A study of γ-decay modes from high angular momentum nuclear states by high order multiplicity measurements

Reactions between ¹⁸O and ¹⁶O ions, with energies well above the Coulomb barrier, and ^{148, 150}Nd target nuclei were used to study the cascades of γ-rays in the residual nuclei ^{161, 162}Er. A multi-counter setup was used in which the γ-rays were detected by a Ge(Li) counter coupled in coincidence with up to 9 NaI(Tl) counters. The γ-multiplicity has been studied for γ-rays cascading through states above and along the yrast line. Higher moments of the multiplicity distributions (shape parameters) were deduced from the data. These moments allow the construction of the spin distribution for the entry states. The difference between these spin distributions from reactions induced by ¹⁶O and ¹⁸O ions was studied. Also the fusion cross section was measured for the two systems as a function of bombarding energy and compared to the multiplicity results at two different excitation energies (E_x = 49.5 and 56.2 MeV). A subtraction technique has been applied in the data analysis with the intention to study the decay of a selected part of the high-spin region, and the results show besides the 4n channel an unexpected large contribution of the 5n channel from this region. The sidefeeding patterns of the multiplicity distributions are extracted and show a significant difference for the ¹⁶O and ¹⁸O induced reactions, especially at the lowest bombarding energies. The results are compared with statistical model calculations.     

Band structures and proton-neutron interactions in Ta

Six rotational bands in the odd-odd nucleus ¹⁷⁴Ta have been populated with the ¹⁶⁰Gd(¹⁹F,5n) reaction. High-spin states were identified using the NORDBALL array. Both signatures of the doubly decoupled π1/2⁻ [541] ν1/2⁻ [521] band and semi-decoupled π1/2⁻ [541] ν7/2⁻ [633] band are observed, in addition to the high-K couplings of the π9/2⁻ [514] ν7/2⁺ [633], π9/2⁻ [514] ν5/2⁻ [512], π7/2⁺ [404] ν7/2⁺ [633], and π5/2⁺ [402] ν5/2⁻ [512] configurations. The signature splitting of the π1/2⁻ [541] ν7/2⁺ [633] band is inverted from the expected splitting, and this is interpreted as being due to a residual proton-neutron interaction. It is shown empirically that this interaction, together with deformation changes, can account for the increased crossing frequency associated with the alignment of i_13/2 neutrons in the π1/2⁻ [541] bands of odd-Z nuclei.     

Lifetimes of triaxial superdeformed states in 163Lu and 164Lu

Lifetimes of states in the yrast superdeformed bands of ¹⁶³Lu and ¹⁶⁴Lu were determined in a Doppler-shift attenuation-method experiment. From fractional Doppler shifts and line shapes, average transition quadrupole moments, Q _t = 8.2_-0.6 ^+1.0 b and 7.1_-0.6 ^+0.5 b, were deduced for one of the bands in ¹⁶³Lu and ¹⁶⁴Lu, respectively. These values are much larger than the quadrupole moment of the normal-deformed yrast band in ¹⁶³Yb, Q _t = 4.9_-0.4 ^+1.3 b, that was also determined in this experiment. Comparison to cranking calculations indicates that both superdeformed bands correspond to a local potential energy minimum with a pronounced triaxiality, γ∼ 20^°. Received: 8 November 2001 / Accepted: 9 January 2002     

Single-neutron states at high spins in ytterbium nuclei: Evidence for the quenching of static neutron pair correlations

The decay schemes of ^167,168,169Yb are established to the largest angular momenta yet known in stably-deformed rare-earth nuclei using the ¹²⁴Sn(⁴⁸Ca,3–5n) reaction. The systematics of the resulting spectrum of single-neutron states in these and neighbouring Yb isotopes at large and small angular momenta are discussed with regard to that expected in the presence and absence of static neutron-pair correlations. This comparison, together with cranking-model and “gauge-space” analyses, provides evidence for the effective disappearance of static neutron-pair correlations for the odd-N isotopes at ?ω ? 0.38 MeV. A composite empirical spectrum of single-neutron states is constructed for the “unpaired” regime and is compared with cranking calculations.     

A Vibrational Study of Some 1,2,4-Trioxanes

The vibrational spectra of some 1,2,4-trioxanes present two characteristic bands at 790 and 880 cm^?1. On the basis of ¹⁸O-isotopic substitution and comparison with analogous compounds, these bands have been assigned to coupled C? O and O? O stretching modes of the C? O? O element.     

Vibrational characterization of the compound (C2H5NH3)2PdCl4(EAPdC)

The NIR and IR transmission spectra at room temperature of single crystals of (C₂H₅NH₃)₂PdCl₄ (EAPdC) have been measured, as well as unpolarized Raman spectra at room and liquid-nitrogen temperature. These vibration spectra are compared with those of EACuC and EACdC. We conclude that EAPdC belongs to the family of compounds EAMC, where M = Mn, Cu, Cd.     

The [Ru(CN)5(pyS)](4-) complex, an efficient self-assembled monolayer for the cytochrome c heterogeneous electron transfer studies

The organothiol 4-mercaptopyridine (pyS) has been used extensively as facilitator for the assessment of heterogeneous electron transfer reaction of cytochrome c (cyt c). Its efficiency, however, is strongly affected by the instability of the adlayer due to the C-S bond cleavage. The K(4)[Ru(CN)(5)(pyS)].3H(2)O complex was synthesized and characterized aiming its utilization as an inorganic self-assembled monolayer (SAM) that would enhance the gold adlayer stability. The SAM formed by this complex onto gold (RupySAu) was characterized by spectroscopic (FTIRRAS and SERS) and electrochemical (LSV) techniques. The ex situ vibrational SERS and FTIRRAS spectra data of this SAM formed onto gold suggest a sigma interaction between the gold and sulfur atoms of the complex, inducing a perpendicular arrangement in relation to the surface normal. Additionally, SERS and FTIRRAS spectra performed for freshly prepared RupySAu adlayer and for large immersion times in the precursor solution have not shown any significant change that would reflect the degradation of the adlayer. The LSV desorption curves of this SAM indicate an enhancement in the C-S bond strength of the pyS ligand when coordinated to the [Ru(CN)(5)](3-) moiety. Comparatively to the data obtained for the desorption process of the pyS monolayer, the reductive desorption potential, E(rd), of the RupySAu presents a shift of -17 mV. This bond strength intensification leads to an increase in the stability of the monolayer. The voltammetric curves of cyt c carried out with the RupySAu electrode showed electrochemical parameters consistent with those reported for the native protein, as well as the maintenance of the electrochemical kinetic data after repetitive cycles. The results all together suggest that the pi back-bonding effect from the [Ru(CN)(5)](3-) metal center plays an important role in the stability of the RupySAu adlayer, improving the assessment of the cyt c heterogeneous electron transfer reaction.     

N,N-Dimethylaminopropylsilane: a case study on the nature of weak intramolecular Si...N interactions

N,N-Dimethylaminopropylsilane H(3)Si(CH(2))(3)NMe(2) was synthesised by the reaction of (MeO)(3)Si(CH(2))(3)NMe(2) with lithium aluminium hydride. Its solid-state structure was determined by X-ray diffraction, which revealed a five-membered ring with an SiN distance of 2.712(2) A. Investigation of the structure by gas-phase electron diffraction (GED), ab initio and density functional calculations and IR spectroscopy revealed that the situation in the gas phase is more complicated, with at least four conformers present in appreciable quantities. Infrared spectra indicated a possible SiN interaction in the Si-H stretching region (2000-2200 cm(-1)), as the approach of the nitrogen atom in the five-membered ring weakens the bond to the hydrogen atom in the trans position. Simulated gas-phase IR spectra generated from ab initio calculations (MP2/TZVPP) exhibited good agreement with the experimental spectrum. A method is proposed by which the fraction of the conformer with a five-membered ring can be determined by a least-squares fit of the calculated to experimental absorption intensities. The abundance of this conformer was determined as 23.7(6) %, in good agreement with the GED value of 24(6) %. The equilibrium SiN distance predicted by theory for the gas-phase structure was highly variable, ranging from 2.73 (MP2) to 3.15 A (HF). The value obtained by GED is 2.91(4) A, which could be confirmed by a scan of the potential-energy surface at the DF-LCCSD[T] level of theory. The nature of the weak dative bond in H(3)Si(CH(2))(3)NMe(2) can be described in terms of attractive inter-electronic correlation forces (dispersion) and is also interpreted in terms of the topology of the electron density.