NMR investigations of hexamethyldisilane confined in controlled pore glasses: Pore size distribution and molecular dynamics studies

In this work, the melting-point depression and molecular dynamics of hexamethyldisilane confined within five controlled pore glasses, with mean diameters ranging from 7.9 to 23.9 nm, are studied by high-field (9.4 T) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and the results are discussed with reference to the bulk substance. The melting-point depression in pores with radiusR follows the simplified Gibbs-Thompson equation ΔT=k _p/(R−s) with ak _p value of 74 K · nm and ans value of 1 nm. To our knowledge, this is the first time thek _p value of hexamethyldisilane is reported. Proton spin-lattice relaxation times (T ₁), spin-spin relaxation times (T ₂), and diffusivities (D) are reported as a function of temperature. The confinement in the pores gives rise to substantial changes in the molecular dynamics and the phase behavior. The line-shape measurements reveal a two-phase system assigned to a relatively mobile component at the pore walls and a crystalline solid at the center of the pores. However, theT ₂ measurements show that the mobile phase also embraces a minor component attributed to nonfrozen liquid in pockets or micropores. The diffusivity of the major narrow-line component is approximately three orders of magnitude larger than that in the plastic bulk phase, reflecting fast diffusion of mobile molecules. Below the melting region,T ₁ of the narrow line is significantly shorter thanT ₁ of the broad line, suggesting that the molecular reorientation is more hindered close to the surface than at the center of the pore.     

Electrohydrodynamic instability in some nematic cyanobiphenyls in an a.c. electric field

Electrohydrodynamic instability in homeotropically oriented nematic samples of 4'-n-octyl-4-cyano-biphenyl and 4'n-alkyloxy-4-cyanobiphenyl, (n = 8.9) have been studied in an a.c. electric field. The domain patterns during the instability in these compounds in a very low frequency a.c. field are very similar to those in a d.c. field. The domain patterns observed at higher frequencies have been identified as 'maltese crosses' or 'crossed isogyres'. The electro-convective 'isotropic' flows near the electrode play an important role in the observed instability.     

Quasi-wavelet calculations of sound scattering behind barriers

Quasi-wavelets (QWs) are a representation of turbulence consisting of self-similar, eddy-like structures with random orientations and positions in space. They are used in this paper to calculate the scattering, due to turbulent velocity fluctuations, of sound behind noise barriers as a function of the size and spatial location of the eddies. The sound scattering cross-section for QWs of an individual size class (eddy size) is derived and shown to reproduce results for the von Kármán spectrum when the scattered energies from a continuous distribution of QW sizes are combined. A Bragg resonance condition is derived for the eddy size that scatters most strongly for a given acoustic wavenumber and scattering angle. Results for scattering over barriers show that, for typical barrier conditions, most of the scattered energy originates from eddies in the size range of approximately one-half to twice the size of the eddies responsible for maximum scattering. The results also suggest that scattering over the barrier due to eddies with a line of sight to both the source and receiver is generally significant only for frequencies above several kilohertz, for sources and receivers no more than a few meters below the top of the barrier, and for very turbulent atmospheric conditions.     

Two-Variable Identities in Groups and Lie Algebras

We study two-variable Engel-like relations and identities characterizing finite-dimensional solvable Lie algebras and, conjecturally, finite solvable groups and introduce some invariants of finite groups associated with such relations. Bibliography: 29 titles.     

A tight-binding study of LUMO states in ellipsoidal silicon nanocrystals

In this paper we report on tight-binding calculations of lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals states for silicon ellipsoidal nanocrystals. The electronic structure has been calculated for different nanocrystal shapes either keeping constant or varying the number of silicon atoms. We have found that changing the ellipsoid aspect ratio a non-obvious energy level structure is obtained. The implications for the infrared optical transitions and their relationship with the polarization of the radiation involved are discussed.     

Nuclear superstructure {1/2, 0, 1/2} of an La<Subscript>0.93</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>0.07</Subscript>MnO<Subscript>3</Subscript> manganite orthorhombic crystal

The {1/2, 0, 1/2} nuclear superstructure in an La_0.93Sr_0.07MnO₃ manganite orthorhombic crystal is revealed using thermal-neutron diffraction. It is demonstrated that this superlattice belongs to the class of distortion-type structures and is directly associated with a 1/16-type ordering of Mn⁴⁺ and Mn³⁺ ions in a collinear ferromagnetic phase of the La_0.93Sr_0.07MnO₃ manganite.     

Decay of neutron-rich Ga isotopes near N = 50 at PARRNe

The PARRNe facility has been used to produce neutron-rich isotopes ^83,84Gaby the ISOL method. Their decay has been studied, and β-γ coincidence and γ-γ coincidence data were collected as a function of time. The first two excited levels in ⁸³Ge and the first excited level in ⁸⁴Ge have been measured for the first time.     

Numerical simulations of a filament in a flowing soap film

Experiments concerning the properties of soap films have recently been carried out and these systems have been proposed as experimental versions of theoretical two‐dimensional liquids. A silk filament introduced into a flowing soap film, was seen to demonstrate various stable modes, and these were, namely, a mode in which the filament oscillates and one in which the filament is stationary and aligns with the flow of the liquid. The system could be forced from the oscillatory mode into the non‐ oscillatory mode by varying the length of the filament. In this article we use numerical and computational techniques in order to simulate the strongly coupled behaviour of the filament and the fluid. Preliminary results are presented for the specific case in which the filament is seen to oscillate continuously for the duration of our simulation. We also find that the filament oscillations are strongly suppressed when we reduce the effective length of the filament. We believe that these results are reminiscent of the different oscillatory and non‐oscillatory modes observed in experiment. The numerical solutions show that, in contrast to experiment, vortices are created at the leading edge of the filament and are preferentially grown in the curvature of the filament and are eventually released from the trailing edge of the filament. In a similar manner to oscillating hydrofoils, it seems that the oscillating filaments are in a minimal energy state, extracting sufficient energy from the fluid to oscillate. In comparing numerical and experimental results it is possible that the soap film does have an effect on the fluid flow especially in the boundary layer where surface tension forces are large. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.