Electromagnetic moments of unstable nuclei studied with polarized projectile fragments

Phenomenon of ejectile spin polarization in the projectile fragmentation reaction was exploited as a tool to produce polarized radioactive nuclei. The polarized unstable nuclei were subjected to the β-detected NMR meaurements, and the magnetic moments and electric quadrupole moments were determined for several neutron-rich light nuclei. The comparison of the experimental results with theoretical predictions shows that the nuclear moments provide useful test of models for nuclear structure and interaction in the region of light-mass unstable nuclei.     

Interactions of 10.6 GeV/nucleon gold nuclei in nuclear emulsion

Stacks of nuclear emulsion were exposed at the Brookhaven AGS to a 10.6 GeV/n beam of gold nuclei in the BNL 868 experiment. A preliminary analysis of the main features of the interactions of these nuclei is reported here and compared with those observed previously at lower energies,E<1 GeV/n. The multiplicity and pseudo-rapidity distributions of the singly charged particles emitted both in central and in minimum bias samples of interactions have been analyzed in order to look for any non random effects indicative of the nuclear state during the interactions. The fragmentation characteristics of the gold projectiles appear to be different at 10.6 GeV/n from those at ≦1 GeV/n incident energy. Fission of the gold projectiles, which was relatively frequent at low energy, is almost entirely suppressed. Some of alpha particles from the projectile are emitted with very large transverse momenta. In gold-emulsion interactions the residual target nuclei are significantly smaller than in oxygen and sulfur interactions in emulsion.

     

Fragmentation of relativistic nuclei in peripheral interactions in nuclear track emulsion

The technique of nuclear track emulsions is used to explore the fragmentation of light relativistic nuclei down to the most peripheral interactions: nuclear “white” stars. A complete pattern of the relativistic dissociation of a 8B nucleus with target fragment accompaniment is presented. Relativistic dissociation ⁹Be → 2α is explored using significant statistics, and a relative contribution of ⁸Be decays from 0+ and 2+ states is established. Target fragment accompaniments are shown for relativistic fragmentation ¹⁴N → 3He +H and ²²Ne → 5He. The leading role of the electromagnetic dissociation on heavy nuclei with respect to breakups on target protons is demonstrated in all these cases. It is possible to conclude that the peripheral dissociation of relativistic nuclei in nuclear track emulsion is a unique tool to study many-body systems composed of the lightest nuclei and nucleons in the energy scale relevant for nuclear astrophysics. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

On collective two-phonon states in deformed nuclei

The centroid energies of the two-phonon states in doubly even deformed nuclei are calculated within the quasiparticle-phonon nuclear model taking into account the Pauli principle in the two-phonon components of the wave functions. It is shown that the collective two-phonon energies are shifted by 1–2 MeV to higher energies due to the Pauli principle. A strong fragmentation of the two-phonon collective states over many nuclear levels occurs at the excitation energies of 3–4 MeV. It is concluded that the two-phonon states cannot exist in deformed nuclei. The analysis of the available experimental data on the two-phonon states shows that the experimental data do not contradict the results of these calculations.     

Nuclear and Coulomb interactions in coherent fragmentation of relativistic nuclei in a photoemulsion

The role of the nuclear and Coulomb interactions in coherent fragmentation of relativistic nuclei is discussed with the cluster-model analysis of the experimental data on the fragmentation of ⁷Li (P = 3A GeV/c) via the ³H + ⁴He channel in photoemulsion used as an example. The calculated electromagnetic contribution of ～10% to the cross section is not in conflict with the photoemulsion data and the upper estimate of ～40% derived from the earlier measurements of total cross sections for fragmentation of light nuclei using the counter technique. The observed irregularities in the differential cross section for ⁷Li fragmentation with a separated Coulomb peak at a very small momentum transfer Q are ascribed to the overlap of nuclear diffraction patterns arising from light (C, N, O) and heavy (Ag, Br) photoemulsion nuclei. The predicted diffraction cross sections in the inelastic channel drastically differ from the usual shape of nuclear diffraction in an elastic channel. For pure targets, they have a shape of oscillations with a few peaks of comparable intensity and show strong dependence on the form of the surface nuclear density and radii of the intranuclear cluster and target nucleus. The probability for two-body clustering in ⁷Li is estimated at about 0.7.     

Beryllium (boron) clustering quest in relativistic multifragmentation (BECQUEREL Project)

A physical program of irradiation of emulsions in beams of relativistic nuclei named the BECQUEREL Project is reviewed. It is destined to study in detail the processes of relativistic fragmentation of light radioactive and stable nuclei. The expected results would make it possible to answer some topical questions concerning the cluster structure of light nuclei. Owing to the best spatial resolution, the nuclear emulsions would enable one to obtain unique and evident results. The most important irradiations will be performed in the secondary beams of He, Be, B, C, and N radioactive nuclei formed on the basis of JINR Nuclotron beams of stable nuclei. We present results on the charged state topology of relativistic fragmentation of the ¹⁰B nucleus at low energy-momentum transfers as the first step of the research.     

Modifications of nuclear envelope during differentiation and depolyploidization of rat trophoblast cells

An increased activity of membranes of the nuclear envelope (NE) was observed electron microscopically in the trophoblast cells of the rat placenta. The activity of the membranes was manifested as formation of various NE derivatives, such as the annulate lamellae (AL), the intranuclear tubules, and the concentric membranous structures. At the period of terminal differentiation of the secondary giant trophoblast cells (SGTC) the NE derivatives play active role in subdivision of the initial highly polyploid nuclei into the numerous low-ploidy fragments. (3)H-thymidine labeling showed that attenuation of the DNA replication precedes the nuclear fragmentation. In the course of the nuclear fragmentation the narrow deep NE invaginations subdivide the nucleus into the separate lobes that subsequently are detached from the initial nucleus. By the beginning of the fragmentation, the accumulated membranous structures, i.e. the intranuclear AL, tubules, clusters of pore complexes, etc., seem to be the source of the reserve material that is necessary for formation of the great amount of the NE membranes of the newly formed nuclear fragments. Thus, the intranuclear membranous structures that seem to increase the active surface of the growing endopolyploid nucleus at the earlier stage of differentiation then take part in genome isolation that results in formation of a multinucleate cell with diploid and low-polyploid nuclei. The outer NE membrane of the initial nucleus plays an active role in compartmentalization of cytoplasmic areas around the nuclear fragments within the giant polykaryocyte. Apart from the membranous structures the bundles of intermediate filaments (IF) located in the cytoplasm perinuclear zones seem to participate in the nuclear fragmentation. These processes are likely to provide formation of the giant polykaryocytes incapable for further proliferation.     

Centrifugal fragmentation of a dinuclear system in the process of its evolution toward a compound nucleus

The centrifugal fragmentation of a dinuclear system in the process of evolution toward a compound nucleus is examined. If the angular momentum in the collision of primary nuclei is quite high, centrifugal forces become dominant at the final stage of the evolution of the dinuclear system formed, causing the decay of this dinuclear system to two strongly asymmetric nuclear fragments. Experimental data in which this specific nuclear process manifests itself are presented. Centrifugal fragmentation makes it possible to reveal the cluster facet of the evolution of a dinuclear system toward a compound nucleus. The possibility of this fragmentation process is a logical consequence of the concept of a dinuclear system for the complete fusion of nuclei.     

Cytoplasmic RNA and nuclear changes detected cytochemically during the degeneration of salivary glands of the tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806) (Acari, Ixodidae)

The present study reports cytochemistry data about salivary glands of females (unfed, engorged, and at day three post-engorgement) and males (unfed, at day seven post-attachment, and at days three and seven post-detachment from the host) of the tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus. The results revealed nuclear changes in engorged females and at day three post-engorgement, and in males in all stages (except unfed). These changes were more prominent in females. Cytoplasmic changes were also observed in cells of all acini of males and females. In types II and III acini of engorged females, nuclear changes were observed in the shape (irregular, with blebs, fragmenting or fragmented), size (enlarged or reduced), and arrangement and condensation level of chromatin (marginal or as blebs). Changes were also detected in nucleoli, regarding their shape (fragmenting or fragmented), size (enlarged), and location (central, marginal or as blebs). Some nucleoli were also compacted or disorganized. In females at day three pos-engorgement, all acini exhibited similar changes to those observed in engorged females. RNA staining was stronger in cells of engorged females than those at day three post-engorgement. In males at day seven post-attachment, cells of types II, III, IV acini presented changes in the size of the nucleus and condensation level of chromatin similar to those of females. The shape of the nucleus was round, irregular or undergoing fragmentation, and the chromatin was located at the margin or throughout the nucleus. The changes in the nucleolus were similar to those of females, regarding size and organization, although round-shaped and in the central location. In males at day three post-detachment, cells of all acini exhibited nuclear changes similar to those of males at day seven post-attachment, in addition to the fragmentation of the nucleolus. At day seven post-detachment, changes were detected in all acini similar to the observed in males at day seven post-attachment. Regarding cytoplasmic RNA, staining was prominent in males at day seven post-attachment and weak in those at day seven post-detachment from the host. In females as well as males, different RNA staining patterns in the cytoplasm and nuclear changes characterized apoptotic cell death.     

Transverse momenta of fragments of relativistic sulfur and lead nuclei after their interaction with track-emulsion nuclei at energies of 200 and 160 GeV per nucleon

Transverse-momentum distributions of doubly charged fragments of sulfur and lead nuclei having energies of 200 and 160 GeV per nucleon and interacting with nuclei in a track emulsion were investigated. No trace of compression or heating of nuclear matter in the interaction of these nuclei with track-emulsion nuclei was revealed experimentally. Transverse momenta of fragments of relativistic nuclei were found to obey a normal distribution that corresponds to a degenerate momentum distribution of nucleons in the ground state of a nucleus before its interaction with a track-emulsion nucleus. There is no piece of evidence that fragments of relativistic nuclei originate from some excited state of an intermediate nucleus. This picture of the fragmentation of relativistic nuclei complies with the naive parton model proposed by Feynman and Gribov. In summary, the fragmentation of relativistic nuclei at energies of 160 and 200 GeV per nucleon is cold and fast.     

奇特核结构与激发的微观研究

原子核是一个从少体到多体过渡的量子体系,展现了很多有趣的集体现象。随着国际上若干大型放射性核束流实验装置的发展,极不稳定奇特核的结构与激发的研究成为当前核物理的前沿热点问题。本工作以形变弱束缚核40Mg为例,基于格点空间连续谱能量密度泛函和自洽的FAM-QRPA对奇特核的基态与激发态跃迁进行了研究。发现弥散的表面密度分布与连续谱对低能共振有很大影响。通过对同位旋矢量偶极激发的研究,说明低能矮共振与巨共振的微观机制有很大差异。此外还进行了大规模拟合,发展针对丰中子核,超重核的新的高精度有效相互作用,以期为相关学科如核天体物理、核裂变能等提供更为可靠的核理论模型。Nuclei are quantum systems in the evolution from few-body to many-body systems, and can exhibit many amazing collective phenomena. With the development of several advanced radioactive-beam facilities, the study of structures and excitations of extreme unstable exotic nuclei has become a hot issue. In this work, we solve the self-consistent FAM-QRPA in large deformed coordinate-spaces to treat continuum effects. We study properties of structures and collective excitations in deformed drip-line nuclei. We found that in weakly bound nuclei 40Mg, the diffuse surface density and pairing density play an important role in low-lying resonance. Through analysis of deformation-induced K-splitting in isovector dipole modes, we see that pygmy resonances have very different mechanism compared to giant resonances. In addition, large-scale fittings are performed to develop highprecision effective interactions, which will provide more reliable theoretical model for related subjects, such as nuclear astrophysics and nuclear fission energy.     

Investigation of clustering in light nuclei by means of relativistic-multifragmentation processes

New results concerning the topology of the fragmentation of relativistic nuclei ⁷Li and ¹⁰B are presented. A program is proposed for studying the cluster structure of stable and radioactive nuclei. The use of emulsions in the investigation of nuclear clustering in the fragmentation of light nuclei at energies are in excess of 1 GeV per nucleon is discussed.     

A Proposed Storage Ion Trap of an ‘In-Flight Capture’ Type for Precise Mass Measurement of Radioactive Nuclear Reaction Products and Fission Fragments

Data on nuclear masses provide a basis for creating and testing various nuclear models. A tandem system comprised of the U-400M cyclotron, the COMBAS magnetic separator and the mass spectrometric ion trap of an ‘in-flight capture’ type is considered as a complex for producing of the short-lived nuclei by heavy ions in fragmentation reactions and for precise mass measurement of this nuclei. The FLNR plan scientific and technical research includes a project DRIBs for producing accelerated beams of radioactive nuclear reaction products and photofission fragments. This project proposes also precise mass measurements with the help of ion trap. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The modular systems biology approach to investigate the control of apoptosis in Alzheimer's disease neurodegeneration

Apoptosis is a programmed cell death that plays a critical role during the development of the nervous system and in many chronic neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). This pathology, characterized by a progressive degeneration of cholinergic function resulting in a remarkable cognitive decline, is the most common form of dementia with high social and economic impact. Current therapies of AD are only symptomatic, therefore the need to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the onset and progression of the disease is surely needed in order to develop effective pharmacological therapies. Because of its pivotal role in neuronal cell death, apoptosis has been considered one of the most appealing therapeutic targets, however, due to the complexity of the molecular mechanisms involving the various triggering events and the many signaling cascades leading to cell death, a comprehensive understanding of this process is still lacking. Modular systems biology is a very effective strategy in organizing information about complex biological processes and deriving modular and mathematical models that greatly simplify the identification of key steps of a given process. This review aims at describing the main steps underlying the strategy of modular systems biology and briefly summarizes how this approach has been successfully applied for cell cycle studies. Moreover, after giving an overview of the many molecular mechanisms underlying apoptosis in AD, we present both a modular and a molecular model of neuronal apoptosis that suggest new insights on neuroprotection for this disease.     

Statistical approaches for investigating silk properties

Amino acid repeats or motifs have engendered interest because of their significance for protein physical characteristics as well as folding properties. Spider dragline silk proteins are unique because they are composed of long repetitive sections and relatively short non-repetitive sections that are known to interact to generate the very peculiar mechanical and solubility properties of silk. Computational analysis compared with in vitro measurements suggest that the silks achieve their unique pattern of extreme solubility inside the spider glands/complete insolubility outside by correlating their repetitive hydrophobic regions through a type of stochastic resonance, generated by the addition of the non-repetitive sequences to a basically periodic hydrophobicity pattern. PACS 87.14.Ee; 87.15.Cc; 87.15.He; 02.50.Ey; 05.40.Ca     

Exposure of nuclear track emulsion to a mixed beam of relativistic 12N, 10C, and 7Be nuclei

A nuclear track emulsion was exposed to a mixed beam of relativistic ¹²N, ¹⁰C, and ⁷Be nuclei having a momentum of 2 GeV/c per nucleon. The beam was formed upon charge exchange processes involving ¹²C primary nuclei and their fragmentation. An analysis indicates that ¹⁰C nuclei are dominant in the beam and that ¹²N nuclei are present in it. The charge topology of relativistic fragments in the coherent dissociation of these nuclei is presented.     

Clustering phenomena in radioactive and stable nuclei and in heavy-ion collisions

A theory for clustering formation in nuclei and in heavy-ion collisions has been worked out in terms of the quantum-mechanical fragmentation process. Treating the mass fragmentation and relative separation coordinates as weakly coupled, the spontaneous cluster-decay of radioactive nuclei has been considered as a two-step process of clustering formation and tunnelling of the confining nuclear interaction barrier. This model has also been applied to “stable” nuclei, lighter than lead. The effects of adding more and more neutrons to collidingN =Z,A = 4n nuclei are studied for theα-clustering transfer phenomenon.     

Electromagnetic and hadronic interactions of ultrarelativistic nuclei

Beam nuclei accelerated at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN are lost due to interactions with the counter-rotating beam, residual gas, and accelerator elements. Proper modelling of the beam transport and radiation load on accelerator components requires reliable prediction of the yields of nuclear fragments produced in electromagnetic dissociation and hadronic fragmentation of beam nuclei. We investigate electromagnetic and hadronic fragmentation of lead nuclei in collisions with various nuclei and single electrons at the injection and collision energies of the LHC. The consideration is based on the RELDIS and abrasion-ablation models. Since this approach well describes Pb fragmentation data at 30 and 158 A GeV, its validity for Pb nuclei at the LHC collision energy is also expected.     

Nuclear multifragmentation: Basic concepts

We present a brief overview of nuclear multifragmentation reaction. Basic formalism of canonical thermodynamical model based on equilibrium statistical mechanics is described. This model is used to calculate basic observables of nuclear multifragmentation like mass distribution, fragment multiplicity, isotopic distribution and isoscaling. Extension of canonical thermodynamical model to a projectile fragmentation model is outlined. Application of the projectile fragmentation model for calculating average number of intermediate mass fragments and the average size of the largest cluster at different Z _bound, differential charge distribution and cross-section of neutron-rich nuclei of different projectile fragmentation reactions at different energies are described. Application of nuclear multifragmentation reaction in basic research as well as in other domains is outlined.     

Consequences of nuclear electron capture in core collapse supernovae

The most important weak nuclear interaction to the dynamics of stellar core collapse is electron capture, primarily on nuclei with masses larger than 60. In prior simulations of core collapse, electron capture on these nuclei has been treated in a highly parametrized fashion, if not ignored. With realistic treatment of electron capture on heavy nuclei come significant changes in the hydrodynamics of core collapse and bounce. We discuss these as well as the ramifications for the postbounce evolution in core collapse supernovae.