Coherent dissociation of relativistic 9C nuclei

Results on the coherent dissociation of relativistic ⁹C nuclei in a nuclear track emulsion are described. These results include the charge topology and kinematical features of final states. Events of ⁹C → 3³He coherent dissociation are identified.     

Asymptotics for the Low-Lying Eigenstates of the Schrödinger Operator with Magnetic Field near Corners

The Neumann realization for the Schr?dinger operator with magnetic field is considered in a bounded two-dimensional domain with corners. This operator is associated with a small semi-classical parameter h or, equivalently, with a large magnetic field.We investigate the behavior of its eigenpairs as h tends to zero, like in a semi-classical limit. We prove, in the situation where the domain is a polygon and the magnetic field is constant, that the lowest eigenvalues are exponentially close to those of model problems associated with the corners. We approximate the corresponding eigenvectors by linear combinations of functions concentrated in corners at the scale If the domain has curved sides and the magnetic field is smoothly varying, we exhibit a full asymptotics for eigenpairs in powers of Communicated by Christian Gérard Submitted: October 13, 2005 Accepted: December 19, 2005     

Influence of composition on hyperfine interactions in FeMoCuB nanocrystalline alloy

Influence of varying Fe/B ratio upon hyperfine interactions is investigated in the Fe_91?x Mo₈Cu₁B_x rapidly quenched alloys. They are studied both in the as-quenched (amorphous) state as well as after one-hour annealing at different temperatures ranging from 330 °C up to 650 °C. Such a heat treatment causes significant structural changes featuring a formation of nanocrystalline bcc-Fe grains during the first crystallization step. At higher annealing temperatures, a grain growth of bcc-Fe and occurrence of additional crystalline phases are observed. The relative fraction of the crystalline phase governs the development of magnetic hyperfine fields in the residual amorphous matrix even if this was fully paramagnetic in the as-quenched state. The development of hyperfine interactions is discussed as a function of annealing temperature and composition of the investigated alloys. ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectrometry was used as a principal analytical method. Additional information related to the structural arrangement is obtained from X-ray diffractometry. It is shown that in the as-quenched state, the relative fraction of magnetic hyperfine interactions increases as the amount of B rises. In partially crystalline samples, the contribution of magnetic hyperfine interactions inside the retained amorphous matrix increases with annealing temperature even though the relative fraction of amorphous magnetic regions decreases.     

Realizing colloidal artificial ice on arrays of optical traps

We demonstrate how a colloidal version of artificial ice can be realized on optical trap lattices. Using numerical simulations, we show that this system obeys the ice rules and that for strong colloid-colloid interactions, an ordered ground state appears. We show that the ice-rule ordering can occur for systems with as few as 24 traps and that the ordering transition can be observed at constant temperature by varying the barrier strength of the traps.     

Host-guest interaction between cyclen based macrotricyclic ligands and phosphate anions. A potentiometric investigation

The host-guest interaction between orthophosphate, pyrophosphate and triphosphate anions and three cyclen based macrotricyclic ligands possessing ortho- (TOC), meta- (TMC) and para-xylenyl (TPC) linkers was investigated by potentiometric measurements. The ternary species present in solution and their stability constants have been determined. The different behaviours are explained in terms of hydrogen bond formation and coulombic attraction between the organic host and the inorganic guest. The selectivity, illustrated with species distribution diagrams, is discussed. The results unambiguously showed the importance of the distance between the two cyclen cores and emphasized the increasing of the triphosphate species selectivity together with the cavity size of the ligand. A comparison of the present results with those obtained with their mono-bridged homologues is also discussed.     

The first member of the eleven-vertex azadicarbaborane series, 1,6,9-NC2B8H13, and its N-alkyl derivatives

Reactions between closo-1,2-C(2)B(8)H(10) (1) and amines of general formulation R(1)R(2)NH (where R(1), R(2) = H, H; Me, H; t-Bu, H and Et, Et) resulted in a straightforward cluster expansion and formation of the 11-vertex arachno-azadicarbaboranes of the 1,1-R(1),R(2-)1,6,9-NC(2)B(8)H(11) (2) cluster constitution (where R(1), R(2) = H, H 2a; Me, H 2b; t-Bu, H 2c and Et, Et 2d) in yields 10-75%, depending on the nature of the amine used. The reactions are the first example of a direct closo to arachno transformation in the area of cluster-boron compounds. Compounds 2b and 2c were isolated in two isomeric forms anti- and syn- that differ in the positioning of the t-Bu substituent with respect to the bridging hydrogen site. Deprotonation of compounds 2 generally leads to removal of the bridging proton and formation of the [1,1-R(1),R(2-)1,6,9-NC(2)B(8)H(11)](-) (2-) anions that, in the case of the monoalkylated Me and t-Bu derivatives, adopt only an anti configuration. The structure of anti-2c was determined by X-ray diffraction analysis and the geometries of the parent compound and the corresponding syn and anti isomers were optimised at the RMP2/6-31G* level. The composition of all compounds is consistent with the results of mass spectrometry and multinuclear ((1)H and (11)B) spectroscopy complemented by two-dimensional [(11)B-(11)B]-COSY and (1)H{(11)B(selective)} NMR measurements. Experimental (11)B chemical shifts generally show acceptable agreement with theoretical values calculated by GIAO methods, in particular at GIAO-MP2/II, where possible.     

Photon regeneration from pseudoscalars at X-ray laser facilities

Recently, the PVLAS Collaboration reported an anomalously large rotation of the polarization of light in the presence of a magnetic field in vacuum. As a possible explanation, they consider the existence of a light spin-zero particle coupled to two photons. We propose here a method of independently testing this result using a high-energy photon regeneration experiment (the x-ray analogue of "invisible light shining through walls") using the synchrotron x rays from a free-electron laser. With such an experiment the region of parameter space implied by PVLAS could be probed in a matter of minutes.     

(E)-3-(2-Alkyl-10H-phenothiazin-3-yl)-1-arylprop-2-en-1-ones: Preparative, IR, NMR and DFT study on their substituent-dependent reactivity in hydrazinolysis and sonication-assisted oxidation with copper(II)nitrate

A series of novel 3(5)-aryl/ferrocenyl-5(3)-phenothiazinylpyrazoles and pyrazolines were obtained by substituent-dependent regioselective condensation of the corresponding (E)-3-(2-alkyl-10H-phenothiazin-3-yl)-1-aryl/ferrocenylprop-2-en-1-one with hydrazine or methylhydrazine in acetic acid. The different propensity of the primary formed beta-hydrazino adducts to undergo competitive retro-Mannich reaction was interpreted in terms of tautomerisation equilibrium constants calculated by DFT using a solvent model. The regioselectivity of the cyclisation reactions with methylhydrazine and the substituent-dependent redox properties of pyrazolines were also rationalized by comparative DFT calculations performed for simplified model molecules. On the effect of ultrasound-promoted oxidation with copper(II)nitrate phenothiazine-containing pyrazolines, enones and oxo-compounds were selectively transformed into sulfoxides. Only one sulfoxide enone was partially converted into an oxirane derivative. The structure of the novel products was determined by IR and NMR spectroscopy including COSY, HSQC, HMBC and DNOE measurements.     

Extended tunnelling states in the benzoic acid crystal: infrared and Raman spectra of the OH and OD stretching modes

We compare Raman and infrared spectra of the nuOH/OD modes in benzoic acid crystal powders at 7 K. The extremely sharp Raman bands contrast to the broad infrared profiles and suggest adiabatic separation of hydrogen (deuterium) dynamics from the crystal lattice. There is no evidence of any proton-proton coupling term. The assignment scheme is consistent with a quasisymmetric double-minimum potential, largely temperature independent. Tunnel splitting is a major band shaping mechanism, in addition to anharmonic coupling with lattice modes. The proton/deuteron dynamics are rationalized with nonlocal pseudoparticles and extended states. We propose a symmetry-related damping mechanism to account for the broad infrared profiles, as opposed to the sharp Raman bands. We assign spectral features to distinct interconversion mechanisms based on either pseudoparticle transfer or adiabatic pairwise transfer. We establish close contacts with theoretical models based on first-principles calculations.     

Optical sensing system for ATP using porphyrin-alkaloid conjugates

Tetrabrucin-porphyrin as a sensor for ATP was designed and tested; selectivity for ATP was proved in the presence of ADP and AMP.