Polarized blazar X-rays imply particle acceleration in shocks.

Most of the light from blazars, active galactic nuclei with jets of magnetized plasma that point nearly along the line of sight, is produced by high-energy particles, up to around 1 TeV. Although the jets are known to be ultimately powered by a supermassive black hole, how the particles are accelerated to such high energies has been an unanswered question. The process must be related to the magnetic field, which can be probed by observations of the polarization of light from the jets.

Inhomogeneous Broadening of the Exciton Band in Optical Absorption Spectra of InP/ZnS Nanocrystals.

In this work, we have simulated the processes of broadening the first exciton band in optical absorption spectra (OA) for InP/ZnS ensembles of colloidal quantum dots (QDs). A phenomenological model has been proposed that takes into account the effects of the exciton-phonon interaction, and allows one to analyze the influence of the static and dynamic types of atomic disorder on the temperature changes in the spectral characteristics in question. To vary the degree of static disorder in the model system, we have used a parameter δ, which characterizes the QD dispersion in size over the ensemble.

Molecular identification and typing of Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei: when is enough enough?

Burkholderia mallei and B. pseudomallei are highly pathogenic microorganisms for both humans and animals. Moreover, they are regarded as potential agents of bioterrorism.