Normal contact stiffness of elastic solids with fractal rough surfaces

Using the boundary element method, we calculate the normal interfacial stiffness and constriction resistance of two elastic bodies with randomly rough surfaces and varying fractal dimensions. The contact stiffness as a function of the applied normal force can be approximated by a power law, with an exponent varying from 0.51 to 0.77 for fractal dimensions varying from 2 to 3.     

Spectroscopically determined potential energy surfaces of the H2O, H2O, and H2O isotopologues of water

Adiabatic potential energy surfaces (PESs) for three major isotopologues of water, H₂¹⁶O, H₂¹⁷O, and H₂¹⁸O, are constructed by fitting to observed vibration-rotation energy levels of the system using the nuclear motion program DVR3D employing an exact kinetic energy operator. Extensive tests show that the mass-dependent ab initio surfaces due to Polyansky et al. [O.L. Polyansky, A.G. Császár, S.V. Shirin, N.F. Zobov, P. Barletta, J. Tennyson, D.W. Schwenke, P.J. Knowles, Science 299 (2003) 539-542.] provide an excellent starting point for the fits. The refinements are performed using a mass-independent morphing function, which smoothly distorts the original adiabatic ab initio PESs. The best overall fit is based on 1788 experimental energy levels with the rotational quantum number J = 0, 2, and 5. It reproduces these levels with a standard deviation of 0.079 cm⁻¹ and gives, when explicit allowance is made for nonadiabatic rotational effects, excellent predictions for levels up to J = 40. Theoretical linelists for all three isotopologues of water involved in the PES construction were calculated up to 26 000 cm⁻¹ with energy levels up to J = 10. These linelists should make an excellent starting point for spectroscopic modelling and analysis.     

Critical behaviour of the smectic A*–C* phase transition and electroclinic effect of ferroelectric liquid crystals with terphenyl rigid core

The SmA*–SmC* phase transition was studied by measuring the temperature and electric field dependences of the optical tilt angle, the electric polarisation and the dielectric spectra collected in a wide frequency range. Critical behaviour of the phase transition was analysed by varying the length of the fluorinated part of the alkyl terminal chain and by differing fluorine substitution in the terphenyl core. Both tilt and polarisation show tricritical mean-field behaviour for all homologues with n?>?2. Almost all coefficients that describe the SmA*–SmC* transition in the frame of the Landau theory were derived for homologue series. Double fluorine substitution in the central ring of the core seems to promote the ‘de Vries'-type smectic A*–C* phase transition with a little layer shrinkage. These well correspond with the lower tilt angle and smaller changes of the birefringence at the phase transition compared to the other homologues.     

New Carbonyl Compounds in the High-Boiling Fraction of Lavender Oil. 3rd Communication

The occurrence of a series of new constituents which can be considered as Diels-Alder adducts of methyl vinyl ketone and ocimene (→1–4), myrcene (→ 9 , 10 ) or β-far-nesene ( → 11 , 12 ), respectively, was reported. Furthermore, the structures of four isomeric cyclohexene derivatives could be established as adducts 21–24 of (E, Z)- and (E, E)-1,3,5-undecatrience and methyl vinyl ketone. Another series of constituents having the norbornane skeleton represents adducts 25–32 , and 33–40 of methyl cyclopentadiene and 1-octen-3-one or methyl vinyl ketone, respectively. In accordance with Alder's endo-rule the endo-isomers are preponderant in the natural as well as in the synthetic mixtures. Most of these constituents could also be identified in a lavender absolute as well as in a freshly prepared hexane extract of lavender flowers (Lavandula officinalis CHAIX ).     

Quantum mechanical valence study of a bond-breaking–bond-forming process in triatomic systems

The recently introduced set of the quadratic, two-electron covalent and ionic valence indices is used to investigate the bond-breaking–bond-forming (BB-BF ) process in an atom exchange reaction between H₂ and X (X = H, F—I) as well as in the O₂—H system. Valence changes accompanying selected charge reorganizations are examined within the three-orbital model and valence diagrams for symmetric transition states (TS s) are given. The UHF valence data for Li₂O and CO₂ and the H—H—X, O—O—H, and O—H—O (ABC) TS s (collinear and angular) are reported and compared to valence data in the separated fragments limits (SFL ), AB and BC. The overall valence, ν(ABC), and the total (ionic plus covalent) diatomic valences, ν_AB and ν_BC, are used as measures of the overall bond-order in a concerted BB–BF reaction, to test the postulate of the bond-energy–bond-order (BEBO ) model. In collinear TS s of H₂X, ν ? ?1, i.e., one bonding electron pari, is found to be roughly preserved, whereas in the angular H₂X and in collinear O—H—O TS s, the effect of increased valence at the saddle-point is observed, relative to that of diatomic fragments (reactiants or products). For the angular O—O—H TS , a similar increase in | ν (ABC)| relative to both O₂ and OH SFL s is detected; smaller changes relative to the O₂ data are found in the collinear TS . This observation is in agreement with earlier predictions from the intersecting-state model. The relative diatomic valences, ν/ν and ν/ν, are shown to conserve the overall relative bond multiplicity around 1 in both collinear and angular TS s of the H₂—X systems. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

New Carbonyl Compounds in the High-Boiling Fraction of Lavender Oil. 2nd Communication

In addition to the sesquiterpenoid compounds reported in [1] the in-depth analysis of lavender oil also led to the identification of new constituents with caryophyllane ( 1 – 6 ), cedrane ( 7 and 8 ) and other skeletons ( 9 – 21 ). Spectroscopic properties as well as partial syntheses of these compounds are discussed.     

Monolayer metal coverage of fullerenes: the optical response

A first-principles investigation of the photoabsorption cross section of the specially stable cluster Li₁₂C₆₀ is carried out, including the icosahedral symmetry of the cluster and treating the ions via ab initio pseudopotentials. The role of the coating metal is assessed by computing the same quantity for the fullerene “seed”. It is found that the main absorption features are determined by the carbon molecule, both at low and high excitation energies, in spite of a reduction of 60% for the ionization threshold of Li₁₂C₆₀ as compared to C₆₀. Nonetheless the lithium coating is responsible for small yet clearly observable effects throughout the spectrum, in particular for a more structured and broad strength distribution at excitation energies below the ionization threshold of C₆₀, and a double peak structure in the Mie resonance at ≈20 eV.     

Synthesis and application of new organometallic compounds of silicon and germanium in chemical radioprotection

Several organosilicon and organogermanium compounds possessing radioprotective activity have been synthesized. In this paper, we describe the preparation and study of the pharmacological properties of new organometallic compounds such as metallathiazolidines and metalladithioacetals derived from 1‐[N‐(2‐mercaptoethyl)‐­2‐aminoethyl] ‐ 2 ‐ (1‐naphthylmethyl) ‐2‐ imidazoline and 1‐[N‐(2‐mercaptopropyl)‐2‐aminoethyl]‐2‐(1‐naphthylmethyl)‐2‐imidazoline. We have noted a decrease in the toxicity and a rather important increase in the radioprotective activity of these new organometallic derivatives in comparison with the starting organic compounds. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.