A miniature tunable TEA CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> laser using isotope <Superscript>13</Superscript>C<Superscript>16</Superscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> and <Superscript>12</Superscript>C<Superscript>16</Superscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript>

A miniature tunable TEA CO₂ laser using isotope ¹³C¹⁶O₂ as the active medium is developed to extend the spectral range of CO₂ lasers for further application. The optimization of the energy parameters of the tunable TEA ¹³C¹⁶O₂ laser and the same laser using ¹²C¹⁶O₂ are studied. When a gas mixture (¹³C¹⁶O₂: N₂: He = 1: 1: 3) at a total pressure of 6.4 × 10⁴ Pa is used, the TEA ¹³C¹⁶O₂ laser of a 45-cm³ active volume obtains 51 emission lines in the [00⁰1–10⁰0] and [00⁰1–02⁰0] bands. The maximum pulse energy of the TEA ¹³C¹⁶O₂ laser is about 357 mJ. The same laser using the conventional gas mixture (¹²C¹⁶O₂: N₂: He = 1: 1: 3) at a pressure of 6.66 × 10⁴ Pa is measured to obtain 69 laser emission lines and the maximum pulse energy of laser radiation is about 409 mJ.     

Torus Equivariant Spectral Triples for Odd-Dimensional Quantum Spheres Coming from <Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis><Superscript>*</Superscript>-Extensions

The torus group (S ¹)^ℓ+1 has a canonical action on the odd-dimensional sphere S _q ^2ℓ+1. We take the natural Hilbert space representation where this action is implemented and characterize all odd spectral triples acting on that space and equivariant with respect to that action. This characterization gives a construction of an optimum family of equivariant spectral triples having nontrivial K-homology class thus generalizing our earlier results for SU _q (2). We also relate the triple we construct with the C ^*-extension      

Role of Er<Superscript>3+</Superscript> ion in the formation of the ErFeO<Subscript>3</Subscript> magnetic properties in the region of spin-reorientation phase transition

The 90° reorientation of Er³⁺ spins in ErFeO₃ have been directly observed using optical spectroscopy. The peculiarities of the absorption spectrum of ErFeO₃ in the region of the ⁴ I _15/2 → ⁴ F _9/2 transition of the Er³⁺ ion in the temperature range of ac-spin reorientation have been studied. It is shown that the spin reorientation phase transition (SRPT) is accompanied by splitting of the ground and excited states into Kramers doublets in the iron exchange field. This fact is a direct evidence of purely magnetic origin of SRPT. The experimental results were used to analyze the magnetic properties of ErFeO₃. This analysis showed that the order of magnitude of the magnetic moment, its variation in the SRPT region, and the existence of T _comp can be interpreted in terms of the single-ion model, taking into account the influence of the crystal field and the molecular field produced by the iron subsystem ions.     

C<Subscript>60</Subscript> fullerene as an η<Superscript>6</Superscript> ligand in π complexes of transition metals

The possible existence of complexes formed by the C₆₀ fullerene or its derivatives with transition metals interacting with the carbon cage via η⁶−π type bonding is discussed. The derivatives C₆₀ R ₆ of the C₆₀ fullerene (R = −, H, F, Cl, Br, CN) are analyzed using the density functional method within the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof approximation. In these molecules, the R groups are attached to carbon atoms located in the α positions with respect to the common hexagon of the C₆₀ fullerene. The structure and electron configuration of complexes formed by these molecules with Cr(C₆H₆), Cr(CO)₃, MoC₆H₆, and Mo(CO)₃ particles are modeled. The “dimer” systems C₆₀R₆-M-R ₆C₆₀ (M = Cr, Mo, R =-, H, F) are investigated in which two fullerene molecules interact via a transition-metal atom. It is found that the introduction of six R groups in the α sites with respect to the common hexagon of C₆₀ favors the formation of complexes of these derivatives of the C₆₀ fullerene with the Cr(C₆H₆), Cr(CO), Mo(C₆H₆), and Mo(CO)₃ particles in which η⁶-π type bonds arise between the metal and the atoms of the hexagon fringed with the R groups. It is also demonstrated that analogous complexes with a “bare” C₆₀ fullerene are possible, but they are significantly less stable. The (C₆H₆) M-R ₆C₆₀ R ₆-M (C₆H₆) complexes of particles M(C₆H₆) (M= Cr, Mo) and derivatives R ₆C₆₀ R ₆ (R =-, H, F, Cl, Br) are studied. In the R ₆C₆₀ R ₆ molecule, six R groups are located in the α sites with respect to the common hexagon of the C₆₀ fullerene and six other groups fringe the opposite hexagon. The obtained results can be applied to planning synthesis of new complexes that C₆₀ fullerene derivatives can form with transition metals. Original Russian Text ￠ E.G. Gal’pern, A.R. Sabirov, I.V. Stankevich, 2007, published in Fizika Tverdogo Tela, 2007, Vol. 49, No. 12, pp. 2220–2223.     

Theoretical study of charge-exchange and excitation processes in collisions of He<Superscript>+</Superscript> ions with C<Superscript>5+</Superscript>, N<Superscript>6+</Superscript>, and O<Superscript>7+</Superscript> hydrogen-like ions

Data on the cross sections for single-electron charge exchange and excitation in collisions of He⁺ ions with C⁵⁺, N⁶⁺, and O⁷⁺ ions in the He⁺ ion energy range of 0.2–3.0 MeV are obtained for the first time. The cross sections for the single-electron charge transfer into the singlet and triplet 1snl states of C⁴⁺, N⁵⁺, and O⁶⁺ (2≤n≤5) ions and for the 1s → 2p _{0, ±1} electronic excitation of He⁺(1s) ions are calculated. The calculations were performed by solving close-coupling equations on the basis of ten two-electron quasi-molecular states.     

Spectroscopy of <Superscript>17</Superscript>C and (sd )<Superscript>3</Superscript> structures in heavy carbon isotopes

The structure of ¹⁷C has been investigated using the three-neutron transfer reaction (¹²C,⁹C) on a ¹⁴C target at 231MeV incident energy, the reaction Q-value is Q ₀ = - 46.930MeV. Eleven new states up to 16.3MeV excitation energy were identified. The same reaction has also been used on a ¹²C target ( Q ₀ = - 38.787MeV), and excited states in ¹⁵C up to 19MeV were observed. In ¹⁷C the three transferred neutrons populate (sd )³ configurations on the ¹⁴C core. The comparison of levels populated by the (¹²C,⁹C) reaction in ¹⁷C, ¹⁶C and ¹⁵C reveals a strong similarity of their properties. This concerns especially nine states in each of the three carbon isotopes, which show practically the same excitation energies except a constant mean shift of +5.82MeV for ¹⁶C and +6.65MeV for ¹⁵C with respect to ¹⁷C. The triples of states from the three isotopes, which correspond to each other, have also similar widths and cross-section ratios. It is concluded that the same (sd )³ structures are populated in the three carbon isotopes. The observed levels of ¹⁷C are also compared to the levels of ¹⁹O with known assignments and to shell model calculations, and their decay properties are discussed.     

The 2<Superscript>1/3</Superscript> rule for magnetic susceptibility of gadolinium

The dependences of the magnetization M and the magnetic susceptibility χ = ∂M/∂H of pure gadolinium (the concentration of foreign impurities is lower than 0.1 wt %) on the temperature T and the magnetic field H have been measured using a Quantum Design MPMS-5XL SQUID magnetometer. In this material, inhomogeneities of the atomic structure should not lead to a nonuniform distribution of the magnetic characteristics (including the Curie temperature T _C) over the volume of the sample. The obtained dependences of M and χ have been used to investigate the possibility of suppressing magnetic inhomogeneities of other types by magnetic fields with a strength of up to 50 kOe. It has been assumed that these inhomogeneities are suppressed when the specific relationship, namely, the 2^1/3 rule is fulfilled. The rule relates the portions of the dependence χ(T, H) which at the temperature T = T _C and at the maximum in the curve χ(T) (T = T _m ) depend on H in accordance with the H ^2/3 law. It has been shown that the portions separated from the experimental curves χ(T _C, H) and χ(T _m , H) obey the 2^1/3 rule.     

Interaction of <Superscript>3</Superscript>He<Superscript>2+</Superscript> and Ar<Superscript>6+</Superscript> ions with acetylene,ethylene, and ethane molecules

Time-of-flight mass spectroscopy methods are employed for studying processes occurring during capture of electrons by ³He²⁺ and Ar⁶⁺ multiply charged ions with energy 6z keV (z is the ion charge) from C₂H _n molecules (n = 2, 4, 6) with different multiplicities of C-C bonds. Fragmentation schemes of the molecular ions formed in such processes are established from analysis of correlations of recording times for all fragment ions. The absolute values of the cross sections of capture of an electron and capture with ionization are measured, as well as the cross sections of formation of fragment ions in these processes. The absolute values of total capture cross sections for several electrons are determined.     

Spin reorientation effects in GdFe<Subscript>3</Subscript>(BO<Subscript>3</Subscript>)<Subscript>4</Subscript> induced by applied field and temperature

Magnetic properties of GdFe₃(BO₃)₄ single crystals were investigated by ⁵⁷Fe-Mössbauer spectroscopy and static magnetic measurements. In the ground state, the GdFe₃(BO₃)₄ crystal is an easy-axis compensated antiferromagnet, but the easy axis of iron moments does not coincide with the crystal C₃ axis, deviating from it by about 20°. The spontaneous and field-induced spin reorientation effects were observed and studied in detail. The specific directions of iron magnetic moments were determined for different temperatures and applied fields. Large values of the angle between the Fe³⁺ magnetic moments and the C₃ axis in the easy-axis phase and between Fe³⁺ moments and the a₂ axis in the easy-plane phase reveal the tilted antiferromagnetic structure.     

<Superscript>57</Superscript>Fe NMR study of multiferroic BiFeO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

The effects of the ⁵⁷Fe isotope content and high-frequency magnetic field amplitude h ₁ on the shape of the NMR spectrum of multiferroic BiFeO₃ at T = 4.2 K are studied by pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance. The NMR spectrum shape and transverse relaxation time T ₂ are found to depend strongly on the ⁵⁷Fe isotope content and h ₁ in multiferroic BiFeO₃ in the presence of a spatial spin-modulated structure of a cycloid type. In a sample with a high ⁵⁷Fe isotope content, the Suhl-Nakamura interaction contributes substantially to T ₂. When these dynamic effects are taken into account for analysis of the NMR spectrum shape, an undisturbed (without an anharmonicity effect) spatial spin-modulated structure of a cycloid type is shown to exist in BiFeO₃.     

Electron-impact ionization and dissociation of C<Subscript>2</Subscript>D<Superscript>+</Superscript>

Absolute cross sections for electron-impact single ionization, dissociative excitation and dissociative ionization of the ethynyl radical ion (C₂D⁺)^+) have been measured for electron energies ranging from the corresponding reaction thresholds to 2.5 keV. The animated crossed electron-ion beam experiment is used and results have been obtained for the production of C₂D²⁺, C²⁺, C₂⁺_2^+ , CD⁺, C⁺ and D⁺. The maximum of the cross section for single ionization is found to be (2.01 ± 0.02) × 10^-17 cm², at the incident electron energy of 105 eV. Absolute total cross sections for the various singly charged fragments production are observed to decrease by a factor of almost three, from the largest cross-section measured for C⁺, over C₂⁺_2^+ and CD⁺ down to that of D⁺. The maxima of the cross sections are obtained to be (14.5 ± 0.5) × 10^-17 cm² for C₂⁺_2^+, (12.1 ± 0.1) × 10^-17 cm² for CD⁺, (27.7 ± 0.2) × 10^-17 cm² for C⁺ and (11.1 ± 0.8) × 10^-17 cm² for D⁺. The smallest cross section is measured to be (1.50 ± 0.04) × 10^-18 cm² for the production of the doubly charged ion C²⁺. Individual contributions for dissociative excitation and dissociative ionization are determined for each singly-charged product. The cross sections are presented in closed analytic forms convenient for implementation in plasma simulation codes. Kinetic energy release distributions of dissociation fragments are seen to extend from 0 to 6 eV for the heaviest fragment C₂⁺_2^+, up to 11.0 eV for CD⁺, 14.2 eV for C⁺ and 11.2 eV for D⁺ products.     

Effect of Sr<Superscript>2+</Superscript> ion substitution with trivalent ions (Sc<Superscript>3+</Superscript>, In<Superscript>3+</Superscript>, La<Superscript>3+</Superscript>, Bi<Superscript>3+</Superscript>) on its ferroelectric instability in SrTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

The vibration frequencies of unstable ferroelectric and antiferrodistortion modes and the dependences of the energy on the ion displacement amplitude have been calculated within the generalized Gordon-Kim model for distortions along eigenvectors of these modes in the mixed compounds Sr_{1 − x} A _x Ti_{1 − x} /₄□ _x/4O₃ and Sr_{1 − y} A _2y /₃□ _y/3TiO₃ (A = Sc³⁺, In³⁺, La³⁺, Bi³⁺; □ is the vacancy). To compensate an excess positive charge, vacancies are introduced into the Ti⁴⁺ or Sr²⁺ site. Calculations have been performed in the “daverage” crystal approximation for impurity concentrations of 0.25 and 0.50. To this end, a set of 40 atomic superlattices with various orderings of heterovalent ions Sr²⁺ and impurity A ³⁺ has been considered. It has been found that each impurity type, independently of charge balance, induces ferroelectric instabilities in doped compounds. In the case of doping with In³⁺ and La³⁺ for concentration x = 0.25, the possibility of rotating the polarization vector has been shown.     

Pre-irradiation with low-dose <Superscript>12</Superscript>C<Superscript>6+</Superscript> beam significantly enhances the efficacy of <Emphasis Type="Italic">AdCMV-p53</Emphasis> gene therapy in human non-small lung cancer

The combination of ionizing radiation and gene therapy has been investigated. However, there are very few reports about the combination of heavy-ion irradiation and gene therapy. To determine if the pre-exposure to low-dose heavy ion beam enhances the suppression of AdCMV-p53 on non-small lung cancer (NSLC), the cells pre-irradiated or non-irradiated were infected with 20, 40 MOl of AdCMV-p53. Survival fraction and the relative biology effect (RBE) were determined by clonogenic assay. The results showed that the proportions of p53 positive cells in 12C6 beam induced AdCMV-p53 infected cells were more than 90%, which were significantly more than those in γ-ray induced AdCMV-p53 infected cells. The pre-exposure to low-dose 12C6 beam significantly prevented the G0/G1 arrest and activated G2/M checkpoints. The pre-exposure to 12C6 beam significantly improved cell to apoptosis. RBEs for the 12C6 AdCMV-p53 infection groups were 30%-60%, 20% -130% and 30%-70% more than those for the 12C6 -irradiated only, AdCMV-p53 infected only, and γ-irradiation induced AdCMVp53 infected groups, respectively. The data suggested that the pre-exposure to low-dose 12C6 beam significantly promotes exogenous p53 expression in NSLC, and the suppression of AdCMV-p53 gene therapy on NSLC.     

Investigations of EPR parameters and impurity structure for Co<Superscript>2+</Superscript> in Ca(OH)<Subscript>2</Subscript> crystal

The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) parameters (g _‖ andg _⊥ factors and hyperfine structure constantsA _‖,A _⊥) for Co²⁺ in Ca(OH)₂ are studied from the second-order perturbation formulas on the basis of the cluster approach. In these formulas, the contributions to EPR parameters from the state interactions and covalency effects are considered and the parameters related to both effects are obtained from the optical spectra and impurity structure of the studied system. From the study, it is found that the β angle between the metal-ligand bond and the C₃ axis changes from 61° in a pure crystal to 53.68(26)° in the impurity center of a Co²⁺-doped Ca(OH)₂ crystal because of the impurity-induced local lattice relaxation. The reduction of the angle β in the impurity center is also supported by the result obtained by analyzing the EPR zero-field splitting for Mn²⁺ in the same Ca(OH)₂ crystal. The EPR parameters of Ca(OH)₂:Co²⁺ are also reasonably explained by considering the suitable local lattice relaxation.     

Study of the isobar configurations in the <Superscript>12</Superscript>C and <Superscript>16</Superscript>O ground states

Experimental research on positive-pion photoproduction on the oxygen nucleus in the ¹⁶O(γ, π⁺p) reaction at high recoil momenta of the residual nuclear system was performed. The yield for the ¹⁶O(γ, π⁺p) reaction was analyzed using a model that takes Δ-isobar configurations in nuclei ground states into account, together with the earlier-measured yield of the¹²C(γ, π⁺p) reaction. The estimated number of isobars per nucleon N _Δ = 0.012 ± 0.005 was obtained for the ¹²C nucleus, and ¹⁶O N _Δ = 0.018 ± 0.004 was obtained for the ¹⁶O nucleus.     

Intensities of hypersensitive transitions in garnet crystals doped with Er<Superscript>3+</Superscript> ions

We examine the oscillator strengths and the intensity parameters Ω _t (t = 2, 4, 6) of yttrium-aluminum, scandium-containing, and gallium garnet crystals doped with Er³⁺ ions. A comparative analysis of the oscillator strengths and the intensity parameters Ω _t (t = 2, 4, 6) of garnets with different contents of Al³⁺ and Sc³⁺ ions (Gd_2.4Er_0.5Sc_1.8Al_3.3O₁₂, Gd_2.4Er_0.5Sc_1.9Al_3.2O₁₂, Gd_2.4Er_0.5Sc_2.0Al_3.1O₁₂) is performed, as a result of which the oscillator strengths and the intensity parameters Ω _t (t = 2, 4, 6) of these crystals are shown to have close values. We find that Ca₃(NbGa)₅O₁₂ crystals doped with Er³⁺ ions are characterized by highest values of the oscillator strengths for hypersensitive transitions and of the intensity parameter Ω₂ of Er³⁺ ions compared to the values of these quantities in the examined garnet crystals, which is determined by the fact that the symmetry of the local environment of Er³⁺ ions in these crystals is C ₁, C ₂, or C _2ν. We reveal that, as the concentration of Er³⁺ ions in these crystals increases from 1 to 39 at %, both the oscillator strength of the hypersensitive transition ⁴ I _15/2 → ² H _11/2 of Er³⁺ ions and their intensity parameter Ω₂ tend to decrease, which can be related to an increase in the relative fraction of Er³⁺ ions with higher symmetry of the local environment.     

II. Electron-impact dissociative excitation of C<Subscript>2</Subscript>H<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript></Stack> and C<Subscript>2</Subscript>D<Stack><Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>+</Superscript></Stack>

Absolute cross-sections for electron-impact dissociative ionization of C₂ H₂⁺ and C₂ D₂⁺ to CH⁺, C⁺, C₂⁺ , H⁺, CH₂⁺ and C₂D⁺ fragments are determined for electron energies ranging from the corresponding threshold to 2.5 keV. Results obtained in a crossed beams experiment are analyzed to estimate the contribution of dissociative ionization to each fragment formation. The dissociative ionization cross sections are seen to decrease for more than an order of magnitude, from CH⁺ (5.37±0.10) × 10^-17 cm² over C⁺ (4.19± 0.16) × 10^-17 cm², C₂D⁺ (3.94±0.38) × 10^-17 cm², C₂⁺ (3.82±0.15) × 10^-17 cm² and H⁺ (3.37±0.21) × 10^-17 cm² to CH₂⁺ (2.66±0.14) × 10^-18 cm². Kinetic energy release distributions of fragment ions are also determined from the analysis of the product velocity distribution. Cross section values, threshold energies and kinetic energies are compared with the data available from the literature. Conforming to the scheme used in the study of the dissociative excitation of C₂H₂⁺ ( C₂ D₂⁺ )\left( {\rm C}_2 {\rm D}_2^+ \right), the cross-sections are presented in a format suitable for their implementation in plasma simulation codes.     

Na<Superscript>+</Superscript>/K<Superscript>+</Superscript> selectivity in the formation of ion pairs in aqueous solutions

The integral equations of liquids (RISM) and molecular dynamics method were used to calculate the mean force potential for the SO₃ and COO hydrophilic groups and the CH₃ hydrophobic group in the acetate, methyl sulfonate, and hydrosulfate anions, which form ion pairs with sodium and potassium cations in water. The carboxyl group selectively binds sodium ions from solutions containing Na⁺ and K⁺ ions, in spite of their equal charges, because the potassium ion experiences stronger steric hindrances near this group compared with sodium. The biophysical consequences of the revealed selectivity are discussed.     

A Duality Theorem for Ergodic Actions of Compact Quantum Groups on <Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis><Superscript>*</Superscript>-Algebras

The spectral functor of an ergodic action of a compact quantum group G on a unital C ^*-algebra is quasitensor, in the sense that the tensor product of two spectral subspaces is isometrically contained in the spectral subspace of the tensor product representation, and the inclusion maps satisfy natural properties. We show that any quasitensor ^*-functor from Rep(G) to the category of Hilbert spaces is the spectral functor of an ergodic action of G on a unital C ^*-algebra. As an application, we associate an ergodic G-action on a unital C ^*-algebra to an inclusion of Rep(G) into an abstract tensor C ^*-category . If the inclusion arises from a quantum subgroup K of G, the associated G-system is just the quotient space K\G. If G is a group and has permutation symmetry, the associated G-system is commutative, and therefore isomorphic to the classical quotient space by a subgroup of G. If a tensor C ^*-category has a Hecke symmetry making an object ρ of dimension d and μ-determinant 1, then there is an ergodic action of S _μ U(d) on a unital C ^*-algebra having the as its spectral subspaces. The special case of is discussed.     

Ab initio modeling of the electronic and spin properties of the [NV]<Superscript>−</Superscript> centers in diamond nanocrystals

The electronic and spin properties of different nanocrystals of carbon are studied. The properties of these cluster systems are modeled in terms of the ab initio (Hartree-Fock) and semiempirical (PM3, AM1) quantum-chemical methods. The calculations are performed for different carbon nanocluster systems: defect-free and with [NV]^? centers, hydrogen passivated (C₃₈H₄₂, C₇₁H₈₄, C₈₆H₇₈), and with a free (unpassivated) surface (C₃₈, C₇₁, C₈₆). The spin properties of unhydrated nanoclusters were studied for the first time. The structure of all the clusters under study was optimized using the total energy minimization principle. It is shown that, in the case of hydrated carbon nanocrystals passivated by hydrogen atoms, diamond-like clusters are formed. The atomic structure of an unpassivated nanocrystal depends on the number of atoms in the cluster, as well as on its initial geometrical parameters. In some cases, clusters with a fullerene-like surface are formed. In hydrogenpassivated diamond nanocrystals with [NV]^? centers, the spin density is localized at the nuclei of C atoms nearest to the center vacancies. For the unpassivated counterparts, the spin density is localized at the nuclei of C atoms forming the surface of the corresponding nanocrystal.