Lifetime measurements for some levels in Be-like Cl XIV and S XIII

Lifetime measurements have been carried out for some low lying (n = 2) levels in the four-electron ions Cl XIV and S XIII using the beam-foil technique. Accurate oscillator strengths for the 2 s2 ¹ S - 2 s 2 p ¹ P o transition have been determined by the inclusion of prominent cascades in the analysis. Lifetimes of the levels of the 2 p2 ³ P j multiplet have also been measured for both ions. The results are compared with theoretical predictions and earlier measurements. Received: 29 October 1997 / Revised: 10 February 1998 / Accepted: 5 March 1998     

Merged beam study of the associative ionisation ( C + , N + ? and ? O + )+ O -

Total cross-sections have been measured for the associative ionisation of C ⁺ + O ^- , N ⁺ + O ^- and O ⁺ + O ^- by means of a merged-beam set-up operating with keV beams. These original measurements might be relevant to the understanding of some astrophysical objects or laboratory-made plasmas (flames and etching plasmas). The magnitude of these cross-sections is particularly large whatever the associating system, as these are in the range of 1×10 ^-14 cm² at thermal energies. Their behaviour as a function of energy significantly differs from one system to another, and is characterised by the Wigner law at low energy, and a rapid fall-off at higher energy due to competition with non-associative ionisation processes. Received 10 December 2001 and Received in final form 12 March 2002     

wave superconductivity: Analysis of the electronic Raman data of and other cuprates

After briefly recalling the d + s model valid for some anisotropic high T c superconductors, we present a theory of electronic Raman spectra in that model and then compare it with new experimental data obtained for an overdoped Y123 single crystal. The d + s model appears to describe satisfactorily the experimental results, indicating a possible doping dependence of the mixing ratio. We note that the Raman spectrum of the overdoped Bi2212 could also be accounted for by the d + s superconductivity model. The case of Hg1212 (or Hg1223) is reexamined. It appears that the spontaneous breakdown of d-wave symmetry may be rather universal in high T c cuprates. Received: 3 March 1998 / Accepted: 30 April 1998     

The Spectrofluorometric Monitoring of Water Purification by Natural Alternatives

Aim: Determination of efficiency of zeolite and hydrolytic enzymes isolated from earthworms in water purification.

Methods: The autofluorescence of water was investigated by fluorescence excitation–emission matrix. The purification of water was carried out with natural zeolite and hydrolytic enzymes isolated from earthworms. These methods were applied to samples that contain ciliates that were detected with atomic force spectroscopy.

Results: The zeolite removed ammonia and partly eliminated some organic compounds. The hydrolytic enzymes were efficient in biodegrading organic compounds present in water.

Conclusion: Zeolite and enzymes are applicable in water purification.     

Unified quantum mechanical picture for confined spinons in dimerized and frustrated spin chains

A quantum mechanical picture is presented to describe the behavior of confined spinons in a variety of S =1/2 chains. The confinement is due to dimerization and frustration and it manifests itself as a nonlinear potential , centered at chain ends () or produced by modulation kinks (b > 1). The calculation extends to weak or zero frustration some previous ideas valid for spinons in strongly frustrated spin chains. The local magnetization patterns of the confined spinons are calculated. A (minimum) enhancement of the local moments of about 11/3 over a single S =1/2 is found. Estimates for excitation energies and binding lengths are obtained. Received: 8 May 1998 / Revised and Accepted: 12 August 1998     

Splitting of NMR signals in parallel fields in the easy-plane antiferromagnet FeBO3

Experimental observations are reported of the splitting of NMR lines of ⁵⁷Fe into two absorption peaks in a static magnetic field H ₀ parallel to a variable field H ₁ in the basis plane. The field dependence of the intensity and the variation in the resonance frequencies of the absorption peaks with H ₀ are studied. These results can be used to explain some features of the layered domain structure of iron borate. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 290–292 (February 1999)     

Dynamics of isolated twin boundary in (TMTSF)

Intermittent and irregular motion of isolated twin boundary (kink) in organic crystal (TMTSF)₂PF₆ was studied at room temperature. Both the local velocity and the time of intermission are determined not only by external stress and temperature but also by the time (t w) elapsed after the backward passage and before the following forward one. When the kink moves after longer t w, its velocity becomes smaller and the time of intermission longer. Both tend to saturate for t w longer than 10² s. This result indicates that some disorder is induced in the lattice by the backward motion and it is relaxed during t w. We also found that the effect of the backward motion of one kink on its following motion is equivalent quantitatively to that of the forward motion of the pair-created counterpart. Received: 14 April 1998 / Received in final form and Accepted: 1st September 1998     

On the Collision between two PNG Droplets

In this article we study the interface generated by the collision between two crystals growing layer by layer on a one-dimensional substrate through random decomposition of particles. We relate this interface with the notion of β-path in an equivalent directed polymer model and, by using asymptotics results from J. Baik and E. Rains, J. Stat. Phys., 100:523–541 (2000). and some hydrodynamic tools introduced by E. Cator and P. Groeneboom, Ann. Probab., 33:879–903 (2005), we derive a law of large numbers for such a path and obtain some bounds for its fluctuations. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 60C05, 60K35     

Assignments of Carbon-Sulphur Vibrations by Selenation: An FT-IR and FT-Raman Study on 1, 3, 5-Trithiacyclohexane

Abstract

The IR and Raman spectra of 1, 3, 5-trithiacyclohexane (1) and 1, 3, 5-triselenocyclohexane (2) have been recorded with FT-instrumentation within 3500–100 cm^?l, and the C-S vibrations of 1 have been reviewed by comparing its spectra with those of 2. The IR and Raman spectra slightly differ from those previously reported and some vibrations, previously assigned to C-H modes in 1on the basis of NCT calculations, are reassigned to C-S modes on the basis of the selenation effect. “Selenation” has proved to be a very simple and effective tool in recognizing carbon-sulfur vibrations both in IR and Raman. The Raman peaks due to carbon-chalcogen vibrations are less intense in 1 than in 2, according to the higher polarizability of the selenium atom.     

A three-parameter Hopf deformation of the algebra of Feynman-like diagrams*

We construct a three-parameter deformation of the Hopf algebra LDIAG. This is the algebra that appears in an expansion in terms of Feynman-like diagrams of the product formula in a simplified version of quantum field theory. This new algebra is a true Hopf deformation which reduces to LDIAG for some parameter values and to the algebra of matrix quasi-symmetric functions (MQSym) for others, and thus relates LDIAG to other Hopf algebras of contemporary physics. Moreover, there is an onto linear mapping preserving products from our algebra to the algebra of Euler–Zagier sums.     

Multiparticle continuum in the excitation spectrum of the compound CsNiCl

Recent neutron scattering experiments on CsNiCl₃ reveal some features that are not well described by the standard nonlinear σ model, nor by numerical simulations, for isolated S = 1 spin chains. In particular, in real systems at the antiferromagnetic point of the Brillouin zone, the intensity of the continuum of multiparticle excitations, at T = 6 K, is about 5 times greater than predicted. Also, the spin gap is higher and the correlation length is smaller than predicted. We propose a theoretical scenario where the interchain interaction is approximated by an effective staggered magnetic field, and that yields a correct prediction for the observed quantities. Received 2 October 2002 / Received in final form 19 March 2003 Published online 7 May 2003     

The shapes of Auger decay lines in photoelectron satellite spectra

The theory of the shapes of Auger decay lines of satellite two-hole-one particle states accompanying photoionization based on the Green's function method is developed. The lineshapes of Auger decay of satellite states [2 s 2 p ]( ^1,3 P )3 s ( ² P ), [2 s 2 p ]( ¹ P )4 s ( ² P ) and [3 s 3 p ]( ³ P )4 s ( ² P ) in valence p-photoelectron spectra of Ne and Ar atoms are calculated (hole states are indicated by square brackets throughout). It is shown that in some cases the Auger lineshapes reproduce the shape of the photoelectron satellite line, but in other cases Auger line may be narrower then the photoelectron line and may have opposite direction of asymmetry. The theoretical results are in agreement with experimental low-energy Auger spectra. Received: 25 May 1998 / Accepted: 2 October 1998     

Magnetostructural transition in NdCu2

The magnetic (H , T)-phase diagram of the orthorhombic compound NdCu₂ was investigated for external magnetic fields up to 15 T parallel to the crystallographic c-direction. Magnetization and magnetostriction measurements reveal an anomalous change of the magnetic properties as well as giant magnetostriction (GMS) and large hysteretic effects. This behaviour is similar to that observed in some other RCu₂ compounds where it has been interpreted as a conversion of the magnetic Ising axis. In contrast to these other RCu₂ compounds, however, the easy axis of magnetization in NdCu₂ is the b-axis. The macroscopic measurements are compared with neutron diffraction experiments which reveal GMS along the b-axis and a new magnetic phase with propagation vector in the converted crystal. Received 27 March 2000 and Received in final form 11 September 2000     

An investigation of the quantum J 1 - J 2 - J 3 model on the honeycomb lattice

We have investigated the quantum J ₁ - J ₂ - J ₃ model on the honeycomb lattice with exact diagonalizations and linear spin-wave calculations for selected values of J ₂ / J ₁ , J ₃ / J ₁ and antiferromagnetic (J ₁ > 0) or ferromagnetic (J ₁ < 0) nearest neighbor interactions. We found a variety of quantum effects: “order by disorder" selection of a Néel ordered ground-state, good candidates for non-classical ground-states with dimer long range order or spin-liquid like. The purely antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model is confirmed to be Néel ordered. Comparing these results with those observed on the square and triangular lattices, we enumerate some conjectures on the nature of the quantum phases in the isotropic models. Received 17 November 2000 and Received in final form 21 January 2001     

Predictions of geometrical structures and ionization potentials for small barium clusters Ba

The geometrical structure of ground state Ba_n clusters (n =2-14) has been predicted from various types of calculations including two ab initio approaches used for the smaller sizes namely HF+MP2( n =2-6), DFT (LSDA)( n =2-6, 9) and one model approach HF+pairwise dispersion used for all sizes investigated here. The lowest energy configurations as well as some isomers have been investigated. The sizes n =4, 7 and 13 are predicted to be the relatively more stable ones and they correspond to the three compact structures: the tetrahedron, the pentagonal bipyramid and the icosahedron. The growth behavior from Ba₇ to Ba₁₃ appears to be characterized by the addition of atoms around a pentagonal bipyramid leading to the icosahedral structure of Ba₁₃ which is consistent with the observed size-distribution of barium clusters. Values for vertical ionization potentials calculated for n =2-5 at the CI level are seen to be in quite good agreement with recent measures. Received: 14 May 1997 / Received in final form: 2 February 1998 / Accepted: 27 February 1998     

Pulsed Laser Ablation for Tin Dioxide: Nucleation,Growth, and Microstructures

Pulsed-laser ablation approaches are being developed for the growth of oxide thin films as versatile platform for advanced applications. Semiconducting SnO ₂ thin film is of fundamental importance in the advancement of microdevices. In this review, SnO ₂ thin films of various microstructures have been made using the pulsed-laser deposition method. The microstructural aspects include tetragonal, porous, and orthorhombic structure characteristics. The quantum-dots and dynamic simulations of SnO ₂ nanocrystals have blossomed into a submonolayer regime devoted to the nucleation and growth for these functional films. SnO ₂ thin films with some of the microstructural features may have great implications for the development of novel prototype gas sensors and transparent conduction electrodes.     

Backscattering of light ions from the surfaces of inhomogeneous multicomponent amorphous materials

An analytic theory proposed in Ref. 1 [V. S. Sukhomlinov and é. N. Fafurina, Zh. Tekh. Fiz 65(4), 9 (1995); Tech. Phys. 40, 295 (1995)] for the backscattering of light ions by a solid surface is developed for the cases of multicomponent materials and materials in which the concentrations of some of its components vary with depth. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 17–21 (January 1997)     

Laser-induced predissociation spectrum of O2 + in an ion beam

Physical observables associated with interactions between electromagnetic radiation and charged particles are required to be gauge invariant, i.e. independent of the gauge of the field potentials. Gauge invariance implies the involvement of the electric polarization field, P(x), in electrodynamics, but leaves undetermined the transverse component P(x)^⊥ which occurs in the interaction terms coupling charges to radiation. We put the Hamiltonian for non-relativistic electrodynamics into a completely general form displaying the arbitrary polarization field. The well-known Coulomb gauge and ‘multipolar’ Hamiltonian formalisms then arise as special cases corresponding to particular choices of P(x)^⊥. For practical calculations some choice of P(x)^⊥ has to be made, and we present a particularly useful form for neutral collection of charges, not necessarily bound, but typically appropriate to atoms and molecules. Some results concerning the independence from the arbitrary quantities of physical observables are described.     

Integral equation theory of the exchange potential,HOMO–LUMO properties,and sum rules for the exchange-correlation force

Recently, a formally exact integral equation for the exchange potential V _x(r) has been presented by the authors. In the admittedly simplistic limit in which Slater–Kohn–Sham and Hartree–Fock determinants become equal, this integral equation reduces to that given by Della Sala and Görling. Here, a proposal is made to relate, but now approximately, the formally exact equation for V _x(r) to HOMO–LUMO properties. The addition of a correlation contribution V _c(r) to V _x(r), the sum being the exchange-correlation potential V _xc(r), is finally considered, some exact properties and especially sum rules for the force ??V _xc/?r being the focus.