Trions in Quantum Wells

 The ground-state energy of three-particle systems consisting of electrons and holes as found in semiconducting quantum wells is studied. The degree of confinement is determined by the quantum-well width and we can vary the dimensionality of the system from two to three dimensions. The energy levels of the system can further be altered by the application of an external magnetic field which is directed perpendicular to the well. Received December 4, 2001; accepted for publication December 10, 2001     

Inclusive neutral kaon production in 70 GeV/c K+p interactions

The inclusive production of neutral kaons in 70 GeV/c K⁺p interactions is studied with the CERN BEBC bubble chamber. The (semi-)inclusive cross sections are interpreted in terms of the various strangeness channels leading to neutral kaon production. The invariant inclusive cross section for kaon production is studied as a function of p_t² and the Feynman variable x. The latter distributions are considered both “raw” and corrected for the presence of K⁰'s resulting from K¹ decay. They are compared with the predictions expected from the Regge-Mueller formalism, the recombination model and fragmentation models.     

Discontinuous behaviour of a polaron in a high magnetic field at non-zero temperature

The results reported recently concerning the phase transition of a polaron in a high magnetic field at zero temperature are generalized to arbitrary temperature. An experiment to observe this polaron phase-transition is suggested and the relevant parameters are given for sixteen compound semiconductors.     

The influence of X-ray resonant Raman scattering effects on the detection of copper(II) tetrasulphonated phthalocyanine (CuTSPc) thin-films deposited on gold electrodes

The influence of X-ray resonant Raman scattering on the detection capabilities of copper(II) tetrasulphonated phthalocyanine (CuTSPc) thin-films on gold electrodes has been investigated by means of synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence. In particular the paper focuses on the influence of the excitation energy in the relative narrow energy region of 9.2 to 11.7 keV on the detection limits and the peak-to-background ratios of copper.     

Autoxidation of ethylbenzene: the mechanism elucidated

Using a combined experimental and theoretical approach, we elucidated the mechanism of ethylbenzene autoxidation, at about 420 K. The generally accepted literature mechanism indeed fails to explain basic experimental observations, such as the high ketone to alcohol ratio. The hitherto overlooked propagation of 1-phenyl-ethylhydroperoxide, the primary chain product, is now unambiguously identified as the source of acetophenone as well as of 1-phenylethanol via a subsequent activated cage reaction. A similar mechanism allowed rationalizing of the cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol formation in the autoxidation of cyclohexane. The primary hydroperoxide product is found to react about 10 times faster than the arylalkane substrate with the chain carrying peroxyl radicals, whereas in cyclohexane autoxidation, this reactivity ratio is as high as 55. In combination with a lower efficiency of the above-mentioned cage reaction, this results in a rather high 1-phenyl-ethylhydroperoxide yield and causes a high ketone/alcohol ratio. Radicals are shown to be predominantly generated via a concerted bimolecular reaction of the hydroperoxide with the arylalkane substrate, producing alkyl and hydrated alkoxy free radicals. In this autoxidation system, no reaction product exhibits a major initiation-enhancing autocatalytic effect, as is the case with cyclohexanone in cyclohexane autoxidation. As a result, the conversion rate increases less sharply in time compared to cyclohexane autoxidation. In fact, even some slight inhibition can be observed, due to the formation of chain-terminating HO2* radicals in the alcohol co-oxidation. At 418 K, the chain length is estimated to be about 300-500 for conversions up to 10%.     

Structure-activity relationship for the addition of OH to (poly)alkenes: site-specific and total rate constants

A novel site-specific structure-activity relationship was developed for the site-specific addition of OH radicals to (poly)alkenes at 298 K. From a detailed structure-activity analysis of some 65 known OH + alkene and diene reactions, it appears that the total rate constant for this reaction class can be closely approximated by a sum of independent partial rate constants, ki, for addition to the specific (double-bonded) C atoms that depend only on the stability type of the ensuing radical (primary, secondary, etc.), that is, on the number of substituents on the neighboring C atom in the double bond. The (nine) independent partial rate constants, ki, were derived, and the predicted rate constants (kOH,pred = Sigmak(i)) were compared with experimental k(OH,exp) values. For noncyclic (poly)alkenes, including conjugated structures, the agreement is excellent (Delta < 10%). The SAR-predicted rate constants for cyclic (poly)alkenes are in general also within <15% of the experimental value. On the basis of this SAR, it is possible to predict the site-specific rate constants for (poly)alkene + OH reactions accurately, including larger biogenic compounds such as isoprene and terpenes. An important section is devoted to the rigorous experimental validation of the SAR predictions against direct measurements of the site-specific addition contributions within the alkene, for monoalkenes as well as conjugated alkenes. The measured site specificities are within 10-15% of the SAR predictions.     

Evolution of Vocal Fold Nodules from Childhood to Adolescence

SUMMARY: Bilateral (quasi) symmetrical lesions of the anterior third of the vocal folds, commonly called vocal fold nodules (VFNs) are the most frequent vocal fold lesions in childhood caused by vocal abuse and hyperfunction. This study evaluates their long-term genesis with or without surgery and voice therapy. A group of 91 postmutational adolescents (mean age, 16 years), in whom VFNs were diagnosed in childhood, were questioned to analyze the evolution of their complaints. Thirty four of them could be clinically reexamined by means of the European Laryngological Society-protocol, including a complete laryngological investigation and voice assessment. A total of 21% of the questioned group (n=91) had voice complaints persisting into postpubescence with a statistically significant difference (P 相似文献   

Kinetic parameters for gas-phase reactions: experimental and theoretical challenges

This article aims to illustrate the added value provided to experimental kinetics investigations by complementary theoretical kinetics studies, using as examples (i) reactions of two major hydrocarbon flame radicals, HCCO and C(2)H, and (ii) reactions of several oxygenated organic compounds with hydroxyl radicals of interest to atmospheric chemistry. The first part, on HCCO and C(2)H kinetics, does not attempt to give an extensive literature review, but rather addresses some major experimental techniques, mainly specific ones, that have allowed a great part of the available reactivity databases on these two species to be established. For several key reactions, it is shown how potential energy surfaces and statistical rate predictions based thereon have provided insight into the molecular mechanisms and have allowed estimates of product distributions as well as reliable extrapolations of experimental rate coefficients and branching ratios to higher temperatures. The second part addresses current issues in atmospheric chemistry relating mainly to hydroxyl radical reactions with oxygenated organics, and focuses on the experimental characterization of the often unusual temperature dependence of their rate coefficients and on the theoretical rationalization thereof, through the formation of hydrogen-bonded pre-reactive complexes and resulting tunnelling-enhanced H-abstraction. Finally, the development of general structure-activity relationships for OH reactions with organics, H-abstractions as well as OH-additions for unsaturated compounds, is briefly discussed.     

Comparing BOLD fMRI signal changes in the awake and anesthetized rat during electrical forepaw stimulation

The difference between awake curarized and alpha-chloralose anesthetized animals was studied with respect to the BOLD signal response in an fMRI experiment. By studying the activation of the cortex upon electrical forepaw stimulation in the same rat, but following consecutively applied curarization and alpha-chloralose anesthesia protocols, it was possible to compare quantitatively the effect of both immobilization protocols on the fMRI data. The largest BOLD signal change as a result of forepaw stimulation was found in the awake condition, however the activated areas are less specific than those in the anesthetized state leaving it more difficult to interpret.