Nonaffine deformation of inherent structure as a static signature of cooperativity in supercooled liquids

We unveil the existence of nonaffinely rearranging regions in the inherent structures (IS) of supercooled liquids by numerical simulations of model glass formers subject to static shear deformations combined with local energy minimizations. In the liquid state IS, we find a broad distribution of large rearrangements which are correlated only over small distances. At low temperatures, the onset of the cooperative dynamics corresponds to much smaller displacements correlated over larger distances. This finding indicates the presence of nonaffinely rearranging domains of relevant size in the IS deformation, which can be seen as the static counterpart of the cooperatively rearranging regions in the dynamics. This idea provides new insight into possible structural signatures of slow cooperative dynamics of supercooled liquids and supports the connections with elastic heterogeneities found in amorphous solids.     

The randomly fluctuating impurity strength initiated excitation in doped quantum dots

We investigate the excitation behavior of a repulsive impurity doped quantum dot under the influence of randomly fluctuating dopant potential. We have considered Gaussian impurity centers doped at different locations. The investigation reveals the interplay between dopant location and dopant’s spatial stretch in modulating the excitation pattern. Maximization in the excitation rate has been observed as a function of fluctuating dopant strength owing to the conflict between opposing influences that promote and hinder excitation.     

Production of fullerenes by a near infrared laser

Preparation of macroscopic amount of C₆₀ clusters (fullerenes) by the iodine laser is reported.     

Isomeric states in180Os

Two new isomers have been observed in¹⁸⁰Os. A high-K isomer withI, K ≧20 and a half-life ofT _1/2=12+4 ns have been established. It deexcites via two transitions into the 18⁺ level of the yrare band indicating an unusually smallK-hindrance factor. Evidence for an isomer withI, K>16 and a half-life ofT _1/2=41±10 ns was found. A half-life of 17±3 ns was measured for the previously known 7^? state at 1862 keV. The decay scheme of the previously known 7^? isomer at 1928 keV has been extended and a revised version is presented.     

Long-term drifts of stray electric fields in a Paul trap

We investigate the evolution of quasi-static stray electric fields in a linear Paul trap over a period of several months. Depending on how these electric fields are initially induced, we observe very different timescales for the field drifts. Photo-induced electric fields decay on timescales of days. We interpret this as photo-electrically generated charges on insulating materials which decay via discharge currents. In contrast, stray fields due to the exposure of the ion trap to a beam of Ba atoms mainly exhibit slow dynamics on the order of months. We explain this observation as a consequence of a coating of the trap electrodes by the atomic beam. This may lead to contact potentials which can slowly drift over time due to atomic diffusion and chemical processes on the surface. In order not to perturb the field evolutions, we suppress the generation of additional charges and atomic coatings in the Paul trap during the measurements. For this, we shield the ion trap from ambient light and only allow the use of near-infrared lasers. Furthermore, we minimize the flux of atoms into the ion trap chamber. Long-term operation of our shielded trap led us to a regime of very low residual electric field drifts of less than 0.03 V/m per day.     

Asynchronous sampling for ultrafast experiments with low momentum compaction at the ANKA ring

A high‐repetition‐rate pump–probe experiment is presented, based on the asynchronous sampling approach. The low‐α mode at the synchrotron ANKA can be used for a time resolution down to the picosecond limit for the time‐domain sampling of the coherent THz emission as well as for hard X‐ray pump–probe experiments, which probe structural dynamics in the condensed phase. It is shown that a synchronization of better than 1 ps is achieved, and examples of phonon dynamics of semiconductors are presented.     

Alpha decay of 109I and its implications for the proton decay of 105Sb and the astrophysical rapid proton-capture process

An alpha-decay branch of (1.4+/-0.4) x 10(-4) has been discovered in the decay of 109I, which predominantly decays via proton emission. The measured Q(alpha) value of 3918+/-21 keV allows the indirect determination of the Q value for proton emission from 105Sb of 356+/-22 keV, which is approximately of 130 keV more bound than previously reported. This result is relevant for the astrophysical rapid proton-capture process, which would terminate in the 105Sn(p,gamma)106Sb(p,gamma)107Te(alpha decay)103Sn cycle at the densities expected in explosive hydrogen burning scenarios, unless unusually strong pairing effects result in a 103Sn(p,gamma)104Sb(p,gamma)105Te(alpha decay)101Sn) cycle.     

Influence of pressure on the relative population of the two lowest vibrational levels of the C <Superscript>3</Superscript> Π<Subscript>u</Subscript> state of nitrogen for electron beam excitation

Continuous and pulsed 12 keV electron beams were used to excite nitrogen within a gas cell at pressures ranging from 10 to 1400 hPa. The pressure dependence of the ratio of photon fluxes for emission from vibrational levels v'=0 and 1 of the C ³Π _u state has been studied. The results confirm the presence of a collisional excitation mechanism populating v'=0, 1 in addition to electron impact excitation. Rate constants of (1.27 ±0.04)×10^-11 cm³s^-1 [ v'=0] and (2.68 ±0.08)×10^-11 cm³s^-1 [ v'=1] were measured for C ³Π _u quenching by ground state nitrogen. For electron beam conditions relative excitation efficiencies of 1:0.59:0.22 for vibrational levels 0, 1 and 2 were calculated. The recorded flux ratios are compared with the predictions given by a vibrational relaxation model.