Further insights into the ＂ρπ puzzle＂

Based on a systematic investigation of J/ψ（ψ＇）→VP, where V and P stand for light vector and pseudoscalar mesons, we identify the role played by the electromagnetic （EM） transitions and intermediate meson loop transitions, which are essential ingredients for understanding the J/ψ and ψ＇ couplings to VP. We show that on the one hand, the EM transitions have relatively larger interferences in ψ＇→ρπ and K^＊^-K ＋c.c. as explicitly shown by vector meson dominance （VMD）. On the other hand, the strong decay of ψ＇ receives relatively larger destructive interferences from the intermediate meson loop transitions. By identifying these mechanisms in an overall study of J/ψ（ψ＇） → VP, we provide a coherent understanding of the so-called ＂ρπ puzzle＂.     

Reply to Comment on ＂Mechanism for Alternating Electric Fields Induced-Effects on Cytosolic Calcium＂

Our article （Chin. Phys. Lett. 26 （2009） 017102） was attempting to calculate the possible existence of the window effects on the physiological signal changes by the external electric field. It is attempted mainly to combine the vibrated-ion model of Panagopoulos et al.（Refs. in our article） and the cellular model of Kuster et al. （Ref. in our article） and Tortes et al. （Ref. in our article）. We did not attempt to take the initiative of theoretical bases of both the groups.     

Comment on ＂Electrical Conductivity and Current-Voltage Characteristics of Individual Conducting Polymer PEDOT Nanowires＂

In ＂Electrical Conductivity and Current-Voltage Characteristics of Individual Conducting Polymer PEDOT Nanowires＂, Long et al. reported the currentvoltage （Ⅰ - Ⅴ） characteristics of individual poly（3,4- ethylenedioxythiophene） （PEDOT） nanowires in the temperature range from 20 to 50K （Fig. 2（a））. The authors stated that at temperatures equal to 50 K and higher, the Ⅰ - Ⅴ curves were linear. With decreasing temperature the Ⅰ - Ⅴ curves gradually became nonlinear. The temperature behavior of Ⅰ - Ⅴ characteristics is not suitably explained.     

A pressure calibration method for a portable wide-access ＂panoramic＂ cell

A simple and convenient pressure calibration method is developed for a newly designed portable wide-access ＇panoramic＇ cell. This cell is adapted to angle-dispersive-mode high-pressure in situ neutron diffraction of reactor neutron sources. This pressure calibration method has established a relationship between the cell pressure and the anvil displace- ment （gasket compression） based on the fixed-point calibration technique. By employing TiZr gasket with a thickness of 3 mm and WC anvil with a culet of 4 mm diameter, the average anvil displacements are 1.31 mm and 2.22 mm for Bi phase transitions （2.55 GPa and 7.7 GPa）, and 1.85 mm for Ba phase transitions （5.5 GPa）, respectively. In this pressure range, the pressure increases quickly with decreasing gasket thickness, and undergoes a linear increase with the anvil displacement. By extrapolating the calibration curve, the cell pressure will achieve 10 GPa when the anvil displacement is around 2.5 ram.     

Comment on ＂Mechanism for Alternating Electric Fields Induced-Effects on Cytosolic Calcium＂

The article entitled： ＂Mechanism for Alternating Electric Fields Induced-Effects on Cytosolic Calcium＂ by Luo Ming-Yan et al. concerns the mechanism for action of electromagnetic fields on cells, reported by us （see Panagopoulos et a/., and Panagopoulos and Margaritis）. This mechanism proposed by us is well known and it is considered to be most valid from all the proposed theories concerning bioeffects of weak electromagnetic fields （see Creasey and Goldberg and Liboff）.     

Research on asymmetric ＂Jerusalem＂ unit

An asymmetric Jerusalem unit and the frequency selective surface （FSS） structure composed of such units are designed. The transmittance of the designed FSS structure is calculated by mode-matching method and compared with the test results. The comparison results show that the FSS center frequency of the asymmetric structure unit drifts little with the variation of the incident angles of the electromagnetic waves and keeps relatively stable. The research offers a new choice for the application of FSS under the large scanning angle of electromagnetic waves.     

A Note on ＂Doubly Periodic Propagating Wave for （2＋1）-Dimensional Breaking Soliton Equation＂

In a recent paper [Commun. Theor. Phys. （Beijing, China） 49 （2008） 268], Huang et al. gave a general variable separation solution to the （2＋1）-dimensional breaking soliton equation via a special Biicldund transformation and the variable separation approach. In terms of the derived variable separation solution and by introducing Jacobi elliptic functions, they claimed that nonelastic types of interaction between Jacobi elliptic function waves are investigated both analytically and graphically. We show that some inappropriateness or errors exist in their paper, and say nothing of the conclusion that some nonelastic types of interaction between Jacobi elliptic function waves in the （2＋1）-dimensional breaking soliton equation have been found.     

关于＂甲虫和橡胶带＂问题的最简便解法

利用标度变换ｓ（ｔ）＝Ｌ／（Ｌ＋ｖｔ）是最简便的解法．     

＂磁约瑟夫森效应＂的首次观察

两块超导体,中间用极薄的氧化层（绝缘层）隔开,便构成了所谓的“超导隧道结”．按照量子物理,超导库珀对应该有机会穿透氧化层的壁垒．这样,绝缘层看起来也是超导的——虽然有电流流过,但在绝缘层的两端却测不到电压．1962年,年仅22岁的英国剑桥大学研究生约瑟夫森（B．D．Josephson）,通过认真的理论推演,预言了上述隧道效应的存在．在以后的数年中,这个预言连同一系列相关的预言（统称为约瑟夫森效应）,作为量子力学在宏观世界同样适用的例证,均在实验中被证实,约瑟夫森因此获得了1973年度诺贝尔物理奖．     

Comment on ＂Symbolic Computation and q-Deformed Function Solutions of the （2＋1）-Dimensional Breaking Soliton Equation＂

In a recent article [Commun. Theor. Phys. （Beijing, China） 47 （2007） 270], Cao et al. gave some nontrivial solutions of a Riccati equation by using symbolic and algebra computation. They took these solutions, which are in the form of q-deformed hyperbolic and triangular functions as new solutions. In this comment, we will show that these solutions are just the special cases of some known solutions of the Riccati equation and thus they are not new solutions.     

Pressure-driven "molecular metal" to "atomic metal" transition in crystalline Ga

We present the ultrasonic study of gallium (Ga I) under high pressure up to 1.7 GPa, including the measurements of the density and elastic properties during phase transitions to Ga II and to a liquid state. The observed large drop of both bulk and shear moduli (by 30% and 55%, correspondingly) during the phase transition to Ga II, as well as the increase of the Poisson's ratio from typically "covalent" ( approximately 0.22) to "metallic" ( approximately 0.32) values, experimentally testifies to the coexistence of a molecular and metallic behavior in Ga I and to the disappearance of the "covalency" during the transition to Ga II. A high value of the pressure derivative of the bulk modulus for Ga I and the increase in the Poisson's ratio can be associated with the weakening of the covalency in compressed Ga I and considered as a precursor of the transition to normal metal.     

"Ideal" engineering alloys

A newly discovered group of alloys, called Gum Metals, approaches ideal strength in bulk form, exhibits significant plastic deformation prior to failure, and shows no indications of conventional-dislocation activity. Two conditions must be met for a material to exhibit this "ideal" behavior: (1) the stress required to trigger conventional-dislocation plasticity in the material must exceed its ideal strength, and (2) the material must be intrinsically ductile when stressed to ideal strength. Gum Metals satisfy both criteria, explaining their remarkable mechanical properties.     

Full current statistics of incoherent "cold electrons"

We evaluate the full current statistics (FCS) in the low-dimensional (1D and 2D) diffusive conductors in the incoherent regime eV>E(Th)=D/L(2), E(Th) being the Thouless energy. It is shown that the Coulomb interaction substantially enhances the probability of big current fluctuations for short conductors with E(Th)>1/tau(E), tau(E) being the energy relaxation time, leading to the exponential tails in the current distribution. The current fluctuations are most strong for low temperatures, provided E(Th) approximately [(eV)(2)/Dnu(2)(1)](1/3) for 1D and E(Th) approximately (eV/g)ln(g for 2D, where g is a dimensionless conductance and nu(1) is a 1D density of states. The FCS in the "hot electron" regime is also discussed.     

Resonant "forbidden" reflections in magnetite

Resonant x-ray scattering was used to investigate electronic fluctuations of the octahedral iron atoms in magnetite. We measured the (002) and (006) "forbidden" x-ray diffraction reflections permitted by the anisotropy of the iron anomalous scattering factor. The energy and azimuthal angle dependencies of these reflections, and the polarization analysis, are shown and discussed. The results clearly show p and d iron empty states ordering in magnetite at room temperature. Moreover, the octahedral iron atoms are electronically equivalent in a time scale lower than 10(-16) sec. Therefore, magnetite should be considered as an itinerant magnet and not as a fluctuating mixed valence material.     

Observation of "Stick" and "Handle" intermediates along the fullerene road

The hypothesis that fullerenes grow in a carbon plasma by the addition of C2 units (the "fullerene road") has been widely acclaimed as the most plausible mechanism for formation of larger fullerenes including C60 and C70. Calculations suggest that the association of C2 with fullerenes proceeds through two classes of intermediates, "sticks" and "handles." Here we report the observation of these species using high-resolution ion-mobility measurements for C(n) cations generated by laser vaporization of graphite and laser desorption of C60. Sticks with up to eight-atom chains have also been found.     

"Magic" heteroepitaxial growth on vicinal surfaces

The step period (Lambda) of vicinal surfaces can be used as a new parameter for the control of metallic heteroepitaxial growth. This is evidenced here in the case of Ag/Cu(211). The deposition of 1 monolayer (ML) exhibits a c(2 x 10) superstructure leading to the formation of [111] steps in the Ag adlayer in contrast with the original [100] steps for the Cu substrate. This wetting layer can be viewed as a (133) Ag plane and it will be the starting point for the epitaxial growth. The deposition of 4 ML shows that the thin Ag film results homogeneous and no twins or stacking faults are detected. Moreover, the film grows along the [133] axis which is the orientation that minimizes the misfit between Cu(211) and the Ag film. Thus, the use of a regular stepped substrate allows one to select the crystallographic orientation of the growth and seems to be a way to avoid the creation of stacking faults.     

Approximate expressions for viscous attenuation in marine sediments: relating Biot's "critical" and "peak" frequencies

Simple approximate relations are proposed for the viscous attenuation per cycle of the fast compressional and shear waves in the low-to-intermediate frequency range. Corresponding closed-form formulas are derived for frequencies at which maximum viscous attenuation per cycle occurs according to the Biot-Stoll theory of elastic wave propagation in marine sediments. In the new formulas, Biot's approximation [M. A. Biot, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 34, 1254-1264 (1962)] for the frequency-dependent viscosity correction factor F(f) and the assumption of relatively low specific loss (Q(-1)<(0.2) [J. Geertsma and D. C. Smith, Geophysics 26(2), 169-181 (1962)] are used to provide an accurate representation of the fast compressional and shear wave attenuation from low frequencies through a transition region extending to two or three times Biot's critical frequency f(c). The approximate viscodynamic behavior of marine sediments for the fast compressional and shear waves shows similarities to that of a "homogeneous relaxation" process for an anelastic linear element [A. M. Freudenthal and H. Geiringer, Encyclopedia of Physics (Springer-Verlag. 1958), Vol. 6].     

Eight-dimensional quantum Hall effect and "Octonions"

We construct a generalization of the quantum Hall effect where particles move in an eight-dimensional space under an SO(8) gauge field. The underlying mathematics of this particle liquid is that of the last normed division algebra, the octonions. Two fundamentally different liquids with distinct configuration spaces can be constructed, depending on whether the particles carry spinor or vector SO(8) quantum numbers. One of the liquids lives on a 20-dimensional manifold with an internal component of SO(7) holonomy, whereas the second liquid lives on a 14-dimensional manifold with an internal component of G2 holonomy.     

"Safe" Coulomb excitation of 30Mg

We report on the first radioactive beam experiment performed at the recently commissioned REX-ISOLDE facility at CERN in conjunction with the highly efficient gamma spectrometer MINIBALL. Using 30Mg ions accelerated to an energy of 2.25 MeV/u together with a thin (nat)Ni target, Coulomb excitation of the first excited 2+ states of the projectile and target nuclei well below the Coulomb barrier was observed. From the measured relative deexcitation gamma-ray yields the B(E2;0(+)gs-->2(+)1) value of 30Mg was determined to be 241(31)e2 fm4. Our result is lower than values obtained at projectile fragmentation facilities using the intermediate-energy Coulomb excitation method, and confirms the theoretical conjecture that the neutron-rich magnesium isotope 30Mg resides outside the "island of inversion."     

Comments on "Double-Wave Theory"

Some falsehoods of the so-called double-wave theory (DWT) are pointed out. The logic and the origin of the DWT, and three of the four fundamental hypotheses of DWT are criticized. It is expounded that the hypothesis of two wave functions is unreasonable, the hypothesized Hamiltonian differs from the actually used Hamiltonian, and the hypothesized expression of measured values or mean values of mechanical quantities is wrong and does not express the measured values or mean values at all.