The distribution of 3p12 strength in 209Bi

An optimized Woods-Saxon potential, which gives excellent fits to the observed proton states in ²⁰⁹Bi and ²⁰⁷Tl, is used to calculate the excitation energy of the unbound $\text{3p}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ proton state in ²⁰⁹Bi. Using the wave functions given by the above potential, the strength of the core-particle interaction is calculated. The effect of the vibration of the core on the fragmentation of the $\text{3p}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ state is estimated. It is found that the $\text{3p}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ state at 5.123 MeV loses more than 80% of its strength to five $\text{1}\text{2}{}^{\mathrm{?}}$ collective states in ²⁰⁹Bi and the observed $\text{3p}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ state at 3.64 MeV is actually an almost equal mixture of the $\text{3p}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ single-proton state and the ($\text{4}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{, 1}\text{h}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>9</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$) collective state.     

Ultrafast dynamics and excited state deactivation of [Ru(bpy)2Sq]+ and its derivatives

Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy has been employed to understand the excited state dynamics of [Ru(bpy)(2)Sq](+) (I; bpy is 2,2'-bipyridyl, and Sq is the deprotonated species of the semiquinone form of 1,2-dihydroxy benzene) and its derivatives, a widely studied near-infrared (NIR) active electrochromic dye. Apart from the well-defined dpi(Ru) --> pi(bpy)-based metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) transition bands at approximately 480 nm, this class of molecules generally shows another dpi(Ru) --> pi(Sq)(SOMO)-based intense MLCT band at around 900 nm, which is known to be redox active and bleaches reversibly upon a change in the oxidation state of the coordinated dioxolene moiety. To have better insight into the photoinduced electron transfer dynamics associated with this MLCT transition, detailed investigations have been carried out on exciting this MLCT band at 800 nm. Immediately after photoexcitation, bleach at 900 nm has been observed, whose recovery is found to follow a triexponential function with major contribution from the ultrafast component. This ultrafast component of approximately 220 fs has been ascribed to the S(1) to S(0) internal conversion process. In addition to the bleach, we have detected two transient species absorbing at 730 and 1000 nm with a formation time approximately 220 fs for both species. The excited state lifetimes for these two transient species have been measured to be 1.5 and 11 ps and have been attributed to excited singlet ((1)MLCT) and triplet ((3)MLCT) states, respectively. Transient measurements carried out on the different but analogous derivatives (II and III) have also shown similar recovery dynamics except that the rate for the internal conversion process has increased with the decrease in the S(1) to S(0) energy gap. The observed results are consistent with the energy gap law for nonradiative decay from S(1) to S(0).     

Imaging of atomic layer deposited (ALD) tungsten monolayers on alpha-TiO2(110) by X-ray standing wave Fourier inversion

A single atomic layer of tungsten grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on a single-crystal rutile TiO2(110) support is studied by the X-ray standing wave (XSW) technique. The surface structural and chemical properties were also examined using atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and low-energy electron diffraction. The XSW measured set of hkl Fourier components for the W atomic distribution function are summed together to produce a model-independent 3D map of the W atoms relative to the rutile lattice. The 3D atomic image shows surface tungsten atoms equally occupying the two nonequivalent Ti sites with a slight outward displacement. This corresponds to the atop and bridge sites with respect to the underlying lattice oxygen atoms. These XSW measurements clearly show that ALD conformal layers can be highly coherent with respect to the substrate lattice.     

Twisting dynamics in the excited singlet state of Michler's ketone

Ultrafast relaxation dynamics of the excited singlet (S(1)) state of Michler's ketone (MK) has been investigated in different kinds of solvents using a time-resolved absorption spectroscopic technique with 120 fs time resolution. This technique reveals that conversion of the locally excited (LE) state to the twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) state because of twisting of the N,N-dimethylanilino groups with respect to the central carbonyl group is the major relaxation process responsible for the multi-exponential and probe-wavelength-dependent transient absorption dynamics of the S1 state of MK, but solvation dynamics does not have a significant role in this process. Theoretical optimization of the ground-state geometry of MK shows that the dimethylanilino groups attached to the central carbonyl group are at a dihedral angle of about 51 degrees with respect to each other because of steric interaction between the phenyl rings. Following photoexcitation of MK to its S1 state, two kinds of twisting motions have been resolved. Immediately after photoexcitation, an ultrafast "anti-twisting" motion of the dimethylanilino groups brings back the pretwisted molecule to a near-planar geometry with high mesomeric interaction and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) character. This motion is observed in all kinds of solvents. Additionally, in solvents of large polarity, the dimethylamino groups undergo further twisting to about 90 degrees with respect to the phenyl ring, to which it is attached, leading to the conversion of the ICT state to the TICT state. Similar characteristics of the absorption spectra of the TICT state and the anion radical of MK establish the nearly pure electron transfer (ET) character of the TICT state. In aprotic solvents, because of the steep slope of the potential energy surface near the Franck-Condon (FC) or LE state region, the LE state is nearly nonemissive at room temperature and fluorescence emission is observed from only the ICT and TICT states. Alternatively, in protic solvents, because of an intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interaction between MK and the solvent, the LE region is more flat and stimulated emission from this state is also observed. However, a stronger hydrogen-bonding interaction between the TICT state and the solvent as well as the closeness between the two potential energy surfaces due to the TICT and the ground states cause the nonradiative coupling between these states to be very effective and, hence, cause the TICT state to be weakly emissive. The multi-exponentiality and strong wavelength-dependence of the kinetics of the relaxation process taking place in the S1 state of MK have arisen for several reasons, such as strong overlapping of transient absorption and stimulated emission spectra of the LE, ICT, and TICT states, which are formed consecutively following photoexcitation of the molecule, as well as the fact that different probe wavelengths monitor different regions of the potential energy surface representing the twisting motion of the excited molecule.     

Probing CPT violation in neutrino oscillation: A three flavor analysis

We have studied CPT violation in neutrino oscillation considering three flavor framework with matter effect. We have constructed a new way to find the oscillation probability incorporating CPT violating terms without any approximation. Then CPT   violation with atmospheric neutrinos for a magnetized iron calorimeter detector considering the muons (directly measurable with high resolution) of the charge current events has been studied for zero and nonzero θ₁₃${\theta }_{13}$ values. It is found that a potential bound of δb₃₂?6×¹⁰⁻²⁴ GeV$\delta b_{32}?6\times {10}^{-24}\text{GeV}$ at 99% CL can be obtained with 1 Mton.year exposure of this detector; and unlike neutrino beam experiments, there is no possibility to generate ‘fake’ CPT violation due to matter effect with atmospheric neutrinos. The advantages of atmospheric neutrinos to discriminate CPT violation from CP violation and nonstandard interactions are also discussed.     

Modulated photophysics of 2-anthracene sulphonate in micellar assembly

The association of a non-ionic surfactant of polyoxyethylene-p-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenyl ether (Triton X) series with 2-AS in aqueous solution has been studied by means of steady-state, time-resolved fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy techniques. The effect of the hydrophobic chain length on the structural dynamism of the fluorophore has been reported. Experimental results demonstrate that the equilibrium of this dynamism is sensitive to the environment. The association constant of the probe molecule with the non-ionic micelles of Triton X (TX), location of the probe in the micellar environment, have been determined from the change in emission characteristics of the probe as a function of surfactant concentration. The rate constant of quenching and mode of quenching of probe in micellar media have been ascertained. Quantitative estimates of the micropolarity at the binding sites of the probe molecule have been determined. Some of the environment-dependent relevant fluorescence parameters, fluorescence anisotropy (r), have been monitored for exploring the imposed motional restriction of the microenvironment around the probe. An attempt has been made to correlate the steady-state results with time resolved study.     

Kantowski-Sachs Universe Filled with Perfect Fluid in f(R,T) Theory of Gravity

The exact solutions of the field equations in respect of Kantowski-Sachs universe filled with perfect fluid in the framework of f(R,T) theory of gravity (Harko et al. in Phys. Rev. D 84:024020, 2011) is derived. A cosmological model with an appropriate choice of the function f(T) is constructed. The physical behavior of the cosmological model is studied. Some important features of astrophysical phenomena, like Hubble’s parameter H(z), luminosity distance (d _L ) and distance modulus μ(z) with red-shift are also discussed.     

Higher Dimensional Cosmological Models Filled with Perfect Fluid in f(R,T) Theory of Gravity

The new class of higher dimensional cosmological model of the early universe filled with perfect fluid source in the framework of f(R,T) theory of gravity (Harko et al. in Phys. Rev. D 84, 024020, 2011) is considered. A cosmological model with an appropriate choice of the function f(T) has been constructed. The physical behavior of the model is studied. The well known astrophysical phenomena, namely the Hubble parameter H(z), luminosity distance (d _L ) and distance modulus μ(z) with redshift are discussed.     

Holographic Dark Energy (DE) Cosmological Models with Quintessence in Bianchi Type-V Space Time

In this paper, author studied homogeneous and anisotropic Bianchi type-V universe filled with matter and holographic dark energy (DE) components. The exact solutions to the corresponding Einstein’s field equations are obtained for exponential and power-law volumetric expansion. The holographic dark energy (DE) EoS parameter behaves like constant, i.e. ω _Λ =?1, which is mathematically equivalent to cosmological constant (Λ) for exponential expansion of the model, whereas the holographic dark energy (DE) EoS parameter behaves like quintessence for power-law expansion of the model. A correspondence between the holographic dark energy (DE) models with the quintessence dark energy (DE) is also established. Quintessence potential and dynamics of the quintessence scalar field are reconstructed, which describe accelerated expansion of the universe. The statefinder diagnostic pair {r,s} is adopted to characterize different phases of the universe.     

Fluorescence Spectroscopic and Calorimetry Based Approaches to Characterize the Mode of Interaction of Small Molecules with DNA

Ethidium bromide displacement assay by fluorescence is frequently used as a diagnostic tool to identify the intercalation ability of DNA binding small molecules. Here we have demonstrated that the method has pitfalls. We have employed fluorescence, absorbance and label free technique such as isothermal titration calorimetry to probe the limitations. Ethidium bromide, a non-specific intercalator, netropsin, a (A-T) specific minor groove binder, and sanguinarine, a (G-C) specific intercalator, have been used in our experiments to study the association of a ligand with DNA in presence of a competing ligand. Here we have shown that netropsin quenches the fluorescence intensity of an equilibrium mixture of ethidium bromide - calf thymus DNA via displacement of ethidium bromide. Isothermal titration calorimetry results question the accepted interpretation of the observed decrease in fluorescence of bound ethidium bromide in terms of competitive binding of two ligands to DNA. Furthermore, isothermal titration calorimetry experiments and absorbance measurements indicate that the fluorescence change might be due to formation of ternary complex and not displacement of one ligand by another.