Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

About: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a education organization based out in Troy, New York, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Terahertz radiation & Population. The organization has 19024 authors who have published 39922 publications receiving 1414699 citations. The organization is also known as: RPI & Rensselaer Institute.

Synthesis of long prebiotic oligomers on mineral surfaces

Abstract: Most theories of the origin of biological organization assume that polymers with lengths in the range of 30-60 monomers are needed to make a genetic system viable. But it has not proved possible to synthesize plausibly prebiotic polymers this long by condensation in aqueous solution, because hydrolysis competes with polymerization. The potential of mineral surfaces to facilitate prebiotic polymerization was pointed out long ago. Here we describe a system that models prebiotic polymerization by the oligomerization of activated monomers -both nucleotides and amino acids. We find that whereas the reactions in solution produce only short oligomers (the longest typically being a 10-mer), the presence of mineral surfaces (montmorillonite for nucleotides, illite and hydroxylapatite for amino adds) induces the formation of oligomers up to 55 monomers long. These are formed by successive "feedings" with the monomers; polymerization takes place on the mineral surfaces in a manner akin to solid-phase synthesis of biopolymers.

Three-Dimensional X-ray Microtomography

Abstract: The new technique of x-ray microtomography nondestructively generates three-dimensional maps of the x-ray attenuation coefficient inside small samples with approximately 1 percent accuracy and with resolution approaching 1 micrometer. Spatially resolved elemental maps can be produced with synchrotron x-ray sources by scanning samples at energies just above and below characteristic atomic absorption edges. The system consists of a high-resolution imaging x-ray detector and high-speed algorithms for tomographic image reconstruction. The design and operation of the microtomography device are described, and tomographic images that illustrate its performance with both synchrotron and laboratory x-ray sources are presented.

High-resolution image recovery from image-plane arrays, using convex projections.

Abstract: We consider the problem of reconstructing remotely obtained images from image-plane detector arrays. Although the individual detectors may be larger than the blur spot of the imaging optics, high-resolution reconstructions can be obtained by scanning or rotating the image with respect to the detector. As an alternative to matrix inversion or least-squares estimation [Appl. Opt. 26, 3615 (1987)], the method of convex projections is proposed. We show that readily obtained prior knowledge can be used to obtain good-quality imagery with reduced data. The effect of noise on the reconstruction process is considered.

Large Eddy Simulation and the variational multiscale method

Abstract: A Large Eddy Simulation (LES) formulation is developed from the variational multiscale method. Modeling is confined to the effect of a small-scale Reynolds stress, in contrast with classical LES in which the entire subgrid-scale stress is modeled. All other effects are accounted for exactly. It is argued that many shortcomings of the classical LES/constant-coefficient Smagorinsky model are eliminated by the scale separation inherent ab initio in the present approach.