Regioselective synthesis of 3-hydroxyisoxazoles and 5-isoxazolones from β-amino α,β-unsaturated esters

The regioselective synthesis of 3-hydroxyisoxazoles and 5-isoxazolones is accomplished by the reaction of β-amino α,β-unsaturated esters with hydroxylamine hydrochloride in the presence of appropriate bases. The total yield of isoxazole derivatives is sensitively influenced on the β-substituent group of the esters.     

Investigation of void formation beneath thin AlN layers by decomposition of sapphire substrates for self-separation of thick AlN layers grown by HVPE

Void formation at the interface between thick AlN layers and (0 0 0 1) sapphire substrates was investigated to form a predefined separation point of the thick AlN layers for the preparation of freestanding AlN substrates by hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). By heating 50–200 nm thick intermediate AlN layers above 1400 °C in a gas flow containing H₂ and NH₃, voids were formed beneath the AlN layers by the decomposition reaction of sapphire with hydrogen diffusing to the interface. The volume of the sapphire decomposed at the interface increased as the temperature and time of the heat treatment was increased and as the thickness of the AlN layer decreased. Thick AlN layers subsequently grown at 1450 °C after the formation of voids beneath the intermediate AlN layer with a thickness of 100 nm or above self-separated from the sapphire substrates during post-growth cooling with the aid of voids. The 79 μm thick freestanding AlN substrate obtained using a 200 nm thick intermediate AlN layer had a flat surface with no pits, high optical transparency at wavelengths above 208.1 nm, and a dislocation density of 1.5×10⁸ cm⁻².     

Recent Progress of Photonic Crystal Fibers

Photonic crystal fibers are attractive since we can realize a wide variety of unique features in the PCFs, which cannot be realized in conventional single-mode fibers. We describe recent progress in the PCF.     

Observation of time-dependent CP violation in B0 --> eta'K0 decays and improved measurements of CP asymmetries in B0 --> phiK0, KS0KS0KS0 and B0 --> J/psiK0 decays

We present improved measurements of CP-violation parameters in B(0) --> phiK(0), eta(')K(0), KS(0)KS(0)KS(0) decays based on a sample of 535 x 10(6) BB pairs collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB energy-asymmetric e(+)e(-) collider. We obtain sin2phi1(eff)=+0.64+/-0.10(stat)+/-0.04(syst) for B(0) --> eta(')K(0), +0.50+/-0.21(stat)+/-0.06(syst) for B(0) --> phiK(0), and +0.30+/-0.32(stat)+/-0.08(syst) for B(0) --> KS(0)KS(0)KS(0) decays. We have observed CP violation in the B(0) --> eta(')K(0) decay with a significance of 5.6 standard deviations. We also perform an improved measurement of CP asymmetries in B(0) --> J/psiK(0) decays and obtain sin2phi1=+0.642+/-0.031(stat)+/-0.017(syst).     

Experiments to study interactions between baroclinic lower flows and a stably stratified upper layer

Experiments were conducted on a rotating fluid annulus to study the basic interactions between baroclinic lower flows and a stably stratified upper layer. Sufficiently stable stratification is necessary for steady flows to emerge in the lower layer. Upward fluid motions make the baroclinic flows permeate into the upper layer. The stable stratification, however, suppresses upward motions so that zonal fluid velocities decrease with height. In fact, their maximum appears at the top level of the baroclinic lower layer and the sign of the radial temperature gradient changes there; namely, it is warmer on the inner side of the annulus in the upper layer. This temperature profile is reflected in a meridional fluid circulation mixing both layers. In the upper layer of the wave flow, there exists a critical level below and above which the zonal fluid velocities have opposite directions for the wave to have a phase shift of half a wavelength in appearance. The experimental results correspond to real atmospheric phenomena.     

The role of spin-orbit potential in nuclear prolate-shape dominance

It is confirmed, in terms of the Woods-Saxon-Strutinsky method, that the spin-orbit potential plays a decisive role in the predominance of prolate deformation, which has been a long standing problem in nuclear physics. It is originated from the combined effects of the spin-orbit coupling and the diffused surface of the potential, in agreement with the previous work based on a more schematic Nilsson-Strutinsky method. The degree of prolate-shape dominance exhibits an oscillatory behavior with respect to the strength of spin-orbit potential and, the prolate-shape dominance is realized at the proper strength of the spin-orbit potential together with the standard surface diffuseness; this oscillatory behavior disappears in case of small diffuseness corresponding to ellipsoidal cavity. The calculated energy differences between oblate and prolate minima in this Letter are consistent with those of our extensive self-consistent calculations of the Hartree-Fock + BCS method with the Skyrme interaction.     

Experiments to study the beta-effect in atmospheric dynamics

In atmospheric dynamics, it is well known that the beta-effect, namely, the variation of Coriolis force with latitude causes the mid-latitude large-scale tropospheric waves such as the westerlies to propagate vertically into the stratosphere. Although this has been well proved in the theoretical works and atmospheric observations, to test this also in a laboratory we demonstrate here rotating fluid annulus experiments setting a conical bottom in a tank to create an equivalent beta-effect. Three clear evidences of the beta-effect were observed in the wavenumber-2 flow: the wave flow propagated vertically, its critical level rose, and its drift velocity reduced. Then the quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity equation succeeded in describing this phenomenon below a height slightly lower than the critical level, but failed near that level.     

Control of the Solid‐State Chiral Optical Properties of a Supramolecular Organic Fluorophore Containing 4‐(2‐Arylethynyl)‐Benzoic Acid

The solid‐state chiral optical properties of a 4‐(2‐arylethynyl)‐benzoic acid/amine supramolecular organic fluorophore can be controlled by changing the arylethynyl group of the achiral 4‐(2‐arylethynyl)‐benzoic acid component molecule rather than the chirality of the amine component molecule.     

Phase rotation scheme of laser-produced ions for reduction of the energy spread

In order to widely spread out particle beams utilized in cancer therapy, laser-produced ions are developed as the injection beam for an ion synchrotron dedicated for cancer therapy. Such a laser ion source is expected to contribute largely to the realization of compactness of the size and low cost of the cancer therapy accelerator. The energy spectrum of the laser-produced ions, however, has no peak, but their intensities decrease exponentially according to the increase of the energy. For the purpose of modifying such a situation, we have proposed a scheme to rotate the beam in the longitudinal phase space with the use of the RF electric field, which is phase-adjusted with the pulse laser. We aim for a reduction of the energy spread of ± 5% selected by an energy analyzer and slits to ±1% by such phase rotation. For this purpose, a quarter wavelength resonator with two gaps with the same resonant frequency as the source laser has already been fabricated, together with its RF power source. The above phase rotation system and its recent experimental realization are presented.