High-spin isomer in 93Mo

The high-spin states of ⁹³Mo have been studied by a ⁸²Se( ¹⁶O, 5n) ⁹³Mo reaction at a beam energy of 100 MeV using techniques of in-beam -ray spectroscopy. Measurements of -t, --t coincidences, -ray angular distributions and -ray linear polarizations were performed. The high-spin isomer was found as a (39/2^-) state at about 9.7 MeV. The near-yrast states in ⁹³Mo were interpreted using the weak-coupling picture of a d_5/2 neutron to a neutron magic core nucleus ⁹²Mo.     

Levels in <Superscript>127</Superscript>La fed by the <Superscript>127</Superscript>Ce beta-decay

The low-lying levels in ¹²⁷La have been studied through the -decay of ¹²⁷Ce ( T_1/2 = 29s) produced by bombarding a ^natMo target with a 185-MeV ³⁵Cl beam. Reaction products were on-line mass-separated, and -ray singles and - coincidence measurements were performed. Conversion electrons were also measured and multipolarities of transitions have been derived. The half-life of the 210.9-keV level was determined to be (1.9±0.3)ns by the - delayed coincidence technique. The level scheme obtained has been compared with calculations based on the Nilsson model.     

Role of Activator and Vacancy Centers in the Decay of the Gamma Scintillators of CsI–Na Crystals

The influence of the concentration of an activator (C _NaI) and of plastic deformation on a change in the contribution of a slow component to the decay of the -scintillations of CsI–Na crystals was investigated, as well as the influence of C _NaI on a change in the shape of the luminescence excitation spectrum in the region of absorption of activator centers (AC) and of vacancy-related centers (VRC) and also on a change in the intercenter time of deexcitation of the centers indicated. It is shown that AC and VRC participate in the photoluminescence and -scintillations of CsI–Na crystals. In the -scintillations, AC are responsible for the component ₁ = 370 nsec, whereas the components ₁ = 460 nsec and ₂ 2 sec are associated with VRC. The reduction of ₁ from 770 to 560 nsec with an increase in C _NaI from 2·10^–3 to 3·10^–2 mole% and from 570 to 470 nsec after plastic deformation of the crystals ( = 5%) along the 111 axis is caused by a decrease in the number of VRC. The mechanisms underlying the -scintillations of the CaI–Na crystals containing AC and VRC and also the decrease in the number of VRC are discussed.     

Synthesis of peptidomimetics using a polymer-bound Boc-linker

Boc-resin-bound -hydroxy--amino-aldehydes are accessible starting from N-terminally bound amino acidesters by using Dondoni's C₁-homologationreaction sequence. The conversion of these synthons totwo different peptide mimetics – 2-hydroxy-1,3-ethyl-diamines and -hydroxy--amino-vinyl sulfones – hasbeen investigated. The successful transfer of thecomplex -amino acid homologation reactionsequence into solid-phase chemistry demonstrates thepotentials of the Boc-resin for synthesis of peptidomimetics.     

Interactions between dislocations and γ/γ' interfaces in superalloys

In situ transmission electron microscopy observations of the dislocation motion at vicinity of the /' interfaces in a Ni-base superalloy have been performed. They allow to identify the elemental mechanisms, under stress and at different temperatures, of the deformation propagation across the interfaces. It is shown that some of the mechanisms already analyzed in the literature occur. Moreover, new processes are revealed such as the formation of small dislocation pile-ups on the /' interfaces. Such a configuration, which increases the local stress, favors the overcoming of the interface.These observations together with new considerations on stresses are taken into account for proposing a new equilibrium equation for a dislocation abutting on a /' interface. This equation involves all the stress components acting on a dislocation: the applied stress, the misfit stress, the friction stress, the stress concentration due to the dislocation pile-up and the image stress.     

Beta-decay studies of neutron-rich Sc- Cr nuclei

The neutron-rich nuclei ₂₁^{57, 58}Sc, ₂₂^58-60Ti, ₂₃^60-63V, ₂₄^62-66Cr have been produced at Ganil via interactions of a 61.8A MeV ⁷⁶Ge beam with a ⁵⁸Ni target. Beta-decay studies have been performed using combined - and -ray spectroscopy. Half-lives have been determined and -decay schemes are proposed for ⁵⁸Ti, ⁶¹V and ⁶²Cr. From these studies, new hints for the existence of -decaying isomers in ⁶⁰V and in ⁶²Mn are provided. These results are compared to shell model calculations. The role of the f_7/2- f_5/2 proton-neutron interaction is examined through its influence on the lifetime values.     

Investigation of Hyperfine Interactions in CeIn3 byTDPAC

Magnetic hyperfine fields (mhf) at ¹¹¹Cd and ¹⁴⁰Ce nuclei, dilutely substituting the In and Ce sites, respectively, have been measured in the intermetallic compound CeIn₃ using perturbed angular correlation technique. A pure electric quadrupole interaction with an axially symmetric electric field gradient was observed at ¹¹¹In(EC)¹¹¹Cd probe nuclei at room temperature while a combined magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole interaction is observed below 10K. Below the ordering temperature, only a magnetic interaction is observed at ¹⁴⁰La(^–)¹⁴⁰Ce probe. The values of mhf measured experimentally as a function of temperature are discussed in terms of critical behavior.     

Calculation of the Tautomeric Properties of 3‐Formyl‐Tetrinic Acid by the ab initio and DFT Methods

We have carried out a nonempirical quantumchemical calculation with full optimization of the geometry of all theoretically possible tautomeric forms of 3formyltetrinic acid (FTRA) according to the Møller–Plesset secondorder perturbation theory with the use of a 6–31G(d) double zeta basis set. The correlation corrections to the total energy of molecules for optimized geometric configurations were calculated in the 631G(d,p) basis. All the possible tautomeric forms of FTRA and the harmonic vibrational frequencies were also calculated within the density functional theory (DFT) with the use of the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE) functional in a threeexponent basis. It is shown that FTRA in vapors (in the perfect gas approximation) exists in the form of a mixture of three enol forms, among which two exoforms predominate. The frequencies and forms of normal vibrations for each cisenol tautomer in the region of vibrations of ketogroups and double bonds differ widely, which permits identification of the tautomers present in the mixture. The possible mechanisms of enolenol transformations of 3acyltetrinic acids are discussed.     

EC and α decays of 235Am

EC and decays of ²³⁵Am have been studied using a gas-jet coupled on-line isotope separator. Excited states in ²³⁵Pu have been established for the first time by means of -ray spectroscopy following the EC decay of ²³⁵Am. The deduced log ft value suggests that the ground state of ²³⁵Am should have the 5/2^-[523] configuration. The - coincidence result has revealed that the 5/2^-[523] state in ²³¹Np populated by the favored transition of ²³⁵Am is located at < 15 keV, which allows us to precisely determine the Q value of ²³⁵Am.     

Investigation of Rust Formed on Steel Surfaces and Related Oxyhydroxides

In order to indentity the corrosion products formed on steel surfaces from ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, detailed Mössbauer parameters have been determined for various kinds of iron-oxyhydroxides: -FeOOH, -FeOOH, -FeOOH and -FeOOH. ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer measurements of the iron oxyhydroxides indicate the following results. Fe occupies a single site in -FeOOH, but below the Néel temperature as at e.g., 300 K the Mössbauer spectrum is always broad, showing a distribution of the strength of the magnetic exchange interactions. Its shape depends on the grain-size and synthetic methods of the specimen. Fe occupies 3 sites in -FeOOH. High-purity reagents of -FeOOH always contain small amounts of -FeOOH and their Néel temperatures depend on the synthetic methods of the specimen. Mössbauer spectroscopy of the synthetic -FeOOH shows very broad distribution of the hyperfine magnetic fields.     

Lifetimes of proton unstable states in 113I measured by the particle-X-ray coincidence technique

The -delayed proton decay of ¹¹³Xe was investigated by means of a total absorption -ray spectrometer and a telescope for particle detection. The energy window available for the -delayed proton decay of ¹¹³Xe and the relative branching ratios for proton transitions to the ¹¹²Te states were remeasured. The lifetimes of proton unstable ¹¹³I states populated in the electron capture decay of ¹¹³Xe were determined by means of the particle-X-ray coincidence technique. The results of the lifetime measurements are compared with statistical-model calculations.     

Infrared Spectroscopic Study of N,N‐Dimethylthioformamide Complexes of the Hofmann Type

Four new Hofmanntype complexes, M(DMTF)₂Ni(CN)₄, (where DMTF is dimethylthioformamide, M=Mn, Cd, Co, or Ni) were synthesized and their structure was determined by an elemental analysis and infrared spectroscopy. The IR spectra of DMTF and its nickel tetracyanine complexes with Mn(II), Cd(II), Co(II), and Ni(II) have been investigated within the range 4000–400 cm^–1. The frequency shifts in the metal complexes agree with the assignment of the CS and CN frequencies. The complexes consist of infinite planar polymer layers of |MNi(CN)₄|. Ndimethylthioformamide is coordinated to this layer from above and below; it is a monodentate ligand and is Sbonded through the metal atom in these complexes.     

MOTIF: Evaluation of time spectra for nuclear forward scattering

The computer program MOTIF calculates time dependences for nuclear forward scattering (NFS) of synchrotron radiation and allows fully automatic fits of experimental data. A multiple scattering technique of calculations directly in space and time is used. The source code of MOTIF is written in Fortran 77. It has been worked out since 1993 and tested on several Unix platforms by fitting the NFS time spectra of ⁵⁷Fe, ¹¹⁹Sn, ¹⁵¹Eu, ¹⁶¹Dy, and ¹⁸¹Ta nuclei in various compounds with different timeindependent and timedependent hyperfine interactions.     

Gas‐Kinetic Temperature of Planar High‐Frequency Capacitive Discharge Plasma in N2/CO2/He Gas Mixtures

Using methods of emission spectroscopy, we have determined the gaskinetic temperature fields of planar highfrequency capacitive discharge plasma in N₂/CO₂/He gas mixtures depending on the excitation frequency, discharge current, pressure, and chemical composition of the mixture. It is shown that the dominant contribution to the neutral component heating in the center of the discharge chamber is made by the processes of V–T relaxation of vibrationally excited molecules N₂(X ¹, V) and CO₂(X ¹, V), whereas in the zones near the electrodes an important role in the heating is played, along with the V–T relaxation of the N₂(X ¹, V) and CO₂(X ¹, V) molecules, by the processes of deactivation of the metastable states A ³ of the N₂ molecule.     

Interfacial free energies and solute diffusivities from data on Ostwald ripening

Using recent theoretical modifications of the kinetic constants characterizing Ostwald ripening, it is demonstrated that accurate values of the interfacial free energy, , and solute diffusivities, D, can be obtained from experimental data when the kinetics of particle growth are measured in conjunction with independent measurements of either the decrease of the matrix supersaturation or the increase in volume fraction with aging time. The accuracy of is limited only by the assumption that the matrix phase is an ideal solid solution, and is effectively independent of the influence of equilibrium volume fraction, _e, on the kinetics of coarsening. Analyses of the available data on the coarsening of -type (Ni₃X) precipitates in binary Ni–Al, Ni–Si and Ni–Ti alloys yield values of =6.9±0.3, 10.2±3.0 and 13.0 mJ/m², respectively, assuming ideal solution thermodynamics; a more realistic thermodynamic model for the Ni–Al solid solution raises the value of in Ni–Al alloys to 8.1±0.2 mJ/m². Proportional increases probably obtain in the other two alloys. The accuracy with which D can be evaluated from comparable data depends theoretically on _e. However, analyses of the same data yield values of D in very good agreement with the results of conventional diffusion experiments. This is consistent with the absence of an effect of _e on the kinetics of Ostwald ripening in these alloys over the ranges of _e investigated.     

Manifestation of Extracoordination in the Resonance Raman Spectra of Water‐Soluble Cation Co‐Porphyrins

Resonance Raman spectra (RRS) of Co(II) and Co(III)5,10,15,20tetrakis(4Nmethylpyridinium)porphyrin ((Co^II(TmpyP4), and Co^III(TMPyP4)) in aqueous solutions at different pH as well as in organic solvents (methanol, ethanol, DMSO, DMF) are obtained. The increased sensitivity of the oscillation frequencies ₂, ₄, ₈, and ₆ — the markers of the oxidation state of a metal — to the nature of an axial ligand has been revealed. For Co^III(TmpyP4), the shifts of the indicated frequencies in extracoordination have turned out to be twofold larger than those for Co^II(TmpyP4). The spectral effects observed are related to different electron influence of the extraligands on the system of the porphyrin ring. In the case of Co(III)porphyrin, interaction of the d orbitals of the metal and the e _g ^*orbitals of the macrocycle is more efficient since its ionic radius is smaller than for the Co(II)complex. For Co^III(TmpyP4), a linear correlation between the oscillation frequencies ₂, ₄, ₈, and ₆ and the experimental Gutmann parameters characterizing the electronacceptor properties of solvents is found.     

Beta-decay of 71Co and 73Co

A decay spectroscopy study of the neutron-rich cobalt isotopes has been performed using fragmentation of a ⁸⁶Kr³⁶⁺ beam and the new LISE2000 spectrometer at GANIL. For ⁷¹Co and ⁷³Co, the -delayed radiation has been observed for the first time, and the half-lives were found to be 79(5) ms and 41(4) ms, respectively. Features of the decay are discussed qualitatively in terms of nuclear models.     

Upper limits for lepton-flavor violation from the exotic μ− ν e− conversion

The transition matrix elements for coherent and incoherent channels of the neutrinoless ^– e^– conversion are investigated. The results refer to the ²⁷Al nucleus which has recently been chosen as a target in the MECO experiment at Brookhaven aiming to search for -e conversion events with a sensitivity 10^-17. These results are compared to those obtained previously for ⁴⁸Ti and ²⁰⁸Pb targets. We focus on the contributions to the branching ratio e^– originating from scalar, vector and axial vector interactions resulting in conventional extentions of the standard model and minimal supersymmetric models with and without -parity violation. With our calculations we extract very severe constraints for the flavor violation parameters.     

Tracer Diffusion of 63Ni in Nano-γ-FeNi Produced by Powder Metallurgical Method: Systematic Investigations in the C, B, and A Diffusion Regimes

⁶³Ni radiotracer diffusion in a well-compacted nanocrystalline (grain size d 80 to 100 nm) -Fe–40wt%Ni alloy was measured by the serial sectioning technique in an extended temperature range from about 610 to 1010 K. Since the material microstructure reveals two different length scales with nano-size grains forming micrometer-size clusters (or agglomerates), three main diffusion paths determine the diffusion behavior: the nanocrystalline grain interior, the nanocrystalline grain boundaries (GB), and the inter-agglomerate interfaces. The systematics of diffusion in a compacted nanostructured material with such a bimodal distribution of interface characteristics was elaborated and the experimental data were analyzed in dependence on the diffusion regime. The absolute values and the Arrhenius parameters of Ni GB diffusion in the nano--Fe–40wt%Ni alloy (D ₀ = 9.3 × 10^–4 m² s^–1 and Q = 177 kJ/mol) are similar to the Ni GB diffusivity in coarse-grained poly-crystalline -Fe. Accordingly, the nanocrystalline GBs are concluded to have quasi-equilibrium structures, particularly because of a pronounced grain growth (from about 30 to about 100 nm) during the production stage of the nanomaterial. In contrast, the inter-agglomerate interfaces, which present the fastest diffusion path in the present investigation (D ₀ = 1.9 × 10^–3 m² s^–1 and Q = 134 kJ/mol), are likely to be in a non-equilibrium state due to specific features of the applied powder metallurgical process.     

Space Videophotometric System for Recording Optical Radiations in the Earth Atmosphere

This paper describes the VFS-3M videophotometric system designed for automatic remote recording of images and parameters of optical radiations following lightning discharges from aboard the Russian segment of the International space station. The characteristics of the system and the possibilities of recording such types of radiation as Red Sprites and Blue Jets are given.