Fragmentation processes of vanadium and niobium oxide clusters sputtered by ion bombardment

The mass distribution of emitted V _n O _m ^? and Nb _n O _m ^? clusters and their unimolecular decay by all stoichiometrically possible fragmentation channels, which takes place under the sputtering of niobium and vanadium surfaces and blowing by oxygen, are studied. It is shown that the formation, excitation, and unimolecular fragmentation of V _n O _m ^? and Nb _n O _m ^? clusters can be described by a statistical recombination mechanism. Clusters are formed over the target surfaces as a result of binary collisions of independently sputtered ions, atoms, and molecules.     

Kinetic-energy release distributions and stability of niobium-carbon clusters sputtered from the surface of niobium carbide by xenon ions

The results of studying the emission and fragmentation of niobium-carbon clusters Nb _m C _n ⁺ synthesized upon sputtering a niobium carbide surface with Xe⁺ ions are presented. The fragmentation channels of Nb _m C _n ⁺ clusters are studied. We present the values of the dissociation energy of some Nb _m C _n ⁺ clusters (m = 1–7, n = 2–8) calculated within the context of the “evaporation ensemble” model and theory of unimolecular reactions based on performed measurements of the kinetic-energy spectra of fragment ions. The obtained results are compared with published data.     

Statistical mechanism of the formation of the energy spectra of sputtered molecular clusters

The energy spectra of Si _n O _m ^? clusters sputtered from Si targets by Xe⁺ ions with O₂ pumping onto a bombarded surface, as well as by O ₂ ⁺ ions, are studied. It is shown that the form of the Si _n O _2n+1 ^? energy distributions does not depend on the experimental conditions. Significant differences in the energy spectra of O and Si monomers as compared to Si _n O _2n+1 ^? clusters are revealed. The mentioned features of the energy distribution of Si _n O _m ^? clusters are explained within the framework of the statistical recombination mechanism of their formation in combinatorial synthesis processes.     

Decay rate constants of sputtered vanadium oxide clusters

Results from studying the emission and fragmentation of V _n O _m ^± clusters sputtered from a vanadium surface by Xe⁺ ions at O₂ pressures of P = 4–5 × 10^?3 Pa are presented. The average decay rate constants of V _n O _m ^± clusters for major fragmentation channels are determined. It is shown that the decay rate constants for clusters of similar stoichiometry do not depend on their charge states.     

Mass spectrometer studies of the ion composition in the pink afterglow

The time dependences of the ion number densities in the pink afterglow of nitrogen, as represented by the ion wall currents, have been measured. The ions were extracted through an orifice from a flow system and analysed by a quadrupol mass spectrometer. It has been found thatN ₂ ⁺ ions are dominating in the early afterglow. With the beginning of the ionization processN ₃ ⁺ and at pressure >6 TorrN ₄ ⁺ become the majority ions. The ratio of the number densities(N ₃ ⁺ )/(N ₂ ⁺ ) reaches a maximum during the increase of the ionization processes before the maximum is reached. This behaviour suggestsN ₃ ⁺ ions to be the primary ions created by the ionization processes. The time dependences of the ion number densities (N ₂ ⁺ ), (N ₃ ⁺ ) and(N ₄ ⁺ ) are found to vary similar, showing that the ions are strongly coupled by conversion processes. The conversion processes are discussed. In the maximum of ionization at a total pressure of 4.4 Torr the ratios of the number densities of the afterglow ions (N ₂ ⁺ )∶(N ₃ ⁺ )∶(N ₄ ⁺) are 1∶1.9∶0.64.     

Electronic color centers in SrF2-Na crystals

It was shown that optical bleaching of M _A ⁺ color centers at 80 K in SrF₂-Na crystals causes the core of an M _A ⁺ -center to transform into the V _a ⁺ Me ⁺ V _a ⁺ configuration, in which all three point defects are arranged diagnonally in the cube cell. Reirradiation of an optically bleached crystal by x-rays generates F _D centers in it: V _a ⁺ Me ⁺ V _a ⁺ + e ^? → V _a ⁰ Me ⁺ V _a ⁺ ≡ F _D. The F _D → M _A ⁺ transformation in SrF₂-Na crystals proceeds at T = 135 K, in contrast to the F _A → M _A ⁺ transformations, which take place at T > 200 K.     

SIMS of silicon bombarded with Sb m + cluster ions

The emission of Si _n ⁺ (n = 1–11) cluster ions and Si _n X _m ⁺ (X stands for B or Sb) polyatomic ions when bombarding a single silicon crystal with Sb _m ⁺ (m = 1–4) cluster ions with energies E ₀ = 3–12 keV is studied. Considerable nonadditive enhancement of the yield of Si _n ⁺ cluster ions and most polyatomic ions is observed when the number of atoms in the bombarding cluster ions is increased. The sensitivity enhancement factor for detecting boron impurities is as high as 50 when the cluster-SIMS-molecule technique is applied.     

Toward the theory of electron and positron states in dielectric clusters

Analytical expressions for the binding energy of electrons and positrons in dielectric clusters, analyzed in this work, neglect the elastic effects. Therefore, we present the density-functional theory for neutral liquid clusters that experience the spontaneous deformation. Using the 1/R-expansion, R being the cluster radius, the exact analytical expressions for the size corrections to the chemical potential, surface tension, and atomic density are derived from the condition of mechanical equilibrium. The problem of calculating these corrections is reduced to calculating the quantities for a liquid with a flat surface. The size compression and tension of density occur in the 1/R and 1/R ² orders respectively. The sizes of charged rigid and elastic critical clusters, for which the electron or positron binding energy is close to zero, are calculated for Xe _N ^? , Kr _N ^? , Ar _N ^? , Ne _N ⁺ , He _N ⁺ . The calculations show significant contribution of self-compression to the binding energy of the excess electron in contrast to the positron.     

Phosphorus clusters: Synthesis in the gas-phase and possible cagelike and chain structures

Experimental results on the gas-phase formation of neutral and cationic phosphorus clusters are presented. The clusters were synthesized by visible (532 nm) or UV (193 nm) laser ablation of crystalline red phosphorus under high vacuum conditions and were analyzed using TOF mass spectrometry. Neutral P_n clusters produced by 532-nm ablation are found to be even-numbered while P _n ⁺ cations are mainly odd-numbered, with P ₇ ⁺ and P ₂₁ ⁺ being the most abundant ions. For UV laser ablation, stable compound clusters, neutral P₇H₃ and P₂₃H₅, and cations P₂₃H ₆ ⁺ were synthesized for the first time. The formation of P_n clusters by thermal vaporization of red phosphorus into a cold He gas was also investigated and only small clusters (n<6) were found. Possible structures of the observed phosphorus clusters, as well as their formation mechanisms under different conditions, are discussed.     

Ground-state energy of quantum liquids

The kinetic (K ₄ ⁰ (n) and K ₃ ⁰ (n)) and potential (V ₄ ⁰ (n) and V ₃ ⁰ (n)) energies of ⁴He and ³He atoms have been found from the law of corresponding states and the experimental data on the dependence of the ground-state energies E ₄ ⁰ (n) and E ₃ ⁰ (n) on the density of the isotopes ⁴He and ³He. In the approximation of structureless quantum liquid, the potential energies are equal, V ₄ ⁰ V ₃ ⁰ (n) = (n), and the kinetic energies are inversely proportional to the atomic mass, $K_4^0 (n) = \frac{3} {4}K_3^0 (n)$ . The potential energy given by the expression V ⁰ = 4E ₄ ⁰ ? 3E ₃ ⁰ to a high accuracy is linear in the density n, which is associated with nearly an absence of short-range order in liquid helium. The kinetic energy of liquid ⁴He is given by the expression K ₄ ⁰ = 3(E ₃ ⁰ ? E ₄ ⁰ ), which agrees with the experimental data on neutron scattering in liquid ⁴He. The quantities K ₄ ⁰ (n) and K ₃ ⁰ (n) determine the scale of all thermodynamic characteristics in the temperature range where the effects of the particle statistics can be neglected.     

Production and loss of N 2 + , Ne+ and Ne 2 + during the decay period of plasmas produced in neon-nitrogen mixtures

Studies of the time dependencies of the number density of N ₂ ⁺ , Ne⁺ and Ne ₂ ⁺ ions have been made during the decay period of plasmas produced in neon containing various concentrations of nitrogen molecules. Reaction rate constants were obtained for N ₂ ⁺ +N₂+Ne→N ₄ ⁺ +Ne((1.2±0.2)×10^?29 cm⁶ sec^?1) and Ne⁺+N₂→N ₂ ⁺ + Ne ((2.9±0.3) × 10^?12 cm³ sec^?1). The ambipolar diffusion coefficient of N ₂ ⁺ in neon was found to beD _a p _o =350±20 cm² sec^?1 Torr.     

Experimental g factor of hydrogenlike silicon-28

Using the first principles calculations, the mixed Au _n Zn _m ⁺ (n + m ?? 6) cluster cations and their monocarbonyls Au _n Zn _m CO⁺ have been investigated at the PW91 level. For the small Au _n Zn _m ⁺ , most ground-state isomers are planar structures. A significant odd-even oscillation of the highest occupied-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy gaps with the number of Au atoms is observed. Upon CO adsorption, the top site and C head-on adsorptions are most favorable in energy. Moreover, the optimized geometries indicate that the CO molecule prefers binding to Au atom of the Au _n Zn _m ⁺ clusters, which can be understood by the frontier molecular orbital theory in detail. From the theoretical calculations, the CO charge population, CO binding energy (BE) and the Gibbs free-energy change ??G generally decrease with the increase of the Zn content. It is found that the BE is highly related to the electron transfer between CO and the cluster cations. Furthermore, a linear correlation between ??G and the CO BE is found. The red shift in the CO stretching frequency is sensitive to the cluster size and composition. Our calculation suggests that CO reactive collision on Au₃Zn⁺ and Au₂Zn ₂ ⁺ may lead to the dissociation of the clusters with a Zn atom loss.     

Search for Θ+(1540) in exclusive proton-induced reaction p + C(N) \to \Theta ^ + \bar \kappa ^0 + C(N) at the energy of 70 GeV

A search for narrow Θ⁺(1540), a candidate for a pentaquark baryon with positive strangeness, has been performed in an exclusive proton-induced reaction $p + C(N) \to \Theta ^ + \bar \kappa ^0 + C(N)$ on carbon nuclei or quasifree nucleons at $E_{beam} = 70GeV(\sqrt s = 11.5GeV)$ studying nK ⁺, pK _S ⁰ , and pK _L ⁰ decay channels of Θ⁺(1540) in four different final states of the $\Theta ^ + \bar K^0 $ system. In order to assess the quality of the identification of the final states with neutron or K _L ⁰ , we reconstructed Λ(1520) → nK _S ⁰ and ? → K _L ⁰ K _S ⁰ decays in the calibration reactions p + C(N) → Λ (1520)K ⁺+C(N) and p+C(N) → p?+C(N). We found no evidence for a narrow pentaquark peak in any of the studied final states and decay channels. Assuming that the production characteristics of the $\Theta ^ + \bar K^0 $ system are not drastically different from those of the Λ(1520)K ⁺ and p? systems, we established upper limits on the cross-section ratios $\sigma (\Theta ^ + \bar K^0 )/\sigma (\Lambda (1520)K^ + ) < 0.02$ and $\sigma (\Theta ^ + \bar K^0 )/\sigma (p\phi ) < 0.15$ at 90% C.L. and a preliminary upper limit for the forward-hemisphere cross section $\sigma (\Theta ^ + \bar K^0 )$ nb/nucleon.     

Excitation of bands of the first negative system of the N 2 + ion in collisions of N+ and O+ ions with N2 molecules

Absolute values of the excitation cross sections of the (0,0) bands [for O⁺(⁴ S), O⁺(² P)-N₂ pairs] and the (0,0), (0,1), (1,2), and (2,3) bands [for N⁺(³ P)-N₂ pairs] of the first negative system of the N ₂ ⁺ ion have been measured in collisions with nitrogen molecules of nitrogen and oxygen ions in the ground state and in a metastable state in the interval of ion energies 1–10 keV. The process of excitation of the (0,0) band of the first negative system of the N ₂ ⁺ ion by oxygen ions in the metastable ² P state is of a quasi-resonant character. The presence in the beam of ions in metastable states was monitored by measuring the excitation efficiency of the (0,0) band λ3914 Å of the N ₂ ⁺ ion in different operating regimes of the highfrequency ion source. For N⁺ ions in the ³ P ground state, as the collision frequency is decreased the relative vibrational population of the v′=1 and v′=2 levels of the B ²Σ _u ⁺ state of the N ₂ ⁺ ion is observed to deviate strongly from the value calculated in the Franck-Condon model.     

Hölder’s inequality for matrices

We prove that for arbitraryn×n matricesA ₁,A ₂,…,A _m and for positive real numbersp ₁,p ₂,…,p _m withp ₁ ^?1 +p ₂ ^?1 +…+p _m ^/?1 =1, the inequality 1 $$|Tr(A_1 A_2 ...A_m )^2 |< \mathop {II}\limits_{k = 1}^m [Tr(A_k^\dag A_k )^{p_k } ]P_k^{ - 1} $$ holds.     

Pion photoproduction on197Au to ground and isomeric states in197Hg

The lifetime of the 331.3 keV 0 ₂ ⁺ state in¹⁰⁰Zr has been measured at the gas-filled recoil separator for fission products JOSEF. By observing the delayed coincidences between theβ-particles populating the level and theE0 conversion electrons from its decay into the ground state, a half-life of 3.37±0.30 ns has been obtained. From the measured lifetime and the relative intensities of the 0 ₂ ⁺ →0 ₁ ⁺ and 0 ₂ ⁺ →2 ₁ ⁺ transitions, values of 0.493±0.015 for theE0 strength parameterρ, and of 16 single particle units forB(E2,2 ₁ ⁺ → 0 ₂ ⁺ ) have been deduced. The enhanced nature of theE0 transitions suggests mixing of the 0 ₁ ⁺ and 0 ₂ ⁺ states which may be estimated by comparing the experimentalB(E2) values for the 2 ₁ ⁺ →0 ₁ ⁺ and 2 ₁ ⁺ →0 ₂ ⁺ transitions with the predictions of the asymmetric VMI model.     

Electric properties of levels of 156Dy rotational bands

The nonadiabaticity of E0 transitions from 0 ₂ ⁺ states and 2 ₁ ⁺ bands in ¹⁵⁶Dy is examined within a phenomenological model that takes into account the mixing of K ^π = 0 ₁ ⁺ , 0 ₂ ⁺ , 0 ₃ ⁺ , 2 ₁ ⁺ states and 1⁺-bands. It is shown that the nonadiabaticity of E0 transitions is due primarily to the mixing of 0 ₂ ⁺ and 0 ₃ ⁺ bands.     

E2 andE3 transition strengths in some rare-earth nuclei

Coulomb excitation byα-particles of vibrational-like states in even-mass rare-earth nuclei is used to determine the reduced transition probabilitiesB(E2; 0 _gs ⁺ →2 _γ ⁺ ),B(E2; 0 _gs ⁺ →2 _β ⁺ ),B(E2; 2 _gs ⁺ →0 _β ⁺ ) andB(E2; 0 _gs ⁺ →3 _oct ^? ) in¹⁵⁰Nd,^{152, 154}Sm,^{154, 158}Gd,¹⁶⁴Dy and¹⁶⁶Er. TheB(Eλ; 0 _gs ⁺ →I=λ)-values range from 2.4 to 6.5 single-particle units for transitions to the 2 _γ ⁺ -states, 0.8 single-particle units for the 2 _β ⁺ -states and from 14.1 to 21.7 single-particle units for the 3^?-states.