through the quantum Rayleigh conversion. Both pure and mixed individual states of polarization result in expressions normally associated with entangled photonic states, providing support for the view that the physical reality of quantum non-locality is highly questionable.
  • 1.0K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy
A scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) is a type of transmission electron microscope (TEM). Pronunciation is [stɛm] or [ɛsti:i:ɛm]. As with a conventional transmission electron microscope (CTEM), images are formed by electrons passing through a sufficiently thin specimen. However, unlike CTEM, in STEM the electron beam is focused to a fine spot (with the typical spot size 0.05 – 0.2 nm) which is then scanned over the sample in a raster illumination system constructed so that the sample is illuminated at each point with the beam parallel to the optical axis. The rastering of the beam across the sample makes STEM suitable for analytical techniques such as Z-contrast annular dark-field imaging, and spectroscopic mapping by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, or electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). These signals can be obtained simultaneously, allowing direct correlation of images and spectroscopic data. A typical STEM is a conventional transmission electron microscope equipped with additional scanning coils, detectors, and necessary circuitry, which allows it to switch between operating as a STEM, or a CTEM; however, dedicated STEMs are also manufactured. High-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopes require exceptionally stable room environments. In order to obtain atomic resolution images in STEM, the level of vibration, temperature fluctuations, electromagnetic waves, and acoustic waves must be limited in the room housing the microscope.
  • 1.0K
  • 29 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Measurement of Compact Muon Solenoid Magnetic Field
The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) is a general-purpose detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The goal of CMS experiment is to investigate a wide range of physics, including the search for the Higgs boson, extra dimensions, and particles that could make up dark matter. The CMS magnetic field is provided by a wide-aperture superconducting thin solenoid with a diameter of 6 m and a length of 12.5 m, where a central magnetic flux density of 3.8 T is created by an operational direct current of 18.164 kA.
  • 1.0K
  • 15 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Fully Integrated Photoacoustic NO2 Sensor
A fully integrated photoacoustic nitrogen dioxide (NO2) sensor is developed and demonstrated. In this sensor, an embedded photoacoustic cell was manufactured by using an up-to-date 3D printing technique. A blue laser diode was used as a light source for excitation of photoacoustic wave in the photoacoustic cell. The photoacoustic wave is detected by a sensitive microelectromechanical system (MEMS) microphone. Homemade circuits are integrated into the sensor for laser diode driving and signal processing. The sensor was calibrated by using a chemiluminescence NO–NO2–NOX gas analyzer. And the performance of this sensor was evaluated. The linear relationship between photoacoustic signals and NO2 concentrations was verified in a range of below 202 ppb. The limit of detection was determined to 0.86 ppb with an integration time of 1 s. The corresponding normalized noise equivalent absorption was 2.0 × 10−8 cm−1∙W∙Hz−1/2. The stability and the optimal integration time were evaluated with an Allan deviation analysis, from which a detection limit of 0.25 ppb at the optimal integration time of 240 s was obtained. The sensor was used to measure outdoor air and the results agree with that obtained from the NO–NO2–NOX gas analyzer. The low-cost and portable photoacoustic NO2 sensor has a potential application for atmospheric NO2 monitoring.
  • 1.0K
  • 01 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Venus (Planet)
Venus is the second-closest planet to the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. After Earth's Moon, it is the brightest object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6. As an inferior planet from Earth it never appears to venture far from the Sun, and its elongation reaches a maximum of 47.8°. Venus reaches its maximum brightness shortly before sunrise or shortly after sunset, and is often referred to as the Morning Star or as the Evening Star. A terrestrial planet, it is sometimes called Earth's "sister planet", as the two are similar in size and bulk composition. The planet is covered with an opaque layer of highly reflective clouds and its surface cannot be seen from space in visible light, making it a subject of great speculation until some of its secrets were revealed by planetary science in the 20th century. Venus has the densest atmosphere of the terrestrial planets, consisting mostly of carbon dioxide, and the atmospheric pressure at the planet's surface is 90 times that of the Earth. Venus' surface has been mapped in detail only in the last 20 years. It shows evidence of extensive volcanism, and some of its volcanoes may still be active today. In contrast to the constant crustal movement seen on Earth, Venus is thought to undergo periodic episodes of plate tectonics, in which the crust is subducted rapidly within a few million years separated by stable periods of a few hundred million years. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love, and most of its surface features are named after famous and mythological women. The adjective Venusian is commonly used for items related to Venus, though the Latin adjective is the rarely used Venereal; the now-archaic Cytherean is still occasionally encountered.
  • 1.0K
  • 01 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Application of Two-Dimensional Materials towards CMOS-Integrated Gas Sensors
The semiconductor metal oxide (SMO)-based gas sensor, considered the current workhorse of semiconductor-based chemiresistive gas sensor technologies, requires high temperatures to initiate the surface reactions which result in the sensing response, making it difficult to fabricate and prone to high mechanical instability. Therefore, alternatives at lower temperatures are desired, where 2D materials seem to hold the most promise. Even at ambient temperature, their sensitivity is extraordinarily large due to their extremely high surface-to-volume ratio. However, some ongoing issues still need to be resolved before gas sensors based on 2D materials can be widely used and commercialized. The alternative room temperature solutions involve optical signals, either by designing an nondispersive infrared (NDIR) sensor based on the Beer-Lambert law or by introducing an additional UV illumination to SMO sensors. In both cases, complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integration is not feasible, which is why continued interest in 2D-material-based gas sensors persists.
  • 1.0K
  • 02 Dec 2022
  • Page
  • of
  • 118
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Books

>>
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of COVID-19
Encyclopedia of Fungi
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Video Production Service
Feedback