Surface plasmon–exciton transition in ultra-thin silver and silver iodide films

Silver thin films in the thickness range 2–10 nm produced by thermal evaporation onto glass substrates were systematically iodized and carefully characterized by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical absorption spectroscopy. While the uniodized films are X-ray amorphous in keeping with their quasi-continuous nature and 2D islanded structure, briefly iodized films showed characteristic beta AgI structure. Most interestingly, AFM of Ag films revealed uniform triangle-shaped embryos whose shape does not change appreciably upon iodization. Optical absorption spectra of uniodized Ag films show intense surface plasmon resonance (SPR) features with maxima at 440, 484 and 498 nm for the films of thicknesses 2, 5 and 10 nm, respectively, with 5 nm films showing properties characteristic of optimally matched dielectric and electronic properties of the substrate and sample, respectively. Finally, an interesting and unique SPR–exciton phase transition is observed as the ultra-thin films are progressively iodized. These Ag and AgI films could be promising candidates for plasmonic and nanophotonic applications. PACS 78.66.-w; 73.20.Mf; 71.35.Cc; 42.70; 68.37.Ps; 42.82.-m     

Glauber amplitude for ionization of helium by electron impact

The high-energy Glauber approximation is used to derive the formula for scattering amplitude for ionization of helium atom by electron impact. The scattering amplitude is expressed as a one dimensional integral involving MeijerG-functions. This may further be expressed in a closed form as simple sums of Meijer functions by writing down the series expansion for Bessel and Meijer functions. Further, the asymptotic behaviour of these amplitudes is examined for both large and small momentum transfers.     

Carbon-13 n.m.r. investigation on the nitrogen methylation of the mono- and diazanaphthalenes

The ¹³C n.m.r. spectra of the N-methylated mono- and diazanaphthalenes have been recorded and analysed. It has been shown that N-methylation as well as N-protonation in cinnoline occur predominantly at the β-nitrogen atom. N-methylation and N-protonation show a similar effect on the ¹³C chemical shifts.     

Energy transfer to neutral pions in high energy nuclear interactions

The fraction of energy transferred to the neutral pions ( \( K_{\pi ^ \circ } \) ), in an interaction of high energy (> 20 GeV) N-particles (nucleons and pions) with atomic nuclei, is estimated from the data collected, using a total absorption spectrometer (TAS) and a multiplate cloud chamber. The average value of \( K_{\pi ^ \circ } \) ( \( \bar K_{\pi ^ \circ } \) ) is found to be 0·12 ± 0·01 in the energy range 20–100 GeV (ē₀ = 35 GeV) and 0·19 ± 0·02 in the region of > 100 GeV (ē₀ = 206 GeV). The value of \( \bar K_{\pi ^ \circ } \) obtained in different experiments and its dependence on the primary energy are discussed. An increase in \( \bar K_{\pi ^ \circ } \) in pion-nucleus collisions with the energy of the pion or an increase in the ratio of pions to protons, at 800 gm./cm.², in the energy range of a few tens of GeV to a few hundred GeV or both is to be invoked to explain the energy dependence of \( \bar K_{\pi ^ \circ } \) observed in this investigation.     

Semilattice decompositions of semigroups

The purpose of this paper is to develop a general theory of semilattice decompositions of semigroups from the point of view of obtaining theorems of the type: A semigroup S has propertyD if and only if S is a semilattice of semigroups having property β. As such we are able to extend the theories of Clifford [3], Andersen [1], Croisot [5], Tamura and Kimura [14], Petrich [9], Chrislock [2], Tamura and Shafer [15], Iyengar [7] and Weissglass and the author [10]. The root of our whole theory is Tamura's semilattice decomposition theorem [12, 13]. Of this, we give a new proof. The results of this paper were obtained by the author between January and July of 1971, while an undergraduate at the University of California, Santa Barbara.     

Symmetric marching technique and elliptic equations with variable coefficient involving mixed partial deriavatives

The symmetric marching technique developed in [1,2] has been extended to the elliptic equations with variable coefficients involving mixed partial derivatives. The restricted class of such equations of the form u_xx+2B(x, y)u_xy+c(x,y)u_yy=0 have been considered. Numerical results of model problems solved are presented.     

Nanophases in mechanochemically synthesized AgI-CuI system: structure, phase stability and phase transitions

Nanoscale crystallites of Ag-rich (Ag_1−xCu_xI, x=0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.25), Cu-rich (Cu_1-yAg_yI, y=0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.25) and intermediate Ag_1-xCu_xI (x=0.50) solid solutions and end members AgI, CuI with sizes in the range of 46-13 nm were synthesized by attrition at ambient temperature in a soft mechanochemical reaction (MCR) of Ag, Cu and I. Monophasic γ-AgI (zincblende, ) with disordered Ag⁺ sublattice and the crystallite size of about ∼31 nm was realized in the case of Ag_0.75Cu_0.25I (x=0.25) composition. Lattice parameter decreases linearly from 649 to 604 pm with increasing Cu concentration in the AgI-CuI system validating Vegard's law. Smallest size (∼13 nm) agglomerated nanocrystals were realized in the Cu-rich composition Cu_0.75Ag_0.25I (), while unagglomerated uniform-sized (∼17 nm) and spherical shape nanocrystallites of Ag_0.50Cu_0.50I () with maximum strain were synthesized for sensor applications using MCR. Differential scanning calorimetry study shows the systematic changes in the phase transition temperature with Cu substitution. Ag-rich composition posses less enthalpy (ΔH (x or Cu=0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.25)=6.0, 6.11, 6.6, 6.3 in kJ/mol) and entropy (ΔS (y or Ag=0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.25)=14.15, 14.1, 15.03, 13.6 in J/mol K) when compared to undoped AgI () implying greater thermal stability of γ-phase due to Cu-strengthened Ag-I bond. Enhanced entropy () in Cu_0.75Ag_0.25I (Cu-rich) solid solutions relative to CuI () indicates Ag-induced cation disorder. Fifteen percent Ag-doped CuI (Cu_0.85Ag_0.15I) nanocrystals apparently behave like microscopic p-n junctions with currents in the range of 10⁻⁶-10⁻⁸ A characterized by a non-linear I-V curve.     

Creeping flow of an ellis fluid past a Newtonian fluid sphere

Upper and lower bounds on the drag offered to a Newtonian fluid sphere placed in an Ellis model fluid in creeping flow have been found using variational principles. For a solid sphere, the bounds are in good agreement with those reported by earlier investigators.