Study of the peak effect phenomenon in single crystals of 2H-NbSe2

The weakly pinned single crystals of the hexagonal 2H-NbSe₂ compound have emerged as prototypes for determining and characterizing the phase boundaries of the possible order-disorder transformations in the vortex matter. We present here a status report based on the ac and dc magnetization measurements of the peak effect phenomenon in three crystals of 2H-NbSe₂, in which the critical current densities vary over two orders of magnitude. We sketch the generic vortex phase diagram of a weakly pinned superconductor, which also utilizes theoretical proposals. We also establish the connection between the metastability effects and pinning.     

Block copolymers of acrylic acid and butyl acrylate prepared by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization: Synthesis,characterization, and use in emulsion polymerization

Amphiphilic block copolymers of poly(acrylic acid‐b‐butyl acrylate) were prepared by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization in a one‐pot reaction. These copolymers were characterized by NMR, static and dynamic light scattering, tensiometry, and size exclusion chromatography. The aggregation characteristics of the copolymers corresponded to those theoretically predicted for a star micelle. In a butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate emulsion polymerization, low amounts of these copolymers could stabilize latices with solid contents up to 50%. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 684–698, 2003     

Shaping Solid-State Supramolecular Cavities: Chemically Induced Accordionlike Movement of gamma-Zirconium Phosphate Containing Polyethylenoxide Pillars

The hydrophilic oxygen atoms of polyethylenoxide chains inserted as pillars in gamma-zirconium phosphate form hydrogen bonds with the acid groups of the host. As a result the pillars are almost perpendicular to the gamma layers. Upon changing the pH level of the supernatant solution the hydrogen bonds are broken and the pillars become almost perpendicular to the layers (shown schematically). Thus there is a reversible enlargement-shortening of the interlayer space.     

Time-Resolved Fluorescence and Transient Spectroscopy in Determining Photochemical and Photophysical Channels in Reacting Systems in Solutions and Microheterogeneous Media

Abstract— Characterization of short-lived intermediates in homogeneous and microheterogeneous systems has been carried out using time-resolved spectroscopic techniques. The data obtained from these techniques have been analyzed in a relatively unconventional manner to elucidate complex transient behavior for two reactive systems. The highly nonexponential fluorescence decay for a series of fraws-stilbene-derivatized amphiphiles that readily form bilayer systems in aqueous media has been analyzed using a distribution of lifetimes analysis (DLA). The utility of DLA for quantitative studies was first determined by simulation of artificial decay data. Despite some limitations in DLA, qualitative conclusions as to the nature of the fluorescing species may be drawn when supplementary information such as steady-state spectroscopic data are also considered. The results indicate that the observed fluorescence originates from different types of excited-state species that consist of two or more trans-stilbene units; one of the emissions is attributed to the excited state of a ground-state aggregate while the other is assigned to an excimer that may arise from a 'defect'in the bilayer. The nonexponential nature of the decays is attributed to distributions of environments experienced by the fluorescing species. Electron transfer (ET) reactions between several excited pinacols and carbon tetrachloride in solution have been found to yield products with quantum yields that are higher than unity in the presence of oxygen, suggesting a chain mechanism for product formation. In these systems both the donor and the acceptor undergo bond fragmentation following the initial ET step. The individual steps involved in the proposed mechanism for these systems have been investigated in part using different steady-state and time-resolved laser spectroscopic techniques. However, it was also necessary to utilize pulse radiolysis in order to confirm the involvement of certain radical intermediates that were not observable by the usual flash photolysis techniques.     

Aspects of the grand unification of strong,weak and electromagnetic interactions

We study issues arising in attempts to unify strong and other elementary particle interactions. The proton lifetime is estimated in theories with second-order baryon number violation, and found to be O(10³–10⁴) longer than naive dimensional counting suggested. The renormalization of quark and lepton masses below the grand unification mass is considered in some detail. Application is made to the SU(5) model of Georgi and Glashow, and we find strange and bottom quark masses:

$\text{m}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>s</mtext>}}\text{≈ 0.4–0.5}\text{GeV}\text{, m}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>b</mtext>}}\text{≈ 4.8–5.6}\text{GeV}$

. Inputs are the values of the strong interactions coupling constant favoured by electroproduction and charmonium analyses, and the observed muon and heavy lepton (τ) masses. These estimates are substantially increased if there are more than six flavours of quark. Symmetry breaking in the SU(5) model is studied, including radiative corrections to the effective Higgs potential.