Characterization of amorphous silica surface

A short survey is presented of results on the dehydration, dehydroxylation and rehydroxylation of the surface of amorphous silica.     

Exact solutions in cosmological inflationary models

The exact solutions of the Einstein equations that correspond to a given evolution of the scale factor in the inflationary stage in the development of the universe are considered within the framework of the theory of a self-acting scalar field that interacts minimally with a gravitational field. The form of the potential that ensures a given rate of expansion and the solution for the scalar field are calculated for each type of inflation considered. Some general laws of the relation between the form of potential and the scale factor evolution are analyzed. Moscow State University Branch in Ul'yanovsk. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 8, pp. 83–88, August, 1996.     

The electronic structure of alkali metal oxides

Crystalline phase total energies, band structures, the distributions of the total and partial densities of electron states, and atomic charges were calculated for lithium, sodium, and potassium oxides, peroxides, superoxides, and ozonides using the CRYSTAL 06 and GAMESS packages in the B3LYP parameterization. For the molecular phases, the geometry was optimized and molecular orbital energies calculated. The results obtained for metal oxides were compared with the experimental photoelectron spectroscopy data and used to analyze their formation and thermal decomposition.     

Nuclear level densities in <Superscript>208</Superscript>Bi and <Superscript>209</Superscript>Po from the neutron spectra in the (<Emphasis Type="Italic">p,n</Emphasis>) reactions on <Superscript>208</Superscript>Pb and <Superscript>209</Superscript>Bi nuclei

The spectra of neutrons from the (p, n) reactions on the ²⁰⁸Pb and ²⁰⁹Bi nuclei were measured in the proton-energy range 8–11 MeV. These measurements were performed by using a time-of-flight spectrometer of fast neutrons on the basis of the pulsed tandem accelerator EGP-15 of the Institute of Physics and Power Engineering (Obninsk, Russian Federation). A high resolution and stability of the time-of-flight spectrometermade it possible to identify reliably low-lying discrete levels alongwith the continuum section of the neutron spectra. The measured data were analyzed on the basis of the statistical equilibrium and preequilibrium models of nuclear reactions. The respective calculations were performed by using the precise formalism of Hauser-Feshbach statistical theory together with the generalizedmodel of a superfluid nucleus and the back-shifted Fermi gas model for the nuclear-level density. The nuclear-level densities in ²⁰⁸Bi and ²⁰⁹Po were determined along with their energy dependences and model parameters. Our results are discussed together with available experimental data and recommendations of model systematics.     

Linearly polarized photoluminescence from an ensemble of wurtzite GaN/AlN quantum dots

Microphotoluminescence from GaN/AlN quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy on sapphire substrates along the (0001) axis has been studied. To produce quantum dots of different average sizes and densities, the nominal amount of deposited GaN has been varied from 1 to 4 ML. The density of the quantum dots was about 10¹¹ cm⁻², which corresponded to about 10³ quantum dots excited in the experiments. The photo-luminescence from the quantum dots was linearly polarized and the maximum polarization degree (15%) has been observed for the sample with the lowest amount of deposited GaN. The photoluminescence intensity from this sample under continuous laser excitation decreased by more than two orders of magnitude for about 30 min and then stabilized. The photoluminescence intensity from other samples under continuous excitation remained constant. We suggest that a rather high polarization degree is caused by anisotropy in the strain and shape of the quantum dots formed near the dislocations, which also act as the centers of nonradiative recombination.     

Role of methylene spacer in the excitation energy transfer in europium 1- and 2- naphthylcarboxylates

A series of compounds Ln(RCOO)₃·Phen (Ln=Eu, Gd, Tb; RCOO⁻-1- and 2-naphthoate, 1- and 2-naphthylacetate, 1- and 2-naphthoxyacetate anions, Phen-1,10-phenanthroline) was investigated by methods of optical spectroscopy. Compounds of composition Ln(RCOO)₃·nH₂O with the same carboxylate ligands are also considered. Results of studies of the effects of methylene spacer decoupling the π-π- or p-π-conjugation in the naphthylcarboxylate ligand on the structure of Eu³⁺ coordination centre, on the lifetime of ⁵D₀ (Eu³⁺) state, and on processes of the excitation energy transfer to Eu³⁺ or Tb³⁺ ions are presented. Introduction of the methylene bridge in the ligand weakens the influence of the steric hindrances in forming of a crystal lattice and results in lowering the distortion of the Eu³⁺ luminescence centre, and in elongation of the observed ⁵D₀ lifetime τ_obs. The latter is caused by decrease in contribution of the radiative processes rate 1/τ_r. This is confirmed by the correlation between the lifetimes τ_obs and the quantities “τ_r·const” inversely proportional to the total integral intensities of Eu(RCOO)₃·Phen luminescence spectra. The methylene spacer performs a role of regulator of sensitization of the Ln³⁺ luminescence efficiency by means of an influence on mutual location of lowest triplet states of the ligands, the ligand-metal charge transfer (LMCT) states, and the emitting states of Ln³⁺ ions. The lowest triplet state in lanthanide naphthylcarboxylate adducts with Phen is related to carboxylate anion. A presence of the methylene spacer in naphthylcarboxylate ligand increases the triplet state energy. At the same time, the energy of “carboxylic group-Eu³⁺ ion” charge transfer states falls, which can promote the degradation of excitation energy. In naphthylcarboxylates investigated a range of the carboxylate triplet state energies from 19 150 to 20 600 cm⁻¹ was demonstrated in dependence on the type of the carboxylate anion. The interligand energy transfer from Phen to carboxylate lowest triplet state was revealed in complexes with Phen ligand. The effect of OH-group inserted in 1- or 3-position of 2-naphthoate ligand on the excitation energy transfer is also analyzed.