Modelling hydrogen in silicate materials

The expectation that the hydroxyl analogue state of positive muons implanted in quartz should be stabilized by a suitable charge compensation centre is supported by preliminary data. The diamagnetic fraction correlates with aluminium content over the narrow range investigated. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The microscopic investigation of structures of moving flux lines by neutron and muon techniques

We have used a variety of microscopic techniques to reveal the structure and motion of flux line arrangements, when the flux lines in low T _c type II superconductors are caused to move by a transport current. Using small-angle neutron scattering by the flux line lattice (FLL), we are able to demonstrate directly the alignment by motion of the nearest-neighbor FLL direction. This tends to be parallel to the direction of flux line motion, as had been suspected from two-dimensional simulations. We also see the destruction of the ordered FLL by plastic flow and the bending of flux lines. Another technique that our collaboration has employed is the direct measurement of flux line motion, using the ultra-high-resolution spectroscopy of the neutron spin-echo technique to observe the energy change of neutrons diffracted by moving flux lines. The muon spin rotation (μSR) technique gives the distribution of values of magnetic field within the FLL. We have recently succeeded in performing μSR measurements while the FLL is moving. Such measurements give complementary information about the local speed and orientation of the FLL motion. We conclude by discussing the possible application of this technique to thin film superconductors.     

Oxidative coupling of porphyrins using copper(II) salts

A method for radical coupling of porphyrins using copper(II) salts as one-electron oxidants was developed. A Zn(II)-porphyrin bearing an aminophenyl group yielded porphyrin oligomers, and two tri-arylporphyrins were oxidized to form doubly and triply linked dimers. Bromination of doubly linked dimers gave macrocycles with twisted skeletons.     

Non-Archimedean Nevanlinna theory in several variables and the non-Archimedean Nevanlinna inverse problem

Cartan's method is used to prove a several variable, non-Archimedean, Nevanlinna Second Main Theorem for hyperplanes in projective space. The corresponding defect relation is derived, but unlike in the complex case, we show that there can only be finitely many non-zero non-Archimedean defects. We then address the non-Archimedean Nevanlinna inverse problem, by showing that given a set of defects satisfying our conditions and a corresponding set of hyperplanes in projective space, there exists a non-Archimedean analytic function with the given defects at the specified hyperplanes, and with no other defects.

     

Gravitationally stabilized nucleons in the theory of the generalized gravitational potential

From the field equation in of the author's general-relativistic scalar field theory in the complex Weyl space an infinite set of Yukawa type equations, representing potential fields, arising from zero rest mass particles is obtained. The simplest of these equations is solved and is used in a nucleon model as the origin of a gravitationally stabilized nucleon. This procedure leads directly to an expression that predicts the representative nucleon radius of 1.21 fm.     

Structure and properties of Ge2.5PSx glasses

Ge_2.5PS_x glasses were studied with a combination of Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and neutron diffraction. From these experiments the distribution of bonding configurations was determined, and used to explain the compositional dependence of the index of refraction and the glass transition temperature. On reducing the sulfur content of these glasses below the stoichiometric amount, the sulfur deficit is accommodated by the progressive loss of the non-bridging sulfur of SPS_3/2 groups, followed by the conversion of the resultant PS_3/2 groups into species such as P₄S₃ characterized by P-P bonding. The presence of metal-metal bonds involving germanium, found in samples with the lowest sulfur content, was found to be the most important structural feature in determining the optical response.