Analysis of the 19F and 1H NMR spectra of a number of polyfluoroindenes

¹⁹F and ¹H NMR spectra of the products of nucleophilic attack on octafluoroindene are analysed and structures assigned. The major product in the reaction of butyllithium with octafluoroindene is 3-methylheptafluoroindene, with sodium borohydride it is 2-hydroheptafluoroindene and with sodium methoxide it is 3-methoxyheptafluoroindene. Vacuum pyrolysis of undecafluorotricyclo[5.2.2.0^2,6]undeca- 2,5,8-triene, with elimination of C₂F₄, gives 6-hydroheptafluoroindene as the major product. The NMR assignments are based on the unambiguous synthesis via vacuum pyrolysis of 5,6-dihydrohexafluoroindene, 3-hydro- and 3-methyl-heptafluoroindene and the large long-range coupling of 15 Hz assigned to the F-2, F-6 interaction.     

Hermitian forms and the large and small sieves

The author observes that two Hermitian forms have the same largest eigenvalue. A large sieve result of Roth-Bombieri type and Selberg's upper bound sieve with a Montgomery type error term are derived.     

A limit on the lepton-family number violating process π → μe

A FNAL E799 Collaboration has carried out a search for the lepton-family number violating decay π⁰ → μ^±e using π⁰'s produced from K_L → π⁰π⁰π⁰ decays in flight. No events were observed. Assuming that lepton-family number violation is charge independent, the 90% confidence level upper limit on

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was determined to be 8.6 × 10⁻⁹.     

OH-stretch vibrational spectroscopy of hydroxymethyl hydroperoxide

We report measurement and analysis of the photodissociation spectrum of hydroxymethyl hydroperoxide (HOCH(2)OOH) and its partially deuterated analogue, HOCD(2)OOH, in the OH-stretching region. Spectra are obtained by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in the 1nu(OH) and 2nu(OH) regions, and by laser induced fluorescence detection of the OH fragment produced from dissociation of HOCH(2)OOH initiated by excitation of the 4nu(OH) and 5nu(OH) overtone regions (action spectroscopy). A one-dimensional local-mode model of each OH chromophore is used with ab initio calculated OH-stretching potential energy and dipole moment curves at the coupled-cluster level of theory. Major features in the observed absorption and photodissociation spectra are explained by our local-mode model. In the 4nu(OH) region, explanation of the photodissocation spectrum requires a nonuniform quantum yield, which is estimated by assuming statistical energy distribution in the excited state. Based on the estimated dissociation threshold, overtone photodissociation is not expected to significantly influence the atmospheric lifetime of hydroxymethyl hydroperoxide.     

Parameter choices and a better bound on the list size in the Guruswami–Sudan algorithm for algebraic geometry codes

Given an algebraic geometry code C_L(D, aP){C_{\mathcal L}(D, \alpha P)}, the Guruswami–Sudan algorithm produces a list of all codewords in C_L(D, aP){C_{\mathcal L}(D, \alpha P)} within a specified distance of a received word. The initialization step in the algorithm involves parameter choices that bound the degree of the interpolating polynomial and hence the length of the list of codewords generated. In this paper, we use simple properties of discriminants of polynomials over finite fields to provide improved parameter choices for the Guruswami–Sudan list decoding algorithm for algebraic geometry codes. As a consequence, we obtain a better bound on the list size as well as a lower degree interpolating polynomial.     

A comparison of the dynamic mechanical relaxation behavior of linear low- and high-density polyethylenes

The mechanical relaxation behaviors of oriented samples of a linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) were studied using tensile dynamic mechanical measurements. The anisotropy and activation energies of the relaxations were determined for several different samples to investigate why the α-relaxation in HDPE has characteristics similar in some respects to both the α- and β-relaxations in LLDPE. It is concluded that the anisotropy of the α-relaxation in LLDPE is determined by c-shear, whereas in HDPE it relates to interlamellar shear. The activation energy measurements, however, show that the thermally activated process for the α-relaxation in both the LLDPE and HDPE is c-shear. It is proposed that, in HDPE, c-shear has to occur before there is enough mobility at the fold surface for interlamellar shear. It is concluded that the β-relaxation is not observed in HDPE because the interlamellar regions are too constrained to allow interlamellar shear without c-shear.     

Cross Sections for Neutron–Deuteron Elastic Scattering in the Energy Range 135–250 MeV

We report new measurements of the neutron–deuteron elastic scattering cross section at energies from 135 to 250 MeV and center-of-mass angles from 80^? to 130^?. Cross sections for neutron-proton elastic scattering were also measured with the same experimental setup for normalization purposes. Our nd cross section results are compared with predictions based on Faddeev calculations including three-nucleon forces, and with cross sections measured with charged particle and neutron beams at comparable energies.     

Dielectric classification of <Emphasis Type="Italic">D</Emphasis>-and <Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis>-amino acids by thermal and analytical methods

Dielectric analysis (DEA), supported by thermogravimetric analysis (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction analysis (PXRD) and photomicrography, reveal the chiral difference in the amino acids. The acids are classified as dielectric materials based on their structure, relating chirality to the vector sum of the average dipole moment, composed of the constant optical (electronic) and infra-red (atomic) polarizabilities, as well as dipole orientation. This study encompasses 14 L-and D-amino acid isomers. Physical properties recorded include AC electrical conductivity, charge transfer complexes, melting, recrystallization, amorphous and crystalline phases, and relaxation spectra, activation energies and polarization times for the electrical charging process.