Fission dynamics of excited nuclei within the liquid-drop model

We evaluate the temperature T_scis at the scission point and the saddle-to-scission time τ_scis for the fission of heated nuclei. We use classical Lagrange-like equations of motion within the liquid-drop model. The nuclear surface is parameterized by a two-parameter family of the Lawrence shapes. Conservative forces are defined through the free energy of the nucleus at finite temperatures. We use the friction tensor that is derived from the Navier-Stokes momentum-flux tensor and which takes into account the boundary conditions at the nuclear surface. The scission line is determined from the instability condition of the nuclear shape with respect to variations of the neck radius. A numerical solution to the dynamical equations is obtained for the ²³⁶U nucleus. The viscosity coefficient μ is deduced from a comparison of experimental data on the kinetic energy of fission fragments with the computed one. It is found that μ obtained by using our approach deviates significantly from μ of the standard hydrodynamic model.     

Mass spectrometric study of the thermochemical properties of gaseous MgOH

D⁰₀(Mg-OH) has been measured in a high temperature mass spectrometer and found to be 73.5 ± 5 $\text{kcal}\text{mol}$ (3.19 ± 0.22 eV). The dissociation energies of the monohydroxides and monochlorides of Mg and Ba are compared.     

Enantioselective separation of rivastigmine by capillary electrophoresis with cyclodextrines

Different beta-cyclodextrines (beta-cyclodextrin, heptakis (2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin, hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin, and sulfated beta-cyclodextrin) were investigated as additives for the enantioselective separation of the R-form from rivastigmine ((S)-N-ethyl-3-[(1-dimethylamino) ethyl]-N-methyl-phenyl carbamate), contained as impurity in this drug, which is used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Electrophoresis was performed in an acidic background electrolyte (triethanolammonium phosphate, 75 mM, pH 2.5) with various concentrations of the additives. The electrophoretic mobilities measured are typical functions of the additive concentrations, with complex constants (obtained by fitting the appropriate binding curve on the data) ranging between about 180 and 770 M(-1). Best separation was obtained with 7.5 mM beta-cyclodextrin, with the R-enantiomer as impurity migrating before the main S-compound. Intra- and interday reproducibility (n = 6 and 18, respectively) of migration time and peak area was in the low percentage range, linearity of the calibration line for the quantitation of the impurity in the range between 2.3 and 50 microg/ml, expressed by the linear correlation coefficient, was 0.9998. The limits of detection and quantitation, respectively, were 0.7 and 2.3 microg/ml, corresponding to 0.05 and 0.15%, m/m of the R- relative to the S-compound. Analysis can be carried out at 18 degrees C in less than 19 min.     

A Theory of Nets for Polyhedra and Polytopes Related to Incidence Geometries

Our purpose is to elaborate a theory of planar nets or unfoldings for polyhedra, its generalization and extension to polytopes and to combinatorial polytopes, in terms of morphisms of geometries and the adjacency graph of facets.     

A Study of Risk-exposed Cotton Trading

The international spot-market, risk-exposed, trading of a cotton merchant was studied. A price model for estimating a market price for cotton with varying characteristics was constructed. This formed the input for a trading decision model which predicted the outcome of the merchant taking risky positions.     

Ab initio study of low-lying electronic states of SnCl2+

Complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF), multireference configuration interaction (MRCI), and restricted-spin coupled-cluster singles-doubles with perturbative triples [RCCSD(T)] calculations have been carried out on low-lying doublet and quartet states of SnCl2+, employing basis sets of up to aug-cc-pV5Z quality. Effects of core correlation and off-diagonal spin-orbit interaction on computed vertical ionization energies were investigated. The best theoretical estimate of the adiabatic ionization energy (including zero-point vibrational energy correction) to the X2A1 state of SnCl2+ is 10.093+/-0.010 eV. The first photoelectron band of SnCl2 has also been simulated by employing RCCSD(T)/aug-cc-pV5Z potential energy functions and including Duschinsky rotation and anharmonicity.     

Ab initio calculations on low-lying electronic states of SbO2- and Franck-Condon simulation of its photodetachment spectrum

Geometry optimization and harmonic vibrational frequency calculations have been carried out on the low-lying singlet and triplet electronic states of the antimony dioxide anion (SbO2-) employing a variety of ab initio methods. Both large-core and small-core relativistic effective core potentials were used for Sb in these calculations, together with valence basis sets of up to augmented correlation-consistent polarized-valence quintuple-zeta (aug-cc-pV5Z) quality. The ground electronic state of SbO2- is determined to be the X (1)A1 state, with the a (3)B1 state, calculated to be approximately 48 kcal mole(-1) (2.1 eV) higher in energy. Further calculations were performed on the X (2)A1, A (2)B2, and B (2)A2 states of SbO2 with the aim to simulating the photodetachment spectrum of SbO(2) (-). Potential energy functions (PEFs) of the X (1)A1 state of SbO2- and the X (2)A1, A (2)B2, and B (2)A2 states of SbO2 were computed at the complete-active-space self-consistent-field multireference internally contracted configuration interaction level with basis sets of augmented correlation-consistent polarized valence quadruple-zeta quality. Anharmonic vibrational wave functions obtained from these PEFs were used to compute Franck-Condon factors between the X (1)A1 state of SbO2- and the X (2)A1, A (2)B2, and B (2)A2 states of SbO2, which were then used to simulate the photodetachment spectrum of SbO2-, which is yet to be recorded experimentally.     

DFT and ab initio calculations on two reactions between hydrogen atoms and the fire suppressants 2-H heptafluoropropane and CF3Br

Reaction enthalpies and barrier heights of the reactions CF3Br+H-->CF3+HBr {reaction (1)} and CF3CHFCF3+H-->CF3CFCF3+H2 {reaction (2)} have been calculated at the near state-of-the-art ab initio level, and also by employing the B3LYP, BH&HLYP, BB1K, MPW1K, MPWB1K and TPSS1KCIS functionals. In addition, the integrated molecular orbital+molecular orbital (IMOMO) method has been used to study reaction (2). The ab initio benchmark values of the reaction enthalpy (298 K) and barrier height (0 K) of reaction (2) are reported for the first time {-(0.7+/-0.7) and 13.3+/-0.5 kcal/mole respectively}. When density functional theory (DFT) results are compared with ab initio benchmarks for both reactions (1) and (2), the MPWB1K functional is found to have the best performance of the six functionals used. The IMOMO method with the RCCSD/aug-cc-pVTZ and/or RCCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ levels, as the high levels of calculation on the model system, gives reaction enthalpies and barrier heights of reaction (2), which agree with ab initio benchmark values to within 1 kcal/mole. Computed key geometrical parameters and imaginary vibrational frequencies of the transition state structures of reactions (1) and (2) obtained at different levels of calculation are compared. The magnitudes of the computed imaginary vibrational frequencies of the transition states of both reactions considered are found to be very sensitive to the levels of calculation used to obtain them. The heat of formation (298 K) of CF3CFCF3 calculated at the near state-of-the-art level has a value of -(318+/-3) kcal/mole.     

Defocus image contrast in hexagonally-ordered mesoporous material

A transmission electron microscope was used to characterize a powder form of hexagonally-ordered mesoporous silica material. The structural symmetry built into this amorphous material allowed one to obtain three characteristic images, i.e. a hexagonal honey-comb structure and wide/narrow parallel lines. These images were found to originate primarily from phase contrast, which changed sensitively with defocusing. To further understand the contrast behaviour of these images, an analytical form of the defocus contrast theory was developed and applied to the simulation of the characteristic wide/narrow parallel line images. The simulation was found to be in good qualitative agreement with experiments, where changes in focus conditions and specimen thickness were predicted to alter the contrast in the resulting parallel-line type images.     

Theoretical study of M(+)-RG complexes (M = Ga, In; RG = He-Rn)

We present potential energy curves calculated at the CCSD(T) level of theory for Ga(+)-RG and In(+)-RG complexes (RG = He-Rn). Spectroscopic parameters have been derived from these potentials and compared to previously calculated parameters for the Al(+)-RG and Tl(+)-RG complexes. Additionally, for some cases, we compare these parameters with those obtained from electronic spectroscopic studies on excited states of the neutral species, arising from atomic-based d ← p excitations. The Ga(+)-RG and In(+)-RG potentials have also been used to calculate the transport coefficients for M(+) traveling through a bath of RG atoms.