# gst: soft and stiff modes in colloidal particle networks

<< Floppy microscale spring networks are widely studied in theory and simulations, but no well-controlled experimental system currently exists. >> 

AA << show that square lattices consisting of colloid-supported lipid bilayers functionalized with DNA linkers act as microscale floppy spring networks. (AA) extract their normal modes by inverting the particle displacement correlation matrix, showing the emergence of a spectrum of soft modes with low effective stiffness in addition to stiff modes that derive from linker interactions. >>

<< Evaluation of the softest mode, a uniform shear mode, reveals that shear stiffness decreases with lattice size. >>

 AA << results reveal the importance of entropic steric effects. >>

️

Julio Melio, Silke E. Henkes, Daniela J. Kraft. Soft and Stiff Normal Modes in Floppy Colloidal Square Lattices. Phys. Rev. Lett. 132, 078202. Feb 14, 2024. 

https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.078202

Also: particle, nano, colloids, network, in https://www.inkgmr.net/kwrds.html

Keywords: gst, particle, nano, colloids, network, colloidal network

# gst: intertwining order, disorder, and hierarchy

<< Nature hosts a wealth of materials showcasing intricate structures intertwining order, disorder, and hierarchy, delivering resilient multifunctionality surpassing perfect crystals or simplistic disordered materials. The engineering of such materials through nanoparticle assembly represents a burgeoning field, poised with potential to yield sustainable material systems rivaling or exceeding biological functionalities. >>

AA << review delineates the fundamental concept of complexity in the context of nanoscale materials. >>

Xiaoming Mao, Nicholas Kotov. Complexity, Disorder, and Functionality of Nanoscale Materials. arXiv: 2401.09567v1 [cond-mat.soft]. Jan 17, 2024. 

https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.09567

Also: nano, particle, order, disorder, in  https://www.inkgmr.net/kwrds.html

Keywords: nano, particle, order, disorder 

# gst: local elastic properties of strongly disordered matter

<< The local elastic properties of strongly disordered material are investigated using the theory of correlated random matrices. A significant increase in stiffness is shown in the interfacial region, the thickness of which depends on the strength of disorder. It is shown that this effect plays a crucial role in nanocomposites, in which interfacial regions are formed around each nanoparticle. >>️

D. A. Conyuh, A. A. Semenov, Y. M. Beltukov. Effective elastic moduli of composites with a strongly disordered host material. Phys. Rev. E 108, 045004. Oct 20, 2023. 

https://journals.aps.org/pre/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevE.108.045004

Also: elastic, noise, particle, nano, in https://www.inkgmr.net/kwrds.html

Keywords: gst, elastic, noise, particle, nano

# chem: spontaneous reconfiguration of deformable nanoparticles (in response to environmental cues)

<< Deformable nanoparticles (NPs) offer unprecedented opportunities as dynamic building blocks that can spontaneously reconfigure during assembly in response to environmental cues. >>

<< deformable spherical NPs of radius 50 nm whose surface is tailored with octahedrally distributed charged patches and double-cap charged patches adapt their shape differently in response to changes in surface charge coverage and ionic strength. >>

AA << find shape transitions to rounded octahedra, faceted octahedra, faceted bowls, oblate spheroids, spherocylinders, dented beans, and dimpled rounded bowls. >>

AA << demonstrate that similar shape transitions can be achieved in deformable NPs of different sizes. >>️

Fanbo Sun, Nicholas E. Brunk, Vikram Jadhao. Shape control of deformable charge-patterned nanoparticles. Phys. Rev. E 107, 014502. Jan 10, 2023.

https://journals.aps.org/pre/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevE.107.014502

Img https://twitter.com/PhysRevE/status/1613183219377086468

Also

keyword 'self-assembly' in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=self-assembly

keyword 'nano' in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=nano

keyword 'nano' in Notes 

(quasi-stochastic poetry)

https://inkpi.blogspot.com/search?q=nano

Keywords: chem, nano, nanoparticles,  NPs, self-assembly, colloids, polymers, vesicle structures.

# gst: approaching chaotic dynamics to trace the complexity of rough nanostructured surfaces

AA << use the basic ingredients of chaotic dynamics (stretching and folding of phase space points) for the characterization of the complexity of microscopy images of rough surfaces. The key idea is to use an image as the initial condition of a chaotic discrete dynamical system, such as the Arnold cat map, and track its transformations during the first iterations of the map. Since the basic effects of the Arnold map are the stretching and folding of image texture, the application of the map leads to an enhancement of the high frequency content of images along with an increase of discontinuities in pixel intensities. (AA) exploit these effects to quantify the complexity of S type (lying between homogeneity and randomness) of the image texture since the first (enhancement of high frequencies) can be used to quantify the distance of texture from randomness and noise and the second (the proliferation of discontinuities) the distance from order and homogeneity. The method is validated in synthetic images which are generated from computer generated surfaces with controlled correlation length and fractal dimension and it is applied in real images of nanostructured surfaces obtained from a scanning electron microscope with very interesting results. >>️

A. Kondi, V. Constantoudis, P. Sarkiris, K. Ellinas, and E. Gogolides. Using chaotic dynamics to characterize the complexity of rough surfaces. Phys. Rev. E 107, 014206. Jan 11, 2023. 

https://journals.aps.org/pre/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevE.107.014206

https://twitter.com/PhysRevE/status/1613569770338533376

Also

Able to track changes in noise. 

(quasi-stochastic poetry) 

Notes. Sep 13, 2007. 

https://inkpi.blogspot.com/2007/09/2147-able-to-track-changes-in-noise.html

Also

keyword 'chaos' | 'chaotic' in Font

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=chaos

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=chaotic

keyword 'caos' | 'caotico' in Notes (quasi-stochastic poetry)

https://inkpi.blogspot.com/search?q=caos

https://inkpi.blogspot.com/search?q=caotico

Keywords: gst, chaos, chaotic, nano, roughness, wetting, surfaces, etching scanning 

# gst: size, location and shape of interfacial nanobubbles can be tuned by nanostructures.

<< the nucleation mechanism of spontaneously generated NBs (nanobubbles) at solid-liquid interfaces of immersed nanostructured hydrophobic surfaces is studied. Depending on the size and density of the surface nanostructures, NBs with different size and density were reproducibly and deterministically obtained. >>️

moreover, << air entrapment experiments on a porous PS (coated polystyrene) surface covered with irregular nanopores show that also the shape of NBs can also be tuned by surface nanostructures, due to their pinning effect. It is thus feasible to tune NB size, position, and even morphology by varying surface nanostructures. >>️

Yuliang Wang, Xiaolai Li, et al. Entrapment of Interfacial Nanobubbles on Nano Structured Surfaces. arXiv:2208.08181v1 [physics.flu-dyn]. Aug 17, 2022.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.08181

Also

keyword "bubble" in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=bubble

Keywords: gst, nano, bubble, tune, pinning effect️

# gst: like steering a marble through a tilting labyrinth, randomness seems to quickly deliver specific outcomes.

<< According to the infinite monkey theorem, a monkey randomly hitting the keys of a typewriter will eventually write something worth reading—but it might take a few trillion years of trying. For those lacking the patience to wait, (AA)  now show that randomness can deliver specific outcomes much more quickly.  Simulating a 2D nanocluster of a dozen particles, (they) determine the temperature at which thermal fluctuations can most quickly rearrange those particles into a predetermined shape. They find that this time can be dramatically cut by applying an appropriate macroscopic force to the particles. >>

<< The duo also simulated nanoclusters that were subject to a macroscopic force field, for example, metallic nanoparticles in an electric field. Like steering a marble through a tilting labyrinth, they found the optimal global force to apply at each iteration such that the nanocluster navigated the space of possible configurations several orders of magnitude more quickly. >>️️

Marric Stephens. Rearranging Nanoclusters Using Randomness. Physics 15, s83. Jun 22, 2022. 

https://physics.aps.org/articles/v15/s83

Francesco Boccardo, Olivier Pierre-Louis. Controlling the Shape of Small Clusters with and without Macroscopic Fields. Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 256102. Jun 22, 2022.  

https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.256102

Also

keyword 'random' in FonT:

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=random

keyword 'error' | 'fuzzy' | 'noise'  in FonT 

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=error

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=fuzzy

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=noise

keywords 'errore' | 'errori' in Notes (quasi-stochastic poetry)

https://inkpi.blogspot.com/search?q=errore

https://inkpi.blogspot.com/search?q=errori

keywords 'jelly roll' in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=jelly+roll

Keywords: gst, nano, nanocluster, fluctuations, randomness, noise

# zoo: apropos of extreme dwarf entities, three new species of nano-hawk moths (Cautethia Grote, Sphingidae)

<< Hawk moths are known for being some of the largest night fliers in the insect world (..) three new species from The Bahamas are breaking records at the opposite end of the size spectrum. At about the length of a vitamin pill, they are among the smallest discovered. >>️

<< Hawk moths are a diverse group of insects, with some 1,700 species worldwide. In addition to their remarkable wingspans, they also have incredibly long proboscises, the straw-like tongues they use to siphon nectar.  The title for the world's longest proboscis is held by a hawk moth endemic to Madagascar, which comes in at just under 12 inches when fully unfurled. >>️

Brian V. Smith. New hawk moth species are among the smallest ever discovered. Florida Museum of Natural History. Jul 11, 2022. 

https://phys.org/news/2022-07-hawk-moth-species-smallest.html

Jacqueline Y. Miller, Deborah L. Matthews, Riley J. Gott. Three new species of Cautethia Grote (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) from the Lucayan Archipelago and keys to West Indies species. Insecta Mundi. 0937,  1-28. Jun 24, 2022 (pdf).

https://centerforsystematicentomology.org/insectamundi/0937_Miller_etal_2022.pdf

Also

Apropos of extreme dwarf entities, the nano-chameleon (Brookesia nana). FonT.  Feb 9, 2021.

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/2021/02/zoo-apropos-of-extreme-dwarf-entities.html

keyword 'nano' in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=nano

keyword 'nano' in Notes 

(quasi-stochastic poetry)

https://inkpi.blogspot.com/search?q=nano

keywords: life, zoo, evol, dwarf, nano

# evol: spontaneous, immediate asymmetry, the chiral twist

<< When holding a right hand in front of a mirror, one can see a reflected image of a left hand and vice versa. In 1848, Louis Pasteur discovered that organic molecules are much like our hands: they come in mirror-image pairs of left- and right-handed variants. Nowadays, we know that this handedness or chirality (from the Greek word for "hand") is a hallmark of organic molecules. >>

<< Organic molecules are rich in carbon atoms, which form bonds to create either a right or a left "nano-hand." Yet, puzzlingly, life almost always selects to exclusively use one of the two mirror-image twins—a phenomenon called homochirality. For example, terrestrial life is based on left-handed amino acids and right-handed sugars. >>️️

<< A model now proposes a novel explanation for the emergence of homochirality in life—a longstanding puzzle about the origin of life on Earth. >>️

<< Homochirality emerges spontaneously in prebiotic chemical networks that adapt to optimize energy harvesting from the environment. Previously, it was believed that chiral symmetry breaking requires multiple loops of auto-catalysis, which increasingly produces one enantiomer of a molecule while inhibiting the formation of the other. However, the IBS team's results showed that the underlying mechanism of symmetry breaking is very general, as it can occur in large reaction systems with many random molecules and does not require sophisticated network architectures. It was found that this sharp transition to homochirality stems from the self-configuration of the reaction network in order to achieve more efficient harvesting of energy from the environment. >>️

Learning chemical networks give life a chiral twist. Institute for Basic Science. Apr 26, 2022. 

https://phys.org/news/2022-04-chemical-networks-life-chiral.html

William D. Pineros, Tsvi Tlusty. Spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking in a random driven chemical system. Nat Commun 13, 2244. doi: 10.1038/ s41467-022-29952-8. Apr 26, 2022.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-29952-8

Also

keyword 'chiral' in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=chiral

keyword 'self-assembly' in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=self-assembly

Keywords: evolution, gst, randomness, self-assembly, self-configuration, break symmetry, asymmetry, chiral, chirality  

# gst: approaching the dynamics of nanobubble formation and collapse

<< While sequential optical imaging (i.e., recording movies) has contributed significantly to our understanding of cavitation and other complex bubble behavior at the larger (..) scale, the necessary length and temporal resolutions make such a traditional approach infeasible for nanobubbles, >> Garth Egan. ️

<< To take the images at the nanoscale, (AA) shot a 532-nanometer laser pulse (about 12 nanosec) to excite gold nanoparticles inside a 1.2 micron layer of water. The resulting bubbles were observed with a series of nine electron pulses (10 ns) separated by as little as 40 ns peak-to-peak. The researchers found that isolated nanobubbles were observed to collapse in less than 50 ns, while larger (∼2–3 micron) bubbles were observed to grow and collapse in less than 200 ns. >>

<< Isolated bubbles were observed to behave consistently with models derived from data from much larger bubbles. The formation and collapse were observed to be temporally asymmetric, which has implications for how results from alternate methods of experimental analysis are interpreted. More complex interactions between adjacent bubbles also were observed, which led to bubbles living longer than expected and rebounding upon collapse. >>️️

Anne M. Stark. Multiframe imaging of micron and nanoscale bubble dynamics.  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Feb 09, 2022. 

https://phys.org/news/2022-02-multiframe-imaging-micron-nanoscale-dynamics.html

Garth C. Egan, Edmond Y. Lau, Eric Schwegler.  Multiframe Imaging of Micron and Nanoscale Bubble Dynamics. Nano Lett. 2022, 22, 3, 1053–1058. doi: 10.1021/ acs.nanolett.1c04101. Jan 19, 2022.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c04101

Also

keyword "bubble" in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=bubble

keyword "bolla" | "bolle" in Notes (quasistochastic-poetry): 

https://inkpi.blogspot.com/search?q=bolla

https://inkpi.blogspot.com/search?q=bolle

keywords: bubble, nano, nanobubble,  nanobubble dynamics, bubble formation, bubble collapse

# gst: apropos of hybrid nanostructures, the Kondo cloud effects on 'impurities' (inside superconductors).

<< when a metal contains magnetic impurities, conduction electrons can form a screening cloud, which essentially screens the impurity's spin. This physical phenomenon is known as the Kondo effect; thus, the resulting cloud is referred to as a Kondo cloud. >>

<< While the behavior of the Kondo cloud in normal systems is well-understood, its properties in the presence of superconducting materials have not yet been explored in depth. So far, most physicists have believed that the screening of impurity spins in hybrid nanostructures takes place predominantly in the screened, rather than in the unscreened, quantum phase. >>

<< The system we considered exhibits a quantum phase transition when the ground state changes between the Kondo state and the so-called Shiba state, (..) Up to now, it was believed that the screening occurs in the Kondo phase. Quite strikingly, we have however, demonstrated that the Kondo cloud exists also in the unscreened phase. >>  Ireneusz Weymann.

Ingrid Fadelli. Study predicts the behavior of a Kondo cloud in a superconductor. Phys.org. Nov  23, 2021. 

https://phys.org/news/2021-11-behavior-kondo-cloud-superconductor.html

Catalin Pascu Moca, Ireneusz Weymann, et al. Kondo Cloud in a Superconductor.  Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 186804. Oct 27, 2021.

https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.186804

keywords: gst, nano, hybrid nanostructure, superconductor, transition, impurity, Kondo cloud, Kondo effect

# gst: apropos of transitions, reversing order-disorder of Janus nano particles confined in two dimensions

<< Janus particles with different patch sizes, confined to two dimensions, generate a series of patterns of interest to the field of nanoscience >>

AA << observe reverse melting, where for some densities the system melts under cooling. For a broad range of hydrophobic patch sizes (..), a reentrant transition from solid to liquid and then to an ordered phase emerges as temperature (T) decreases due to the formation of rhombus chains at low T.  This reentrant phase has pseudo long-range orientational order but short-range translational order, >>

The << work provides guidelines to study the melting and assembly of Janus particles in two dimensions, as well as mechanisms to generate phases with specific symmetry. >>️️

️

Yihao Liang, Boran Ma, Monica Olvera de la Cruz. Reverse order-disorder transition of Janus particles confined in two dimensions. Phys. Rev. E 103, 062607. Jun 9, 2021.

https://journals.aps.org/pre/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevE.103.062607

Also

keyword 'nano' in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=nano

keyword 'nano' in Notes 

(quasi-stochastic poetry)

https://inkpi.blogspot.com/search?q=nano

# zoo; apropos of extreme dwarf entities, the nano-chameleon (Brookesia nana)

<< An international team, (..) has discovered a minuscule new species of chameleon.  (..) They have named the new species Brookesia nana. >>

 << At a body length of just 13.5 mm and a total length of just 22 mm including the tail, the male nano-chameleon is the smallest known male of all 'higher vertebrates' >> Frank Glaw.

<< Unfortunately, the habitat of the Nano-Chameleon is under heavy pressure from deforestation, but the area has recently been designated as a protected area, and hopefully that will enable this tiny new chameleon to survive, >> Oliver Hawlitschek.

Meet the nano-chameleon, a new contender for the title of world's smallest reptile. Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns. Feb 01, 2021. 

https://phys.org/news/2021-02-nano-chameleon-contender-title-world-smallest.html    

Glaw, F., Kohler, J., Hawlitschek, O. et al. Extreme miniaturization of a new amniote vertebrate and insights into the evolution of genital size in chameleons. Sci Rep 11, 2522. doi: 10.1038/ s41598-020-80955-1. Jan 28,  2021.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-80955-1 

# gst: expanding 'bubbles' of distortion in the nano lattice of a material, a glimpse of polarons

 << Polarons are fleeting distortions in a material's atomic lattice that form around a moving electron in a few trillionths of a second, then quickly disappear. As ephemeral as they are, they affect a material's behavior, >> 

 << When you put a charge into a material by hitting it with light, like what happens in a solar cell, electrons are liberated, and those free electrons start to move around the material, (..) Soon they are surrounded and engulfed by a sort of bubble of local distortion—the polaron—that travels along with them, (..)  Some people have argued that this 'bubble' protects electrons from scattering off defects in the material, and helps explain why they travel so efficiently to the solar cell's contact to flow out as electricity. >> Burak Guzelturk.

<< The hybrid perovskite lattice structure is flexible and soft—like a strange combination of a solid and a liquid at the same time, (..) and this is what allows polarons to form and grow. >> Aaron Lindenberg.

Glennda Chui. First glimpse of polarons forming in a promising next-gen energy material. SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Jan 04, 2021.

https://phys.org/news/2021-01-glimpse-polarons-next-gen-energy-material.html

Burak Guzelturk, Thomas Winkler, et al.  Visualization of dynamic polaronic strain fields in hybrid lead halide perovskites. Nat. Mater. doi: 10.1038/ s41563-020-00865-5. 04 Jan 4, 2021.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-020-00865-5   

# gst: the strong impact on nanosheets by the weak van der Waals force

<< Van der Waals is a weak force that allows neutral molecules to attract one another through randomly fluctuating dipoles, depending on distance. Though small, its effects can be seen in the macro world, like when geckos walk up walls. >> 

<< Van der Waals forces are everywhere and, essentially, at the nanoscale everything is sticky, (..) When you put a large, flat particle on a large, flat surface, there's a lot of contact, and it's enough to permanently deform a particle that's really thin and flexible. >> 

Matt Jones. 

<< the ubiquitous, "weak" van der Waals force was sufficient to indent a rigid silver nanosheet. The phenomenon suggests possible applications in nanoscale optics or catalytic systems. >>

<< In further experiments, (..) nanospheres could be used to control the shape of the deformation, from single ridges when two spheres are close, to saddle shapes or isolated bumps when the spheres are farther apart. >> 

Mike Williams. Weak force has strong impact on nanosheets. Rice University. Dec 15, 2020. 

https://phys.org/news/2020-12-weak-strong-impact-nanosheets.html

Sarah M. Rehn, Theodor M. Gerrard-Anderson, et al. Mechanical Reshaping of Inorganic Nanostructures with Weak Nanoscale Forces. Nano Lett. doi: 10.1021/ acs.nanolett.0c03383. Dec 10, 2020. 

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c03383  

Also

keyword 'van der Waals' in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=van+der+Waals

# gst: apropos of nano vortices: the stabilization of skyrmions by weak higher-order exchange interactions

<< Tiny magnetic whirls that can occur in materials—so-called skyrmions— hold high promises for novel electronic devices or magnetic memory in which they are used as bits to store information. A fundamental prerequisite for any application is the stability of these magnetic whirls. >>

<< Previously, a standard model of the relevant magnetic interactions contributing to the (energy) barrier has been established. >>

<< one type of magnetic interactions has so far been overlooked. In the 1920s Werner Heisenberg could explain the occurrence of ferromagnetism by the quantum mechanical exchange interaction which results from the spin dependent "hopping" of electrons between two atoms. "If one considers the electron hopping between more atoms, higher-order exchange interactions occur," says Dr. Souvik Paul, (..). However, these interactions are much weaker than the pair-wise exchange proposed by Heisenberg and were thus neglected in the research on skyrmions. >>

<< Based on atomistic simulations and quantum mechanical calculations (..)  (AA) have now explained that these weak interactions (at a higher temperature than room temperature) can still provide a surprisingly large contribution to skyrmion stability. Especially the cyclic hopping over four atomic sites (..) influences the energy of the transition state extraordinarily strongly (..), where only a few atomic bar magnets are tilted against each other. Even stable antiskyrmions were found in the simulations which are advantageous for some future data storage concepts but typically decay too fast. >>

Julia Siek­mann. Scientists find a new mechanism for the stabilization of skyrmions. Kiel University. Sep 21, 2020.

https://phys.org/news/2020-09-scientists-mechanism-stabilization-skyrmions.html

Paul, S., Haldar, S., von Malottki, S. et al. Role of higher- order exchange interactions for skyrmion stability. Nat Commun 11, 4756. doi: 10.1038/ s41467-020-18473-x. Sep 21, 2020.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-18473-x   

# gst: weird matter, the 'ballistic resonance' paradox; amplitude of mechanical vibrations can grow without external influence

AA << discovered a new physical phenomenon of 'ballistic resonance', where mechanical oscillations can be excited only due to internal thermal resources of the system. >>

<< The discovered phenomenon describes that the process of heat equilibration leads to mechanical vibrations with an amplitude that grows with time. The effect is called ballistic resonance. >>

<< Over the past few years, our scientific group has been looking into the mechanisms of heat propagation at the micro and nano levels. We found out that at these levels, heat doesn't spread in the way we expected it to: for example, heat can flow from cold to hot. This behavior of nanosystems leads to new physical effects, such as ballistic resonance, >> Vitaly Kuzkin.

Scientists have discovered a new physical paradox. Peter the Great Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University. Jul 13, 2020.

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-scientists-physical-paradox.html

<< coupling between macroscopic dynamics and quasiballistic heat transport gives rise to mechanical vibrations with growing amplitude. This phenomenon is referred to as ballistic resonance. At large times, these mechanical vibrations decay monotonically >>

Vitaly A. Kuzkin, Anton M. Krivtsov. 

Ballistic resonance and thermalization in the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam-Tsingou chain at finite temperature. Phys. Rev. E 101, 042209. Apr 16, 2020.

https://journals.aps.org/pre/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevE.101.042209

# gst: apropos of unexpected Hopfion tangles

<< a certain geometrical structure of knots, which scientists call a Hopfion, manifests itself in unexpected corners of the universe, ranging from particle physics, to biology, to cosmology. >>

<< In a recent theoretical study, (..) (AA) discovered the presence of the Hopfion structure in nano-sized particles of ferroelectrics. >>

<< The Hopfion is a very abstract mathematical concept, (..) but the structure shows up in hydrodynamics, electrodynamics and even in the packing of DNA and RNA molecules in biological systems and viruses. >> Valerii Vinokur

<< When we visualized the polarization, we saw the Hopfion structure emerge, (..) We thought, wow, there is a whole world inside of these nanoparticles. >> Igor Luk'yanchuck.

Savannah Mitchem. Novel insight reveals topological tangle in unexpected corner of the universe. Argonne National Laboratory. May 26, 2020.

https://phys.org/news/2020-05-insight-reveals-topological-tangle-unexpected.html

Luk’yanchuk I., Tikhonov Y., et al. Hopfions emerge in ferroelectrics. 

 Nat Commun 11, 2433. doi: 10.1038/ s41467-020-16258-w. May 15, 2020.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-16258-w

# gst: self‐assembly of porous, chiral nano-patterns from simple building blocks.

<< Using a simple rod-like building block with hydroxamic acids at both ends scientists (..) created self- assembling porous, chiral nano structures.  >>

<< Like our left and right hands, the shape of two mirrored cage structures cannot be superimposed. Since the 19th century, academics have characterized this type of object symmetry as 'chiral,' from the ancient Greek meaning 'hand.' These kinds of molecules are frequently found in natural compounds. Chirality influences interactions of polarized light and magnetic properties and plays a vital role in life.  For example, our olfactory receptors react very differently to the two mirror images of the limonene molecule: one smells like lemon, the other like pine. This so-called chiral recognition is a process that can determine whether a molecule acts as medicine or poison. >>

Complex, porous, chiral nano-patterns arise from a simple linear building blocks. Technical University Munich. Jan 16, 2020.

https://m.phys.org/news/2020-01-complex-porous-chiral-nano-patterns-simple.html

<< Regrettably (in this specific experimental context), the end groups proved to be elusive >>

Chao Jing,  Bodong Zhang, et al. Snapshots of Dynamic Adaptation: Two‐Dimensional Molecular Architectonics with Linear Bis‐Hydroxamic Acid Modules. Angewandte Chemie International Edition. Volume 58, Issue 52. doi: 10.1002/anie.201912247. Oct 31, 2019. 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/anie.201912247

Also

keyword 'chiral' in FonT

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=chiral

# gst: exploring the lifespan of a liquid droplet

<< Current theories state that the droplet's diameter-squared decreases in proportion to time (classical law); however, this period only accounts for a small portion of the drop's evolution. As the diameter approaches the unobservable micro- and nano-scale, molecular dynamics have to be used as virtual experiments and these show a crossover to a new behaviour, with the diameter now reducing in proportion to time (nano-scale law). >>

<< It is fascinating that intuition based on everyday observations are a hindrance when attempting to understand nanoscale flows, so that, as in this research, one has to lean on theory to enlighten us. >>  James Sprittles.

The lifespan of an evaporating liquid drop. University of Warwick. Oct 10, 2019.     https://m.phys.org/news/2019-10-lifespan-evaporating-liquid.html

Rana A.S., Lockerby D.A., Sprittles J.E.  Lifetime of a Nanodroplet: Kinetic Effects and Regime Transitions. Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 154501 Oct 9, 2019.     https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.154501