Characterization of micron-size hydrogen clusters using Mie scattering.

Hydrogen clusters with diameters of a few micrometer range, composed of 108-10 hydrogen molecules, have been produced for the first time in an expansion of supercooled, high-pressure hydrogen gas into a vacuum through a conical nozzle connected to a cryogenic pulsed solenoid valve. The size distribution of the clusters has been evaluated by measuring the angular distribution of laser light scattered from the clusters. The data were analyzed based on the Mie scattering theory combined with the Tikhonov regularization method including the instrumental functions, the validity of which was assessed by performing a calibration study using a reference target consisting of standard micro-particles with two different sizes. The size distribution of the clusters was found discrete peaked at 0.33 ± 0.03, 0.65 ± 0.05, 0.81 ± 0.06, 1.40 ± 0.06 and 2.00 ± 0.13 µm in diameter. The highly reproducible and impurity-free nature of the micron-size hydrogen clusters can be a promising target for laser-driven multi-MeV proton sources with the currently available high power lasers.

Role of individual dosimetry for affected residents in postaccident recovery: the Fukushima experience.

The accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on 11 March 2011 released radioactive material into the atmosphere, and contaminated land in Fukushima and several neighbouring prefectures. During rehabilitation, it is important to accurately understand and determine individual external doses to allow individuals to make informed decisions about whether or not to return to the affected areas. Personal dosimeters (D-Shuttle), used together with a global positioning system and geographic information system device, can provide realistic individual external doses and associated individual external doses, ambient doses, and activity patterns of individuals in the affected areas of Fukushima. This study involved more than 250 affected residents. The results help to determine realistic individual external doses, and corresponding time-activity patterns and airborne monitoring ambient dose rates, which can be used to predict future cumulative external doses after residents return to their homes in evacuation areas. In addition, insights gained by the study can help to explain the role of individual external dose measurements for affected residents in postaccident recovery, based mainly upon the experience gained in measuring, assessing, and communicating individual external doses.

Electron acceleration by a nonlinear wakefield generated by ultrashort (23-fs) high-peak-power laser pulses in plasma.

We study experimentally the interaction of the shortest at present (23-fs) , relativistically intense (20-TW), tightly focused laser pulses with underdense plasma. MeV electrons constitute a two-temperature distribution due to different plasma wave-breaking processes at a plasma density of 10(20) cm(-3). These two groups of electrons are shown numerically to constitute bunches with very distinctive time durations.

Substrate stereoselectivity and enantiomer/enantiomer interaction in propranolol metabolism in rat liver microsomes.

The substrate stereoselectivity and enantiomer/enantiomer interaction of (S)- and (R)- propranolol for the formation of their metabolites were investigated in rat liver microsomal fractions. The enantiomers of primary metabolites of propranolol, 4-, 5-, 7-hydroxy- and N-desisopropyl-propranolol were separated and assayed by an HPLC method employing a chiral ovomucoid column. Regioselective substrate stereoselectivity (R < S for 4- and 5-hydroxylations; R > S for 7-hydroxylation; R = S for N-desisopropylation) was observed in the formation of propranolol metabolites when the individual enantiomers or a racemic mixture of propranolol were used as substrates. Concentration-dependent metabolic inhibition of propranolol enantiomers by their optical isomers was also observed. In addition, the inhibition of propranolol 4-, 5- and 7-hydroxylations between the enantiomers showed a typical competitive nature. These findings suggested that the propranolol enantiomers competed for the same enzyme, probably a cytochrome P450 isozyme in the CYP2D subfamily.

Effect of self-injection on ultraintense laser wake-field acceleration.

The self-injection of plasma electrons which have been accelerated to relativistic energies by a laser pulse moving with a group velocity less than the speed of light with I lambda(2)>5 x 10(19) W microm(2)/cm(2) is found via particle-in-cell simulation to be efficient for laser wake-field acceleration. When the matching condition a(0)> or =(2(1/4)omega/omega(pl))(2/3) is met, the self-injection, along with wave breaking, dominates monoenergetic electron acceleration yielding up to 100 MeV energies by a 100 TW, 20 fs laser pulse. In contrast to the injection due to wave-breaking processes, self-injection allows suppression of production of a Maxwell distribution of accelerated particles and the extraction of a beam-quality bunch of energetic electrons.

Optical-field-ionization effects on the propagation of an ultraintense laser pulse in high- Z gas jets.

Interaction of an ultraintense, a(0) >>1, laser pulse with an underdense Ar plasma is analyzed via a two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation which self-consistently includes optical-field ionization. In spite of rapid growth of ion charge Z and, hence, electron density at the laser front, relativistic self-focusing is shown to persist owing to a reduction of the expected plasma defocusing resulting from the weak radial dependence of the ion charge on laser intensity (even for Z/gamma>1 where gamma is the electron relativistic factor).

Scattered light diagnostics of overdense plasma cavity in solid targets irradiated by an ultraintense laser pulse.

The light scattered backward from a target illuminated by ultraintense laser pulses carries important information about the nonlinear laser-plasma interaction. We analyze the usefulness of this information by plasma corona analysis with the help of an analytical model we developed, and particle-in-cell simulation. The spectrum of scattered light is shown to be shifted, to be broadened, and to be modulated, in comparison with the initial laser spectrum, and the spectral shift is an indicator of laser pulse contrast ratio.

Application of the pencil-beam redefinition algorithm in heterogeneous media for proton beam therapy.

In proton beam therapy, changes in the proton range due to lateral heterogeneity may cause serious errors in the dose distribution. In the present study, the pencilbeam redefinition algorithm (PBRA) was applied to proton beam therapy to address the problem of lateral density heterogeneity. In the calculation, the phase-space parameters were characterized for multiple range (i.e. proton energy) bins for given pencil beams. The particles that were included in each pencil beam were transported and redefined periodically until they had stopped. The redefined beams formed a detouring path that was different from that of the non-redefined pencil beams, and the path of each redefined beam was straight. The results calculated by the PBRA were compared with measured proton dose distributions in a heterogeneous slab phantom and an anthropomorphic phantom. Through the beam redefinition process, the PBRA was able to predict the measured proton-detouring effects. Therefore, the PBRA may allow improved calculation accuracy when dealing with lateral heterogeneities in proton therapy applications.

Accumulation of sub-100 nm polymeric micelles in poorly permeable tumours depends on size.

A major goal in cancer research is to develop carriers that can deliver drugs effectively and without side effects. Liposomal and particulate carriers with diameters of ∼100 nm have been widely used to improve the distribution and tumour accumulation of cancer drugs, but so far they have only been effective for treating highly permeable tumours. Here, we compare the accumulation and effectiveness of different sizes of long-circulating, drug-loaded polymeric micelles (with diameters of 30, 50, 70 and 100 nm) in both highly and poorly permeable tumours. All the polymer micelles penetrated highly permeable tumours in mice, but only the 30 nm micelles could penetrate poorly permeable pancreatic tumours to achieve an antitumour effect. We also showed that the penetration and efficacy of the larger micelles could be enhanced by using a transforming growth factor-ß inhibitor to increase the permeability of the tumours.

Radiation damping effects on the interaction of ultraintense laser pulses with an overdense plasma.

A strong effect of radiation damping on the interaction of an ultraintense laser pulse with an overdense plasma slab is found and studied via a relativistic particle-in-cell simulation including ionization. Hot electrons generated by the irradiation of a laser pulse with a radiance of I lambda(2)>10(22) W microm(2)/cm(2) and duration of 20 fs can convert more than 35% of the laser energy to radiation. This incoherent x-ray emission lasts for only the pulse duration and can be intense. The radiation efficiency is shown to increase nonlinearly with laser intensity. Similar to cyclotron radiation, the radiation damping may restrain the maximal energy of relativistic electrons in ultraintense-laser-produced plasmas.

Ion acceleration in a solitary wave by an intense picosecond laser pulse.

Acceleration of ions in a solitary wave produced by shock-wave decay in a plasma slab irradiated by an intense picosecond laser pulse is studied via particle-in-cell simulation. Instead of exponential distribution as in known mechanisms of ion acceleration from the target surface, these ions accelerated forwardly form a bunch with relatively low energy spread. The bunch is shown to be a solitary wave moving over expanding plasma; its velocity can exceed the maximal velocity of ions accelerated forward from the rear side of the target.

Energetic protons from a few-micron metallic foil evaporated by an intense laser pulse.

With detailed experimental studies and hydrodynamics and particle-in-cell simulations we investigate the role of the prepulse in laser proton acceleration. The prepulse or pedestal (amplified spontaneous emission) can completely evaporate the irradiated region of a sufficiently thin foil; therefore, the main part of the laser pulse interacts with an underdense plasma. The multiparametric particle-in-cell simulations demonstrate that the main pulse generates the quasistatic magnetic field, which in its turn produces the long-lived charge separation electrostatic field, accelerating the ions.