The KLL Auger spectrum of neon from the EC-decay of Na

The low energy KLL Auger electrons of neon emitted after EC-decay of ²²Na have been investigated with a 4 eV instrumental resolution using an electrostatic spectrometer and a solid state radioactive source. This is the first experimental investigation of the KLL Auger spectrum of neon from the solid state. Relative intensities and energies of all resolved spectrum components were determined. Measured absolute energy of the dominant KL₂L₃(¹D) transition was found to be 824.5(19) eV, i.e. about 20 eV higher than that obtained in experiments with free Ne atoms. Within the experimental uncertainties, no influence of solid state effects on relative intensities of the KLL transitions was found.     

A detailed experimental investigation of the KMM + KMN + KNN Auger electron spectrum of Cd from the EC-decay of In

KMM, KMN and KNN Auger electron spectra of ¹¹¹Cd emitted in EC-decay of ¹¹¹In were analyzed at instrumental resolutions of 14 and 21 eV using a combined electrostatic spectrometer. Energies and relative intensities of 26 resolved components were determined and compared with theoretical predictions. For the first time, the predicted intermediate coupling structure of some KMM Auger lines was observed. A structure of the KNN Auger group for Z < 54 was resolved for the first time. Relative intensities of the KMM, KMN and KNN Auger groups were also determined.     

(e,2e) and (e,3-1e) coincidence experiments for studying the PCI effect of low energy ionizing electrons in the Auger process of Ar

Our (e,3-1e) measurements for studying the post-collision interaction (PCI) after electron impact inner shell ionization of argon were continued and completed at different energy conditions. Emitted LMM Auger electrons are detected in coincidence with the ionizing scattered electrons and the energy of the slow PCI inducer ejected electron was calculated from energy conservation. Particularly the effect of the very low energy (i.e. 0–5 eV) ejected electrons (strongly asymmetric energy sharing) is studied at 500 and 460 eV primary electron energies. In the latter case, the background caused by outer-shell electrons was measured by itself and then removed from the coincident spectrum. Nevertheless, the evaluation of PCI distorted Auger lines is still considerably disturbed by the resonant Auger electrons from the high Rydberg states, their (e,2e) contribution was estimated in the paper.     

Structural and Optical Properties of Gold/Silica “Mushroom” Particles Prepared by Interfacial Templating

Complex shaped nanoparticles featuring structural or surface chemical patchiness are of special interest in both fundamental and applied research areas. This study reports the preparation and optical properties of gold/silica “mushroom” nanoparticles, where a gold particle is only partially covered by the silica cap. The synthetic approach allows precise control over the particle structure. The interfacial preparation method relies on partially embedding the gold particles in a polystyrene layer that masks the immersed part of the gold particle during silica shell growth from an aqueous solution. By adjusting sacrificial polystyrene film thickness and silica growth time, precise control over the coverage and cap thickness can be achieved. Correlative electron microscopy and single particle scattering spectroscopy measurements underline the high precision and reproducibility of the method. The good agreement between the measured and simulated single particle spectra supported by near‐field calculations indicates that the observed changes in the dipolar plasmon resonance are influenced by the extent of coverage of the gold core by the silica cap. The straightforward methods readily available for gold and silica surface modification using range of different (bio)molecules make these well‐defined nanoscale objects excellent candidates to study fundamental processes of programmed self‐assembly or application as theranostic agents.     

Track detectors in radiation monitoring of the sunken submarine “Komsomolets”

Track method (using the CN and CR-39 detectors, spark couner of tracks as well as selective sorbents for plutonium and uranium) is applied in 1994 and 1995 together with many other methods in radioecological monitoring of water in the region of the sunken nuclear submarine (NS) “Komsomolets”. The detection assembles were installed with the help of the submersibles MIR. The results obtained inside the NS and on its surface as well as near and on the remote buoy station do not contradict the data obtained by other methods confirming the absence of the plutonium leakage outside of the submarine.     

Voltage-controlled trapping of excitons and “storage of light” in lateral superlattices

Voltage-controlled lateral superlattices of various periods are employed to demonstrate the trapping of photogenerated excitons in quasi-one-dimensional regions and to store light in form of ionised excitons in the quantum well of a semiconductor heterostructure. The superlattices are induced by applying spatially alternating external voltages via interdigitated metal gates. Exciton localisation arises from a periodical modulation of the strength of the quantum confined Stark effect in the plane of the quantum well. At large superlattice potential amplitudes the excitons are ionised due to the strong lateral electric fields. The thus spatially separated electrons and holes can be stored efficiently in the structure. Resetting the potential amplitude to zero induces their radiative recombination after very long storage times.     

Comments on the unification of electromagnetism and gravitation through “Generalized Einstein manifolds”

Akbar-Zadeh [J. Geom. Phys. 17 (1995) 342] has recently proposed a new geometric formulation of Einstein-Maxwell system with source in terms of what are called “Generalized Einstein manifolds”. We show that, contrary to the claim, Maxwell equations have not been derived in this formulation, and that the assumed equations can be identified only as source-free Maxwell equations in the proposed geometric setup. A genuine derivation of source-free Maxwell equations is presented within the same framework. We draw a conclusion that the proposed unification scheme can pertain only to source-free situations.     

Study on some aspects of the “singer's formant” in north indian classical singing

This article deals with a spectrographic analysis of the singer's formant as occurred during singing of the vowels /a/, /i/, and /o/ in North Indian classical vocal music. The resonance balance, center frequency, and band-width are shown as a function of fundamental frequency for eight singers.Two new parameters have been defined viz. asymmetry parameter (A) and spectral energy balance (W). Their variation with fundamental frequency is shown.     

Vague concept of “reversible cleavage” in the theory of the surface tension of solids

Numerous derivations of the well-known Shuttleworth equation have been based on the unclear concept of “reversible cleavage” leading to the decisive step in any derivation - equalization of the surface free energy and surface stress. This is the key concept in contemporary surface thermodynamics of solids. But “cleavage” is not a surface process and, in this field, it cannot be a reversible operation. Besides, the “reversible cleavage” has no formal definition in the domain of the surface tension of solids that is an abnormal for any exact science. Consequently, this concept and all its corollaries including the Shuttleworth and generalized Lippmann equations have to be recognized as incorrect.     

The Fe3O4 origin of the “Biphase” reconstruction on α-Fe2O3(0 0 0 1)

The so-called Biphase termination on α-Fe₂O₃ has been widely accepted to be a structure with a 40 Å unit supercell composed of coexisting islands of Fe_1−xO and α-Fe₂O₃. Based on thermodynamic arguments and experimental evidence, including transmission electron diffraction, imaging, magnetic and spectroscopic information, it is found that the previously proposed structure model is inaccurate. The actual Biphase structure is instead a layered structure related to the reduction of α-Fe₂O₃ to Fe₃O₄. A model for the Biphase termination is proposed which does not contain islands of Fe_1−xO but instead consists of bulk α-Fe₂O₃ and a Fe₃O₄-derived overlayer. The proposed model is consistent with all current and previously reported experimental findings.     

A novel “sandwich” method for observation of the keyhole in deep penetration laser welding

A sandwich method was used to observe the keyhole in deep penetration laser welding, which provided an effective way to analyze both the Fresnel and inverse Bremsstrahlung absorption. In the transparent metal-analog system, different densities of metal vapor, ionized atoms, and free electrons in the keyhole can be simulated by changing the thickness of aluminum films. The research results show that inverse Bremsstrahlung absorption exerts a tremendous influence on the energy absorption of the laser beam for CO₂ laser welding. Low density of keyhole plasma benefits the incident laser energy coupling to the materials. However, excess density of keyhole plasma baffles the transmission of the incident laser beam to the interior material. By comparing inflow energy and outflow energy, there exits an energy balance on the keyhole wall by balancing the absorbed laser intensity and heat flux on the wall.     

Size and Shape Effect of Gold Nanoparticles in “Far‐Field” Surface Plasmon Resonance

The “far‐field” surface plasmon resonance (FSPR) of metal nanoparticles, which have built a facile way to emission enhancement of red, green, blue, and white with nice reproducibility, has big potential application in solution‐processed organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs). According to the theory of the “far‐field” effect, the reflectivity of the metal surface and the phase shift at the reflection play an important role in enhancing ratio, which strongly relate to the size and shape of nanoparticles. In this work, gold nanospheres with different sizes and nanorods are synthesized in order to determine the size and shape effect of FSPR. The results demonstrate that the one with higher reflectivity in a certain range induces a better emission enhancement in the luminous efficiency and the maximum brightness. The nanoparticles with bigger sizes and shape of rods have higher reflectivity, which is consistent with the simulation based on FSPR effect. The phase shifts of different nanoparticles are optimized by the distance between gold nanoparticles and emitters. The metal NPs with a high reflectivity and the applicable phase shift will have big potential for the emission enhancement in OLEDs.     

“Alternative medical therapy” use among singers: Prevalence and implications for the medical care of the singer

Singers are extremely conscious of health problems that affect their voices and well-being and often take an active role in seeking care for these problems. They frequently seek treatment from providers or with modalities considered “alternative” to traditional medical care. A survey of singers was completed to elucidate their attitudes and practices regarding “alternative modalities” of medical care. Frequently singers will self-medicate or take advice from people not well versed in the special needs of a professional voice user. They will fail to share this information with the physician when seeking “traditional” medical care. These practices may predispose the singer to suboptimal or even dangerous care. These results are discussed, as well as the implications for the medical physician treating the singer. The possible detrimental pharmacologic effects of “natural therapies” widely used by singers are presented, with special attention to the particular concerns for the professional singer     

Perceptual Identification and Acoustic Measures of the Resonant Voice Based on “Lessac''s Y-Buzz”—A Preliminary Study With Actors

This study aimed to verify whether the resonant voice based on Lessac's Y-Buzz can be perceived by listeners as resonant and different from habitual voice and to compare them to determine whether this sound exploration improves the vocal production. Nine newly graduated actors, six men and three women without voice complaints, were the subjects. They received a session of Lessac's Y-Buzz training from the primary investigator. Before training, they were asked to sustain the vowel /i/ at comfortable frequency and habitual loudness. After training, they were requested to sustain the Y-Buzz they had learned at a comfortable frequency and habitual loudness. Three speech-language pathologists (SLP) trained in voice developed an auditory-perceptive analysis. The pre- and posttraining voice samples were randomly spliced together, edited, and presented in pairs to perceptual judges who were asked to identify the most resonant of the pair. The voice samples were also acoustically compared through the Hoarseness Diagram and acoustic measures using the VoxMetria Software (CTS, version 2.0s, Brazil). The Y-Buzz trials were identified as resonant voice in 74% of the comparisons. The acoustic measures showed a statistically significant decrease of irregularity (P = 0.002) and shimmer (P = 0.38). The Hoarseness Diagram demonstrated how the resonant voice moved toward the normality for irregularity and noise components. The results showed that the resonant voice based on the Y-Buzz can be identified as resonant and different from normal voicing in the same subject, and it apparently implies a better vocal production demonstrating a significant decrease of shimmer and irregularity through the Hoarseness Diagram evaluation.     

Small-x behavior of the structure function and its slope for “frozen” and analytic strong-coupling constants

Using the leading-twist approximation of the Wilson operator product expansion with “frozen” and analytic versions of the strong-coupling constant, we show that the Bessel-inspired behavior of the structure function F₂ and its slope ∂lnF₂/∂ln(1/x) at small values of x, obtained for a flat initial condition in the DGLAP evolution equations, leads to good agreement with experimental data of deep-inelastic scattering at DESY HERA.     

Comments concerning “Study of solute–solvent and solvent–solvent interactions in pure and mixed binary solvents”

A number of mathematical equations representing the solute solubility in monosolvent and binary solvent mixtures are discussed. This work is a commentary to the article of Maitra and Baghchi that appeared in this journal.     

On the relations between the crystal field parameter notations in the “Wybourne” notation and the conventional ones for 3d ions in axial symmetry crystal field

The correlations of the various crystal field (CF) notations existing in the literature for 3d^N ions in axial symmetry crystal field have been investigated. The confusions among these CF notations have been clarified. The correlations of the various CF notations are summarized in Table 1, which is very useful in the investigations of 3d^N ions in crystal material.