A measurement of the production of massive e+e− pairs in proton-proton collisions at √s = 62.4 GeV

An apparatus consisting of a superconducting solenoid magnet, cylindrical drift-chambers, and two arrays of lead-glass ?erenkov counters has been used at the CERN ISR to study the production of e⁺e^? pairs of invariant mass above 6.5 GeV/c². Cross sections for the continuum and the ? family of resonances are presented, as well as the mean transverse momentum 〈p_T〉 of the electron-positron pairs in the continuum and resonance region.     

Interplay of light antenna and excitation "energy reservoir" effects in a bichromophoric system based on ruthenium-polypyridine and pyrene units linked by a long and flexible poly(ethylene glycol) chain

Steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic properties of bichromophoric species containing [Ru(bpy)(3)](2+) and pyrene (pyr) units linked together by flexible poly(ethylene glycol) chains of variable length, [Ru(bpy)(2)(bpy-pyr)](PF(6))(2) (1) and [Ru(bpy)(2)(bpy-O6-pyr)](PF(6))(2) (2), have been investigated in acetonitrile solvent. The complexes were designed with the aim of examining the intercomponent energy-transfer processes taking place after light absorption at the two chromophores and the influence of the distance separation between them; in the case of complex 2, the linking chain in the extended conformation is as long as 21 A. Direct excitation of the pyrene unit (lambda(exc) = 410 nm) results in singlet-to-singlet energy transfer (an antenna effect) to the Ru-based component, (1)pyr --> (1)MLCT, which we analyze in terms of the F?rster mechanism taking place with unit efficiency. Analysis of the time-resolved pyrene fluorescence reveals that the actual center-to-center distance separation (d(cc)) between the photoactive centers changes according to a Gaussian distribution, with an average d(cc) = 13.6 A (distribution width, a = 2.8 A) and 12 A (a = 10.2 A), for 1 and 2, respectively; this is ascribed to folding of the poly(ethylene glycol) linking chain. In O(2)-free solvent at room temperature, after population of the (1)MLCT level (which takes place either because of direct excitation by using lambda(exc) > 355 nm or via the "antenna" effect) and subsequent intersystem crossing localized at the Ru center, (1)MLCT --> (3)MLCT, a triplet-triplet thermal equilibration is established which involves the physically separated centers, (3)MLCT <--> (3)pyr, with K(eq) = 11 (the energy gap between the two levels is 480 cm(-1), as determined from luminescence data obtained at 77 K). As a consequence of this equilibrium, the (3)MLCT luminescence lifetime becomes tau(Ru) approximately 9 micros both in 1 and 2, i.e., 1 order of magnitude longer than for the unsubstituted [Ru(bpy)(3)](2+) luminophore. In air-equilibrated solvent, diffusional quenching by O(2) effectively depletes the (3)pyr level and only the forward (3)MLCT --> (3)pyr energy transfer step is observed with k(en) = 4 x 10(8) and 2 x 10(8) s(-1) for 1 and 2, respectively. As briefly discussed, reasons for the high rate constants observed for the various triplet-triplet steps may be traced back to the folding properties of the linking chains.     

Activation of aromatic rings by early transition metal ions in the gas phase. Implications for the metal-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of alkynes and nitriles

The reactions of a series of monocyclic and bicyclic arenes with early transition metal ions (Sc⁺, Y⁺, Nb⁺ and Ta⁺) and their oxides and dioxides were studied in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. Ring cleavage of the nitrogen-containing heterocycles results in loss of HCN as the dominant pathway. Thermochemical considerations, secondary reactions and correlations with solution cyclotrimerization reactions indicate that the MC₄H₄⁺ product is a metallacyclopentadiene. Based on correspondence between the reactivities of a series of early metals with their valence electron counts, the reactivities of quinoline and isoquinoline and the decomposition behavior of the products, a metallacycloheptatriene intermediate is proposed for the heteroaromatic ring cleavage reaction. These results are compared to metal complexes in solution which catalyze the [2 + 2 + 2] cyclotrimerization of alkynes and nitriles.     

Re(I) sensitised near-infrared lanthanide luminescence from a hetero-trinuclear Re2Ln array

The trinuclear complexes Re2Ln (Ln = Nd, Yb or Er) contain two Re(I) tricarbonyl units linked to a DTPA binding site via 2,2'-bipyridyl ligands; Ln(III)-centred emission is sensitised by the Re(I) MLCT excited states.     

The structure of the toxin from helminthosporium carbonum

Using Fast Atom Bombardment Mass Spectrometry and Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry, the structure of HC-toxin a metabolite of $\text{Helminthosporium}$$\text{carbonum}$, is postulated to be structure 3.     

A comparative evaluation of "depth pulses" and related sequences for spatial discrimination in in-vivo NMR spectroscopy with surface coils

The performance of a range of "depth pulses" and related pulse sequences for achieving enhanced spatial resolution in surface coil magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has been compared both experimentally and by computer simulation. A detailed analysis of the spatial selectivity of these sequences both on- and off-resonance suggests that the problem of combining good spatial resolution with adequate bandwidth has yet to be fully resolved. These and related problems, such as the shape of the sensitive volume and its dependence on resonance offset, are likely to limit the use of depth pulses, particularly where alternative methods of spatial selection are available.     

Characterization of the reactive and dissociative behavior of transition metal oxide cluster ions in the gas phase

The reactive and dissociative behavior of molybdenum and tungsten oxide cluster ions has been studied in the gas phase using a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Cluster ions (MO₃) _n ^? were formed via a simple thermal desorption/electron capture negative ionization method, and their structures were characterized by collision-activated dissociation (CAD). Typically, the clusters fragment by losses of neutral (MO₃) units. Reactions of the oxide cluster ions with ethylene oxide, cyclohexene oxide, ethylene sulfide cyclohexene sulfide, 2,3-butanedione, and 2,4-pentanedione were examined, and product ions were characterized by CAD. The clusters react with ethylene oxide by addition of ethylene oxide or net addition of oxygen, whereas the clusters react with ethylene sulfide via net addition of one or two sulfur atoms. Reactions of the clusters with the diones result in addition of one or two dione units, in some cases with dehydration.     

Large cluster formation through multiple substitution with lanthanide cations (La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Gd) of the polyoxoanion

Several new large polyoxotungstates have been synthesized by reaction of lanthanide cations with the well-known "As(4)W(40)" anion, [(B-alpha-AsO(3)W(9)O(30))(4)(WO(2))(4)](28-) (1). The heteropolyanions [(H(2)O)(11)Ln(III)(Ln(III)(2)OH)(B-alpha-AsO(3)W(9)O(30))(4)(WO(2))(4)](20)(-) (Ln = Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd) (2-4) (Ln(3)As(4)W(40)) and [M(m)()(H(2)O)(10)(Ln(III)(2)OH)(2)(B-alpha-AsO(3)W(9)O(30))(4)(WO(2))(4)]((18-m)(-)) (Ln = La, Ce, Gd and M = Ba, K, none) (5-7) (Ln(4)As(4)W(40)) have been isolated as alkali metal and ammonium salts, respectively, and characterized by single-crystal X-ray analysis, elemental analysis, and IR and (183)W-NMR spectroscopy. The X-ray analyses revealed interanionic W-O-Ln bonds between adjacent Ln(x)()As(4)W(40) units forming a "dimer" for x = 3 and chains for x = 4. Upon dissolving in water these bonds hydrolyze and the monomeric species form. The straightforward syntheses which require the use of concentrated NaCl solutions (1-4 M) and the addition of stoichiometric amounts of Ba(2+) or K(+) reemphasize the importance of the presence of appropriate countercations for the assembly of large polyoxometalate structures.     

Starting in maximum-polynomial-degree Nordsieck-Gear methods

The intent of this paper is to show that the Nordsieck-Gear methods with maximum polynomial degree k+1, first described in [1], admit of matched starting methods which are exact for all polynomials of degree ?k+1. In general, it is shown that these starting methods yield starting errors of the required order, O(h^k+2), for all initial-value problems

$\text{y}{}^{\mathrm{(P)}}\text{(x)=f(x,y,y}{}^{\mathrm{(1)}}\text{,y}{}^{\mathrm{(2)}}\text{,…,y}{}^{\mathrm{(p?1)}}\text{),}$

$\text{y(0)=y}{}_0\text{, y}{}^{\mathrm{i}}\text{(0)=y}{}_0{}^{\mathrm{(i)}}\text{, i=1,2,…,p?1,}$

where f is k+1 times continuously differentiable in a neighborhood of the graph of the exact solution (x,?(x)), x?[0,X]. Two theorems are proved. The first is the constructive existence of an algorithm which requires (k-p+1)(k-p+2)/2 evaluations of the function f to obtain approximations of the method's required higher-order scaled derivatives at the origin:

$\text{h}{}^{\mathrm{p+1}}\text{y}\text{?}{}^{\mathrm{(p+1)}}\text{(0)}\text{(p+1)!}\text{,…,}\text{h}{}^{\mathrm{k}}\text{y}\text{?}{}^{\mathrm{(k)}}\text{(0)}\text{k!}\text{,}$

each of which is accurate to O(h^k+2). The second, less general theorem, shows that when f is a polynomial in x, y, and its higher order derivatives y⁽¹⁾,y⁽²⁾,…,y(^p?1), an algorithm can be constructed for obtaining the higher-order scaled derivatives exactly. These results lay to rest once and for all any heuristic arguments against varying corrector minus predictor coefficients for preserving maximal order (polynomial degree) because starting values are inexact. Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, the maximum-polynomial-degree Nordsieck-Gear methods are shown to have a unique property of zero starting error for an important class of ordinary differential equations.