Theoretical study of the UV photodissociation of Cl2: potentials, transition moments, extinction coefficients, and Cl*/Cl branching ratio

Potential energy curves for the X (1)Sigma(g) (+) ground state and Omega=0(u) (+), 1(u) valence states and dipole moments for the 0(u) (+), 1(u)-X transitions are obtained in an ab initio configuration interaction study of Cl(2) including spin-orbit coupling. In contrast to common assumptions, it is found that the B (3)Pi(0(+)u)-X transition moment strongly depends on internuclear distance, which has an important influence on the Cl(2) photodissociation. Computed energy curves and transition moments are employed to calculate the A, B, C<--X extinction coefficients, the total spectrum for the first absorption band, and the Cl(*)((2)P(1/2))/Cl((2)P(3/2)) branching ratio as a function of excitation wavelength. The calculated data are shown to be in good agreement with available experimental results.     

Theoretical study of the CH2 + O photodissociation of formaldehyde adsorbed on the Ag(111) surface

Configuration interaction calculations of the ground and excited states of the H2CO molecule adsorbed on the Ag(111) surface have been carried out to study the photoinduced dissociation process leading to polymerization of formaldehyde. The metal-adsorbate system has been described by the embedded cluster and multireference configuration interaction methods. The pi electron-attachment H2CO- and n-pi* internally excited H2CO* states have been considered as possible intermediates. The calculations have shown that H2CO* is only very weakly bound on Ag(111), and thus that the dissociation of adsorbed formaldehyde due to internal excitation is unlikely. By contrast, the H2CO- anion is strongly bound to Ag(111) and gains additional vibrational energy along the C-O stretch coordinate via Franck-Condon excitation from the neutral molecule. Computed energy variations of adsorbed H2CO and H2CO- at different key geometries along the pathway for C-O bond cleavage make evident, however, that complete dissociation is very difficult to attain on the potential energy surface of either of these states. Instead, reneutralization of the vibrationally excited anion by electron transfer back to the substrate is the most promising means of breaking the C-O bond, with subsequent formation of the coadsorbed O and CH2 fragments. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that the most stable state for both dissociation fragments on Ag(111) is a closed-shell singlet, with binding energies relative to the gas-phase products of approximately 3.2 and approximately 1.3 eV for O and CH2, respectively. Further details of the reaction mechanism for the photoinduced C-O bond cleavage of H2CO on the Ag(111) surface are also given.     

Natural specimen of triple solid solution ettringite–thaumasite–chromate-ettringite

Three natural minerals of ettringite group were investigated by TG to refine their chemical composition. Two samples are ettringite Ca_5.97Mg_0.01Sr_0.02Al_1.99Cr_0.01(SO₄)₃(OH)₁₂·23.7H₂O and bentorite Ca_5.99Mg_0.01Cr_1.95Al_0.01Si_0.03(SO₄)_2.82·(CO₃)_0.20(OH)₁₂·19.4H₂O, but the third one Ca_5.99Na_0.01Al_1.38Si_0.62(SO₄)_2.49·(CrO₄)_0.36·(CO₃)_0.46(OH)₁₂·15.8H₂O has found to be a solid solution among ettringite, thaumasite, and chromate-ettringite, not registered yet as a new mineral species. Similar phase is well known in concrete formed with Cr⁶⁺ admixture, but is found for the first time as a natural compound. X-ray single-crystal investigation allowed us to refine the structure and support substitution (SO₄)^2? ? (CrO₄)^2? in natural minerals of ettringite group.     

Dynamics of the BiTeI lattice at high pressures

Raman measurements of the phonon spectrum of BiTeI at pressures of up to 20 GPa have been performed. A decrease in the linewidth of E² vibration by almost a factor of 2 with an increase in the pressure to 3 GPa has been detected. The frequencies of all four Raman active modes increase monotonically with the pressure. These lines are observed in spectra up to ～8 GPa. Sharp change in the spectrum occurs at pressures of 8–9 GPa, indicating a transition to the high-pressure phase, which holds up to 20 GPa. This transition is reversible and hardly has any hysteresis. A sample in the high-pressure phase is single crystal.     

Complete cosmological model based on an asymmetric scalar Higgs doublet

Theoretical and Mathematical Physics - We study a complete cosmological model based on an asymmetric scalar doublet represented by the classical and phantom scalar Higgs fields. Moreover, we remove...     

X-ray determination of the mean amplitudes of vibration and debye temperatures of some rare earth monochalcogenides

The x-ray diffraction intensities of Bragg reflections have been measured at room temperature for thulium selenide, samarium sulphide, samarium selenide and samarium telluride. On the basis of a common amplitude approximation, the Debye-Waller factor, the mean amplitude of vibration and the Debye temperature have been evaluated. The values of the Debye temperatures and mean amplitudes of vibration are 176±16°K, 0·185 ± 0·017 Å (TmSe), 155 ± 7°K, 0·244 ± 0·012 Å (SmS), 153 ± 14°K, 0·221 ± 0·020 Å (SmSe) and 151 ± 20°K, 0·204 ± 0·027 Å (SmTe).     

Growth and dichroic properties of LiBa12(BO3)7F4 crystal

The bulk crystals of LiBa₁₂(BO₃)₇F₄ were obtained from two flux compositions by the top seeded solution growth method. Crystals grown from BaCO₃:BaF₂:H₃BO₃:Li₂CO₃ = 3:3:3:1 charge were found to have a distinct linear dichroism effect at 0.35–0.65 and around 0.73 μm. This suggests application of the material in the production of polarizing filters and attenuators for visible range lasers.     

Phase equilibria in the Ba2Na3[B3O6]2F-BaF2 system

The phase equilibria in the Ba₂Na₃[B₃O₆]₂F-BaF₂ section, which belongs to the ternary mutual Ba, Na//BO₂,F system, have been studied by the methods of solid-phase synthesis, visual polythermal analysis, and differential-thermal analyses. It is shown that this section can be used to grow bulk Ba₂Na₃[B₃O₆]₂F crystals.