Electron kinetics of collision dominated r.f. bulk plasma in CO: The role of second-kind collisions

Electron energy distribution functions (EEDF) and related properties in the bulk region of the rf CO plasma at the reduced rf field frequency /p₀=×10⁷ sec^–1 torr^–1 have been calculated by solving the time-dependent spatially homogeneous Boltzmann equation in the presence of second-kind collisions and have been interpreted on a microphysical basis. The results show that second-kind collisions (vibrational and electronic) strongly affect the temporal evolution of EEDF, of the mean energy, and of the mean collision frequencies for vibrational and electronic excitation processes, as well as for ionization. In particular, second-kind collisions in the CO rf bulk plasma strongly decrease the modulation of the mean ionization frequency during its periodical alteration in the rf field. Furthermore, the effect of second-kind collisions on an approximate determination of the time-averaged EEDF in the rf bulk plasma using the so-called effective-field appriximation has been estimated.     

Thermal and photochemical effects on the structure,morphology, thermal and optical properties of PVA/Ni0.04Zn0.96O and PVA/Fe0.03Zn0.97O nanocomposite films

Ni_0.04Zn_0.96O and Fe_0.03Zn_0.97O with average diameter of 23 and 19 nm, respectively, have been synthesized by a modified sol–gel method to be used in the preparation of (100 − x)/x poly(vinyl alcohol)/oxide nanocomposite films, with x = 0, 1, 3 and 5 (in wt.%). A 125 W-Hg vapor lamp with emission above 254 nmwas used to irradiate PVA/Ni_0.04Zn_0.96O and PVA/Fe_0.03Zn_0.97O films. The effect on their structural, thermal, morphological and optical properties was studied by TG, DSC, DRX, AFM, UV–vis and PL spectrophotometry. The Ni_0.04Zn_0.96O addition on PVA films decreases the thermal stability of the polymer in inert and in oxidative atmosphere. In contrast, the Fe_0.03Zn_0.97O presence in the PVA films seems to increase the thermal stability of the polymer. The characteristic peak of the crystalline phase of PVA and wurtzite phase of the zinc oxide were identified through X-ray diffraction in both films. The crystallinity of the PVA film increases with UV irradiation and with the presence of Ni_0.04Zn_0.96O and Fe_0.03Zn_0.97O. The roughness of the PVA film was not modified by the addition of the doped oxides; however, it increases after UV irradiation, more significantly in the films containing the oxides. The PVA film exhibits absorption around 280 nm characteristic of π–π^∗ transitions related to carbonyl groups from residuals acetate, while the 95/05 PVA/Ni_0.04Zn_0.96O and 95/05 PVA/Fe_0.03Zn_0.97O nanocomposite films show absorption at the visible region which is characteristics of the band gap reduction of the doped oxides. The photoluminescence of PVA was modified by the presence of the oxides in the film. These nanocomposite films are interesting due to their thermal, mechanical (flexible) properties and low cost of production. In addition they are also able to exhibit peculiar optical properties showing potential to be used in photonic devices, gas sensors and organic solar cell applications.     

Targeting the Substrate Binding Site of E. coli Nitrile Reductase QueF by Modeling,Substrate and Enzyme Engineering

Nitrile reductase QueF catalyzes the reduction of 2‐amino‐5‐cyanopyrrolo[2,3‐d]pyrimidin‐4‐one (preQ₀) to 2‐amino‐5‐aminomethylpyrrolo[2,3‐d]pyrimidin‐4‐one (preQ₁) in the biosynthetic pathway of the hypermodified nucleoside queuosine. It is the only enzyme known to catalyze a reduction of a nitrile to its corresponding primary amine and could therefore expand the toolbox of biocatalytic reactions of nitriles. To evaluate this new oxidoreductase for application in biocatalytic reactions, investigation of its substrate scope is prerequisite. We report here an investigation of the active site binding properties and the substrate scope of nitrile reductase QueF from Escherichia coli. Screenings with simple nitrile structures revealed high substrate specificity. Consequently, binding interactions of the substrate to the active site were identified based on a new homology model of E. coli QueF and modeled complex structures of the natural and non‐natural substrates. Various structural analogues of the natural substrate preQ₀ were synthesized and screened with wild‐type QueF from E. coli and several active site mutants. Two amino acid residues Cys190 and Asp197 were shown to play an essential role in the catalytic mechanism. Three non‐natural substrates were identified and compared to the natural substrate regarding their specific activities by using wild‐type and mutant nitrile reductase.     

Bond-length fluctuations in transition-metal oxoperovskites

Bond-length fluctuations in transition-metal oxoperovskites may give rise to two-phase fluctuations in what appears to be a single phase to a diffraction experiment. Orbital disorder at Jahn-Teller ions results in bond-length fluctuations that give 3D-ferromagnetic, vibronic Mn(III)-O-Mn(III) superexchange interactions and allow disproportionation into Mn(IV) and Mn(II) in LaMnO₃; where orbitally ordered and disordered phases coexist, an external magnetic field stabilizes the orbitally disordered, ferromagnetic phase relative to the orbitally ordered, antiferromagnetic phase. Spin-lattice interactions in the paramagnetic phase of charge-transfer compounds give bond-length fluctuations arising from the semicovalent component of the superexchange interactions. At the crossover from localized to itinerant electronic behavior, the coexistence of two-phase fluctuations has been demonstrated in both the single-valent RNiO₃ family (R=rare-earth, A=alkaline-earth) and the mixed-valent R_0.5A_0.5MnO₃ perovskites. “Bad-metal” behavior is found to be associated with bond-length fluctuations.     

Impact of electron-electron interaction on the electron energy distribution function in molecular plasmas under rf field action

Calculations of the electron energy distribution and of relevant macroscopic quantities of collision-dominated, weakly ionized plasmas under rf field action have been performed with increasing degrees of ionization, and the impact of the electron-electron interaction on these quantities was determined. The investigations were performed for the gas plasmas in CO and H₂ as representatives of molecular plasmas The energy distribution and macroscopic quantities are obtained by solving the nonstationary Bolizmann equation for a given rf field and degree of ionization taking into accoung and additional Fokker-Planck term besides the collision integrals for the elastic and the main inelastic collision processes. In these molecular plasmas a remarkable impact of the electron-electron interaction connected with increasing Maxwellization is observed for degrees of ionization greater than 10.     

Fine structure and hyperfine structure in the excited configuration 5p 26s of the antimony I spectrum

By optical interference and VUV spectroscopy the doublet system of SbI 5p ²6s was investigated, so that now the hyperfinestructure of all 8 levels of 5p ²6s (A- andB-splitting constants) are known. From the analysis we receive a spin-orbit parameter ζ_5p =3,538(57) cm^?1 and from the hyperfine-analysis single electron splitting constantsa _5p ⁰¹ =52.4(4.6),a _5p ¹⁰ =?1.6(7.3),a _5p ¹² =72.3(2.3),a _6s ¹⁰ =91.7(4.1),b _5p ⁰² =?49.6(1.1) andb _5p ¹¹ =30.4(3.2) (all values in mK). For all calculations in the fs- and hfs-analysis the 5p ²6s ² D _3/2 has to be excluded (see discussion). With the figures given above the quadrupole moment¹²¹ Q(5p ²6s)=?0.44(3) barn was obtained. It is in good agreement with the¹²¹ Q(5p ³). For the core-polarization by the 5p electron in the innerfieldns-shells (n=1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and the unpaired 6s electron a field of +500(300) kG was obtained.     

The Conformation of 1,6-Diaza-2,7-cyclodecadione in Solution

From ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR. data, a crown conformation with trans amide bonds is deduced for 1,6-diaza-2,7-cyclodecadione ( 1 ) in solution. Compound 1 was obtained by reaction of 2-pyrrolidone with POCl₃.     

Immediate regularization of measure-type population densities in a two-dimensional chemotaxis system with signal consumption

This paper deals with the Neumann initial-boundary value problem for a classical chemotaxis system with signal consumption in a disk.In contrast to previous studies which have established a comprehensive theory of global classical solutions for suitably regular nonnegative initial data,the focus in the present work is on the question to which extent initially prescribed singularities can be regularized despite the presence of the nonlinear cross-diffusive interaction.The main result in this paper asserts that at least in the framework of radial solutions immediate regularization occurs under an essentially optimal condition on the initial distribution of the population density.More precisely,it will turn out that for any radially symmetric initial data belonging to the space of regular signed Borel measures for the population density and to L² for the signal density,there exists a classical solution to the Neumann initial-boundary value problem,which is smooth and approaches the given initial data in an appropriate trace sense.     

Sphere orders

Ann-sphere order is a finite partially ordered set representable by containment ofn-spheres in Euclidean (n+1)-space. We present a sequence {P _i } of ordered sets such that eachP _i is ann-sphere order only forni; one consequence is that we are able to determine the dimension of a Euclidean space-time manifold from the finite suborders of its causality order.Research supported by ONR grant N00014 85-K-0769.