Search

This article will take a close look at the state of Germany’s small and medium-sized enterprises, focusing on the companies considered to be the winners and losers in the Ukraine crisis. Proceeding in this way will make it possible to draw some initial conclusions from the current crisis and to link them to the next major problem that the EU will have to face: its dependence on China. Looking at how Germany’s small and medium-sized enterprises are currently faring will help us gauge how the EU’s economic area might be hit should an even more severe crisis occur (e.g. in connection with China). In getting started, a comparison is made with the Covid-19 crisis to clarify the severity of the current crisis and to provide a basis for understanding what is yet to come.

This registration describes a study done when a cohort of European starlings hand-reared in 2022 were approximately one year old to explore the effects of adult food insecurity.

International audience; Picosecond acoustics is an optical pump-probe technique allowing to access thermoelastic properties and sound velocities of a large variety of materials under extreme conditions. Coupled with diamond anvil cells and laser heating, picosecond acoustics measurements offer the possibility to probe materials over a pressure and temperature range directly pertinent for the deep planetary interiors. In this paper we highlight the capabilities and versatility of this technique by presenting some recent applications on materials of geophysical interest. All the independent components of the elastic tensor of MgO are simultaneously determined by measurements on a single crystal at ambient conditions. Compressional sound velocity is measured at high pressure on an iron-carbon alloy and on polycrystalline argon. First laser heating test measurements performed on molybdenum at high pressure are also presented. These examples demonstrate that picosecond acoustics is a valuable alternative to already existing techniques for determining the physical properties of samples under extreme pressure and temperature conditions.

We describe here a time resolved pump-probe laser technique&mdash, picosecond interferometry&mdash, which has been combined with diamond anvil cells (DAC). This method enables the measurement of the longitudinal sound velocity up to Mbar pressure for any kind of material (solids, liquids, metals, insulators). We also provide a description of picosecond acoustics data analysis in order to determine the complete set of elastic constants for single crystals. To illustrate such capabilities, results are given on the pressure dependence of the acoustic properties for prototypical cases: polycrystal (hcp-Fe-5 wt% Si up to 115 GPa) and single-crystal (Si up to 10 GPa).

International audience; An electronic-driven liquid-liquid phase transition in rubidium is revealed by picosecond acoustic measurements combined with ab initio calculations. Picosecond acoustics were used to measure the melting line up to 10 GPa, finding the maximum in the melting curve at 7 GPa and 555 K. We observe the onset of a continuous liquid-liquid phase transition beginning around the melting maxima through until 16 GPa. Sound velocity shows a softening similar to that reported for liquid caesium, caused by a change in the bulk modulus during a crossover from the low-density to the high-density liquid. Guided by the ab initio calculations, we relate the changes in the thermo-elastic properties to the progressive localization of the valence electrons in the pressure range of 6-16 GPa. At high pressure rubidium forms an electride liquid quantified by the appearance of interstitial quasi atoms (ISQs) localised in the valence electron density.

Using a combination of picosecond acoustics and synchrotron x-ray diffraction, the sound velocities and equations of state of Fe-Si alloys have been determined over a wide range of compositions (10--29 at. % Si) and pressures (up to 65 GPa) under quasihydrostatic conditions. We observe marked variation in the elastic properties of the alloys depending on synthesis method and degree of Si ordering. In particular, it is observed that there is a sharp change in the density dependence of the sound velocities which coincides with the observation of long-range ordering by diffraction methods. This change in elasticity is probably due to a change in bond character of the Fe-Si alloy. Furthermore, the bcc-hcp transition in these alloys has been mapped to high pressures and Si contents. We observed that the onset of the transition changes by more than 6 GPa per at. % for alloys containing more than $\ensuremath{\sim}15$ at. % Si.

The heat capacity ratio or Laplace coefficient γ = C p / C V is determined at high pressure and high temperature by a numerical procedure from sound velocity measurements for a dozen liquids, including alkali metals and iron. The obtained data provide insight into this quantity that is difficult to measure experimentally. In addition, an analytical expression of the heat capacity ratio as a function of pressure is proposed, based on reasonable assumptions. This expression can be used for interpolation, extrapolation at high pressure, or to easily convert isothermal quantities into adiabatic ones or inversely.

International audience; Liquid cesium (l-Cs) sound velocity at high densities was investigated along a 500 K isotherm using high-pressure picosecond acoustics measurements. At 2.0 GPa, the liquid sound velocity goes through a maximum versus pressure without any change on the reflectivity and interferometry acoustic signals. Upon further compression, a softening of the l-Cs visco-elastic properties is observed from 2.0 up to 4.0 GPa, pressure at which the reflectometric signal is abruptly reversed whereas the interferometric signal remains qualitatively the same. This anomalous behaviour could be related to an electronic transformation within the l-Cs state, which here again could reflect what happens at lower temperature within the solid state. If so, such liquid-liquid transition may be driven by the progressive collapse of the 6s electronic orbital onto the 5d ones. Above 4.0 GPa, the l-Cs sound velocity starts again to increase as commonly expected upon compression.

A physical method to solve a maze using an electric circuit is presented. The temperature increase due to Joule heating is observed with a thermal camera and the correct path is instantaneously enlightened. Various mazes are simulated with Kirchhoff’s circuit laws. Finally, the physical mechanisms explaining how the electric current chooses the correct path are discussed.

The elasticity at high pressure of solid hydrogen in hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phase I has been examined experimentally by laser acoustics technique in a diamond anvil cell, up to 55 GPa at 296 K, and theoretically using pair and three-body semiempirical potentials, up to 160 GPa. In the experiments on ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$, the compressional sound velocity has been measured; the Poisson's ratio has been determined by combining these data with the previously reported equation of state. At room temperature, the difference between the adiabatic and isothermal processes vanishes above 25 GPa but cannot be neglected at lower pressure. Theoretically, all five elastic constants of hcp hydrogen have been calculated, and various derived elastic quantities are presented. The elastic anisotropy of hcp hydrogen was found to be significant, with $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}P\ensuremath{\approx}1.2,\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}{S}_{1}\ensuremath{\approx}1.7$, and $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}{S}_{2}\ensuremath{\approx}1$. Calculations suggest the Poisson's ratio to decrease with pressure reaching a minimum value of 0.28 at 145 GPa. In the experiment, the Poisson's ratio is also found to decrease with pressure. Theoretical calculations show that the inclusion of zero-point vibrations on the elastic properties of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ does not result in any drastic changes of the behavior of the elastic quantities.

For the purpose of a industrial process of cellulosic ethanol production, an efficient β-glucosidase was evolved by L-Shuffling starting from three parental genes (i.e., Chaetomium globosum glucosi...

International audience; Depuis 4 ans, de plus en plus d'enseignants-chercheurs physiciens de l'UPMC se sont lancés dans l'enseignement interactif. Ils ont été initiés au départ par le Pr A. Rudolph en visite à l'université. Nous montrerons comment cette pratique pédagogique s'est implantée dans la Faculté, comment elle est utilisée, comment les étudiants réagissent. Nous discuterons aussi des effets en montrant quelques statistiques.

International audience; Due to discrepancies in the literature data the thermodynamic properties of liquid gallium arestill in debate. Accurate measurements of adiabatic sound velocities as a function of pressureand temperature have been obtained by the combination of laser picosecond acoustics andsurface imaging on sample loaded in diamond anvil cell. From these results thethermodynamic parameters of gallium have been extracted by a numerical procedure up to10 GPa and 570 K. It is demonstrated that a Murnaghan equation of state accounts well for thewhole data set since the isothermal bulk modulus BT has been shown to vary linearly withpressure in the whole temperature range. No evidence for a previously reported liquid–liquidtransition has been found in the whole pressure and temperature range explored

Based on the original combination of picosecond acoustics and diamond anvils cell, recent improvements to accurately measure hypersonic sound velocities of liquids and solids under extreme conditions are described. To illustrate the capability of this technique, results are given on the pressure and temperature dependence of acoustic properties for three prototypical cases: polycrystal (iron), single-crystal (silicon) and liquid (mercury) samples. It is shown that such technique also enables the determination of the density as a function of pressure for liquids, of the complete set of elastic constants for single crystals, and of the melting curve for any kind of material. High pressure ultrafast acoustic spectroscopy technique clearly opens opportunities to measure thermodynamical properties under previously unattainable extreme conditions. Beyond physics, this state-of-the-art experiment would thus be useful in many other fields such as nonlinear acoustics, oceanography, petrology, in of view. A brief description of new developments and future directions of works conclude the article. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultrafast acoustics measurements on liquid mercury have been performed at high pressure and temperature in diamond anvils cell using picosecond acoustic interferometry. We extract the density of mercury from adiabatic sound velocities using a numerical iterative procedure. The pressure and temperature dependence of the thermal expansion, the isothermal compressibilty, the isothermal bulk modulus and its pressure derivative are derived up to 7 GPa and 520 K. In the high pressure regime, the sound velocity values, at a given density, are shown to be only slightly dependent on the specific temperature and pressure conditions. The density dependence of sound velocity at low density is consistent with that observed with our data at high density in the metallic liquid state.

When accidentally introduced in a new location, a species does not necessarily readily become invasive, but it usually needs several years to adapt to its new environment. In 2009, a national mosquito survey (MODIRISK) reported the introduction and possible establishment of an invasive mosquito species, Aedes j. japonicus, in Belgium. First collected in 2002 in the village of Natoye from a second-hand tire company, then sampled in 2003 and 2004, the presence of adults and larvae was confirmed in 2007 and 2008. A repeated cross-sectional survey of Ae. j. japonicus was then conducted in 2009 in Natoye to study the phenology of the species on two different sites using three kinds of traps: Mosquito Magnet Liberty Plus traps, BG sentinel traps and CDC Gravid traps. An analysis of the blood meals was done on females to assess the epidemiological risks. Five species of mosquitos were caught using the different kind of traps: Culex pipiens, Cx torrentium, Anopheles claviger, Aedes geniculatus and Ae. j. japonicus, Cx pipiens being the most abundant. The CDC gravid traps gave the best results. Surprisingly Ae. j. japonicus was only found on one site although both sites seem similar and are only distant of 2.5 km. Its population peak was reached in July. Most of the engorged mosquitoes tested acquired blood meals from humans (60%). No avian blood meals were unambiguously identified. Larvae were also collected, mostly from tires but also from buckets and from one tree hole. Only one larva was found in a puddle at 100 m of the tire storage. A first local treatment of Ae. j. japonicus larvae population was done in May 2012 using Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) and was followed by preventive actions and public information. A monitoring is also presently implemented.

International audience; High-pressure method combining diamond anvil cell with picosecond ultrasonics technique is demonstrated to be a very suitable tool to measure the acoustic properties of iron up to 152 GPa. Such innovative approach allows to measure directly the longitudinal sound velocity under pressure of hundreds of GPa in laboratory, overcoming most of the drawbacks of traditional techniques. The very high accuracy, comparable to piezoacoustics technique, allows to observe the kink in elastic properties at the body-centered cubic-hexagonal close packed transition and to show with a good confidence that the Birch's law still stands up to 1.5 Mbar and ambient temperature. The linear extrapolation of the measured sound velocities versus densities of hcp iron is out of the preliminary reference Earth model, arguing for alloying effects or anharmonic high-temperature effects. A comparison between our measurements and shock wave experiments allowed us to quantify temperature corrections at constant pressure in ∼−0.35 and ∼−0.30 m s−1/K at 100 and 150 GPa, respectively. More in general, the here-presented technique allows detailed elastic and viscoelastic studies under extreme thermodynamic conditions on a wide variety of systems as liquids, crystalline, or polycrystalline solids, metallic or not, with very broad applications in Earth and planetary science.

International audience

International audience; High-resolution Brillouin scattering experiments are performed under hydrostatic pressures ranging from 0 to 10 GPa in vitreous silica. The hypersound-attenuation coefficient exhibits a sharp maximum located at 2 GPa, which appears to coincide with the well-known minimum in sound velocity. Two main processes contribute to sound damping: the thermal relaxation of local defects and the anharmonic interactions with thermal vibrations. By analyzing the temperature dependence of the velocity and subtracting the changes produced by the above mechanisms, the unrelaxed velocity is found. It is constant at low temperatures and increases anomalously above a temperature onset.We show that the onset strongly depends on pressure, which is in agreement with a dynamical origin of the structural changes that produce the hardening.

International audience; We report picosecond acoustic measurements in silica-glass films grown by wet thermal oxidation on a (111) silicon substrate. The longitudinal acoustic phonons are observed over the range from 150 to 300 GHz using an infrared pump and a second harmonic blue probe. The transducer is an aluminum thin film deposited on top. Multiple interference effects are analyzed and fully taken into account. They lead to a signal presenting rapid oscillations as a function of the sample thicknesses. The latter are determined by separate interferometry. Our remarkably precise acoustic attenuation results are found to follow rather well a model combining thermally activated relaxations and anharmonicity. New values for the optical absorption of silicon in the 400-to-500-nm region of the spectrum are obtained as a by-product.

The position and strength of the boson peak in silica glass vary considerably with temperature $T$. Such variations cannot be explained solely with changes in the Debye energy. New Brillouin scattering measurements are presented which allow determining the $T$-dependence of unrelaxed acoustic velocities. Using a velocity based on the bulk modulus, scaling exponents are found which agree with the soft-potential model. The unrelaxed bulk modulus thus appears to be a good measure for the structural evolution of silica with $T$ and to set the energy scale for the soft potentials., Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters

International audience; We show that the propagation of coherent acoustic phonons generated by femtosecond optical excitation can be clearly resolved using a probe laser in the middle UV (MUV) range. The MUV probe is easily produced from a highrepetition- rate femtosecond laser and a homemade frequency tripler. We present various experimental results that demonstrate efficient and high frequency detection of acoustic phonons. Thus, we show that the MUV range offers a unique way to reach higher frequencies and probe smaller objects in ultrafast acoustics

We study propagation and attenuation of sound waves in silica with two complementary experimental techniques, Brillouin light scattering and picosecond acoustics. Analysis of new accurate Brillouin data obtained in a large temperature range (4-1300 K), supplemented with literature data on a broad frequency range, shows that internal friction results from two main mechanisms: the interaction of sound with relaxing defects and with modes of the thermal bath (anharmonicity). Brillouin spectroscopy at high pressure (0-6 GPa) reveals the existence of a structural modification around 2~GPa in silica at room temperature. High frequency sound is observed for the first time around 250~GHz in silica with a new picosecond acoustic technique. These data demonstrates that the sound attenuation is still dominated by the anharmonicity at these mesoscopic wavelengths. The relation with a strong scattering regime of the attenuation at THz frequencies is discussed.; Nous étudions la propagation et l'atténuation du son dans la silice avec deux techniques expérimentales complémentaires, la diffusion Brillouin de la lumière et l'acoustique picoseconde. L'analyse de nouvelles données Brillouin précises obtenues dans une large gamme de températures (4-1300 K), complétées avec les données de la littérature sur un large intervalle de fréquences, montre que le frottement interne résulte de deux principaux mécanismes : l'interaction du son avec les défauts relaxants et avec les modes du bain thermique (anharmonicité). La spectroscopie Brillouin à haute pression (0-6 GPa) révèle l'existence d'une modification structurale à environ 2 GPa à température ambiante. L'atténuation du son est observée pour la première fois autour de 250 GHz avec une nouvelle technique acoustique picoseconde. Ce résultat démontre que l'atténuation du son est encore dominée par l'anharmonicité à l'échelle des longueurs d'onde mésoscopiques. La relation avec un régime de forte atténuation au THz est discutée.

The attenuation of longitudinal acoustic phonons up to frequencies nearing 250 GHz is measured in vitreous silica with a picosecond optical technique. Taking advantage of interferences on the probe beam, difficulties encountered in early pioneering experiments are alleviated. Sound damping at 250 GHz and room temperature is consistent with relaxation dominated by anharmonic interactions with the thermal bath, extending optical Brillouin scattering data. Our result is at variance with claims of a recent deep-UV experiment which reported a rapid damping increase beyond 100 GHz. A comprehensive picture of the frequency dependence of sound attenuation in $v$-SiO$_2$ can be proposed., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures

Finite sample sizes increase the measured Brillouin scattering linewidths. This should not be mistaken for a genuine damping of sound. Using high-resolution interferometry, we show that in silica glass under ambient conditions and with visible light excitation, the additional width becomes observable for sample thicknesses below 0.2 mm. Similarly, light absorption reduces the scattering volume, producing a strong contribution to the width for excitation of bulk samples above their absorption edge. The resulting limitations are illustrated for UV Brillouin scattering from silica.