Results from Super-Kamiokande and K2K

Results from Super-Kamiokande-I’s entire 1496 live days of solar neutrino data are presented, including the absolute flux, energy spectrum, zenith angle (day/night) and seasonal variation. The possibility of MSW and vacuum oscillations is discussed in light of these results. Results from the first 1289 days of Super-K-I’s atmospheric neutrino analysis are also presented, including the evidence for ν_μ →ν _τ oscillations, against ν_μ → ν_sterile oscillations, and the current limits on proton decay. Finally, results based on 56 × 10¹⁹ protons on target are given for the K2K long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment.     

Preparation, structural analysis and dielectric properties of Bi x La1−x FeO3 perovskite

Rare earth element substituted bismuth ferrites (BiFeO₃) are of enormous importance as magnetoelectric materials. The polycrystalline samples of Bi _x La_1−x FeO₃ (x=0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) were prepared by solid-state reaction using standard ceramic method. The single-phase formation of these compounds was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The samples with x=0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 are found to be orthorhombic while the sample with x=0.8 is triclinic. The dielectric constant (ε′) and dissipation factor (tan δ) were measured in the frequency range 100 Hz to 1 MHz at room temperature and as a function of temperature at certain fixed frequencies (1 kHz, 10 kHz, 100 kHz, 1 MHz). All the samples showed dielectric dispersion. The dielectric constant with temperature shows a broad peak; the peak temperature shifts with frequency which reflects the relaxor-type behavior. The peak above 600 K in the measured temperature range corresponds to antiferromagnetic ordering temperature (Néel temperature). The broadness of the peak changes with composition. The ac conductivity as well as ε′ are found to be maximum for the sample x=0.2 at room temperature.     

Magnetoelectric effect in cobalt ferrite-barium titanate composites and their electrical properties

CoFe₂O₄-BaTiO₃ composites were prepared using conventional ceramic double sintering process with various compositions. Presence of two phases in the composites was confirmed using X-ray diffraction. The dc resistivity and thermoemf as a function of temperature in the temperature range 300 K to 600 K were measured. Variation of dielectric constant (ɛ′) with frequency in the range 100 Hz to 1 MHz and also with temperature at a fixed frequency of 1 kHz was studied. The ac conductivity was derived from dielectric constant (ɛ′) and loss tangent (tan δ). The nature of conduction is discussed on the basis of small polaron hopping model. The static value of magnetoelectric conversion factor has been studied as a function of magnetic field.     

Sigma stellation: a design strategy for electron boxes

The carbon-fluorine antibonding (sigma*) orbitals in a fluorocarbon cage are directed toward a central, common point. If the cage is not too large or too small, then the sigma* orbitals will overlap at that point. An added electron can occupy the resulting molecular orbital, suggesting that cage perfluorocarbons will have large electron affinities. This prediction is supported by electronic structure calculations of all of the fluorinated derivatives of tetrahedrane, cyclopropane, and cubane and of some other fluorinated cage and ring compounds. Perfluorododecahedrane (C20F20) is predicted to have an electron affinity of about 3.4 eV, which is equal to that of the fluorine atom. A few speculative extensions and applications are suggested.     

Competition between hydrogen abstraction and halogen displacement in the reaction of Br with CH3I, CH3Br, and CH3Cl

Sudden ozone depletion events in the marine boundary layer are associated with jumps in the CH3Br mixing ratio, but current models of atmospheric chemistry explain neither the ozone depletion nor the CH3Br spikes. We have used ab initio theory to predict the forward and reverse rate constants for the competing hydrogen abstraction and homolytic substitution (SH2) channels of the title reactions. Including the spin-orbit stabilization of the transition structures increases the rate constants by factors between 1.3 and 49. For the atmospherically relevant case of CH3I, our findings suggest that the hydrogen abstraction and homolytic substitution reactions are competitive. The predicted branching fraction to CH3Br is about 13%.     

Tryptic <Emphasis Type="Italic">y</Emphasis><Superscript>++</Superscript> Fragment Ion Distributions Are Guided by Coulombic Repulsion

Ideal tryptic peptides contain only a single basic residue, located at the C-terminus. Collisional fragmentation of their doubly- or triply-protonated ions generates doubly-charged y ⁺⁺ fragment ions with modest intensities. The size distribution of the y ⁺⁺ fragments, when averaged over many spectra, corresponds closely to the expectations from charge-directed backbone cleavage and a Coulomb-Boltzmann distribution of mobile protons. This observation should be helpful in developing mechanistic models for y ⁺⁺ formation.