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Fardelli E, D'Arco A, Lupi S, Billi D, Moeller R, Guidi MC. Spectroscopic evidence of the radioresistance of Chroococcidiopsis biosignatures: A combined Raman, FT-IR and THz-TDs spectroscopy study. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2023; 288:122148. [PMID: 36462318 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2022.122148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In the last decades, Mars has been widely studied with on-site missions and observations, showing a planet that could have hosted life in the past. For this reason, the recent and future space missions on the red planet will search for traces of past and, possibly, present life. As a basis for these missions, Space Agencies, such as the European Space Agency, have conducted many experiments on living organisms, studying their behavior in extraterrestrial conditions, learning to recognize their biosignatures with techniques remotely controllable such as Raman spectroscopy. Among these organisms, the radioresistant cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis was irradiated during the STARLIFE campaign with strong radiative insults. In this article we have investigated this cyanobacterium using Raman spectroscopy and extended the characterization of its biosignatures and its response to the radiative stress to the mid- Infrared and Terahertz spectral region using the Fourier Transform InfraRed (FT-IR) and Terahertz Time Domain spectroscopy (THz- TDs), which demonstrates the compatibility and suitability of these techniques for future space missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Fardelli
- University of Roma Tre, Department of Science, Viale G. Marconi, 446, Rome, 00146, Italy.
| | - Annalisa D'Arco
- University of La Sapienza, Department of Physics, P.le A. Moro, 5, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Stefano Lupi
- University of La Sapienza, Department of Physics, P.le A. Moro, 5, Rome, 00185, Italy; INFN - LNF, Via E. Fermi, 54, Frascati, 00044, Italy
| | - Daniela Billi
- University of Tor Vergata, Department of Biology, Via della ricerca scientifica, 1, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Ralf Moeller
- Institute of Aerospace Medicine, section Aerospace Microbiology, Linder Hohe, Cologne, 51147, Germany
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D'Arco A, Rocco D, Piamonte Magboo F, Moffa C, Della Ventura G, Marcelli A, Palumbo L, Mattiello L, Lupi S, Petrarca M. Terahertz continuous wave spectroscopy: a portable advanced method for atmospheric gas sensing. OPTICS EXPRESS 2022; 30:19005-19016. [PMID: 36221688 DOI: 10.1364/oe.456022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Motivated by the increasing demand to monitor the air-quality, our study proved the feasibility of a new compact and portable experimental approach based on Terahertz (THz) continuous wave high resolution spectroscopy, to detect the presence of the air's contaminants as greenhouse gases (GHG) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In this specific work, we first characterized, determining their molar absorption coefficient in the spectral region (0.06-1.2) THz, the pure optical response of the vapor of five VOCs: methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, 1-butanol and 2-butanol. In particular, 1-butanol and 2-butanol are characterized for the first time in literature at THz frequencies. Then we studied the optical response of their mixtures achieved with ambient air and ethanol. The results show that it is possible for a differentiation of single components by describing their spectral absorption in terms of the linear combination of pure compounds absorption. This proof of concept for this apparatus study and set-up paves the way to the use of THz Continuous wave high resolution spectroscopy for the environmental tracking of air pollutants.
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Abstract
Proteins play a key role in living organisms. The study of proteins and their dynamics provides information about their functionality, catalysis and potential alterations towards pathological diseases. Several techniques are used for studying protein dynamics, e.g., magnetic resonance, fluorescence imaging techniques, mid-infrared spectroscopy and biochemical assays. Spectroscopic analysis, based on the use of terahertz (THz) radiation with frequencies between 0.1 and 15 THz (3–500 cm−1), was underestimated by the biochemical community. In recent years, however, the potential of THz spectroscopy in the analysis of both simple structures, such as polypeptide molecules, and complex structures, such as protein complexes, has been demonstrated. The THz absorption spectrum provides some information on proteins: for small molecules the THz spectrum is dominated by individual modes related to the presence of hydrogen bonds. For peptides, the spectral information concerns their secondary structure, while for complex proteins such as globular proteins and viral glycoproteins, spectra also provide information on collective modes. In this short review, we discuss the results obtained by THz spectroscopy in the protein dynamics investigations. In particular, we will illustrate advantages and applications of THz spectroscopy, pointing out the complementary information it may provide.
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Curcio A, Mou S, Palumbo L, Lupi S, Petrarca M. Selection rules for the orbital angular momentum of optically produced THz radiation. OPTICS LETTERS 2021; 46:1514-1517. [PMID: 33793468 DOI: 10.1364/ol.416814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this work, we theoretically study the transduction of orbital angular momentum (OAM) l for infrared pump lasers into the THz domain. In the case of optical rectification, the transduction of OAM occurs only through a spin-orbit interaction, with the selection rule on the OAM l=0 valid for any kind of polarization of the pump, which means that there is no transfer of OAM along the propagation axis. In difference frequency generation, the selection rule for the difference Δl between the OAM of the pump fields with linear or circular polarization is l=Δl, whereas l ranges from Δl-2 to Δl+2 in cases of both radial and azimuthal polarization. Moreover, for THz generation in the latter case, the high diffraction obtained with tightly focused pumps yields l tending to Δl±2, while l tends to zero in the opposite case of large pump beams.
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Performance Evaluation of a THz Pulsed Imaging System: Point Spread Function, Broadband THz Beam Visualization and Image Reconstruction. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/app11020562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Terahertz (THz) technology is a promising research field for various applications in basic science and technology. In particular, THz imaging is a new field in imaging science, where theories, mathematical models and techniques for describing and assessing THz images have not completely matured yet. In this work, we investigate the performances of a broadband pulsed THz imaging system (0.2–2.5 THz). We characterize our broadband THz beam, emitted from a photoconductive antenna (PCA), and estimate its point spread function (PSF) and the corresponding spatial resolution. We provide the first, to our knowledge, 3D beam profile of THz radiation emitted from a PCA, along its propagation axis, without the using of THz cameras or profilers, showing the beam spatial intensity distribution. Finally, we evaluate the THz image formation on a test-sample composed by a regular linen natural pattern.
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Broadband Anisotropic Optical Properties of the Terahertz Generator HMQ-TMS Organic Crystal. CONDENSED MATTER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/condmat5030047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
HMQ-TMS (2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxystyryl)-1-methylquinolinium 2,4,6-trimethylbenzenesulfonate) is a recently discovered anisotropic organic crystal that can be exploited for the production of broadband high-intensity terahertz (THz) radiation through the optical rectification (OR) technique. HMQ-TMS plays a central role in THz technology due to its broad transparency range, large electro-optic coefficient and coherence length, and excellent crystal properties. However, its anisotropic optical properties have not been deeply researched yet. Here, from polarized reflectance and transmittance measurements along the x 1 and x 3 axes of a HMQ-TMS single-crystal, we extract both the refraction index n and the extinction coefficient k between 50 and 35,000 cm − 1 . We further measure the THz radiation generated by optical rectification at different infrared (IR) wavelengths and along the two x 1 and x 3 axes. These data highlight the remarkable anisotropic linear and nonlinear optical behavior of HMQ-TMS crystals, expanding the knowledge of its properties and applications from the THz to the UV region.
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Curcio A, Petrarca M. Saturation regime of THz generation in nonlinear crystals by pumps with arbitrary spectral modulations. OPTICS LETTERS 2020; 45:1619-1622. [PMID: 32235957 DOI: 10.1364/ol.386341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A self-consistent analytic formalism of the description of saturation effects in optical rectification is provided. It is shown that a nonlinear absorption term arises from this process that is dominant over two-photon absorption, deriving instead from the nonlinear susceptibility of the third order. An analytical expression for the saturation intensity is provided and compared to experiments in literature. Moreover, it is shown how the saturation effects modify the transfer of the pump spectral phase and amplitude into the terahertz domain.
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Déchard J, Davoine X, Bergé L. THz Generation from Relativistic Plasmas Driven by Near- to Far-Infrared Laser Pulses. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2019; 123:264801. [PMID: 31951438 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.123.264801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Terahertz pulse generation by ultraintense two-color laser fields ionizing gases with near- to far-infrared carrier wavelength is studied from particle-in-cell simulations. For a long pump wavelength (10.6 μm) promoting a large ratio of electron density over critical, photoionization is shown to catastrophically enhance the plasma wakefield, causing a net downshift in the optical spectrum and exciting THz fields with tens of GV/m amplitude in the laser direction. This emission is accompanied by coherent transition radiation (CTR) of comparable amplitude due to wakefield-driven electron acceleration. We analytically evaluate the fraction of CTR energy up to 30% of the total radiated emission including the particle self-field and numerically calibrate the efficiency of the matched blowout regime for electron densities varied over three orders of magnitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Déchard
- CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon, France
| | - X Davoine
- CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon, France
| | - L Bergé
- CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon, France
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Curcio A, Bisesto F, Costa G, Biagioni A, Anania MP, Pompili R, Ferrario M, Petrarca M. Modeling and diagnostics for plasma discharge capillaries. Phys Rev E 2019; 100:053202. [PMID: 31869917 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.100.053202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we show how plasma discharge capillaries can be numerically modeled as resistors within an RLC-series discharge circuit, allowing for a simple description of these systems, while taking into account heat and radiation losses. An analytic radial model is also provided and compared to the numerical model for plasma discharge capillaries at thermal equilibrium, with corrections due to radiation losses. Finally, diagnostic techniques based on visible spectroscopy of plasma emission lines are discussed both for atomic and molecular gases, comparing experimental results with numerical simulations and theoretical calculations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - G Costa
- INFN LNF, Frascati (Rome), Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - M Petrarca
- S.B.A.I. Department of the Roma University "La Sapienza," Rome, Italy and INFN Roma1, Rome, Italy
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Curcio A, Petrarca M. Diagnosing plasmas with wideband terahertz pulses. OPTICS LETTERS 2019; 44:1011-1014. [PMID: 30768036 DOI: 10.1364/ol.44.001011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
A diagnostic method for the electron plasma density and temperature based on the exploitation of wideband THz pulses is presented. The model accompanying the diagnostic method is described, and it is shown useful to characterize the plasma density and temperature profile along a symmetry axis. This diagnostic is particularly interesting for plasma-acceleration schemes or laser-produced plasma channels.
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