Crossover from BKT-Rough to KPZ-Rough Surfaces for Crystal Growth/Recession

We found a crossover from a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT, logarithmic-rough surface to a Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ, algebraic)-rough surface for growing/recessing vicinal crystal surfaces in the non-equilibrium steady state using the Monte-Carlo method. We also found that the crossover point from a BKT-rough surface to a KPZ-rough surface is different from the kinetic roughening point for the (001) surface. Multilevel islands and negative islands (island-shaped holes) on the terrace formed by the two-dimensional nucleation process are found to block surface fluctuations, which contributes to making a BKT-rough surface.

Fermi surface instabilities in electronic Raman scattering of the metallic kagome lattice CsV3Sb5

Understanding the link between a charge density wave (CDW) instability and superconductivity is a central theme of the 2D metallic kagome compounds AV3Sb5 (A=K, Rb, and Cs). Using polarization-resolved electronic Raman spectroscopy, we shed light on Fermi surface fluctuations and electronic instabilities. We observe a quasielastic peak (QEP) whose spectral weight is progressively enhanced towards the superconducting transition. The QEP temperature-dependence reveals a steep increase in coherent in-plane charge correlations within the charge-density phase. In contrast, out-of-plane charge fluctuations remain strongly incoherent across the investigated temperature range. In-plane phonon anomalies appear at T* ≈ 50 K in addition to right below TCDW ≈ 95 K, while showing no apparent evidence of reduced symmetry at low temperatures. In conjunction with the consecutive phonon anomalies within the CDW state, our electronic Raman data unveil additional electronic instabilities that persist down to the superconducting phase, thereby offering a superconducting mechanism.

Viscosity and Surface Tension of Benzene at Saturation Conditions from Surface Light Scattering

In the present study, the liquid viscosity and surface tension of benzene was determined at saturation conditions from surface light scattering (SLS) experiments between (283 and 393) K. Based on the application of the hydrodynamic theory for surface fluctuations at the vapor–liquid phase boundary which was successfully validated by the measurements, a simultaneous determination of liquid viscosity and surface tension with average relative expanded uncertainties (k = 2) of (1.0 and 0.8)% was achieved. Agreement between the measurement data and reference values available in the literature was found for the viscosity and in general also for the surface tension, where benzene constitutes a recommended reference material of relatively moderate surface tension values. All these findings demonstrate for a repeated time that SLS is a suitable method for the investigation of fluids including reference fluids such as benzene, which enables a sound representation of its surface tension, presumably as a result of a rather random molecular orientation at the surface. Overall, the experimental results from this work could contribute to an improved data situation for benzene, in particular with respect to providing viscosities and surface tensions at true saturation conditions.

Cell surface fluctuations regulate early embryonic lineage sorting

In development, lineage segregation of multiple lineages must be coordinated in time and space. An important example is the mammalian inner cell mass (ICM), in which the primitive endoderm (PrE, founder of the yolk sac) physically segregates from the epiblast (EPI, founder of the foetus). The physical mechanisms that determine this spatial segregation between EPI and PrE are still poorly understood. Here, we identify an asymmetry in cell-cell affinity, a mechanical property thought to play a significant role in tissue sorting in other systems, between EPI and PrE precursors (pEPI and pPrE). However, a computational model of cell sorting indicated that these differences alone appeared insufficient to explain the spatial segregation. We also observed significantly greater surface fluctuations in pPrE compared to pEPI. Including the enhanced surface fluctuation in pPrE in our simulation led to robust cell sorting. We identify phospho-ERM regulated membrane tension as an important mediator of the increased surface fluctuations in pPrE. Using aggregates of engineered cell lines with different surface fluctuation levels cells with higher surface fluctuations were consistently excluded to the outside of the aggregate. These cells behaved similarly when incorporated in the embryo. Surface fluctuations-driven segregation is reminiscent of activity-induced phase separation, a sorting phenomenon in colloidal physics. Together, our experiments and model identify dynamic cell surface fluctuations, in addition to static mechanical properties, as a key factor for orchestrating the correct spatial positioning of the founder embryonic lineages.

Structural Information Reconstruction of Distorted Underwater Images Using Image Registration

Imaging through wavy air-water surface suffers from uneven geometric distortions and motion blur due to surface fluctuations. Structural information of distorted underwater images is needed to correct this in some cases, such as submarine cable inspecting. This paper presents a new structural information restoration method for underwater image sequences using an image registration algorithm. At first, to give higher priority to structural edge information, a reference frame is reconstructed from the sequence frames by a combination of lucky patches chosen and the guided filter. Then an iterative robust registration algorithm is applied to remove the severe distortions by registering frames against the reference frame, and the registration is guided towards the sharper boundary to ensure the integrity of edges. The experiment results show that the method exhibits improvement in sharpness and contrast, especially in some structural information such as text. Furthermore, the proposed edge-first registration strategy has faster iteration velocity and convergence speed compared with other registration strategies.

Swarming bacterial fronts: Dynamics and morphology of active swarm interfaces propagating through passive frictional domains

Swarming, a multicellular mode of flagella-based motility observed in many bacteria species, enables coordinated and rapid surface translocation, expansion and colonization. In the swarming state, bacterial films display several characteristics of active matter including intense and persistent long-ranged flocks and strong fluctuating velocity fields with significant vorticity. Swarm fronts are typically dynamically evolving interfaces. Many of these fronts separate motile active domains from passive frictional regions comprised of dead or non-motile bacteria. Here, we study the dynamics and structural features of a model active-passive interface in swarming Serratia marcescens. We expose localized regions of the swarm to high intensity wide-spectrum light thereby creating large domains of tightly packed immotile bacteria. When the light source is turned off, swarming bacteria outside this passivated region advance into this highly frictional domain and continuously reshape the interphase boundary. Combining results from Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and intensity based image analysis, we find that the evolving interface has quantifiable and defined roughness. Correlations between spatially separated surface fluctuations and damping of the same are influenced by the interaction of the interphase region with adjacently located and emergent collective flows. Dynamical growth exponents characterizing the spatiotemporal features of the surface are extracted and are found to differ from classically expected values for passive growth or erosion. To isolate the effects of hydrodynamic interactions generated by collective flows and that arising from steric interactions, we propose and analyze agent-based simulations with full hydrodynamics of rod-shaped, self-propelled particles. Our computations capture qualitative features of the swarm and predict correlation lengths consistent with experiments. We conclude that hydrodynamic and steric interactions enable different modes of surface dynamics, morphology and thus front invasion.

Physical Properties of Soils Altered by Invasive Pheretimoid Earthworms: Does Their Casting Layer Create Thermal Refuges?

Pheretimoid earthworms are invasive in hardwood forests of formerly glaciated regions in the USA. They alter the forest floor structure by creating an extensive, several cm-deep casting layer comprising loose macro-aggregates. Little is known about the physical properties of the casting layer and how they relate to earthworm ecology. Here, thermal and macropore properties of three forest soil textures (clay, silt, and sandy soils, with and without pheretimoids) were measured and compared to explore the possible relationships to their ecology. Thermal properties were significantly different between the casting layer (CAST) and original soil (NOCAST). Results indicate that CAST soils dampen temperature fluctuations occurring at the surface more than NOCAST soil. The increased dampening may be of particular importance to pheretimoid survival in forest fires and during spring when surface fluctuations could expose the hatchlings to fatal temperatures. Macropore volume, an indicator of ease of movement of pheretimoids, was significantly greater in CAST than NOCAST soil. Together, the ease of movement and greater temperature dampening of CAST soils may provide thermal refuges to pheretimoids from temperature variations outside the optimal range. This may improve their chances of survival in newly colonized areas where the climate differs from the original range.