Absolute sign of the Mu* hyperfine parameters in diamond

Standard μSR experiments in diamond have shown that the relative sign of the hyperfine parameters of the anisotropic Mu^* state is negative (A _‖/A _⊥<0). We report an experimental determination of theabsolute sign of the Mu^* hyperfine parameters by studying the transferred muon polarization during the thermally-activated transition from the isotropic Mu state to Mu^*. The results demonstrate that the isotropic part of the Mu^* hyperfine interaction is negative. In a nitrogen-poor diamond, both the Mu disappearance rate and the enhancement of the Mu^* signals are well-described by a single Arrhenius law.     

Muonium states in silicon carbide

Implanted muons in samples of silicon carbide have been observed to form paramagnetic muonium centers (μ ⁺ e⁻). Muonium precession signals in low applied magnetic fields have been observed at 22 K in a granular sample of cubic β-SiC, however it was not possible to determine the hyperfine frequency. In a single crystal sample of hexagonal 6H-SiC, three apparently isotropic muonium states were observed at 20 K and two at 300 K, all with hyperfine frequencies intermediate between those of the isotropic muonium centers in diamond and silicon. No evidence was seen of an anisotropic muonium state analogous to the Mu^* state in diamond and silicon.     

Muonium centers in the alkali halides

Muonium centers (Mu) in single crystals and powdered alkali halides have been studied using the high-timing-resolution transverse field μSR technique. Mu has been observed and its hyperfine parameter (HF) determined inevery alkali halide. For the rocksalt alkali halides, the HF parameter A_μ shows a systematic dependence on the host lattice constant. A comparison of the Mu HF parameter with hydrogen ESR data suggests that the Mu center is the muonic analogue of the interstitial hydrogenH _i ⁰ -center. The rate of Mu diffusion can be deduced from the motional narrowing of the nuclear hyperfine interaction. KBr shows two different Mu states, a low-temperatureMu ^I -state and a high-temperatureMu ^II -state.     

Structure and folding of glucagon-like peptide-1-(7–36)-amide in aqueous trifluoroethanol studied by NMR spectroscopy

The conformational changes of free, monomeric glucagon-like peptide-1-(7–36)-amide (GLP-1) in aqueous solution with increasing concentrations of 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) were monitored by NMR spectroscopy. It was found that GLP-1 gradually assumes a stable, single-stranded helical structure in water solution when the TFE concentration is increased from 0 to 35% (v/v). No further structural changes were observed at higher TFE concentrations. The structure of GLP-1 in 35% TFE was determined from 292 distance restraints and 44 angle restraints by distance geometry, simulating annealing and restrained energy minimization. The helical structure extends from T7 to K28, with a less well-defined region around G16 and a disordered six-residue N-terminal domain. The folding process of GLP-1 from random coil (in water) to helix (in 35% TFE) is initiated by the formation of the C-terminal segment of the helix that is extended gradually towards the N-terminus of the peptide with increasing concentration of TFE. The exchange rates of the slow exchanging amide protons indicate that the C-terminal part of the helix is more stable than the N-terminal part. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Utilisation of Thermal Analysis to Optimise Radiocarbon Dating Procedures

Thermal analysis combined with mass spectrometry was applied to radiocarbon dating procedures (age determination of carbon-containing samples). Experiments carried out under an oxygen atmosphere were used to determine carbon content and combustion range of soil and wood samples. Composition of the shell sample and its decomposition were investigated. The quantification of CO₂ formed by the oxidation of carbon was done by the application of pulse thermal analysis. Experiments carried out under an inert atmosphere determined the combustion range of coal with CuO as an oxygen source. To eliminate a possible source of contamination in the radiocarbon dating procedures the adsorption of CO₂ by CuO was investigated. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Convective instability of a binary mixture with allowance for the Soret effect

The effect of weak mixture concentration on the threshold of convective instability of a binary mixture filling a cavity of arbitrary shape is investigated. In the case of thermally insulated boundaries in the neighborhood of the critical Rayleigh number monotonicity of perturbations is proved. This makes it possible to express the critical Rayleigh number for the mixture in terms of its analog for a single-component fluid at any values of the Soret parameter. In the general case of boundaries of arbitrary thermal conductivity an estimate of the critical Rayleigh number is obtained for small values of the Soret parameter.Perm'. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 6, pp. 161–165, November–December, 1996.