A D2 symmetric tetraamide macrocycle based on 1,1′,4,4′-tetrahydro[3,3′(2H,2′H)-spirobiquinoline]-2,2′-dione: synthesis and selectivity for lithium over sodium and alkaline earth ions

Macrocyclic ionophores d,l-3 and d,l-4 with four amide carbonyl ligands were synthesized and investigated in lithium ion-selective electrodes. In solvent PVC membranes, ion selectivity of d,l-3 and d,l-4 for lithium relative to sodium was observed as and −1.23, respectively. Spiromacrocycle d,l-3 and analogue dibenzospiromacrocycle d,l-4 have similar ion selectivity patterns for alkali metal ions, but d,l-4 could discriminate against alkaline earth metal ions better than d,l-3. It is an example of an endopolarophilic/exolipophilic macrocyclic ionophore whose selectivity for monovalent cations over divalent cations is enhanced by thick lipophilic shells.     

Energy levels of two interacting particles in an anharmonic potential

Energy levels of two interacting mass points in an anharmonic model potential (Morse type) have been studied. Analytic expression for the energy levels has been worked out. The model potential is shown to support bound states under certain conditions. The number of such states has been found to depend on the parameters of the potential. The potential is expected to be more realistic, particularly in presence of environments for diatomic molecules and artificial atoms. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2005     

Experimentally validated Raman Monte Carlo simulation for a cuboid object to obtain Raman spectroscopic signatures for hidden material

In conventional Raman spectroscopic measurements of liquids or surfaces the preferred geometry for detection of the Raman signal is the backscattering (or reflection) mode. For non‐transparent layered materials, sub‐surface Raman signals have been retrieved using spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS), usually with light collection in the same plane as the point of excitation. However, as a result of multiple scattering in a turbid medium, Raman photons will be emitted in all directions. In this study, Monte Carlo simulations for a three‐dimensional layered sample with finite geometry have been performed to confirm the detectability of Raman signals at all angles and at all sides of the object. We considered a non‐transparent cuboid container (high density polyethylene) with explosive material (ammonium nitrate) inside. The simulation results were validated with experimental Raman intensities. Monte Carlo simulation results reveal that the ratio of sub‐surface to surface signals improves at geometries other than backscattering. In addition, we demonstrate through simulations the effects of the absorption and scattering coefficients of the layers, and that of the diameter of the excitation beam. The advantage of collecting light from all possible 4π angles, over other collection modes, is that this technique is not geometry specific and molecular identification of layers underneath non‐transparent surfaces can be obtained with minimal interference from the surface layer. To what extent all sides of the object will contribute to the total signal will depend on the absorption and scattering coefficients and the physical dimensions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Current status of equation of state of nuclear matter

The equation of state (EOS) of symmetric nuclear matter (SNM) is a very important ingredient in the study of various phenomena of interest in nuclear physics and astrophysics. Accurate assessment of the value of the SNM incompressibility coefficient, K, which is directly related to the curvature of the EOS, is needed to extend our knowledge of the EOS in the vicinity of the saturation point. We review the current status of K as determined from experimental data on compression modes in nuclei using the mean-field-based random-phase approximation. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Naked singularities in a self-similar Tolman-Bondi spacetime

Following Lake and Zannias we show that naked strong curvature singularities develop in Tolman-Bondi inhomogeneous spherically symmetric spacetimes for all the three cases of a bound, unbound and marginally bound gravitational collapse. It is observed that the assumption of self-similarity rather than the spherical symmetry is crucial in determining the nature of the singularity in any gravitationally collapsing configuration.     

Archaeometry using the Cornell TRIGA reactor

A collaborative program between Archaeology and Nuclear Science and Engineering (NS&E) at Cornell University has been established. Neutron activation analysis using the 500 kW TRIGA reactor at NS&E is used to analyze Etruscan pottery samples from the excavations at La Piana, near Siena, Italy. This is a progress report for the Etruscan project, and preliminary results from the statistical analysis of the data are presented.     

Ion optics of the LAMAS-10 laser time-of-flight mass spectrometer

In laser time-of-flight mass spectrometers, satisfactory resolution by weight is achieved for a fixed initial kinetic energy acquired by the ions in the plasma. The integration of mass spectra in a wide energy range intended for obtaining satisfactory results of analysis leads to a 3–5-fold reduction of the resolving capacity. In the case of the LAMAS-10 device, the resolution for W = 50–300 eV energy dispersion of the ions varies from R ∼ 1000 (for W = 300 eV) to R ∼ 150 (for W = 50 eV), such values being insufficient for quantitative elemental analysis. It has been demonstrated that the main reason for the differences in the resolution values for LAMAS-10 are time aberrations by energies in the laser plasma drift space. The modification of the ion optics theory for LAMAS-10 allows the determination of the principles of the influence of the initial ion energies generated in the laser plasma on the resolution. The dependence of the conditions of the time focusing of ions by energies has been determined in a wide range of the initial values. This dependence provides software-controlled readjustment of the time focusing before the registration of the mass spectra for each initial ion energy. When time focusing of the ions was performed in a wide range of the initial energies, the resolution increased to R = 1300 at W = 50 eV, such parameters providing the quantitative analysis of solid bodies and powders.     

Stability of an annular plate of a shape memory alloy

Analytical solutions using various hypotheses are obtained for the problem of buckling of an annular circular plate of a shape memory alloy in the forward or reverse thermoelastic phase transformations under uniform radial compression. It is established that, despite the axial symmetry of the body geometry, loads, and boundary conditions, the minimum critical loads for annular plates correspond to nonaxisymmetric buckling modes, in contrast to continuous plates.