Spin-transition in nearly cubic site in [FeII(L)3][PF6]2

The spin-transition (¹A₁?⁵T₂) behaviour of a new mononuclear iron(II) compound [Fe^II(L)₃][PF₆]₂[L = 2-[3-(2′-pyridyl)pyrazole-1-ylmethyl]pyridine] has been investigated by ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. Analysis of the Mössbauer spectra revealed low value of the quadrupole splitting of the high-spin state which reflects iron(II) to be in nearly cubic lattice site. Mössbauer spectra under light show the light-induced excited spin state trapping effect and the observed quadrupole splitting of the metastable high-spin state is found little sensitive to the high-spin fraction value. DFT calculations are in progress to document the almost cubic nature of the ligand-field acting on the iron atom.     

Frequency encoded all optical single bit memory unit using difference frequency generation alone

A method of all optical frequency encoded single bit memory unit is proposed and described using difference frequency generation only in non linear materials. The unit can store a single bit in frequency encoded format and thus maintains the same state when input is withdrawn. To change the state of the information of the memory unit the input should be changed. The proposed memory unit employs difference frequency generation for its operation and is very fast, the speed of operation is limited by the difference frequency generation process.     

A novel confocal optical pulse stretcher for laser pulses

We present an analytical and experimental study of a novel confocal optical pulse stretcher (COPS). The simple and passive pulse stretcher consists of two concave mirrors and a scraper beam-splitter and its optical configuration ensures a perfect spatial overlapping of laser pulses at the beam-splitter. The pulse stretcher is compact and suitable for laser pulses of large divergences. The confocal optical pulse stretcher is demonstrated on a pulsed copper vapour laser to convert a 40 ns (1/e² % points) pulse into a 55 ns with reduction of peak power by a factor of 1.375 without loss of pulse energy.     

ISOLTRAP: An on-line Penning trap for mass spectrometry on short-lived nuclides

ISOLTRAP is a Penning trap mass spectrometer for high-precision mass measurements on short-lived nuclides installed at the on-line isotope separator ISOLDE at CERN. The masses of close to 300 radionuclides have been determined up to now. The applicability of Penning trap mass spectrometry to mass measurements of exotic nuclei has been extended considerably at ISOLTRAP by improving and developing this double Penning trap mass spectrometer over the past two decades. The accurate determination of nuclear binding energies far from stability includes nuclei that are produced at rates less than 100 ions/s and with half-lives well below 100ms. The mass-resolving power reaches 10⁷ corresponding to 10keV for medium heavy nuclei and the uncertainty of the resulting mass values has been pushed down to below 10^-8. The article describes technical developments achieved since 1996 and the present performance of ISOLTRAP.     

Effect of magnetic-field-induced torsion on neutrinos and supernova collapse

Summary The neutrino emission from supernova 1987A is being studied by taking into consideration the effect of the magnetic field present in the star. The magnetic field generates an anisotropic feature in the local space-time, which in turn leads to the cancellation of the axial-vector part of the neutrino current. The interaction cross-section of these neutrinos in the course of their interaction with matter on Earth has an inverse square energy dependence. The present work presents the calculations based on this changed cross-section that relates to predictions of the expected number of events at KAMIOKANDE on the basis of the Mont Blanc signal. It might be interesting to take a look into the implications of these results. The author of this paper has agreed to not receive the proofs for correction.     

Electron capture processes in ion-atom collisions

The development of the theory of electron capture processes in ion-atom collisions is reviewed in the present work. The formal theory of scattering is used to obtain the Born and the distorted wave Born series for the rearrangement scattering matrix. On the basis of these series, the applications of the first and second Born approximation, the OBK approximation, the DWBA and the Padé approximants to electron capture processes are discussed. The impulse approximation, the Faddeev method and the second order potential method are also explained. The results of the investigations of the high energy behaviour of the charge transfer cross section based on the Faddeev-Watson multiple scattering expansion are analysed.The methods of molecular and atomic eigenfunction expansions are presented and their relative merits discussed. The semi-classical treatment for determining the differential electron capture probability is reviewed. Results obtained in works utilising expansions in Sturmian, Gaussian and pseudo-state wave functions are also presented. An integral equation approach to the close coupling approximation is described. The field theoretic approach to investigate the electron capture process is discussed in the last section.The results obtained by different theoretical methods are compared with available experimental results.     

A self-consistent variation-perturbation theory for open shell atomic systems: Calculation of polarizabilities and shielding factors

In this paper a fully coupled variation-perturbation theory has been introduced for handling open-shell atomic systems in the presence of static perturbations. The static dipolar and quadrupolar polarizabilities and shielding factors for Li, Be⁺, B²⁺, B, C⁺, Na and Al have been calculated and compared with available results. Important sources of discrepancies in previous calculations of shielding factors have been noticed and critically examined. The dipolar shielding factors calculated in this paper show satisfactory agreement with the theoretical N/Z ratio. In the absence of any theoretical test for the quadrupolar shielding factor, the accuracy of the calculations of γ_∞, should be judged in the light of the accuracy of the corresponding β∞ values.     

Mapping of the cerebral response to acetazolamide using graded asymmetric spin echo EPI

Cerebral vascular reactivity in different regions of the rat brain was quantitatively characterized by spatial and temporal measurements of blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD)-fMRI signals following intravenous administration of the carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide: this causes cerebral vasodilatation through a cerebral extracellular acidosis that spares neuronal metabolism and vascular smooth muscle function, thus separating vascular and cerebral metabolic events. An asymmetric spin echo-echo planar imaging (ASE-EPI) pulse sequence sensitised images selectively to oxygenation changes in the microvasculature; use of a surface coil receiver enhanced image signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Image SNRs and hardware integrity were verified by incorporating quality assurance procedures; cardiorespiratory stability in the physiological preparations were monitored and maintained through the duration of the experiments. These conditions made it possible to apply BOLD contrast fMRI to map regional changes in cerebral perfusion in response to acetazolamide administration. Thus, fMRI findings demonstrated cerebral responses to acetazolamide that directly paralleled the known physiological actions of acetazolamide and whose time courses were similar through all regions of interest, consistent with acetazolamide's initial distribution in brain plasma, where it affects cerebral haemodynamics by acting at cerebral capillary endothelial cells. However, marked variations in the magnitude of the responses suggested relative perfusion deficits in the hippocampus and white matter regions correlating well with their relatively low vascularity and the known vulnerability of the hippocampus to ischaemic damage.     

A phenomenological theory of the isotropic to chiral smectic-C phase transition

In this paper we discuss the direct isotropic to chiral smectic-C phase transition on the basis of a phenomenological theory. The model free energy is written in terms of the coupled order parameters including the spontaneous polarization. We present a detailed analysis of the different phases that can occur and analyze the question under which conditions a direct isotropic to chiral smectic-C phase transition is possible when compared to other phase transitions. On the basis of this model the isotropic-smectic-C^* transition is always of first order. The theoretical predictions are compared with the available experimental results.-1     

Comparative studies of the magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole hyperfine constants for the ground and low lying excited states of 25Mg+

We have employed the relativistic coupled cluster theory to calculate the magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole hyperfine constants for the ground and low lying excited states of singly ionized magnesium. Comparison with experimental and the other theoretical results are done and predictions are also made for a few low lying excited states which could be of interest. We have made comparative studies of the important many body effects contributing to the hyperfine constants for the different states of the ion.