Azimuthal correlation and fractal study of compound hadrons (pions and protons) at Dubna and SPS energy

This paper presents an investigation of compound hadrons (pions and protons) distribution emitted from ²⁴Mg-AgBr and ¹²C-AgBr interactions both at 4.5 AGeV and ³²S-AgBr interactions at 200 AGeV. The study includes azimuthal correlations (two particle and three particle), azimuthal asymmetry and fractal behaviour. This paper reveals some interesting results.     

Time-dependent quantum fluid density functional theory of hydrogen molecule under intense laser fields

A time-dependent generalized non-linear Schr?dinger equation (GNLSE) of motion was earlier derived in our laboratory by combining density functional theory and quantum fluid dynamics in three-dimensional space. In continuation of the work reported previously, the GNLSE is applied to provide additional knowledge on the femtosecond dynamics of the electron density in the hydrogen molecule interacting with high-intensity laser fields. For this purpose, the GNLSE is solved numerically for many time-steps over a total interaction time of 100 fs, by employing a finite-difference scheme. Various time-dependent (TD) quantities, namely, electron density, ground-state survival probability and dipole moment have been obtained for two laser wavelengths and four different intensities. The high-order harmonics generation (HHG) is also examined. The present approach goes beyond the linear response formalism and, in principle, calculates the TD electron density to all orders of change. Dedicated to Prof. D Mukherjee on his 60th birthday     

Helium atom in intense and superintense laser fields: A new theoretical approach

A quantum hydrodynamical study is made of the dynamical changes of a helium atom interacting with lasers of two different intensities, but having the same frequency. Under the intense laser field, electron density oozes out of the helium atom by absorbing laser photons and getting promoted to higher excited states including the continuum. Under the superintense field, electron density partly moves away from the helium nucleus but remains in the “quasi-bound” dressed states along with the laser field, thus suppressing ionization.     

DPSM technique for ultrasonic field modelling near fluid-solid interface

Distributed point source method (DPSM) is gradually gaining popularity in the field of non-destructive evaluation (NDE). DPSM is a semi-analytical technique that can be used to calculate the ultrasonic fields produced by transducers of finite dimension placed in homogeneous or non-homogeneous media. This technique has been already used to model ultrasonic fields in homogeneous and multi-layered fluid structures. In this paper the method is extended to model the ultrasonic fields generated in both fluid and solid media near a fluid-solid interface when the transducer is placed in the fluid half-space near the interface. Most results in this paper are generated by the newly developed DPSM technique that requires matrix inversion. This technique is identified as the matrix inversion based DPSM technique. Some of these results are compared with the results produced by the Rayleigh-Sommerfield integral based DPSM technique. Theory behind both matrix inversion based and Rayleigh-Sommerfield integral based DPSM techniques is presented in this paper. The matrix inversion based DPSM technique is found to be very efficient for computing the ultrasonic field in non-homogeneous materials. One objective of this study is to model ultrasonic fields in both solids and fluids generated by the leaky Rayleigh wave when finite size transducers are inclined at Rayleigh critical angles. This phenomenon has been correctly modelled by the technique. It should be mentioned here that techniques based on paraxial assumptions fail to model the critical reflection phenomenon. Other advantages of the DPSM technique compared to the currently available techniques for transducer radiation modelling are discussed in the paper under Introduction.     

Polyoxometalate-Engineered Building Blocks with Gold Cores for the Self-Assembly of Responsive Water-Soluble Nanostructures

The controlled assembly of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with the size of quantum dots into predictable structures is extremely challenging as it requires the quantitatively and topologically precise placement of anisotropic domains on their small, approximately spherical surfaces. We herein address this problem by using polyoxometalate leaving groups to transform 2 nm diameter gold cores into reactive building blocks with hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface domains whose relative sizes can be precisely tuned to give dimers, clusters, and larger micelle-like organizations. Using cryo-TEM imaging and ¹H DOSY NMR spectroscopy, we then provide an unprecedented “solution-state” picture of how the micelle-like structures respond to hydrophobic guests by encapsulating them within 250 nm diameter vesicles whose walls are comprised of amphiphilic AuNP membranes. These findings provide a versatile new option for transforming very small AuNPs into precisely tailored building blocks for the rational design of functional water-soluble assemblies.     

Study of transfer of trace elements from soil to medicinal plants in the environment of Mangalore

The concentration of five trace elements Cr, As, Pb, Rb and Sr in seven medicinal plants Garcinia indica, Ficus benghalensis, Flacartia Montana, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Morinda citrifolia, Ficus recemosa, Barringtonia acutangula and associated soils were analyzed using ICP-MS. In plant the elemental concentrations of Cr, Pb, Rb and Sr vary widely and in soil the elemental concentrations of Cr, As and Sr showed wide variation. Selective enrichment of elements Rb and Sr was observed in some plants. The soil to plant transfer ratio was significant for Sr. The results of these systematic investigations are presented and discussed in this paper.     

Patterning of sol gel thin films by capillary force assisted soft lithographic technique

Patterning of sol gel based silica and silica–titania films has been developed at room temperature by soft lithographic technique. Corresponding metal alkoxides have been utilized for the preparation of precursor sols. Elastomeric stamps of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) are used to emboss patterns of a master grating on the as-prepared silica and silica–titania films obtained by sol gel process. Pressure-less capillary force lithography has been used to fabricate both 1-D and 2-D ordered structures of simple stripe patterns. A modified solvent assisted lithography and micro-molding in capillaries yielded stable and high fidelity 1-D structures for silica and silica–titania films over a large area.     

Thermal expansion in 3d-metal Prussian Blue Analogs—A survey study

We present a comprehensive study of the structural properties and the thermal expansion behavior of 17 different Prussian Blue Analogs (PBAs) with compositions M^II₃[(M′)^III(CN)₆]₂·nH₂O and M^II₂[Fe^II(CN)₆]·nH₂O, where M^II=Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn, (M′)^III=Co, Fe and n is the number of water molecules, which range from 5 to 18 for these compounds. The PBAs were synthesized via standard chemical precipitation methods, and temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction studies were performed in the temperature range between −150 °C (123 K) and room-temperature. The vast majority of the studied PBAs were found to crystallize in cubic structures of space groups Fm3?m, F4?3m and Pm3?m. The temperature dependence of the lattice parameters was taken to compute an average coefficient of linear thermal expansion in the studied temperature range. Of the 17 compounds, 9 display negative values for the average coefficient of linear thermal expansion, which can be as large as 39.7×¹0⁻⁶ K⁻¹ for Co₃[Co(CN)₆]₂·12H₂O. All of the M^II₃[Co^III(CN)₆]₂·nH₂O compounds show negative thermal expansion behavior, which correlates with the Irving–Williams series for metal complex stability. The thermal expansion behavior for the PBAs of the M^II₃[Fe^III(CN)₆]₂·nH₂O family are found to switch between positive (for M=Mn, Co, Ni) and negative (M=Cu, Zn) behavior, depending on the choice of the metal cation (M). On the other hand, all of the M^II₂[Fe^II(CN)₆]·nH₂O compounds show positive thermal expansion behavior.     

Amplitude equations for breathing spiral waves in a forced reaction-diffusion system

Based on a multiple scale analysis of a forced reaction-diffusion system leading to amplitude equations, we explain the existence of spiral wave and its photo-induced spatiotemporal behavior in chlorine dioxide-iodine-malonic acid system. When the photo-illumination intensity is modulated, breathing of spiral is observed in which the period of breathing is identical to the period of forcing. We have also derived the condition for breakup and suppression of spiral wave by periodic illumination. The numerical simulations agree well with our analytical treatment.