Spectroscopic studies of the sulphur afterglow

The afterglow emission spectrum of sulphur and argon mixture is found to consist of (a) the main band system of S₂(B³Σ^-_u?X³Σ^-_g) in the region 3200–6600 Å and (b) the atomic spectrum of argon in the 7500–9000 Å region. Although B?X bands of S₂ obtained by ordinary excitation extends from 2829 to 7100 Å, the lower wavelength limit of these bands from the afterglow is only 3200Å. It is proposed that the S₂ molecules are formed in the B³Σ^-_u state through inverse predissociation when two S atoms approach each other along the potential curve of the predissociating electronic state 1_u.     

Relative photodissociation cross-section of NaCs molecule,using argon ion laser lines

Laser-induced photodissociation of NaCs molecule has been observed when a mixture of Na and Cs metal vapour in a glass cell was irradiated by most of the lines of an argon ion laser. The photodissociation results in the 3P state of Na atoms which is correlated with theF ¹Σ⁺ and G¹π molecular states of NaCs. Distribution of photofragments over fine structure components 3² P _3/2 and 3² P _1/2 of Na has been studied. The ratio of intensity ofD ₂ line (5890 Å) toD ₁ line (5896 Å) of Na varies from around 2 at 5145 Å to about 3.5 at 4579 Å. The relative photodissociation cross-section increases monotonically as the wave-length of laser light decreases from 5145 Å to 4579 Å. It is seen that the 4579 Å photon is about 200 times more effective than the 5145 Å photon in causing the photoreaction NaCs + (Ar⁺ photon) → Na*(3P) + Cs(6S).     

Spin waves in MnO; from 4°K to temperatures close to TN

Spin waves have been measured in MnO by inelastic scattering of neutrons from 4 °K to a temperature 0·25 °K below T_N. The 4 °K spectrum is interpreted in the frame of linear spin wave theory with effective exchange integrals J₁^? = 0·321 meV, J₁⁺ = 0·424 meV, J₂¹ = 0·446 meV and a phenomenological parameter for anisotropy D₁ = 0·059 meV. The effect of the actual dipole-dipole Hamiltonian is shown to give a priori a very good account of the lifting of the degeneracy of spin waves near the Brillouin zone center. The Bloch model for interacting spin waves and theories based on Green function approximations have been adapted to the MnO case, in order to compute the main properties (mean magnetization of a sublattice, anisotropic deformation, extra isotropic contraction and magnon spectrum) at many temperatures. Comparison of these with experimental results tends to favour a generalized Callen renormalization model, which gives an overall fit from 4 °K, to temperalures close to T_N.     

Phase transitions in the CN<Subscript>x</Subscript>-TiN system attendant on the variation of the bias voltage during ion-stimulated growth

The structure of amorphous CN_x-TiN films grown by ion-stimulated deposition at a bias voltage U = 200–500 V is studied by X-ray diffraction. As the bias voltage increases in the range U = 300–360 V, the CN_x-TiN films are shown to undergo a phase transition in the amorphous phase having different order scales (20–50 Å): this transition is related to an increase in the content of the fraction of medium-cell (4 Å) carbon clusters as compared to the fractions of clusters with large (8 Å) and small (2 Å) cells. Under these conditions, 80–150 Å crystalline clusters undergo the phase transition from the Ti₂C(N) carbide into graphite (C _g) and diamond (C_d); the last two phases are represented by 100-Å clusters.     

Spectroscopy of the three-photon laser excitation of cold Rubidium Rydberg atoms in a magneto-optical trap

The spectra of the three-photon laser excitation 5S _1/2 → 5P _3/2 → 6S _1/2 nP of cold Rb Rydberg atoms in an operating magneto-optical trap based on continuous single-frequency lasers at each stage are studied. These spectra contain two partly overlapping peaks of different amplitudes, which correspond to coherent three-photon excitation and incoherent three-step excitation due to the presence of two different ways of excitation through the dressed states of intermediate levels. A four-level theoretical model based on optical Bloch equations is developed to analyze these spectra. Good agreement between the experimental and calculated data is achieved by introducing additional decay of optical coherence induced by a finite laser line width and other broadening sources (stray electromagnetic fields, residual Doppler broadening, interatomic interactions) into the model.     

High-pressure polymorphism of As2S3 and new AsS2 modification with layered structure

At normal pressure, the As₂S₃ compound is the most stable equilibrium modification with unique layered structure. The possibility of high-pressure polymorphism of this substance remains questionable. Our research showed that the As₂S₃ substance was metastable under pressures P > 6 GPa decomposing into two high-pressure phases: As₂S₃ → AsS₂ + AsS. New AsS₂ phase can be conserved in the single crystalline form in metastable state at room pressure up to its melting temperature (470 K). This modification has the layered structure with P12₁1 monoclinic symmetry group; the unit-cell values are a = 7.916(2) Å, b = 9.937(2) Å, c = 7.118(1) Å, β = 106.41° (Z = 8, density 3.44 g/cm³). Along with the recently studied AsS high-pressure modification, the new AsS₂ phase suggests that high pressure polymorphism is a very powerful tool to create new layered-structure phases with “wrong” stoichiometry.     

Radiation emission coefficients for sulfur hexafluoride arc plasmas

Calculations are made of the total spectral absorptivities of plasmas of sulfur hexafluoride for wavelengths of 100 to 15,500 Å. Both line and continuum radiation are considered. For the contributions from line radiation, we have calculated the strengths, widths and shifts of both neutral, singly and doubly ionized atoms of S and F, except that we used experimental line strengths where they are available. The theory used was that of Griem, which assumes LS coupling. Curves are given for the emission coefficient of radiation appropriate to the arc center for isothermal cylindrical plasmas of various radii for pressures of 1 and 10 atm and temperatures from 5000 to 35,000°K. It is found that at 1 atm line radiation can be an order of magnitude higher than continuum radiation and radiation >2000 Å is less than 10% of the total radiation for temperatures greater than 15,000°K. Predictions are given of volt-ampere characteristics and central temperatures for arcs of various radii in SF₆ at pressures at 1 and 10 atm.     

Lasing ability of naphthyl 1,3,4 oxadiazole molecules in relation with their structures: Application to the design of new UV dye laser

We have shown that the lasing properties of naphthyl 1,3,4 oxadiazole derivatives are directly related to the position of the forbidden transitionS ₀→¹ L _b of naphthalene with respect to the first allowed transitions. The combination of theoretical and experimental results allows us to predict which compounds are most likely to exhibit a laser effect according to the nature and the position of their substituants. We have successfully applied this approach to the following compounds: αNPD, βNPD, αNND, βNND, βNBD, and αNBD. In particular we reported the first observation of a laser effect for αNBD and βNBD in the UV at 3830 Å and 3758 Å.     

Quantitative investigation of critical slowing down in all-optical bistability

We have observed optical bistability in rubidium vapor enclosed in a Fabry-Perot cavity for λ ～ 7779 Å (two-photon transition) and λ ～ 7800 Å (one-photon transition). We have measured the switching time τ_S as a function of (l?l_c) where l_c is the last value of the length of the cavity for which switching occurs. In all the experimental situations, we have found a similar law τ_S ～ (l?l_c)^-α with α ～ 0.5. This result is in agreement with theoretical predictions.     

A Michelson interferometer using electron waves

An electron interferometer of the Michelson type is realized. Monoenergetic 25 keV electrons emitted from a line source 1000 Å in width are deflected by 90 ° in a magnetic Castaing prism and reflected on two mirrorsM ₁ andM ₂ held at a potential ΔU _m negative with respect to the cathode. In the experiment the mirrors are represented by height differences on the surface of an silvered glass plate. The reflected electrons are once more deflected by the magnetic prism behind which the coherent partial beams 1 and 2 reflected on the mirrorsM ₁ andM ₂, respectively, are superimposed using an electrostatic biprism to form two-beam interferences. The observed fringe shift indicates a phase shift due to differences in height between the equipotentials reflecting the partial beams 1 and 2. It is estimated that path differences less than the electron wavelength of 0.08 Å can be observed.     

A theorem on the representation of the field of forced vibrations of a composite elastic system

A theorem on the representation of a vibration field of an elastic system comprising two subsystems is proved in a general form. It is assumed that the system is linear and the subsystems are rigidly connected and interact along a continuous surface S. According to the theorem, forced vibrations of the system can be represented in the form of the sum of two components, which are the solutions of two simpler auxiliary boundary-value problems. The first component is the field of vibrations of the isolated (separated or blocked along S) subsystems under the effect of preset external forces. The second component represents the forced vibrations of the junction of the subsystems, where the external forces are taken equal to zero and only the reaction forces obtained in solving the first auxiliary problem act at the surface S. The theorem is applied to the problem on the reflection and transmission of elastic waves through a junction of two media. It is demonstrated that the theorem utilization reduces the amount of calculations. Other applications are discussed.     

Barkhausen effect in magnetic thin films: Experimental noise spectra

In this paper Barkhausen noise spectra are shown that were measured on thin uniaxial 83-17 Ni?Fe films and these spectra were compared with the known magnetic behaviour of these films. On these types of sample the Barkhausen effect had been investigated by Lambeck [1], but their Barkhausen noise spectra have not been investigated so far. The film thicknessd _m in our experiments ranged between 400 and 2400 Å. In this range a change occurs in the dynamics of the magnetization behaviour caused by transitions of the type of domain wall. The results presented here show the very strong dependence of the Barkhausen noise spectra on the type of domain wall. Films with Bloch walls always show a frequency dependence off ^?1.7 in the higher frequency range. Samples in the thickness range where the transition occurs from the Néel wall via the cross-tie wall to the Bloch wall, have exponents between ?1 and ?2. The frequencyf _c above which the measured noise intensity begins to decrease varies very much for the different films. The curve off _c versus film thicknessd _m has the same form as the curve of the domain wall mobilitym versusd _m.     

Numerical test of the theory of pseudo-diffusive transmission at the Dirac point of a photonic band structure

It has recently been predicted that a conical singularity (=Dirac point) in the band structure of a photonic crystal produces an unusual 1/L scaling of the photon flux transmitted through a slab of thickness L. This inverse-linear scaling is unusual, because it is characteristic of radiative transport via diffusion modes through a disordered medium - while here it appears for propagation of Bloch modes in an ideal crystal without any disorder. We present a quantitative numerical test of the predicted scaling, by calculating the scattering of transverse-electric (TE) modes by a two-dimensional triangular lattice of dielectric rods in air. We verify the 1/L scaling and show that the slope differs by less than 10% from the value predicted for maximal coupling of the Bloch modes in the photonic crystal to the plane waves in free space.     

Broadening of a two-photon resonance in a zinc atom in collisions with CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>, CO,and NO molecules

The broadening of a two-photon resonance is studied experimentally at the 4s¹S₀?6s³S₁ transition in a zinc atom upon absorption of two waves with a small detuning from an intermediate state in collisions with CO₂, CO, and NO molecules. The measured absolute values of broadening cross sections greatly exceed gas-kinetic cross sections and are (9.4±2.4, 6.5±1.6, and 3.9±1.0)×10^{? 14}cm² for CO², CO, and NO, respectively. Anomalously large rate constants and cross sections obtained in experiments are explained by the efficient resonance quenching of the excited states of zinc atoms in collisions with molecules accompanied by transfer of the energy of excited atoms to vibrational-rotational degrees of freedom of molecules.     

The scattering of strings by a black hole

We study the elastic and inelastic scattering of strings by a Schwarzschild's black hole. Pair creation takes place (and in all the modes) as a consequence of the composite structure (oscillator modes) of the string. The S-matrix amplitudes including the pair-creation rate are found at first order in √α'/R_S (√α' = Planck's length and R_S = Schwarzschild's radius). Explicit computations are made in the weak-field expansion in powers of (R_S/b)^D−3 (b = impact parameter of the string center of mass). The deflection angle and cross sections are found. The quantum string corrections to the gravitational analogue of Rutherford's scattering are computed (these are of order α'²). The pair-creation or radiation amplitude we find here is of order α', it is non-thermal and of different origin than Hawking radiation.     

EPR studies of weakly coupled oxomolybdenum (V) and low-spin iron (III) porphyrin centers

Novel compounds containing twoS=1/2 coupled spin centers (Mo(V) and low spin Fe(III) have been investigated in detail by X- and Q-band EPR spectroscopy, spectral simulation and molecular modelling calculations. For one system with a Mo?Fe distance of ≈9.4 Å the dominant dipolar coupling allows distinction among structures that are consistent with molecular modelling calculations. For the second system with a Mo?Fe of ≈ 7.9 Å the exchange interaction is dominant (0.5 <J < 3.0 GHz). These coupled systems are preliminary benchmarks for using EPR to investigate the Mo?Fe interaction in sulfite oxidase.     

The diffusive motion of silver ions in α-AgI: Results from quasielastic neutron scattering

The diffusive motion of silver ions in σ-AgI at 250°C has been studied by quasielastic cold neutron scattering. Spectra were taken in the range of wavevector transfer 0.5 < Q < 2.2Å^?1 for elastic scattering. The quasielastic line shapes contain a narrow and a broad component. They are compared to model calculations allowing for the superposition of two kinds of motion on two different time scales, a local random motion and a translational motion of the jump-diffusion type. The model closely fits the data. The local random motion takes place on a time scale of the order of 10^?12 s, with amplitudes of the order of 1 Å. It is probably caused by rapid fluctuations of the local potentials due to the diffusive motion of the other cations. The translational motion results in a mean displacement of the silver ion over a distance of the order of a lattice constant (5 Å) with a correlation time of the order of 10^?11s. This correlation time is composed of a residence time and a time-of-flight, which are both of comparable magnitude.     

Effective hamiltonian of Bloch electrons in a homogeneous electrical field

In order to construct a band mechanics of Bloch electrons in a homogeneous electrical field E with the interband interaction taken into account, a method of determining the exact single-band Hamiltonian $$H_q = \varepsilon _q^F (\kappa ) + Fi\frac{\partial }{{\partial \kappa }}$$ is proposed, where ε _q ^F (κ) is the renormalized (effective) electron dispersion law for R = 0 and the q-th Bloch band,F= ¦e¦·E. The function ε _q ^F (κ) is expressed in terms of the interband element coordinates as well as in terms of periodic solutions of the system of ordinary differential equations which degenerateinto a common Riccati equation in a two-band approximation. A solution of the system and the form of ε _q ^F (κ), in agreement with the Wanhier result, is found in the quasiclassical approximation.     

Determination of the isotope shift of115m Cd by a Zeeman scanning method

We have used an optical pumping-Zeeman scanning technique in order to determine the isotope shift in the 3,261 Å resonance line of 43-day, spin-11/2^115m Cd. A sample of ≈5×10¹² atoms was aligned in the¹ S ₀ diamagnetic ground state by optically pumping the sample with one selected Zeeman-scanned component of the³ P ₁?3,261 Å resonance line from a¹¹⁴Cd lamp. The alignment was detected through the modulation of the pumping beam at the nuclear resonance frequency. Thus by Zeeman scanning theF = 9/2 component of the³ P ₁ level and using previously determinedA- andB-values, we findδ5v(114–115m (9/2))= ?4,234(48) MHz and¹¹⁴Cd-^115mCd isotope shift = 87(48) MHz. We calculate a staggering parameterγ(^115mCd)=0.73(26), and a change in mean-square nuclear charge radiusδ〈r ²〉^114,115m =0.035(18)fm².     

Collisional redistribution of radiatively-excited levels of Tl and Ga atoms in an O2-acetylene-Ar flame

Several useful expressions for the population ratios of collisionally excited levels have been derived and different transitions of Tl and Ga atoms, seeded in a premixed atmospheric flame, have been excited in order to verify that the levels higher than the laser-excited level are populated approximately according to a Boltzmann equilibrium. This result confirms the possibility of using thermally assisted flourescence lines to measure local temperatures in flames. The Einstein spontaneous emission probability for the transition 6S_1/2→4P_3/2 at 2719.65Å of Ga has also been calculated (A_2719.65=0.41×10⁸s^-1) to fit the experimental point.