On the possibility of a forecast for off-centre configuration of Ag+ and Cu+ in alkali halide crystals

Summary The simple cut criterion based on the accurate determination of the radii of the ions in alkali halides and previously introduced by the authors for forecasting off-centre configuration of Li⁺ and F⁻ has been extended to heavy ions (Ag⁺ and Cu⁺). It has been found that this criterion is valid for the Ag⁺ ion, whereas for Cu⁺ gives a less precise forecast because of the lack in knowledge of the effective partial charge on Cu⁺ ion. It has been evidenced that the critical value of the ratior ₊ ^* /r ₊ between impurity and host ion radius which allows off-centre configuration is dependent on the impurity ion mass. Work jointly supported by the Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione and by Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Gruppo Nazionale di Struttura della Materia.     

On the study of ion-acoustic solitary waves and double-layers in a drift multicomponent plasma with electron-inertia

Using the pseudopotential method, theoretical investigation has been made on the firstorder Korteweg-deVries ion-acoustic solitons in a multicomponent plasma consisting of warm positive ions, negative ions and isothermal electrons. The effects of electron-inertia and drift motion of the ions on the amplitudes and widths of the solitons have been studied in a plasma having (H⁺, Cl⁻), (H⁺, O⁻), (He⁺, H⁻) and (He⁺, O⁻) ions. Ion-acoustic double-layers have also been investigated for such plasmas. It has been found that drift velocity and electron-inertia have significant contribution on the formation of double-layers in multicomponent plasma     

A simple criterion for forecasting off-centre configuration of monovalent impurity ions in alkali halide crystals

Summary With the aid of the Sanderson model for nonmolecular structures a simple criterion has been derived for forecasting off-centre configuration of monovalent impurity ions in alkali halide crystals based on the effect that the Sanderson partial charges on atoms have on their radii. Work jointly supported by Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione and by Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Gruppo Nazionale di Struttura della Materia.     

A thermoelastic method to determine the thermal diffusivity

We present a method to measure the thermal diffusivity of metals. A homogeneous small heat source is fed into a cyclindrical sample of titanium by thermoelastic compression. This heating process is followed by a thermal relaxation controlled by the thermal diffusivity. The resulting temperature variation is detected by a miniature temperature sensor mounted on the lateral surface of the sample. The value so obtained for the thermal diffusivity of titanium is (6.6±0.2)·10⁻⁶ m²/s. Gruppo Nazionale Struttura della Materia del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche     

Raman scattering by hot polaritons in NaClO3

Summary By nonlinear mixing of IR and visible radiation,i.e. coherent Raman scattering by polaritons driven by a CO₂ laser, it has been possible to get high-resolution spectra for theF-modes of a NaClO₃ crystal in the region (907÷957) cm⁻¹, where several isotopic modes are present. The obtained independent measurement of the refractive index and absorbance allows an accurate determination of the polariton dispersion curve and its width inq-space. The experimental data confirm the existence of a localized isotopic mode at 931 cm⁻¹ and a strongly damped isotopic mode near 960 cm⁻¹. Finally, an accurate measurement of the dispersion of the second-order nonlinear polarizability in the same energy region has been obtained for the first time. This work was supported by the Italian Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche and Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione.     

Emission of quasi-thermal ions from a solid bombarded by cluster ions

Comparative studies of the emission of quasi-thermal atomic and cluster ions from V, Nb, Ta, Au, and In targets bombarded by cluster ions Au _m ⁻(m = 1–9), as well as from Si and Bi targets bombarded by cluster ions Au _m ⁻(m = 1–9) and Bi _m ⁻(m = 1–5), with energy E ₀ ranging from 6 to 21 keV are carried out. In the case of bombardment by heavy cluster ions, the fraction of the quasi-thermal component in the energy spectra of sputtered atomic ions reaches 50 (for V, In, and Au), 70 (Nb), or more than 90% (Ta). In addition, quasi-thermal ions play a considerable part in the emission of small cluster ions Au₂⁺, In₂⁺, In₃⁺, and Bi _n ⁺(n = 2–7). The results of the generalizing investigation favor the presence of thermal spike conditions at cluster bombardment and their appreciable contribution to the emission of atomic and small cluster ions.     

Features of holographic dark energy under combined cosmological constraints

We investigate the observational signatures of the holographic dark-energy models, including both the original model and a model with an interaction term between the dark energy and dark matter. We first delineate the dynamical behavior of such models, especially considering whether they would have a “big rip” for different parameters; then we use several recent observations, including 182 high-quality type Ia supernovae data observed with the Hubble Space Telescope, the SNLS and ESSENCE surveys, 42 latest Chandra X-ray cluster gas mass fraction, 27 high-redshift gamma-ray burst samples, the baryon acoustic oscillation measurement from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and the CMB shift parameter from the WMAP three-year result to give more reliable and tighter constraints on the holographic dark-energy models. The results of our constraints for the holographic dark-energy model without interaction is c=0.748_−0.009^+0.108, Ω _m0=0.276_−0.016^+0.017, and for the model with interaction (c=0.692_−0.107^+0.135, Ω _m0=0.281_−0.017^+0.017, α=−0.006_−0.024^+0.021, where α is an interacting parameter). As these models have more parameters than the ΛCDM model, we use the Bayesian Evidence as a model-selection criterion to make comparisons. We found that the holographic dark-energy models are mildly favored by the observations as compared to the ΛCDM model.     

Luminescence properties of calcium-iodide crystals

The effect of the conditions of preparation, temperature, and the action of x rays on the luminescence properties of calcium-iodide scintillation crystals is investigated. On the basis of the results of a study of the spectral characteristics of CaI₂ and CaI₂:H₂ crystals for optical and x-ray excitation in the temperature range 90–400 K, also taking into account the results of a study of the luminescence properties of CaI₂ crystals activated by Cl⁻, Br⁻, OH⁻, and Ca²⁺ impurities, it is suggested that the 236-nm band observed in the excitation spectra of crystals of calcium iodide may be caused by an uncontrollable hydrogen impurity. The luminescence of these crystals with maximum at 395 nm is ascribed to radiative recombination of excitons trapped at H⁻ ions. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 69, 135–136 (January 1999)     

Spatial distribution, build-up, and annealing of radiation defects in silicon implanted by high-energy krypton and xenon ions

An x-ray diffraction study of defect formation in silicon irradiated by Kr⁺ (210 MeV, 8×10¹²−3×10¹⁴ cm⁻²) and Xe⁺ (5.6 BeV, 5×10¹¹−5×10¹³ cm⁻²) ions is reported. It has been established that irradiation produces a defect structure in the bulk of silicon, which consists of ion tracks whose density of material is lower than that of the host. The specific features of defect formation are discussed taking into account the channeling of part of the ions along the previously formed tracks and the dominant role of electron losses suffered by the high-energy ions. It is shown that the efficiency of incorporation of stable defects by irradiation with high-energy ions is lower than that reached by implanting medium-mass ions with energies of a few hundred keV. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1627–1630 (September 1998)     

Spin-spin interaction of Ni2+ ions in ZnSiF6·6H2O

The angular dependences of the electron spin resonance spectrum of 1% Ni²⁺ ions in a ZnSiF₆·6H₂O matrix are investigated experimentally at 36 GHz and 4.2 K. Besides the main spectrum of the isolated ion, we observed a spectrum due to interacting pairs of Ni²⁺ ions, located in the first (nn) and second (2n) coordination spheres and coupled by, besides the magnetic dipole-dipole interaction, isotropic exchange: J _nn = (−197±1)×10⁻⁴, J _2nα = (−5±1)×10⁻⁴, and J _2nβ = (3±2)×10⁻⁴ cm⁻¹. Lines due to other isolated Ni²⁺ ions, which have a different initial splitting D, are also present in the spectrum with intensity comparable to the pair spectrum. Low-symmetry distortions of the crystal field are observed, caused by a pair of impurity ions located close to one another. It is shown that the previously proposed interpretation is incorrect. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 1602–1608 (September 1999)     

Calculation of conformations and vibrational spectra of a monomeric fragment of the 2,6-carboxymethyl cellulose molecule

A theoretical conformational analysis has been carried out for the side substituents of a fragment of the molecule for 2,6-carboxymethyl cellulose (a water-soluble cellulose ether), and the frequencies and the potential energy distribution of the normal vibrations have been calculated for the most stable conformers of the ether groups of this fragment in the approximation of the molecular mechanics method. It has been shown that the most stable conformers are those that have the conformations gg, t, g⁻, g⁻, g⁻-for the groups of atoms on the bonds C5-C6, C6-O6, C13-O6, C10-C13, C10-O9 and the conformations g⁺g⁻, g⁺, g⁻, g⁻; g⁺g⁻, g⁻, g⁻, g⁻; g⁺g⁻, g⁻, g⁺, t for the groups of atoms on the bonds C2-O2, C11-O2, C7-C11, C7-O8. Comparative analysis of the calculated frequencies and the potential energy distribution of the normal vibrations for 13 of the most stable conformers showed, as in the case of the 2,6-hydroxyethyl cellulose molecule, that the frequencies and modes of the normal vibrations are highly sensitive to conformational transitions in the analyzed spectral region (800–1500 cm⁻¹). The characteristic patterns for the change in the frequencies and modes of the normal vibrations have been established in connection with conformational transitions within both side substituents. The observed conformational lability of the bulky substituents in the cellulose ether molecules and its manifestations in the vibrational spectrum provide a basis for hypothesizing that one of the major mechanisms for the process of their thermal gelation in aqueous solutions is conformational transitions within these substituents. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 74, No. 1, pp. 5–15, January–February, 2007.     

TOF-SIMS 5 instrument sensitivity to matrix elements in GeSi Layers: Analysis based on recording of complex secondary ions

Ge _x Si_{1 − x} layers are investigated by means of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Experimental results obtained with the use of a TOF-SIMS 5 instrument are presented. To surmount the so-called matrix effect, SIMS analysis is performed by using complex secondary ions: Ge₂⁻, CsGe⁺, and Cs₂Ge⁺.     

Ionic compressibilities and ionic radii - systematic trends

Ionic radii and compressibilities have been calculated for a number of monovalent and divalent ions and radicals on the basis of the compressible ion theory. In this theory, the compression energy of an ion is given as a two-parameter function of its radius,A exp (−r/p), the radius and compressibility of the ion being monotonically decreasing functions of the compressing force acting on it. Choosing a standard force reflecting the average environment in the alkali halides, univalent radii and compressibilities have been calculated. This is the first theory to estimate ionic compressibilities. The values show systematic trends among groups of related ions. Anions are found to be significantly more compressible than cations (e.g., the compressibilities of Ca⁺⁺, K⁺, Cl⁻ and S^{− −} are respectively 0.8530, 1.342, 2.952 and 5.150 × 10⁻¹² cm²/ dyne). Multivalent or ‘crystal’ radii and compressibilities have also been calculated by scaling the standard force by the square of the ionic charge. The calculated ionic radii are closer to experimental values than the classical empirical radii.     

Multilevel rotational transitions in the intermediate stage of three-photon ionization of molecules

Ionization and dissociation of diatomic molecules induced by a weak field (after preliminarily populating an intermediate level) and by intense, linearly polarized monochromatic radiation have been studied. Field-induced mixing of rotational components of various electronic-vibrational states of molecules (such as CO, NO, etc.) at field strength f∼10⁻⁴–10⁻⁵ atomic units can lead to migration among states with different angular momenta J. Therefore, ions with rotational momenta J ⁺ much higher than those prescribed by selection rules for three-photon absorption can be formed from molecules in the ground state. The possibility of selective formation of ions with J ⁺≫1 and zero projection of the angular momentum on the polarization vector of the external electromagnetic radiation has been investigated. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 111, 1624–1632 (May 1997)     

Effect of doping on the magnetic properties of the low-dimensional antiferromagnet CuO

The effect of doping with Li⁺, Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Ga³⁺ ions on the magnetic susceptibility of the low-dimensional antiferromagnet CuO (T _N=230 K) has been studied within a broad temperature range of 77–600 K. The solubility of impurity ions in the CuO lattice is low, ⩽3%. Impurity ions, similar to intrinsic defects, distort antiferromagnetic coupling and can shift the long-and short-range magnetic-order regions toward lower T. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1876–1880 (October 1998)     

Local surface segregations of implanted aluminum in an iron crystal with a low density of defects

The surface distribution of elements is studied by scanning a 3-MeV proton beam along the surface of a bcc-Fe sample implanted with aluminum ions in the dose interval (1–50) · 10¹⁶ cm⁻². Ring-shaped regions, up to 30 μm in diameter, with a high density of aluminum, which appear at implantation doses (5–20) · 10¹⁶ cm⁻², are observed. These regions appear as a result of radiation-stimulated segregation processes. A mechanism based on the existence of a low density of dislocations in the initial crystal is proposed to explain the implanted impurity segregation processes. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 65, No. 1, 86–89 (10 January 1997)     

Polar-center phase nuclei in He+-irradiated CuO single crystals

Irradiation of various single-crystal CuO faces [ac,bc,(110)] with 4.6-MeV He⁺ ions has been found to result in reduction of CuO to Cu₂O and Cu on the irradiated and unirradiated sides, lifting of forbiddenness from optical transitions in the [CuO₄]⁷⁻ electron center in the 0.7–0.95-eV energy range, a change in dichroism near the bands corresponding to transitions in the hole centers, [CuO₄]⁵⁻, and electron centers, [CuO₄]⁷⁻, as well as in a resonant increase of absorption at 0.95–1.30 eV with an unusual polarization dependence. The results of He⁺ irradiation of CuO single crystals are discussed in terms of a model of the nucleation of the phase of polar (electron and hole) centers in copper-oxygen systems. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 419–424 (March 1998)     

Contact density and hyperfine splitting of positronium in naphthalene

The contact density |Ψ(0)|² and the hyperfine splitting of positronium in naphthalene have been determined by means of a magnetic quenching experiment. Results show that the perturbing effect of the medium on the hyperfine splitting is not interpretable as a change of the contact density alone, since on passing from vacuum to the medium, the contact density and the splitting do not scale together. The first is reduced by a factor of 0.25, the second by a factor of 0.067. A simple phenomenological model is presented. This work was entirely supported by CISM (Centro Interuniversitario di Struttura della Materia) of the Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione and by GNSM (Gruppo Nazionale di Struttura della Materia) of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche.