On the variable-charge Coulomb-projected Born approximation

Total cross-sections for electron impact excitation of 1¹ S – 2³ S transition in helium have been calculated using variable-charge Coulomb-projected Born approximation and also using a distorted wave model in which the prior form of theT-matrix is used. The comparison of the two sets of results enables us to make certain observations about the suitability of the variable-charge Coulomb-projected Born approximation.     

Infrared spectra of BeSO4.4H2O and its deuterated analogue in 4000–1200 cm−1 region

IR spectra of BeSO₄.4H₂O and its deuterated analogue at ∼300 K and ∼110 K are reported in the region 4000–1200 cm⁻¹ using thin film and nujol mull techniques. The observed bands have been assigned as the internal modes of the water and the overtones and combinations of various modes using the recently revised assignments of SO₄ ²⁻ and Be(aq)₄ fundamentals in the region 1200–250 cm⁻¹ (Srivastavaet al 1976). The splitting of the internal modes of water has been discussed in the light of the effects of deuteration and cooling and it is shown that all the water molecules in a unit cell are asymmetric but crystallographically equivalent.     

Ferromagnetic resonance in Sr doped rare earth orthocobaltites, Ln1−xSrxCoO3†

FMR measurements have been carried out on several members of the Ln_1−xSrxCoO₃ (Ln = Rare earth) system. The results show that g_eff in these systems is around 1.25 independent of x as well as the rare earth ion. It is suggested that this unusual value of g_eff is due to the localized intermediate-spin Co³⁺ ions (t⁵_2g e¹_g) located at the top of the π^* band.     

On the summation of the Brillouin-Wigner type perturbation series

It is shown that if the ‘mean excitation energy’ assumption is introduced in the Brillouin-Wigner perturbation series, then the resulting series can be exactly summed. The implications of the result for calculating energy shift and for constructing trial functions are examined with special reference to the ground state of the helium atom.     

Electron-sodium elastic scattering in the presence of strong non-resonant laser field

The elastic differential cross-section forē-Na scattering in the presence of non-resonant laser field is studied for the exchange ofℓ=0, 1, 2 photons. The undressed contribution is evaluated within the framework of the eikonal Born series approximation and the effect of exchange is taken into account via the Ochkur approximation. The sodium atom has been treated in the frozen core approximation with special attention to the effect of the dressing of the target by the laser field. The ‘dressing’ of the target leads to quite an increase in the cross-section over the ‘undressed’ value near the forward direction for the exchange of one or two photons.     

Organic superalkalis with closed-shell structure and aromaticity

Benzene (C₆H₆) and polycyclic hydrocarbons such as naphthalene (C₁₀H₈), anthracene (C₁₄H₁₀) and coronene (C₂₄H₁₂) are well known aromatic organic compounds. We study the substitution of Li replacing all H-atoms in these hydrocarbons using density functional method. The vertical ionisation energy of such lithiated species, i.e. C₆Li₆, C₁₀Li₈, C₁₄Li₁₀ and C₂₄Li₁₂ ranges 4.24–4.50 eV, which is lower than the ionisation energy (IE) of Li atom. Thus, these species may behave as superalkalis due to their lower IE than alkali metal. However, these lithiated species possess planar and closed-shell structure, unlike typical superalkalis. Furthermore, all Li-substituted species are aromatic although their degree of aromaticity is reduced as compared to corresponding hydrocarbon analogues. We have further explored the structure of C₆Li₆ as star-like, unlike its inorganic analogue B₃N₃Li₆, which appears as fan-like structure. We have also demonstrated that the interaction of C₆Li₆ with a superhalogen (such as BF₄) is similar to that of a typical superalkali (such as OLi₃). This may further suggest that the proposed lithiated species may form a new class of closed-shell organic superalkalis with aromaticity.     

Elliptic flow of thermal photons in relativistic nuclear collisions

We predict the transverse momentum (p(T)) dependence of elliptic flow of thermal photons for Au + Au collisions at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. We model the system hydrodynamically, with a thermalized quark-gluon plasma at early times followed by hadronization and decoupling. Photons are emitted throughout the expansion history. Contrary to hadron elliptic flow, which increases monotonically with p(T), the elliptic flow nu2(p(T)) of thermal photons is predicted to first rise and then fall again. Photon elliptic flow at high p(T) reflects the quark momentum anisotropy at early times when it is small, while at low p(T) it mirrors the large pion momentum anisotropy during the late hadronic emission stage. An interesting structure is predicted at intermediate p(T) approximately 0.4 GeV/c, where photon elliptic flow reflects the momenta and the (compared to pions) reduced nu2 of heavy vector mesons in the late hadronic phase.     

Electron and positron impact excitation of hydrogen from the initially excited 22S state to 32S and 32P states

The total and differential cross sections for the electron and positron impact excitation of hydrogen from its initially excited metastable 2²S state to 3²S and 3²P states are reported. A distorted-wave approximation theory is used for the calculation. The angular correlation parameters, Ly and alignment angle are also reported for 2²S-3²P excitation. For comparison, similar first Born results are also obtained. Interesting features are noted on comparing our distorted wave results with the first Born results as well as with the other available results forn ²S andn ²P (n=2,3) excitations from the ground 1²S state of hydrogen.     

Birkhoff theorem in self-creation cosmology

An analogue of Birkhoff's theorem of general relativity holds for electromagnetic fields in the self-creation cosmology proposed by Barber when the scalar field is independent of time.