Magnetopause plasma transients: mapping into the auroral ionosphere

Attention is focused on a specific category of auroral event occurring predominantly during a southward directed interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Coordinated observations from the ground and satellites in polar orbit have been used to study the temporal/spatial development of the events in relation to the background patterns of particle precipitation and ionospheric convection as well as the field-aligned current and ion drift characteristics of the individual events. Both prenoon and postnoon sector events are reported. In one case the auroral event was observed near the zero point potential line separating the morning and postnoon convection cells. The available data indicate that this auroral event sequence is a signature of quasi-periodic bursts of particle entry from the magnetosheath along flux tubes convecting into the polar cap, representing structures of enhanced IMF B_Y-related convection poleward of the persistent cleft aurora. Such events may be initiated by localized patches of enhanced merging rate at the dayside magnetopause     

A novel derivatization method for peptides to increase sensitivity and backbone fragmentation in liquid secondary-ion mass spectra.

Derivatization is used to increase both negative-ion sensitivity and positive-ion sequence information in the liquid secondary-ion mass spectra (LSIMS) of a series of peptides. The derivatization method involves acylation with pentafluorobenzoyl fluoride in a single-step reaction, and the reaction mixture is applied directly to the probe tip for analysis. Acylation takes place at the unprotected N-terminus, tyrosine, and lysine. The derivatives exhibit increased signal-to-noise ratio for [M-H]- ions, especially where there is not already an acidic amino acid residue in the peptide. In positive-ion LSIMS, the N-terminal group acts to retain the charge at the N-terminus, simplifying the fragmentation by producing N-terminal fragment ions. It also increases positive-ion fragmentation, sometimes very dramatically, making sequence determination more straightforward. The simplicity of the process, together with the enhancements it provides, make this a generally useful method for obtaining peptide structural information.     

Measurement of the transverse Doppler shift using a stored relativistic7Li+ ion beam

We have performed for the first time precision spectroscopy on a coasting fast⁷Li⁺ ion beam in a storage ring. The ion beam moving with 6.4% speed of light was first electron cooled and then merged with two counterpropagating laser beams acting on two different hyperfine transitions sharing a common upper level (λ-system). One laser was frequency locked to thea ₃ ¹²⁷J₂ hfs frequency component established as a secondary frequency standard at 514 nm. The second laser was tuned over theλ-resonance, which was recorded relative to¹²⁷J₂ hfs components. This experiment is sensitive to the time dilation in fast moving frames and will lead to new limits for the verification of special relatively. The present status of the experiment and perspectives in accuracy are discussed.     

Determination of the parameters of semiconductor quantum dots in glassy matrices from the absorption and luminescence spectra and from saturation of the optical absorption

Optical methods are described for determining the parameters of semiconducting quantum dots synthesized in a glassy borosilicate matrix. The limitations of these methods and the magnitudes of their errors are analyzed. The parameters of CdS_xSe_1−x nanocrystals in the commercial glasses KS-10, OS-12, Corning 2–61, and other experimental samples are determined. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1865–1870 (October 1997)     

Dependence of impurity incorporation upon substrate misorientation during GaAs growth by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy

Doping studies of the incorporation behaviour of three different dopants (Zn, In and Si) versus the misorientation of the (100) surface during MOVPE growth of GaAs have been carried out with diethylzinc, trimethylindium and disilane as precursors. The incorporation of the dopants has been studied as function of the input mole fraction dopant, growth temperature, degree and direction of misorientation. In order to explain the results we discuss the BCF theory and the nature of the steps as function of above mentioned parameters. It appears that the BCF theory alone cannot explain the results, a counteracting mechanism has been introduced based on preferential arsenic desorption from the step edges.     

Luminescence of self-trapped excitons in calcium fluoride under pulsed electron irradiation

Time-resolved pulsed spectroscopy was used to measure the luminescence spectra of calcium fluoride. Characteristic features of the luminescence of self-trapped excitons are discussed. It is shown that various configurations of self-trapped excitons incorporating hole nuclei of a more complex structure, may be formed in CaF₂ crystals. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1226–1227 (July 1998)     

Distribution of silicon over sublattices in semiconducting A3B5 compounds

The stable site of Si substitutional impurities in GaAs and AlAs at T=0 K is determined on the basis of an analysis of the energy of solution of silicon, and of the energies of formation of intrinsic defects and the reaction energies of their interaction obtained by calculating the total energy of the disordered compounds. These calculations indicate that amphotericity and vacancies have an effect on the distribution of Si. At low Si concentrations, Si in GaAs is located on the sublattice of the group III element, and in AlAs, on the sublattice of the group V element. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 264–266 (February 1997)