Pseudospin symmetry as an accidental symmetry in the relativistic framework

We analyse the arguments used in the relativistic context to base the quasi-degeneracy of pseudospin doublets (PSDs) observed in atomic nuclei on the smallness of the single-particle central potential (Σ _S + Σ₀), discussing, especially, the implications of the results obtained in the limit (Σ _S + Σ₀ = 0. We study also the transition from a relativistic model, where Σ _S + Σ₀ is a harmonic-oscillator potential and exhibits degenerate PSDs, to a more realistic one with broken pseudospin symmetry. We examine, in particular, the effect of the corresponding pseudospin symmetry-breaking term on the Dirac spinors of the PSDs. An extension of the Nilsson model to the relativistic case is also considered. Communicated by V. Vento     

Direct determination of vibrational density of states change on ligand binding to a protein

The change in the vibrational density of states of a protein (dihydrofolate reductase) on binding a ligand (methotrexate) is determined using inelastic neutron scattering. The vibrations of the complex soften significantly relative to the unbound protein. The resulting free-energy change, which is directly determined by the density of states change, is found to contribute significantly to the binding equilibrium.     

Ellipsometry as an aid in studying metallic corrosion problems

The application of ellipsometry to the study of corrosion is reviewed. It is concluded that the influences of surface roughness and film inhomogeneity are complicating factors in the interpretation of observations and that their effects are still insufficiently understood. Nevertheless, as a complementary tool to other methods of surface examination, ellipsometry is unique in its ability to detect and measure the formation and growth of surface films, continuously in situ; this can be done in either gaseous or liquid environments. Determination of the optical properties of thin films, and more especially spectral absorption characteristics, is potentially the basis for a valuable method of assessing averaged deviations from non stoichiometric composition of surface films.     

Nonlinear realizations of symmetry groups in terms of differential geometry

Nonlinear realizations of a symmetry group G, which become linear when restricted to a subgroup H are described in terms of fibre bundles. It is shown that so-called “covariant derivatives” occuring in nonlinear Lagrangians are equivalent to the covariant derivatives of the canonical connection in the principal bundle (G, G/H, H, δ). After the specification of a cross-section of the bundle, our formulae for the covariant derivatives coincide with those obtained by other authors in a group-theoretical way. In a special case where G is a chiral group and H is its diagonal subgroup, the canonical connection induces the Riemannian connection in the tangent bundle over G/H. For G = SU(2) × SU(2) and H = SU(2) this connection coincides with the Riemannian connection on the three-dimensional sphere introduced by K. Meetz.     

Computer simulation of ion images as an aid to indexing small crystallites

The magnitude of the sticking coefficient S of H₂ on polycrystalline platinum and its variation with temperature and coverage are compared with the exchange and equilibration f H₂ and D₂ under similar experimental conditions. The sticking coefficient measurements indicate the presence of at least two adsorbed states, a weakly bound precursor state and a more strongly bound state. The high temperature equilibration reaction is limited by the rate of adsorption into the precursor state. The low temperature exchange rate is limited by desorption from the strongly bound state and a model involving desorption from an immobile activated complex gives reasonable agreement with experiment. The heats of adsorption were determined at the coverage of interest. The low temperature equilibration reaction probably proceeds via mixing of H₂ and D₂ in the precursor state.     

BRST approach to translational symmetry and the geometry of flat manifolds with torsion

A BRST treatment of translational symmetry on flat manifolds, where torsion does not vanish, displays well-known features of differential geometry. In particular the covariant exterior derivative operator is identified as the BRST operator corresponding to translational symmetry. Its nilpotency is due to vanishing curvature on the manifold.     

Coupling between global geometry and the local hall effect leading to reconnection-layer symmetry breaking

The coupling between the global reconnection geometry and the local microphysics, caused by the Hall effect, is studied during counterhelicity plasma merging in the magnetic reconnection experiment. The structure of the reconnection layer is significantly modified by reversing the sign of the toroidal fields, which affects the manifestation of the Hall effect in the collisionless regime. The local two-fluids physics changes the global boundary conditions, and this combination effect consequently provides different reconnection rates, magnetic field structure, and plasma flow patterns for two different counterhelicity merging cases in the collisionless regime.     

Bowl piston geometry as an alternative to enlarged crevice pistons for rapid compression machines

Thermal inhomogeneity and physical processes like fluid dynamics reduce the utility of rapid compression machine (RCM) facilities to accurately study fuel combustion phenomenon relevant to internal combustion engines. Most current RCMs incorporate a large crevice volume in the piston to capture roll-up vortices that encroach into the combustion zone during compression. In this work, a bowl piston design similar to those used in diesel engines is proposed as an alternative to enlarged creviced pistons for creating a sufficiently thermally homogenous gas mixture prior to ignition without undesirable fluid motion found in flat piston configurations. The bowl piston also eliminates the possibility of cold unreacted gases entering the combustion chamber when the piston is retracted in rapid compression and expansion machines (RCEMs) like in creviced piston designs. In the work, a bowl piston was compared to creviced piston and flat piston configurations numerically and experimentally. Through non-reacting computational fluid dynamics simulations, the bowl piston reduced the roll-up vortex found for the flat piston and led to a higher temperature and more thermally uniform core of gas at peak compression compared to the enlarged crevice piston. Experimentally, three pistons were studied in a RCM facility with ethanol and n-butane as fuels. Results showed that the bowl piston yielded benefits over conventional piston geometries including: reduced heat loss due to lower surface area, higher turbulent Reynolds Number, stronger ignition, and higher heat release rate and combustion efficiency as estimated using heat release analysis. Based on the findings presented here, we conclude that bowl piston geometries are a promising alternative to creviced pistons for conducting fuel ignition studies in RCM and RCEM facilities.     

Molecular symmetry and exciton interaction in photosynthetic primary events

In this paper, the molecular details of the recently proposed energy upconversion theory of photosynthesis are reviewed. The primary light reactions are explained in terms of aC ₂ symmetrical structure of the reaction center involving a (Chl?H₂O)₂ adduct. It is shown that exciton interaction within the (Chl?H₂O)₂ complex leads to an antisymmetric triplet state which may act as an energy trap. The presence of the energy trap in the reaction center suggests that the trigger step for the photoionization of active chlorophylls may involve the summation of two red excitation photons. Under normal conditions, the steadystate one-photon-per-electron quantum requirement is obtained. The functional properties of the various molecular constituents of the Chl-a molecule, such as the Ring V β-ketoester group, the phytyl tail, the central Mg atom, and the π-system of the macrocycle are explained within the present theoretical framework. A detailed analysis is given of the postulates and the consequences of the proposed model. The ramifications of the theory are probed, and their biological consequences are suggested for future study.     

Systematic study of luminescent properties of new lanthanide complexes using crown ethers as ligand

This is a report on the synthesis, characterization and spectroscopic study of 24 lanthanide-crown ether coordination compounds, where Eu(III), Tb(III) and Gd(III) were complexes to 12-crown-4 (12C4), 15-crown-5 (15C5), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) and 2,2′-dipyridyl (dipy). The compounds were synthesized in an ethanol/acetone solution at room temperature and analyzed using CHN elemental analysis and infrared, absorption and emission spectroscopies. The polarizability that the ligand exerts on the emission process was verified and found remarkable. The Eu-15C5-phen complex showed the highest quantum efficiency (71.6%) because of its low non-radiative rate and highest polarizability with reference to the ligands system.     

Synthesis, characterization and luminescent properties of lanthanide complexes with an unsymmetrical tripodal ligand

Solid complexes of lanthanide nitrates with a new unsymmetrical tripodal ligand, bis[(2′-benzylaminoformyl)phenoxyl)ethyl](ethyl)amine (L) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectra and molar conductivity measurements. At the same time, the luminescent properties of the Sm(III), Eu(III), Tb(III) and Dy(III) nitrate complexes in solid state were also investigated. Under the excitation of UV light, these complexes exhibited characteristic emission of central metal ions.     

Rotational symmetry of solutions of some nonlinear problems in statistical mechanics and in geometry

The method of moving planes is used to establish a weak set of conditions under which the nonlinear equation –u(x)=V(|x|)e ^u(x) ,x² admits only rotationally symmetric solutions. Additional structural invariance properties of the equation then yield another set of conditions which are not originally covered by the moving plane technique. For instance, nonmonotonicV can be accommodated. Results for –u(y)=V(y)e ^u(y) –c, withyS ², are obtained as well. A nontrivial example of broken symmetry is also constructed. These equations arise in the context of extremization problems, but no extremization arguments are employed. This is of some interest in cases where the extremizing problem is neither manifestly convex nor monotone under symmetric decreasing rearrangements. The results answer in part some conjectures raised in the literature. Applications to logarithmically interacting particle systems and geometry are emphasized.     

Chiral symmetry breaking in an instantaneous approximation to Coulomb gauge QCD

We analyze the interplay between explicit and spontaneous chiral-symmetry breaking in Coulomb gauge QCD. Quark and pseudoscalar meson properties are investigated, using an instantaneous approximation to gluon exchange, with momentum-dependent coupling constants and current quark masses in agreement with the full QCD renormalization group equations. We show how a finite momentum-dependent constituent quark mass can be defined even for a confining interaction between the quarks, and derive an integral equation for this constituent mass from the renormalized Dyson-Schwinger equations. This equation is shown to be equivalent to a gap equation derived in a Bogoliubov-Valatin variational method from the model's hamiltonian. Including momentum-dependent current masses also ensures a finite value for the quark condensate. We report numerical results for a purely confining and for a Richardson potential for the Coulombic part of the quark-antiquark potential. Transverse gluons are included in the Breit approximation, neglecting retardation. As a confining Breit interaction leads to an infrared inconsistency in the model, and since there is mounting evidence for a dynamical gluon mass, such a mass is included. Numerical results for the constituent quark mass for one flavour, for different values of the current mass, are reported, together with the corresponding energy densities, quark condensates, pseudoscalar meson masses and pseudoscalar meson decay constants. The results are encouraging from a phenomenological point of view.     

Dynamical symmetry breaking as the origin of the zero-dc-resistance state in an ac-driven system

Under a strong ac drive the zero-frequency linear response dissipative resistivity rho(d)(j=0) of a homogeneous state is allowed to become negative. We show that such a state is absolutely unstable. The only time-independent state of a system with a rho(d)(j=0)<0 is characterized by a current which almost everywhere has a magnitude j(0) fixed by the condition that the nonlinear dissipative resistivity rho(d)(j(2)(0))=0. As a result, the dissipative component of the dc-electric field vanishes. The total current may be varied by rearranging the current pattern appropriately with the dissipative component of the dc-electric field remaining zero. This result, together with the calculation of Durst et al., indicating the existence of regimes of applied ac microwave field and dc magnetic field where rho(d)(j=0)<0, explains the zero-resistance state observed by Mani et al. and Zudov et al.