Recent results for single meson production from the Crystal-Barrel/TAPS experiment at ELSA

The present focus of the CBELSA/TAPS experiment is on meson-photoproduction off the nucleon using polarized photons and polarized targets. Here first preliminary results on the reactions γp → pπ and γp → pπ for both circularly and linearly polarized photons and a longitudinally polarized target are presented. Preliminary results for the beam asymmetry ∑ and the double polarization observable G have been extracted for both reactions using the linear polarization data. From the circular polarization data the observable E has been determined. Due to the near 4π angular coverage of the detector system these results cover almost the full solid angle.     

ISOLTRAP: An on-line Penning trap for mass spectrometry on short-lived nuclides

ISOLTRAP is a Penning trap mass spectrometer for high-precision mass measurements on short-lived nuclides installed at the on-line isotope separator ISOLDE at CERN. The masses of close to 300 radionuclides have been determined up to now. The applicability of Penning trap mass spectrometry to mass measurements of exotic nuclei has been extended considerably at ISOLTRAP by improving and developing this double Penning trap mass spectrometer over the past two decades. The accurate determination of nuclear binding energies far from stability includes nuclei that are produced at rates less than 100 ions/s and with half-lives well below 100ms. The mass-resolving power reaches 10⁷ corresponding to 10keV for medium heavy nuclei and the uncertainty of the resulting mass values has been pushed down to below 10^-8. The article describes technical developments achieved since 1996 and the present performance of ISOLTRAP.     

Design and synthesis of artificial ribonucleases based on 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane and imidazole

The review surveys the results of our studies devoted to the design of highly efficient catalysts of hydrolysis of the phosphodiester bonds in RNA. These catalysts contain the imidazole residue in the catalytic domain, one or several bis-quaternized rings of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane as a polycationic RNA-binding domain, and a lipophilic radical. A versatile approach to artificial ribonucleases of this type was proposed, which allows one to vary not only the number of positive charges in the RNA-binding domain, the structure of the catalytic site, and their mutual arrangement but also the domain structure of the molecule as a whole. Analysis of the catalytic properties of the synthesized constructs makes it possible to optimize the domain structure and the geometry of the molecule ensuring its maximum ribonuclease activity.     

Crystal Structure of Level Zero Extremal Weight Modules

We consider the crystal structure of the level zero extremal weight modules V() using the crystal base of the quantum affine algebra constructed in Duke Math. J. 99 (1999), 455–487. This approach yields an explicit form for extremal weight vectors in the U ^– part of each connected component of the crystal, which are given as Schur functions in the imaginary root vectors. We show the map induces a correspondence between the global crystal base of V() and elements .     

Verbindungsbildung in den quasi-binären Systemen AcX4?MX2 (Ac = Th,U; M = Ca,Sr, Ba,Eu, Ge,Sn, Pb; X = Br,I)

Formation of Compounds in the Quasi-binary Systems AcX₄? MX₂ (Ac = Th, U; M = Ca, Sr, Ba, Eu, Ge, Sn, Pb; X = Br, I) T,x-phase diagrams of the systems ThI₄? SnI₂, ThI₄? PbI₂, ThI₄? CaI₂, and ThI₄? SrI₂ were established using thermoanalysis and x-ray methods. The only ternary compounds have a 1:1 composition. Further AcMX₆ compounds (Ac: Th, U; M: Ca, Sr, Ba, Eu, Ge, Sn, Pb; X: Br, I) were synthesized and their structures investigated. Four structure types are found depending on the temperature and the Ac/M combinations. The structures of γ-ThSnI₆ and β-ThSnI₆ were determined with single crystal methods as representatives of a whole series of isotypic compounds.     

Studies on ABX6 Compounds. V. Thermodynamics and kinetics of the high pressure transformations on ABX6 compounds (A = Ca,Dy, Ge,Sn, Pb; B = Th,U; X = I)

The results of high pressure experiments with ternary iodides of the general formula ABI₆ with A = Ca, Dy, Ge, Sn, Pb and B = Th, U are described. These compounds transform from a β- to a γ-SnThI₆-type structure, both variants of known trihalide structures (BiI₃- and PuBr₃-type). Trends and pecularities in the values for the minimal transformation pressures and in the velocities of transition are pointed out, and they are discussed in terms of geometric and electronic factors.     

Photoemission of LaI2 and CeI2

The electronic structure of the layered compounds LaI₂ and CeI₂ was investigated by photoemission and electron energy loss spectroscopy. From the experimental results we are able to confirm the metallic nature of these compounds, and by using photon energy dependent measurements of the valence band we can identify the orbital character of the conduction band as essentially 5d¹-like. A detailed analysis of the Ce 3d and 4f spectra yields a remarkably small 4f-5d hybridization strength, almost completely decoupling the f-electron from the conduction band, which makes CeI₂ a somewhat unusual system compared to other metallic Ce compounds. Band structure calculations by Jepsen and Andersen [1] confirm these experimental results.