Nuclear spins and paramagnetic centers in a solid randomly group to form clusters featuring nearly-degenerate, hybrid states whose dynamics are central processes involving nuclear spin-lattice relaxation diffusion. Their characterization, however, has proven notoriously difficult mostly due their relative isolation comparatively low concentration. Here, we combine field-cycling experiments, opt...

Fucus zygotes polarise and germinate a rhizoid before their first asymmetrical division. The role of microtubules (MTs) in orienting the first division plane has been extensively studied by immunofluorescence approaches. In the present study, the re-organisation of MT arrays during the development of Fucus zygotes and embryos was followed in vivo after microinjection of fluorescent tubulin. A d...

We report a study in which Andreev reflection using a Nb point contact is used to measure the transport spin polarisation of the 4d itinerant ferromagnet SrRuO3. By performing the study in high quality thin films with residual resistivities less than 7μΩ-cm, we ensure that the study is done in the ballistic limit, a regime which is difficult to reach in oxide ferromagnets. The degree of transpo...

Planar polarity describes the coordinated polarisation of cells or structures in the plane of a tissue. The patterning mechanisms that underlie planar polarity are well characterised in Drosophila, where many events are regulated by two pathways: the 'core' planar polarity complex and the Fat/Dachsous system. Components of both pathways also function in vertebrates and are implicated in diverse...

We present 5-GHz MERLIN radio images of the microquasar GRS 1915+105 during two separate outbursts in 2001 March and 2001 July, following the evolution of the jet components as they move outwards from the core of the system. Proper motions constrain the intrinsic jet speed to be > 0.57c, but the uncertainty in the source distance prevents an accurate determination of the jet speed. No decelerat...

In this paper, the full dynamic model describing vibrations of piezoceramic solids of hollow cylindrical shapes and accounting for the coupling of the solids to surrounding fluid/gas media has been analysed numerically. The major attention has been given to the case of radial preliminary polarisation of piezoceramics where a strong coupling between electric and mechanical fields is an essential...

The energy-loss near-edge structure (ELNES) at the oxygen K edge in two AB2O4 spinels (A=Mg, B=Al,Cr) is reported. In MgAl2O4 the experimental data is successfully modelled within the LDA framework. In the case of MgCr2O4 spin-polarisation, in the form of antiferromagnetic ordering on the Cr sub-lattice, must be included despite the fact that the measurements were performed at approximately 30 ...

The article focuses on the principles of strong concentration polarisation of flat and curved interfaces including the phenomenon of the limiting current. It is shown both theoretically and experimentally that electroosmosis of the second kind near the curved interface causes an important change of characteristics of concentration polarisation and a rapid growth of the current through an interf...

The photoelectrons emitted by lead atoms exposed to circularly-polarised vuv radiation are partially spin polarised. Unlike the photoionisation cross section, the measured polarisation does not show autoionisation resonances as a function of wavelength. The polarisation and the known cross section results together yield new absorption data, which can be compared with the oscillator strengths of...

For the design of the International Linear Collider (ILC) a polarised positron source based on a helical undulator system has been proposed. In order to optimise the positron beam, i.e. to ensure high intensity as well as high degree of polarisation, a measurement of the polarisation close to the positron creation point is envisaged. In this contribution methods to determine the positron polari...