Dissociation of dimethyl ether at high temperatures

The decomposition of dimethyl ether (CH₃OCH₃) has been investigated behind incident shock waves in a diaphragmless shock tube using laser schlieren densitometry, LS (T = 1500–2450 K, P = 57 ± 4, 125 ± 5 and 253 ± 12 Torr). The LS density gradient profiles were simulated and excellent agreement was found between the simulations and experimental profiles. Rate coefficients for CH₃OCH₃ → CH₃O + CH₃ were obtained. They showed strong fall-off, and at the lower end of the experimental temperature range are close to the low pressure limit. First order rate coefficient expressions were determined over 1500 < T < 2450 K. k_57Torr = (3.10 ± 1.0) × 10⁷⁹T^?19.03 exp(?54417/T) s^?1, k_125Torr = (1.12 ± 0.3) × 10⁸³T^?19.94 exp(?55554/T) s^?1and k_253Torr = (1.02 ± 0.3) × 10⁷³T^?17.09 exp(?51500/T) s^?1. The effect of a roaming channel for decomposition of dimethyl ether was assessed and the best agreement was obtained with 1% dissociation of DME via the roaming path.     

The solution of Hydrogen in TaV2

TaV₂ may be prepared as a random b.c.c. alloy or as a (C-15) Laves phase. The behavior of hydrogen dissolved in b.c.c. TaV₂ is significantly different than that exhibited by hydrogen dissolved in (C-15) TaV₂. The b.c.c. TaV₂/H₂; system is similar to pure vanadium/H₂; in the region of hydrogen solid solution, the electronic contribution to the thermodynamics of solution is negligible and the system exhibits apparent H-H attractive interactions. A non-stoichiometric f.c.c. dihydride is formed at p_H2 = 10 atm, T = 273 K. (C-15) TaV₂ does not form a hydride phase; hydrogen is continuously absorbed into solid solution to a maximum hydrogen content H/M ? 0.60. The solid solution of hydrogen in (C-15) TaV₂ exhibits trends which are typical of intermetallie/H₂ systems. The dilute hydrogen region is marked by a strong positive deviation from Sieverts' Law, and the relative partial molar enthalpy of solution becomes less exothermic as the hydrogen content is increased. ΔV? vs H/M relationships and ΔS_H vs H/M relationships indicate that hydrogen segregation at the metal surface or at abnormally stable trapping sites does not contribute significantly to the thermodynamic behavior exhibited by hydrogen in (C-15) TaV₂. Analysis of the excess free energy of hydrogen suggests that electronic effects may exert a significant influence on the behavior of hydrogen in (C-15) TaV₂, even at dilute hydrogen contents. It is suggested that the radom substitution of tantalum into the vanadium lattice exerts a significantly greater effect on the vibrational entropy of dissolved hydrogen than does the structural transformation b.c.c. TaV₂ → (C-15) TaV₂.     

Thermoreflectance of single crystal Gd

Thermoreflectance spectra for E∥c and E⊥c were measured on a Gd single crystal. The thermoconductance spectra, Δσ_∥ and Δσ_t], are very anisotropic. The strong interband edge at about 0.5 eV is shown to arise from a transition to or from the Fermi level for E⊥c. For E∥c additional effects occur.     

Observation of an excited charm baryon Omega c* decaying to Omega c0gamma

We report the first observation of an excited singly charmed baryon Omega c* (css) in the radiative decay Omega c0gamma, where the Omega c0 baryon is reconstructed in the decays to the final states Omega(-)pi+, Omega(-)pi+pi0, Omega(-)pi+pi(-)pi+, and Xi(-)K(-)pi+pi+. This analysis is performed using a data set of 230.7 fb(-1) collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The mass difference between the Omega c* and the Omega c0 baryons is measured to be 70.8+/-1.0(stat)+/-1.1(syst) MeV/c2. We also measure the ratio of inclusive production cross sections of Omega c* and Omega c0 in e+e(-) annihilation.     

Measurement of the branching fraction and photon energy moments of B-->Xs gamma and A(CP)(B --> X(s+d gamma))

The photon spectrum in B-->Xs gamma decay, where Xs is any strange hadronic state, is studied using a data sample of 88.5 x 10(6) e+ e- --> Upsilon(4S) --> BB decays collected by the BABAR experiment at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. The partial branching fraction, DeltaB(B --> Xs gamma) = (3.67+/-0.29(stat)+/-0.34(syst)+/-0.29(model)) x 10(-4), the first moment = 2.288+/-0.025+/-0.017+/-0.015 GeV, and the second moment E2(gamma) = 0.0328+/-0.0040+/-0.0023+/-0.0036 GeV2 are measured for the photon energy range 1.9 GeV < E gamma < 2.7 GeV. They are also measured for narrower E gamma ranges. The moments are then fit to recent theoretical calculations to extract the heavy quark expansion parameters m(b) and mu2(pi) and to extrapolate the partial branching fraction to E gamma > 1.6 GeV. In addition, the direct CP asymmetry A(CP)(B-->X(s+d gamma) is measured to be -0.110+/-0.115(stat)+/-0.017(syst).     

Measurement of the branching fraction of Gamma(4S) --> B0B0

We report the first measurement of the branching fraction f(00) for Gamma(4S) --> B(0)B(0). The data sample consists of 81.7 fb(-1) collected at the Gamma(4S) resonance with the BABAR detector at the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric-energy e(+)e(-) storage ring. Using partial reconstruction of the decay B(0) --> D(*+) l(-)nu(l) in which only the charged lepton and the soft pion from the decay D(*+) --> D(0)pi(+) are reconstructed, we obtain f(00) = 0.487 +/- 0.010(stat) +/- 0.008(syst). Our result does not depend on the branching fractions of B(0) --> D(*+)l(-)nu(l) and D(*+) --> D(0)pi(+) decays, on the ratio of the charged and neutral B meson lifetimes, nor on the assumption of isospin symmetry.