Delta-sultone formation through Rh-catalyzed C-H insertion

Rhodium-catalyzed reactions of sulfonate ester derivatives are biased strongly toward 1,6-insertion and thus offer a general method for assembling delta-sultones. Two protocols for staging this cyclization reaction are described, which capitalize on the unique ability of either diazo or iodonium ylide intermediates to form Rh-carbene species. The value of these heterocycles for fine chemicals synthesis is demonstrated in both reductive and oxidative reactions that make possible excision of the -SO3- moiety.     

Favoured superdeformed states in 89Tc

A superdeformed band consisting of a cascade of ten γ-ray transitions has been identified and assigned to the nucleus ⁸⁹Tc, close to the proton dripline. The quadrupole moment of the band (Q _t= 6.7^+3.0 _−2.3 eb, as measured by the Residual Doppler Shift Method) as well as a large dynamic moment of inertia point to a highly elongated shape. With a relative population of approximately 15% of the γ-ray flux in the ⁸⁹Tc exit channel, the band is among the most intense superdeformed bands observed to date. Received: 6 July 1999     

350-fold improved measurement of the antiproton magnetic moment using a multi-trap method

We summarize our recent 1.5 parts per billion measurement of the antiproton magnetic moment using the multi Penning-trap system of the BASE collaboration. The result was achieved by combining the detection of individual spin-transitions of a single antiproton with a novel two-particle spectroscopy technique, which dramatically improved the data sampling rate. This measurement contributes to improve the test of the fundamental charge, parity, time reversal (CPT) invariance in the baryon sector by a factor of 350 compared to our last measurement, and by a factor of 3000 compared to the best competing measurement. We review the measurement technique and discuss the improved limits on CPT-violating physics imposed by this measurement.     

Detection of the power spectrum of cosmic microwave background lensing by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope

We report the first detection of the gravitational lensing of the cosmic microwave background through a measurement of the four-point correlation function in the temperature maps made by the Atacama Cosmology Telescope. We verify our detection by calculating the levels of potential contaminants and performing a number of null tests. The resulting convergence power spectrum at 2° angular scales measures the amplitude of matter density fluctuations on comoving length scales of around 100 Mpc at redshifts around 0.5 to 3. The measured amplitude of the signal agrees with Lambda cold dark matter cosmology predictions. Since the amplitude of the convergence power spectrum scales as the square of the amplitude of the density fluctuations, the 4σ detection of the lensing signal measures the amplitude of density fluctuations to 12%.     

A note on a problem of Erdös and Hajnal

In [5], Erdös and Hajnal formulate the following proposition, which we shall refer to as Φ: If ? is an order-type such that $\text{|?| = ω}{}_2\text{but}\text{ω}{}_2\text{, ω}{}_2{}^1\text{? ?}$, there is ψ ? ?, |ψ| = ω₁, such that $\text{ω}{}_1\text{, ω}{}_1{}^1\text{? ψ}$. In [2], we showed that if V = L, then ?Φ. We do not know if the assumption V = L can be weakened to CH, or if, in fact, Φ is consistent with CH. However, in this note we show that, relative to a certain large cardinal assumption, Φ is consistent with 2^ω = ω₂, so that ?Φ is not provable in ZFC alone. Our proof has an interesting model-theoretic consequence, which we mention at the end.     

Rates and mechanisms of conversion of ice nanocrystals to ether clathrate hydrates: guest-molecule catalytic effects at approximately 120 k

A Fourier transform infrared investigation of the rates and energetics of conversion of ice nanocrystals within 3-D arrays to ether clathrate-hydrate (CH) particles at approximately 120 K is reported. After an induction period, apparently necessitated by relatively slow nucleation of the CH phase, the well-established shrinking-core model of particle-adsorbate reaction applies to these conversions in the presence of an abundance of adsorbed ether. This implies that the transport of the ether adsorbate through the product crust encasing a reacting particle core (a necessary aspect of a particle reaction mechanism) is the rate-controlling factor. Diffusion moves adsorbed reactant molecules to the reaction zone at the interface of the ice core with the product (CH) crust. The results indicate that ether hydrate formation rates near 120 K resemble rates for gas hydrates measured near 260 K, implying rates greater by many orders of magnitude for comparable temperatures. A surprising secondary enhancement of ether CH-formation rates by the simultaneous incorporation of simple small gas molecules (N2, CO2, CH4, CO, and N2O) has also been quantified in this study. The rapid CH formation at low temperatures is conjectured to derive from defect-facilitated transport of reactants to an interfacial reaction zone, with the defect populations enhanced through transient H bonding of guest-ether proton-acceptor groups with O-H groups of the hydrate cage walls.     

Electronic transport and magnetic properties of the perovskites La0.8Sr0.2Co1−xFexO3; x ≤ 0.3

Transport and magnetic properties of LaCoO₃-based compounds, doped with 20% Sr and 2.5, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30% Fe, were investigated by means of magnetization, resistivity and magnetoresistance measurements as well as by ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. While the temperature dependence of the dc and ac magnetic susceptibilities reveals the presence of magnetic phase separation accompanied by spin-glass and cluster-glass behavior, the electrical resistivity and magnetoresistance characteristics indicate that the mesoscopic structure of the present compounds is rather well described as consisting of ferromagnetic, metallic grains embedded in an insulating matrix. The effect of the partial Co → Fe substitution on the bulk magnetic and transport properties, as well as on the local state of Co and Fe ions is discussed.