The 11th International Surface X-ray and Neutron Scattering (SXNS) Conference was held on July 13-17, 2010, on the Northwestern University (NU) campus, in Evanston Illinois and hosted by the NU Materials Research Science and Engineering Center. This biennial conference brought together a community of 164 attendees from 16 countries. The field now makes use of a broad range of new experimental capabilities that have been made possible through the development of increasingly brilliant X-ray and neutron sources around the world, including third generation synchrotron sources, neutron reactor and spallation sources, as well as the recent development of X-ray lasers.

We present a new approach (demonstrated experimentally and through modeling) to characterize the spectral envelope of a terahertz (THz) pulse in a single shot. The coherent THz pulse is produced by a femtosecond electron bunch and contains information on the bunch duration. The technique, involving a single low-power laser probe pulse, is an extension of the conventional spectral encoding method (limited in time resolution to hundreds of femtoseconds) into a regime only limited in resolution by the laser pulse length (tens of femtoseconds). While only the bunch duration is retrieved (and not the exact charge profile), such a measurement provides a useful and critical parameter for optimization of the electron accelerator.

We combine different wavelengths from an intense high-order harmonics source with variable delay at the focus of a split-mirror interferometer to conduct pump-probe experiments on gas-phase molecules. We report measurements of the time resolution (< 44fs) and spatial profiles (4 {micro}m x 12 {micro}m) at the focus of the apparatus. We demonstrate the utility of this two-color, high-order-harmonic technique by time resolving molecular hydrogen elimination from C{sub 2} H{sub 4} excited into its absorption band at 161nm.

Photosynthesis is the biological process that converts solar energy into chemical energy. Elucidation of the mechanisms of photosynthetic energy conversion at a molecular level is fundamentally important for understanding the biology of photosynthetic organisms, for optimizing biological solar fuels production, and for developing biologically inspired approaches to solar energy conversion. The 2011 Gordon Conference on Photosynthesis will present cutting-edge research focusing on the biochemical aspects of photosynthesis, including: (1) structure, assembly, and function of photosynthetic complexes; (2) the mechanism of water splitting by PSII; (3) light harvesting and quenching; (4) alternative electron transport pathways; (5) biosynthesis of pigments and cofactors; and (6) improvement of photosynthesis for bioenergy and food production. Reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of photosynthesis research, a diverse group of invited speakers will represent a variety of scientific approaches to investigate photosynthesis, such as biochemistry, molecular genetics, structural biology, systems biology, and spectroscopy. Highly interactive poster sessions provide opportunities for graduate students and postdocs to present their work and exchange ideas with leaders in the field. One of the highlights of the Conference is a session featuring short talks by junior investigators selected from the poster presentations. The collegial atmosphere of the Photosynthesis GRC, with programmed discussion sessions as …

Experimental results are reported from two measurement techniques (semiconductor switching and electro-optic sampling) that allow temporal characterization of electron bunches produced by a laser-driven plasma-based accelerator. As femtosecond electron bunches exit the plasma-vacuum interface, coherent transition radiation (at THz frequencies) is emitted. Measuring the properties of this radiation allows characterization of the electron bunches. Theoretical work on the emission mechanism is presented, including a model that calculates the THz wave form from a given bunch profile. It is found that the spectrum of the THz pulse is coherent up to the 200 {micro}m thick crystal (ZnTe) detection limit of 4 THz, which corresponds to the production of sub-50 fs (rms) electron bunch structure. The measurements demonstrate both the shot-to-shot stability of bunch parameters that are critical to THz emission (such as total charge and bunch length), as well as femtosecond synchronization among bunch, THz pulse, and laser beam.

We performed soft x-ray resonant scattering at the MnL{sub 2,3}- and OK edges of YMn{sub 2}O{sub 5}. While the resonant intensity at the MnL{sub 2,3} edges represent the magnetic order parameter, the resonant scattering at the OK edge is found to be directly related to the macroscopic ferroelectric polarization. The latter observation reveals the important role of the spin-dependent Mn-O hybridization for the multiferroicity of YMn{sub 2}O{sub 5}. We present details about how to obtain correct energy dependent lineshapes and discuss the origin of the resonant intensity at the OK edge.

A new single-shot technique based on linear spectral interferometry between a temporally short reader pulse and a temporally long probe pulse is demonstrated for measuring the spatiotemporal phase and amplitude of an optical probe for use as an ultrafast diagnostic. The probe spatiotemporal field information is recovered, with a resolution set by the duration of the reader pulse, by applying a single Fourier transform operation to the interferogram image, without need of any reference data. The technique was used in conjunction with electro-optic sampling to measure waveforms of coherent, ultrashort THz pulses emitted by electron bunches from a laser-plasma accelerator with sub-50fs resolution. The presence of strong spatiotemporal coupling in the THz waveforms and of complex temporal electron-bunch structure was determined.

Ultrafast isomerization of acetylene cations ([HC = CH]{sup +}) in the low-lying excited A{sup 2}{Sigma}{sub g}{sup +} state, populated by the absorption of extreme ultraviolet (XUV) photons (38 eV), has been observed at the Free Electron Laser in Hamburg, (FLASH). Recording coincident fragments C{sup +} + CH{sub 2}{sup +} as a function of time between XUV-pump and -probe pulses, generated by a split-mirror device, we find an isomerization time of 52 {+-} 15 fs in a kinetic energy release (KER) window of 5.8 < KER < 8 eV, providing clear evidence for the existence of a fast, nonradiative decay channel.

Electron accelerators such as laser wakefield accelerators, linear accelerators driving free electron lasers, or femto-sliced synchrotrons, are capable of producing femtosecond-long electron bunches. Single-shot characterization of the temporal charge profile is crucial for operation, optimization, and application of such accelerators. A variety of electro-optic sampling (EOS) techniques exists for the temporal analysis. In EOS, the field profile from the electron bunch (or the field profile from its coherent radiation) will be transferred onto a laser pulse co-propagating through an electro-optic crystal. This paper will address the most common EOS schemes and will list their advantages and limitations. Strong points that all techniques share are the ultra-short time resolution (tens of femtoseconds) and the single-shot capabilities. Besides introducing the theory behind EOS, data from various research groups is presented for each technique.

The electric field profiles of broad-bandwidth coherent terahertz (THz) pulses, emitted by laser-wakefield-accelerated electron bunches, are studied. The near-single-cycle THz pulses are measured with two single-shot techniques in the temporal and spatial domains. Spectra of 0-6 THz and peak fields up to {approx_equal} 0.4 MV cm{sup -1} are observed. The measured field substructure demonstrates the manifestation of spatiotemporal coupling at focus, which affects the interpretation of THz radiation as a bunch diagnostic and in high-field pump-probe experiments.

Three fields were planted in Ames in 2010, two association mapping fields, N3 and A, and a recombinant inbred line field, N13. Phenotype data and images were transferred to UGA to support genetic and genomic analyses of woody biomass-related traits.

This feasibility examined two of the Yurok Tribe's most promising renewable energy resources, wind and hydro, to provide the Tribe detailed, site specific information that will result in a comprehensive business plan sufficient to implement a favorable renewable energy project.

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A characterization program has been developed at Hanford to image past leaks in and around the underground storage tank facilities. The program is based on electrical resistivity, a geophysical technique that maps the distribution of electrical properties of the subsurface. The method was shown to be immediately successful in open areas devoid of underground metallic infrastructure, due to the large contrast in material properties between the highly saline waste and the dry sandy host environment. The results in these areas, confirmed by a limited number of boreholes, demonstrate a tendency for the lateral extent of the underground waste plume to remain within the approximate footprint of the disposal facility. In infrastructure-rich areas, such as tank farms, the conventional application of electrical resistivity using small point-source surface electrodes initially presented a challenge for the resistivity method. The method was then adapted to directly use the buried infrastructure as electrodes for both transmission of electrical current and measurements of voltage. For example, steel-cased wells that surround the tanks were used as long electrodes, which helped to avoid much of the infrastructure problems. Overcoming the drawbacks of the long electrode method has been the focus of our work over the past seven years. …