Singular densities,test particles and generalized Hamiltonian systems in general relativity

We derive the motion equations and the structure equations of neutral and charged test particles, starting from the gravitational field equations. The method consists in the application of conservation laws to singular tensor densities, which represent regions of strong matter concentration. Moreover, a Hamiltonian formulation of the particle equations is given, in the form of implicit differential equations generated by Hamiltonian Morse families.     

Equation of state of CaMnO3: a combined experimental and computational study

Elastic properties of CaMnO₃ are of primary importance in the science and technology of CaMnO₃-based perovskites. From X-ray diffraction experiments performed at pressures up to 100 kbar using a diamond-anvil cell to hydrostatically compress our sample, a bulk modulus, K ₀, of 1734(96) kbar was obtained after fitting parameters to the third-order Birch–Murnaghan equation of state. Mean field, semiclassical simulations predict, for the first time, the third-order equation-of-state parameters and show how the bulk modulus increases with pressure (the zero pressure value being 2062.1 kbar) and decreases with the extent of nonstoichiometry caused by the formation of oxygen vacancies. These trends are amplified for the shear modulus. A more accurate model that allows for the explicit reduction of Mn ions, or localization of excess electrons, yields qualitatively similar results. The experimental and calculated axial ratios show the same trends in their variation with rising pressure.     

Omega- and Omega+ production in central Pb + Pb collisions at 40 and 158A GeV

Results are presented on Omega production in central Pb+Pb collisions at 40 and 158A GeV beam energy. For the first time in heavy ion reactions, rapidity distributions and total yields were measured for the sum Omega(-) + Omega(+) at 40A GeV and for Omega(-) and Omega(+) separately at 158A GeV. The yields are strongly underpredicted by the string-hadronic UrQMD model but agree better with predictions from hadron gas models.     

The129I hyperfine interaction in fatty acids studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy

Oleic acid substituted by iodine and saponified by Ca²⁺ cations has been studied by¹²⁹I Mössbauer spectroscopy. The quadrupole coupling constants and isomer shifts, determined from the γ-resonance spectra recorded at 4.2 K, have been described by 5p and 5s orbital populations of iodine. It was also found that saponification of the fatty acid has no significant influence on the measured iodine bonds. However, the increased order of fatty acids in soap form is reflected by narrowing of the resonant linewidth due to the reduction of the electric field gradient distribution.     

Jauch-Piron system of imprimitivities for phonons. I. Localizability in discrete space

This paper is devoted to a discussion of the notion of localizability for phonons, i.e., quasiparticles arising from the harmonic vibrations of a system ofn atoms bound to one another by elastic forces. The natural tools for the analysis of localizability are the projection operatorsÊ() acting on the Hilbert space of one-phonon states, where is an arbitrary subset of the set that consists ofn vectors specifying the equilibrium positions ofn atoms. The expectation value ofÊ() is the probability that the phonon belongs to the atoms whose equilibrium positions are characterized by the elements of . For a strongly localizable phonon all of the projection operatorsÊ() commute with one another, whereas in the case of a weakly localizable phonon the operatorsÊ(₁) andÊ(₂) do not commute when ₁ and ₂ overlap. With the aid of the Jauch-Piron quantum theory of localization in space, the present paper describes the method of obtainingÊ() and also shows that if in the system ofn atoms there exist normal modes of zero frequency, then the phonon is only weakly localizable. Given the explicit expression forÊ(), one can define the number-of-phonons operator as well as the quasiparticle analogue (given in a companion paper) of the Wigner distribution function.     

Comparison of three techniques for cryopreservation and reestablishment of long-term Gentiana tibetica suspension culture

Cryogenic storage of cell suspensions allows long-term maintenance of cultures. The main purpose of the study was to develop a successful cryogenic protocol for 10-year-old embryogenic cell suspensions of G. tibetica. We examined three techniques of freezing: (I) controlled-rate cooling with various cryoprotectants (0.1-0.5 M DMSO, 0.5-1.0 M sucrose, 0.5-1.0 M glycerol, 0.25-1.0 M proline) or preculture with 0.4 M sorbitol and cryoprotectants (0.065-0.1 M DMSO, 0.2-0.8 M proline), (II) vitrification (PVS2) and (III) encapsulation. Cell viability was assessed by the TTC test and biomass increase. After controlled-rate cooling the majority of cells were lethally damaged, with only 3% viability observed. Vitrification and encapsulation approaches were more effective, assuring high levels of post-thaw viability ca. 85% and 7%, respectively. The encapsulation procedure gave faster recovery of the culture suspension than did vitrification, and ensured culture homogeneity and embryogenic competence.     

Mechanism of the Verwey transition in magnetite

By combining ab initio results for the electronic structure and phonon spectrum with the group theory, we establish the origin of the Verwey transition in Fe3O4. Two primary order parameters with X3 and Delta5 symmetries are identified. They induce the phase transformation from the high-temperature cubic to the low-temperature monoclinic structure. The on-site Coulomb interaction U between 3d electrons at Fe ions plays a crucial role in this transition--it amplifies the coupling of phonons to conduction electrons and thus opens a gap at the Fermi energy.     

Sulphur isotope compositions of components of coal and S-isotope fractionation during its combustion and flue gas desulphurization

Sulphur isotope compositions were determined in two different Polish coals (hard coal and lignite) and by-products originating from their combustion. The desulphurization process was also investigated. It was demonstrated that desulphurization changes the isotopic composition of sulphur emitted in the form of SO(2) to the atmosphere even if the process is conducted in a different way (wet lime technology and electron beam method). This fact has to be considered in the studies regarding anthropogenic sulphur genesis and its fate in the environment.