We report photoelectron energy spectra, momentum, and angular distributions for the strong-field single ionization of lithium by 30 femtosecond laser pulses. For peak intensities between 10 11 and 10 14 W/cm 2 at a central wavelength of 785 nm, the classical over-the-barrier intensity was reached well inside the multiphoton regime. The complete vector momenta of the ionization fragments were recorded by a reaction microscope with a magneto-optically trapped target (MOTREMI). On the theoretical side, the time-dependent Schrödinger equation was solved by two independent methods seeking the solution directly on a radial grid. Distinct differences between the results of both calculations and also in comparison with experiment point to a high sensitivity of this reaction with respect to small details, particularly in the description of the Li+ core.

Double photoionization (DPI) and ionization-excitation (IE) of Lið2sÞ and Lið2pÞ, state-prepared and aligned in a magneto-optical trap, were explored in a reaction microscope at the free-electron laser in Hamburg (FLASH). From 6 to 12 eV above threshold (@! ¼ 85, 91 eV), total as well as differential DPI cross sections were observed to critically depend on the initial state and, in particular, on the alignment of the 2p orbital with respect to the VUV-light polarization, whereas no effect is seen for IE. The alignment sensitivity is traced back to dynamical electron correlation at threshold.

Sections from archival formalin-fixed, paraffin wax-embedded human tissues are a valuable source for the study of the nuclear architecture of specific tissue types in terms of the three-dimensional spatial positioning and architecture of chromosome territories and sub-chromosomal domains. Chromosome painting, centromeric, and locus-specific probes were hybridized to tissue microarrays prepared from formalin-fixed paraffin wax-embedded samples of pancreas and breast. The cell nuclei were analyzed using quantitative three-dimensional image microscopy. The results obtained from non-neoplastic pancreatic cells of randomly selected individuals indicated that the radial arrangement of the chromosome 8 territories as well as their shape (roundness) did not significantly differ between the individuals and were in accordance with assumptions of a probabilistic model for computer simulations. There were considerable differences between pancreatic tumor and non-neoplastic cells. In non-neoplastic ductal epithelium of the breast there was a larger, but insignificant, variability in the three-dimensional positioning of the centromere 17 and HER2 domains between individuals. In neoplastic epithelial breast cells, however, the distances between centromere and gene domains were, on average, smaller than in non-neoplastic cells. In conclusion, our results demonstrate the feasibility of studying the genome architecture in archival, formalin-fixed, paraffin wax-embedded human tissues, opening new directions in tumor research and cell classification.

A reaction microscope (ReMi) has been combined with a magneto-optical trap (MOT) for the kinematically complete investigation of atomic break-up processes. With the novel MOTReMi apparatus, the momentum vectors of the fragments of laser-cooled and state-prepared lithium atoms are measured in coincidence and over the full solid angle. The first successful implementation of a MOTReMi could be realized due to an optimized design of the present setup, a nonstandard operation of the MOT, and by employing a switching cycle with alternating measuring and trapping periods. The very low target temperature in the MOT (∼ 2 mK) allow for an excellent momentum resolution. Optical preparation of the target atoms in the excited Li 2 2 P 3/2 state was demonstrated providing an atomic polarization of close to 100 %. While first experimental results were reported earlier, in this work we focus on the technical description of the setup and its performance in commissioning experiments involving target ionization in 266 nm laser pulses and in collisions with projectile ions.