Gradient-based direct normal-mode analysis

A formulation of a direct, iterative method for obtaining the lowest eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a Hessian matrix is presented. Similar to the iterative schemes in electronic structure configuration interaction calculations (methods due to Lanczos, Davidson, and others), the mass-weighted Hessian matrix K is not constructed explicitly; instead, its operation on a basis vector (a direction in the 3N Cartesian configuration space of the atoms) is computed based on the principles of dynamical equations of motion. By noting that the time derivative of the gradient vector in the harmonic force field is related to the particles' momenta via dg/dt = Kp, a Hessian-vector product can be computed on the fly by finite differentiation of the gradient along the direction specified by the p vector. Thus, only two evaluations of the gradient are required per Davidson-like iteration per root, which leads to a linear scaling behavior of the computational effort with the number of atoms (provided that the evaluation of the gradient scales linearly). Preliminary results are presented for a 27,000-atom 4He nanodroplet.     

Electronic spectroscopy and ionization potential of UO2 in the gas phase

The electronic spectroscopy of UO(2) has been examined using multiphoton ionization with mass-selected detection of the UO(2) (+) ions. Supersonic jet cooling was used to reduce the spectral congestion. Twenty-two vibronic bands of neutral UO(2) were observed in the range from 17,400 to 32,000 cm(-1). These bands originated from the U(5fphi(u)7ssigma(g))O(2) X (3)Phi(2u) and (3)Phi(3u) states. The stronger band systems are attributed to metal-centered 7p<--7s transitions. Threshold ionization measurements were used to determine the ionization potentials of UO and UO(2). These were found to be higher than the values obtained previously from electron impact measurements but in agreement with the results of recent theoretical calculations.     

Accurate ionization potentials for UO and UO2: a rigorous test of relativistic quantum chemistry calculations

Accurate ionization potential (IP) measurements provide essential thermodynamic information and benchmark data that can be used to evaluate the validity of electronic structure models. Calculations of the first IP of UO2 using relativistic methods consistently predict values that are approximately 0.7 eV higher than the accepted experimental value. The present measurements validate the theoretical calculations and show that the previous determinations corresponded to the ionization of thermally excited molecules. Similarly, new measurements of the IP for UO show that the currently accepted value is too low by 0.4 eV.     

Experimental and theoretical study of the infrared spectra of BrHI- and BrDI-

Gas phase vibrational spectra of BrHI- and BrDI- have been measured from 6 to 17 microm (590-1666 cm(-1)) using tunable infrared radiation from the free electron laser for infrared experiments in order to characterize the strong hydrogen bond in these species. BrHI-.Ar and BrDI-.Ar complexes were produced and mass selected, and the depletion of their signal due to vibrational predissociation was monitored as a function of photon energy. Additionally, BrHI- and BrDI- were dissociated into HBr (DBr) and I- via resonant infrared multiphoton dissociation. The spectra show numerous transitions, which had not been observed by previous matrix studies. New ab initio calculations of the potential-energy surface and the dipole moment are presented and are used in variational ro-vibrational calculations to assign the spectral features. These calculations highlight the importance of basis set in the simulation of heavy atoms such as iodine. Further, they demonstrate extensive mode mixing between the bend and the H-atom stretch modes in BrHI- and BrDI- due to Fermi resonances. These interactions result in major deviations from simple harmonic estimates of the vibrational energies. As a result of this new analysis, previous matrix-isolation spectra assignments are reevaluated.     

On the Rayleigh-Plateau instability

In this paper,we study the surface instability of a cylindrical pore in the absence of stress. This instability is called the Rayleigh-Plateau instabilty. We consider the model developed by Spencer et ...     

Synthesis,Antibacterial, and Antioxidant Evaluation of Novel Series of Condensed Thiazoloquinazoline with Pyrido,Pyrano, and Benzol Moieties as Five- and Six-Membered Heterocycle Derivatives

A novel synthesis of thiazolo[2,3-b]quinazolines 4(a–e), pyrido[2′,3′:4,5]thiazolo[2,3-b]quinazolines {5(a–e), 6(a–e), and 7(a–e)}, pyrano[2′,3′:4,5]thiazolo[2,3-b]quinazolines 8(a–e), and benzo[4,5]thiazolo[2,3-b]quinazoloine9(a–e) derivatives starting from 2-(Bis-methylsulfanyl-methylene)-5,5-dimethyl-cyclohexane-1,3-dione 2 as efficient α,α dioxoketen dithioacetal is reported and the synthetic approaches of these types of compounds will provide an innovative molecular framework to the designing of new active heterocyclic compounds. In our study, we also present optimization of the synthetic method along with a biological evaluation of these newly synthesized compounds as antioxidants and antibacterial agents against the bacterial strains, like S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa. Among all the evaluated compounds, it was found that some showed significant antioxidant activity at 10 μg/mL while the others exhibited better antibacterial activity at 100 μg/mL. The results of this study showed that compound 6(c) possessed remarkable antibacterial activity, whereas compound 9(c) exhibited the highest efficacy as an antioxidant. The structures of the new synthetic compounds were elucidated by elemental analysis, IR, ¹H-NMR, and ¹³C-NMR.     

Novel microscopic mechanism of intermixing during growth on soft metallic substrates

Generic computer simulations using empiric interatomic potentials suggest a new, collective mechanism that could be responsible for mixing at heteroepitaxial interfaces. Even if single adsorbate atoms diffuse by hopping on the substrate surface and do not mix at the terraces, two-dimensional islands formed by nucleation may become unstable above a certain critical size and explode upwards forming clusters of several atomic layers. This process is accompanied by strong distortions of the underlying atomic layers, and on soft materials it can result in surface etching and incorporation of substrate atoms into the islands.