Rabi oscillations in gravitational fields: Exact solution via path integral

The movement of a two-level atom interacting with an electromagnetic wave and subject to gravitation is studied using the path-integral formalism. The propagator is first of all written in the standard form by replacing the spin by two fermionic oscillators; then it is determined exactly due to the auxiliary equation which has a cylindric parabolic function as a solution. Received: 15 March 2002 / Revised version: 15 April 2002 / Published online: 12 July 2002     

Haloes and clustering in light, neutron-rich nuclei

Clustering is a relatively widespread phenomenom which takes on many guises across the nuclear landscape. Selected topics concerning the study of halo systems and clustering in light, neutron-rich nuclei are discussed here through illustrative examples taken from the Be isotopic chain. The production and detection of multineutron clusters is also briefly presented. Received: 21 March 2002 / Accepted: 16 May 2002 / Published online: 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: orr@caelav.in2p3.fr     

Ordered thin films of alkyloxy-substituted benzaldehydes on a graphite surface studied by scanning tunneling microscopy

The molecular assembly of three different trialkyloxy-substituted benzaldehydes on graphite has been studied using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). It is found that these benzaldehydes, which do not have intermolecular hydrogen bonding, could form a lamella arrangement in which the headgroups are aligned side by side. The effect due to the alkyl chain length on the lamella structure is also presented. Received: 21 January 2002 / Accepted: 22 March 2002 / Published online: 10 September 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +86-10/6255-7908     

$\beta$-Boundedness, Semipassivity, and the KMS-Condition

 The proof of a recent result by Guido and Longo establishing the equivalence of the KMS-condition with complete $\beta$-boundedness [2] is shortcut and generalized in such a way that a covariant version of the theorem is obtained. Received: 17 January 2002 / Accepted: 16 April 2002 Published online: 6 August 2002     

Momentum distribution of relativistic nuclei with Hartree-Fock mesonic correlations

The impact of Hartree-Fock correlations on the nuclear momentum distribution is studied in a fully relativistic one-boson-exchange model. Hartree-Fock equations are exactly solved to first order in the coupling constants. The renormalization of the Dirac spinors in the medium is shown to affect the momentum distribution, as opposed to what happens in the non-relativistic case. The unitarity of the model is shown to be preserved by the present renormalization procedure. Received: 7 June 2002 / Accepted: 24 September 2002 / Published online: 10 December 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: juan@nucle.us.es Communicated by G. Orlandini     

Diffractive heavy vector meson production from the BFKL equation

Diffractive heavy vector meson photoproduction accompanied by proton dissociation is studied for arbitrary momentum transfer. The process is described by the non-forward BFKL equation, for which a complete analytical solution is found, giving the scattering amplitude. The impact of non-leading corrections to the BFKL equation is also analysed. Results are compared to the HERA data on production. Received: 2 July 2002 / Revised version: 29 August 2002 / Published online: 18 October 2002     

Harmonically mode-locked laser stabilized by semiconductor saturable absorber modulated with the residual pump

Stabilization of a passive harmonically mode-locked laser is demonstrated by directly modulating a 980-nm pump diode laser used both to provide gain and to optically modulate an intracavity saturable absorber. The results indicate a reduction of the undesired laser modes by more than 55 dB. The timing jitter was decreased by 9 dB. Received: 3 April 2002 / Revised version: 30 April 2002 / Published online: 12 July 2002     

Nonlinearity of strong interaction and doorway states for one-nucleon transfer reactions

The experimental data on the doorway states for one-nucleon transfer reactions permit to reveal the many-particle nucleon-nucleon forces resulting from the nonlinearity of strong interaction. The three-particle and four-particle forces are found to be of the same magnitude as the two-particle ones in contrast to the finding from the few-nucleon systems. The origin of this difference is explained. Received: 14 May 2002 / Accepted: 4 June 2002 / Published online: 19 November 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: birbrair@thd.pnpi.spb.ru Communicated by V.V. Anisovich     

Present knowledge of atomic masses

Progress is reviewed of available data for evaluation of atomic masses since the 1995 one. Many more direct mass measurements have become available, especially in the region of proton-rich nuclides. The number of alpha- and, especially, proton-decay data increased considerably. In the region of superhigh mass numbers, many very interesting new observations were made. Received: 21 March 2002 / Accepted: 16 May 2002 / Published online: 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: wapstra@nikhef.nl     

Laser-induced nanopatterning of PET using a-SiO2 microspheres

A regular lattice of SiO₂ microspheres on a quartz support is used as a microlens array for laser-induced nanopatterning of polyethylene terephthalate foils. Received: 2 January 2002 / Accepted: 6 January 2002 / Published online: 27 March 2002     

Pion correlations and resonance effects in \bar{p}p annihilation to 4\pi^0 at rest

We study correlations in the exclusive reaction at rest with complete reconstruction of the kinematics for each event. The inclusive distribution is fairly flat at small invariant mass of the pion pair while a small enhancement in the double differential distribution is observed for small invariant masses of both pion pairs. Dynamical models with resonances in the final state are shown to be consistent with the data while the stochastic HBT mechanism is not supported by the present findings. Received: 26 February 2002 / Revised version: 22 July 2002 / Published online: 30 August 2002     

Chaos in photovoltaic HgCdTe detectors under laser irradiation

Chaos in photovoltaic HgCdTe detectors irradiated by a low-power stable continuous-wave laser is found in our experiment. The detectors give a chaotic output in the laser irradiation power density range a little higher than their saturation threshold. Chaos is diagnosed by calculating the power spectrum and the Lyapunov exponent with experimental data of the detectors’ output signals vs. time. We conclude with a qualitative discussion of the possible causes of the observed chaotic behavior. Received: 3 April 2002 / Revised version: 8 July 2002 / Published online: 25 October 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. (Fax: +86-0731/4514127, E-mail: maliqin01@263.net)     

Self-duality equations for spherically symmetric SU(2) gauge fields

A model of spherically symmetric SU(2) gauge theory is considered. The self-duality equations are written and it is shown that they are compatible with the Einstein-Yang-Mills equations. It is proven that the SU(2) gauge model is self-dual on a Schwarzschild space-time but not on a Reissner-Nordstr?m one. Received: 24 May 2002 / Accepted: 1 July 2002 / Published online: 26 November 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: gzet@phys.tuiasi.ro Communicated by A. Sch?fer     

High-yield synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes by arc discharge in liquid nitrogen

Synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) by arc discharge in liquid nitrogen is reported. As liquid nitrogen substituted both vacuum and cooling systems, high-quality MWNTs were produced at a low cost. The content of the MWNTs can be as high as 70% of the reaction product. Auger-spectroscopy analysis revealed that no nitrogen is incorporated in the MWNTs. This method can be an economical route for the mass production of highly crystalline MWNTs. Received: 5 July 2002 / Accepted: 8 July 2002 / Published online: 10 September 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +82-54/279-8298, E-mail: ce20047@postech.ac.kr     

Statistical modeling of imaging process in active night vision systems with gate-light detection

Characteristics of object images observed through scattering media with an active vision system operating in the mode of spatial selection are estimated using the Monte Carlo method. The effect of optical and geometrical conditions of observation on the contrast in images of reflecting objects is considered. Interpretation is given to the obtained dependences. Received: 11 February 2002 / Revised version: 31 May 2002 / Published online: 25 October 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +7-38/2225-9086, E-mail: belov@iao.ru     

Coherent combining of two Nd:YAG lasers in a Vernier–Michelson-type cavity

The coherent combining of two Nd:YAG lasers using a Vernier–Michelson-type cavity has been demonstrated. The spectral behaviour and the energetic performance are reported. We firstly show that the combining efficiency is not strongly spoilt by the gain imbalance between the two amplifying media, and secondly, that despite the interferometric nature of the cavity, the Vernier–Michelson laser can withstand environmental perturbations without alteration in output power. Received: 25 April 2002 / Revised version: 18 May 2002 / Published online: 25 September 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +33-5/5545-7253, E-mail: kermene@ircom.unilim.fr     

150-times phase conjugation by degenerate four-wave mixing in a continuous-wave Nd:YVO4 amplifier

The high phase-conjugate reflectivity of 150, by four-wave mixing in a diode-pumped Nd:YVO₄, has been demonstrated. The phase-conjugate mirror was capable of correcting the phase aberration of a probe beam. The experimental diffraction efficiency of the transmission gratings was 60. Received: 8 April 2002 / Revised version: 10 June 2002 / Published online: 25 September 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +81/43-290-3490, E-mail: omatsu@image.tp.chiba-u.ac.jp     

Spontaneous transverse pattern formation in a microchip laser excited by a doughnut pump profile

A transition from a pure Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) mode to a pattern of optical vortex lattices in a large-Fresnel-number microchip laser is experimentally demonstrated by controlling the cavity Q-factor. The cooperative frequency locking of nearly degenerate modes is found to be a primary process for the generation of the optical vortex lattices in a class-B laser. When the cavity Q-factor is high enough, a LG-like mode and a structure of optical vortex lattices are found to coexist. Competition between coexisting transverse patterns of different symmetry gives rise to chaotic fluctuations. Received: 20 March 2002 / Revised version: 20 May 2002 / Published online: 25 October 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +886-35/729134, E-mail: yfchen@cc.nctu.edu.tw     

Nuclear matter with off-shell propagation

Symmetric nuclear matter is studied within the conserving, self-consistent T-matrix approximation. This approach involves off-shell propagation of nucleons in the ladder diagrams. The binding energy receives contributions from the background part of the spectral function, away from the quasiparticle peak. The Fermi energy at the saturation point fulfills the Hugenholz-Van Hove relation. In comparison to the Brueckner-Hartree-Fock approach, the binding energy is reduced and the equation of state is stiffer. Received: 16 April 2002 / Accepted: 10 June 2002 / Published online: 26 November 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: bozek@sothis.ifj.edu.pl Communicated by A. Molinari     

Bichromatic pulsed source in the visible and infrared

A source of bichromatic coherent radiation is described with independent tunability in wavelength, energy and pulse duration. The system is able to deliver pulses in the visible to infrared region with possible extension into the ultraviolet. Pulse durations can be tailored to be from 15 ps to 310 fs with collimated beam fluences of several mJ/cm². Received: 28 January 2002 / Revised version: 24 April 2002 / Published online: 12 July 2002