Rotational spectrum and structure of Si3

The rotational spectrum of a pure silicon cluster, the Si3 trimer, has been observed for the first time. From the rotational constants of the normal and the 29Si and 30Si isotopic species, a precise geometrical structure has been derived: the trimer is an isosceles triangle with a bond to the apex Si of length 2.177(1) A and an apex angle of 78.10(3) degrees. The substantial inertial defect and fairly large centrifugal distortion suggest that the molecule possesses a shallow bending potential. Si3 is a good candidate for astronomical detection because radio lines of comparably massive silicon molecules (e.g., SiC2, SiC4, and SiS) are readily observed in at least one astronomical source. The rotational spectra of Si6, Si9, and even larger polar silicon clusters may be detectable with the present technique, as well as similar germanium clusters.     

Relations in the cohomology ring of the moduli space of rank 2 Higgs bundles

The moduli space of stable bundles of rank and degree on a Riemann surface has rational cohomology generated by the so-called universal classes. The work of Baranovsky, King-Newstead, Siebert-Tian and Zagier provided a complete set of relations between these classes, expressed in terms of a recursion in the genus. This paper accomplishes the same thing for the noncompact moduli spaces of Higgs bundles, in the sense of Hitchin and Simpson. There are many more independent relations than for stable bundles, but in a sense the answer is simpler, since the formulas are completely explicit, not recursive. The results of Kirwan on equivariant cohomology for holomorphic circle actions are of key importance.

     

The pure rotational spectrum of HPS (X̃1A'): chemical bonding in second-row elements

The pure rotational spectrum of HPS, as well as its (34)S and D isotopologues, has been recorded at microwave, millimeter, and submillimeter wavelengths, the first observation of this molecule in the gas phase. The data were obtained using a combination of millimeter direct absorption, Fourier transform microwave (FTMW), and microwave-microwave double-resonance techniques, which cover the total frequency range from 15 to 419 GHz. Quantum chemical calculations at the B3LYP and CCSD(T) levels were also performed to aid in spectral identification. HPS was created in the direct absorption experiment from a mixture of elemental phosphorus, H(2)S, and Ar carrier gas; DPS was produced by adding D(2). In the FTMW study, these species were generated in a pulsed discharge nozzle from PH(3) and H(2)S or D(2)S, diluted in neon. The spectra recorded for HPS and its isotopologues exhibit clear asymmetric top patterns indicating bent structures; phosphorus hyperfine splittings were also observed in HPS, but not DPS. Analysis of the data yielded rotation, centrifugal distortion, and phosphorus nuclear spin-rotation parameters for the individual species. The r(m) ((1)) structure for HPS, calculated from the rotational constants, is r(H-P) = 1.438(1) A?, r(P-S) = 1.9320(1) A?, and θ(H-P-S) = 101.85(9)°. Empirically correcting for zero-point vibrational effects yields the geometry r(e)(H-P) = 1.4321(2) A?, r(e)(P-S) = 1.9287(1) A?, and θ(e)(H-P-S) = 101.78(1)°, in close agreement with the r(m) ((1)) structure. A small inertial defect was found for HPS indicating a relatively rigid molecule. Based on these data, the bonding in this species is best represented as H-P=S, similar to the first-row analog HNO, as well as HNS and HPO. Therefore, substitution of phosphorus and sulfur for nitrogen and oxygen does not result in a dramatic structural change.     

Isomeric trimethylene and ethylene pendant-armed cross-bridged tetraazamacrocycles and in vitro/in vivo comparisions of their copper(II) complexes

Ethylene cross-bridged tetraamine macrocycles are useful chelators in coordination, catalytic, medicinal, and radiopharmaceutical chemistry. Springborg and co-workers developed trimethylene cross-bridged analogues, although their pendant-armed derivatives received little attention. We report here the synthesis of a bis-carboxymethyl pendant-armed cyclen with a trimethylene cross-bridge (C3B-DO2A) and its isomeric ethylene-cross-bridged homocyclen ligand (CB-TR2A) as well as their copper(II) complexes. The in vitro and in vivo properties of these complexes are compared with respect to their potential application as (64)Cu-radiopharmaceuticals in positron emission tomography (PET imaging). The inertness of Cu-C3B-DO2A to decomplexation is remarkable, exceeding that of Cu-CB-TE2A. Electrochemical reduction of Cu-CB-TR2A is quasi-reversible, whereas that of Cu-C3B-DO2A is irreversible. The reaction conditions for preparing (64)Cu-C3B-DO2A (microwaving at high temperature) are relatively harsh compared to (64)Cu-CB-TR2A (basic ethanol). The in vivo behavior of the (64)Cu complexes was evaluated in normal rats. Rapid and continual clearance of (64)Cu-CB-TR2A through the blood, liver, and kidneys suggests relatively good in vivo stability, albeit inferior to (64)Cu-CB-TE2A. Although (64)Cu-C3B-DO2A clears continually, the initial uptake is high and only about half is excreted within 22 h, suggesting poor stability and transchelation of (64)Cu to proteins in the blood and/or liver. These data suggest that in vitro inertness of a chelator complex may not always be a good indicator of in vivo stability.     

Rotational spectra and equilibrium structures of H2SiS and Si2S

The rotational spectra of two small silicon sulfides, silanethione H(2)SiS and the disilicon sulfide ring Si(2)S, have been detected in the centimeter band by Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy of a molecular beam; lines of H(2)SiS were also observed in the millimeter band up to 377 GHz in a glow discharge. Precise rotational and centrifugal distortionconstants have been determined for the normal and a number of the more abundant rare isotopic species of both closed-shell molecules. Theoretical equilibrium (r(e)) structures of H(2)SiS and Si(2)S were derived from coupled-cluster calculations that included triple and quadruple excitations, core correlation, and extrapolation to the basis-set limit. The r(e) structures agree to within 5×10(-4) A? and 0.1(°) with empirical equilibrium (r(e)(emp)) structures derived from the experimental rotational constants, combined with theoretical vibrational and electronic corrections. Both H(2)SiS and Si(2)S are good candidates for radioastronomical detection in the circumstellar shells of evolved carbon-rich stars such as IRC+10216, because they are fairly polar and are similar in composition to the abundant astronomical molecule SiS.     

Evidence for the initiation of copper azide [Cu(N3)2] and thallium azide [TIN3] by carrier emission from Schottky barrier contacts

It has been reported that the initiation fielde_t for Cu(N₃)₂ (p-type material) increases with anode metal work function whilee_t for TlN₃ (n-type material) decreases with cathode metal work function. It is shown that this behavior is consistent with carrier emission from a Schottky barrier contact.     

Mechanics on manifolds and the incorporation of spin into Nelson's Stochastic mechanics

Nelson's theory of universal Brownian motion is generalized to manifold-valued processes with Hamiltonian of the form H=(p–A) ²+. It is shown that a spin model of Bopp & Haag is such a process. We show that, as the radius of the sphere of this model approaches zero, we recover the Pauli equation. We analyze further the case of no external field, singling out a continuous random variable which we call the angular momentum and showing that this random variable has the quantum mechanical expectation values. We also prove an ergodic theorem to the effect that the average value of the angular momentum equals its time average along trajectories.     

Negative droplets from positive electrospray

Image charge detection has been used to measure the charge and velocity of individual electrosprayed water droplets. With a positive bias on the electrospray needle the majority of the droplets are, as expected, positively charged. However, a small fraction, surprisingly, carry a negative charge. Plausible explanations for the presence of the negatively charged droplets are discussed. In particular, we consider the possibility of the negatively charged droplets resulting from a bipolar fission process where the incorporation of a small negatively charged droplet between two larger positively charged progeny lowers the energy barrier for symmetric fission.     

Rotational spectroscopy of the isotopic species of silicon monosulfide, SiS

Pure rotational transitions of silicon monosulfide ((28)Si(32)S) and its rare isotopic species have been observed in their ground as well as vibrationally excited states by employing Fourier transform microwave (FTMW) spectroscopy of a supersonic molecular beam at centimetre wavelengths (13-37 GHz) and by using long-path absorption spectroscopy at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths (127-925 GHz). The latter measurements include 91 transition frequencies for (28)Si(32)S, (28)Si(33)S, (28)Si(34)S, (29)Si(32)S and (30)Si(32)S in upsilon = 0, as well as 5 lines for (28)Si(32)S in upsilon = 1, with rotational quantum numbers J'< or = 52. The centimetre-wave measurements include more than 300 newly recorded lines. Together with previous data they result in almost 600 transitions (J' = 0 and 1) from all twelve possible isotopic species, including (29)Si(36)S and (30)Si(36)S, which have fractional abundances of about 7 x 10(-6) and 4.5 x 10(-6), respectively. Rotational transitions were observed from upsilon = 0 for the least abundant isotopic species to as high as upsilon = 51 for the main species. Owing to the high spectral resolution of the FTMW spectrometer, hyperfine structure from the nuclear electric quadrupole moment of (33)S was resolved for species containing this isotope, as was much smaller nuclear spin-rotation splitting for isotopic species involving (29)Si. By combining the measurements here with previously published microwave and infrared data in one global fit, an improved set of spectroscopic parameters for SiS has been derived which include several terms describing the breakdown of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. With this parameter set, highly accurate rotational frequencies for this important astronomical molecule can now be predicted well into the terahertz region.     

Laboratory detection of the elusive HSCO+ isomer

The rotational spectrum of protonated carbonyl sulfide, HSCO(+), has now been detected in the centimeter-wave band in a molecular beam by Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. Rotational and centrifugal distortion constants have been determined from transitions in the K(a)=0 ladder of the normal isotopic species, and DSCO(+) and H(34)SCO(+). HSCO(+) is systematically more abundant by a factor of three than HOCS(+), the isomer obtained by attaching the H(+) to the other end of the molecule, which ab initio calculations long predicted to be higher in energy by 4-5 kcalmol. Because HSCO(+) is comparable in polarity to HOCS(+) and is apparently more stable and because OCS is widely distributed in astronomical sources, HSCO(+) is a good candidate for detection with radio telescopes.