colloids ? luminescence ? metal oxides ? nanocrystals ? synthesis design

Context. Ultra-high energy (UHE) neutrinos and cosmic rays initiate particle cascades underneath theMoon?s surface. These cascades have a negative charge excess and radiate Cherenkov radio emission in a process known as the Askaryan effect. The optimal frequencywindow for observation of these pulses with radio telescopes on the Earth is around 150 MHz. Aims. By observing the Moon with the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope array we are able to set a new limit on the UHEneutrino flux. Methods. The PuMa II backend is used to monitor the Moon in 4 frequency bands between 113 and 175 MHz with a samplingfrequency of 40 MHz. The narrowband radio interference is digitally filtered out and the dispersive effect of the Earth?s ionosphere is compensated for. A trigger system is implemented to search for short pulses. By inserting simulated pulses in the raw data, thedetection efficiency for pulses of various strength is calculated. Results. With 47.6 hours of observation time, we are able to set a limit onthe UHE neutrino flux. This new limit is an order of magnitude lower than existing limits. In the near future, the digital radio array LOFAR will be used to achieve an even lower limit.

We investigate tunable plasmon resonant cavity arrays in paired parallel nanowire waveguides. Resonances are observed when the waveguide length is an odd multiple of quarter plasmon wavelengths, consistent with boundary conditions of node and antinode at the ends. Two nanowire waveguides satisfy the dispersion relation of a planar metal-dielectric-metal waveguide of equivalent width equal to the square field average weighted gap. Confinement factors over 10{sup 3} are possible due to plasmon focusing in the inter-wire space.

A mechanism for creating and selecting amino acid chirality is identified, and subsequent chemical replication and galactic mixing that would populate the galaxy with the predominant species will be described. This involves: (1) the spin of the {sup 14}N in the amino acids, or in precursor molecules from which amino acids might be formed, coupling to the chirality of the molecules; (2) the neutrinos emitted from the supernova, together with magnetic field from the nascent neutron star or black hole from the supernova selectively destroying one orientation of the {sup 14}N, thereby selecting the chirality associated with the other {sup 14}N orientation; (3) amplification by chemical evolution, by which the molecules replicate on a relatively short timescale; and (4) galactic mixing on a longer timescale mixing the selected molecules throughout the galaxy.