Intermittency in the Fisher's droplet model

Intermittent behaviour of fragment multiplicity distributions in the nuclear liquid-gas phase transition is studied in terms of the droplet model of Fisher. The anomalous fractal dimensions are compared with data on heavy ion reactions and classical molecular dynamics simulations. A signature of the transition in the anomalous fractal dimensions is shown.We thank Profs. S. Ayik, M. Di Toro and V. Kondratyev for discussions. One of us (T.K.) acknowledges the support of INFN-LNS.     

Observation of large Zeeman splitting in GaGdN/AlGaN ferromagnetic semiconductor double quantum well superlattices

Symmetric GaGdN/AlGaN (Gd concentration: 2%) and GaN/AlGaN double quantum well superlattices (DQW-SLs) were grown by radio-frequency plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy on GaN (0001) templates. Atomic steps were observed on all the sample surfaces by atomic force microscope. X-ray diffraction θ/2θ scan curves exhibited well-defined satellite structures. Room temperature ferromagnetism was confirmed for the GaGdN/AlGaN DQW-SL samples by using alternating gradient magnetometer. Strong photoluminescence was observed from both GaGdN and GaN QWs at higher energy side of GaN excitonic peak. Magneto-photoluminescence spectra for GaGdN/AlGaN DQW-SL samples showed a large magnetic field dependence of the excitonic energy by applying a magnetic field up to 7 T. The observed strong redshift of excitonic PL indicated an enhancement of Zeeman splitting of the free carrier energy levels in magnetic GaGdN/AlGaN DQW-SL. Enhanced g-factor was estimated to be about 60 for GaGdN/AlGaN DQW-SL sample with QW thickness of 1 nm.     

High-pressure and high-temperature generation using diamond/sic composite anvils prepared with hot isostatic pressing

Using a hot isostatic pressing (HIP) technique, we synthesized diamond/SiC composites from diamond and Si powders. At an HIP condition of 1450 °C and 100 MPa, a pressure much lower than that of the diamond stability field, diamond powders react with molten Si to form well-sintered diamond/SiC composites. Cubes of the composites with 15 mm edge length were thereby fabricated, and an application to the second stage anvils in a Kawai-type high-pressure apparatus was attempted. A hybrid anvils system using four cubes of the composites and four of the conventional WC was introduced and heating experiments up to 1600 °C became possible. Because the diamond/SiC composites are transparent to X-rays, the present system is applicable not only to diffraction studies but also to radiographic studies that need a larger window for an X-ray image.     

Effect of fast neutron irradiation on magnetic properties of fullerene superconductor Rb3C60

Effects of fast neutron irradiation and post-annealing on magnetic properties of Rb₃C₆₀ were studied through the dc magnetization measurement. Rb₃C₆₀ powder samples were prepared in an evacuated quartz glass tube, and the temperature and the magnetic field dependences of dc magnetization were measured before and after irradiation and after post-annealing. The neutron fluences were 1.0, 1.8 and 3.3 × 10¹⁶ n/cm², and the post-annealing was made at a temperature of 473 K for 3 h. Magnetic hysteresis of the samples irradiated at the fluence of 1.8 and 3.3 × 10¹⁶ n/cm² disappeared, and the hysteresis curves hardly changed at the fluence of 1.0 × 10¹⁶ n/cm². As for the post-annealing effect, the hysteresis curves of the sample irradiated at the fluence of 1.8 × 10¹⁶ n/cm² were completely recovered after annealing, while those of the other samples, which had a magnetic background before irradiation, were not recovered. In this study, it was found that the loss of superconductivity in Rb₃C₆₀ powder is observed when the neutron irradiation fluence exceeds 1.0 × 10¹⁶ n/cm², and the lost superconductivity is completely recovered by the post-annealing at 473 K for 3 h.     

Crystallization Behavior of Sol-Gel Derived Films by Self-Seeding Process

We propose the novel preparation method, Self-seeding Process, based on the following concept for low temperature crystallization of oxide films. Introduction of desirable inhomogeneity should give lowering of a crystallization temperature through heterogeneous nucleation accompanied with reduced activation energy. We carried out inspection of the above concept through use of PZT films. PZT gel films with the desirable inhomogeneity of microstructure were prepared, and their crystallization behaviors was examined. The PZT film was successfully crystallized at 500°C by the self-seeding process. The single phase (001) oriented PZT film with 0.55 m in thickness was obtained at 550°C for 5 min. The self-seeding process by microstructure control is efficient for the low temperature process of the oxide thin film.     

Ambient-pressure organic superconductors kappa-(DMEDO-TSeF)2[Au(CN)4](solv.): Tc tuning by modification of the solvent of crystallization

The unsymmetrical pi donor dimethyl(ethylenedioxy)tetraselenafulvalene (DMEDO-TSeF) has provided six new organic superconductors with a monovalent square-planar [Au(CN)(4)](-) ion and cyclic ethers as solvent of crystallization. The six new organic superconductors kappa-(DMEDO-TSeF)(2)[Au(CN)(4)](solv.) [solv.=1,3-dioxolane (DOL), 2,5-dihydrofuran (DHF), tetrahydropyran (THP), 1,3-dioxane (1,3-DOX), 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran (DHP), or 1,4-dioxane (1,4-DOX)] are classified into two subphases kappa(L) and kappa' according to the differences in their space group symmetry. kappa(L)-(DMEDO-TSeF)(2)[Au(CN)(4)](solv.) (solv.=DOL, DHF, THP, 1,3-DOX or DHP) crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pnma, and T(c) of the kappa(L) phase varies by 1.7-5.3 K according to the size and shape of the solvent of crystallization. On the other hand, kappa'-(DMEDO-TSeF)(2)[Au(CN)(4)](solv.) (solv.=DOL or 1,4-DOX) crystallizes in the noncentrosymmetric monoclinic space group Cc. The kappa'-phase containing 1,4-DOX shows superconductivity at 4.2 K, but the kappa'-phase containing DOL does not show superconductivity down to 1.4 K. Systematic investigation of the six new organic superconductors, together with the two previously reported superconductors kappa(H)- and kappa(L)-(DMEDO-TSeF)(2)[Au(CN)(4)](THF), revealed that the T(c) of the present system is finely tunable by utilizing the effect of the solvent of crystallization.     

8-Endo selective Friedel-Crafts cyclization of vinyloxiranes with Co2(CO)6-complexed acetylene

An 8-endo selective Friedel-Crafts cyclization of vinyloxirane 8 with Co₂(CO)₆-complexed benzeneacetylene was found to give poly-functional eight-membered cyclic compound 9 in high yields.     

Single-molecule force spectroscopy for studying kinetics of enzymatic dextran elongations

Catalytic elongation of dextran by a single molecule of dextransucrase (DSase) was directly monitored by observing the movements of the positions of a rupture peak, which represented the adhesive force between an isomaltoheptaose (dextran 7-mer)-immobilized probe and a DSase-immobilized mica surface. This was initiated with the addition of sucrose monomers. From the histograms of the rupture peaks after elongation reactions on each individual enzyme and the continuous peak shift of certain single enzymes, the catalytic elongation rate constant (k(cat)) was ascertained to be 1.2-2.7 s(-1).     

Concise total synthesis of (-)-spongotine A

The first asymmetric total synthesis of spongotine A is described. The oxidative synthesis of the imidazoline/ketone unit from keto aldehyde and diamine is a key step in this synthesis. The absolute stereochemistry of the asymmetric center of natural spongotine A is revealed as the (S)-configuration.