A Nontemporal Probabilistic Approach to Special and General Relativity

We introduce a discrete probabilistic model of motion in special and general relativity that is shown to be compatible with the standard model in the statistical limit.     

Morse theory indomitable

Dedicated to René Thom.     

Investigation of 228Th in the (α, α'2n) reaction

The ²³⁰Th(α, α'2n)²²⁸Th reaction at E_α = 56 MeV was used to investigate states of moderately high spin in ²²⁸Th. Conversion electron and e^?-γ coincidence measurements were carried out, where the electrons were detected with an iron-free orange spectrometer. The ground state and low-lying K^π = 0^? rotational bands were observed up to I^π = 14⁺ and 13^?, respectively. The data are interpreted in terms of an ω-expansion for the ground-state rotational band, and an octupole vibrational band distorted by the Coriolis coupling to the K^π ? 1^? excitations for the K^π = 0^? band.     

Rings-on-a-string chain structure in DNA

Using fluorescence microscopy (FM), which permits the observation of single molecules, we found that a pearling structure is generated on a single long DNA molecule upon the addition of a gemini (dimeric) surfactant. This pearling structure was further investigated by performing atomic force microscopy measurements on the same DNA molecules as observed by FM. These observations revealed that the pearling structure is composed of many rings that are interconnected by elongated coil parts along a single DNA molecule, i.e., rings-on-a-string structure. The mechanism of the formation of such an intrachain segregated structure in terms of microphase separation on a single polyelectrolyte chain is discussed.     

Propagating energy modes in the heisenberg chain: Just plain magnons

We show that the oscillations in the energy density observed in classical simulations on ferromagnetic chains are present in the antiferromagnet as well, and are not due to hydrodynamic “second magnon” modes, but arise from a singularity in the non interacting two spin wave density of states.Quantum occupation number effects change qualitatively the nature of the oscillations, producing a perfectly well defined mode at the spin wave frequency as T→0.     

Coverage-dependent kinetics and thermodynamics of carbon monoxide adsorption on a ternary copper catalyst derived from static adsorption microcalorimetry

A reliable method for adsorption systems in equilibrium is established to derive coverage-dependent kinetics and thermodynamics from the volumetric data obtained during the static microcalorimetric measurement of heats of adsorption. The Wigner-Polanyi equation is applied to analyze the pressure change as a function of time during stepwise dosing of the adsorptive until thermodynamic adsorption-desorption equilibrium is established. For carbon monoxide adsorption on a hydrogen-reduced Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalyst, the adsorption rate constant (ka) is found to be in the range from 10(-6) to 10(-4) Pa(-1) s(-1), and the desorption rate constant (kd) from 10(-4) to 10(-2) s(-1), both increasing with fractional coverage theta. The kinetically derived equilibrium constant Ktheta is in good agreement with Ktheta obtained from the adsorption isotherm. RT ln(Kp0) and the differential heat of adsorption (qdiff) were found to decrease in parallel, reflecting a normal Temkin-type heterogeneity.