An experimental investigation of the radiative structure decay K+ → e+υγ

The decay K⁺ → e⁺υγ has been investigated. For the structure-dependent part with positive γ-helicity (SD₊) the branching ratio $\text{Γ(}\text{SD}{}_{\mathrm{+}}\text{)}\text{Γ(}\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{\mu 2}}\text{) = (2.33 ± 0.42) × 10}{}^{\mathrm{?5}}$ is obtained from 51 ± 3 events observed in the kinematical region E_e ? 235 MeV, E_γ > 48 MeV and θ_eγ > 140°. For the corresponding part with negative γ-helicity we obtain an upper limit Γ(SD_?)/Γ(SD₊) < 11 (90% CL) from the sample of electrons with energies 220 MeV ? E_e < 230 MeV and with no γ in the backward direction. This upper limit implies that the ratio of structure-dependent axial vector amplitudes lies outside the region $\text{?1.8 < a}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>K</mtext>}}\text{υ}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>K</mtext>}}\text{< ?0.54}$.For the decay $\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{→}\text{e}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{νν}\text{ν}$ the limit $\text{Γ(}\text{K}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{→}\text{e}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{νν}\text{ν}\text{)/Γ(}\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{e2}}\text{) < 3.8}$ 90% confidence level) was found.     

Structure of 72,74Se at high spin

Lifetimes of high spin states up to { }=22⁺ in the yrast positive parity bands have been measured to investigate the shape evolution with increasing spin in ^{72, 74}Se. The Q _t values derived from these measurements indicate that prolate shape stabilizes for ⁷²Se, while a triaxial shape develops for ⁷⁴Se at higher spins. Comparison of the observed trend in Q _t with spin for ^{72, 74}Se with that of the corresponding kryptones isotones emphasizes the stability provided by N=38 prolate shell gap even at high rotational frequency.     

Basic convergence results for conforming adaptive finite elements

We report on a result establishing plain convergence for conforming adaptive finite elements under relatively general assumptions on problem class and adaptive algorithm. Moreover, we indicate some applications and give a sketch of the proof. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The need for enzymatic steering in abietic acid biosynthesis: gas-phase chemical dynamics simulations of carbocation rearrangements on a bifurcating potential energy surface

Abietic acid, a constituent of pine resin, is naturally derived from abietadiene?--a process that requires four enzymes: one (abietadiene synthase) for conversion of the acyclic, achiral geranylgeranyl diphosphate to the polycyclic, chiral abietadiene (a complex process involving the copalyl diphosphate intermediate) and then three to oxidize a single methyl group of abietadiene to the corresponding carboxylic acid. In previous work (Nature Chem.2009, 1, 384), electronic structure calculations on carbocation rearrangements leading to abietadienyl cation revealed an interesting potential energy surface with a bifurcating reaction pathway (two transition-state structures connected directly with no intervening minimum), which links two products--one natural and one not yet isolated from Nature. Herein we describe direct dynamics simulations of the key step in the formation of abietadiene (in the gas phase and in the absence of the enzyme). The simulations reveal that abietadiene synthase must intervene in order to produce abietadiene selectively, in essence steering this reaction to avoid the generation of byproducts with different molecular architectures.     

Holz, Cellulose, Papier

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