Comparative measurements of loudspeakers in a listening situation

Comparison of loudspeakers is a major concern during design or product selection. There are several standards for the measurement of loudspeaker characteristics, but none of them provides hints for a rigorous comparison between devices. In this study, different ways of evaluating acoustical dissimilarity between loudspeakers were compared. Several methods of signal analysis were used, and for each method a metric evaluating the dissimilarity between two signals was defined. The correlation between the different dissimilarity evaluations over a significant panel of loudspeakers led to identified classes of measurements. A specific aspect of this work is that measurements were performed in a standard listening environment, rather than in an anechoic or reverberant one. It allowed the use of the recorded signals for a simple listening test, providing a perceptual metric which was compared to the acoustical ones. It also allowed the introduction of auditory models in the computation of some acoustical metrics, so defining a new class of measurements which gave results close to the perceptual ones.     

Oxygen as a site specific probe of the structure of water and oxide materials

The method of oxygen isotope substitution in neutron diffraction is introduced as a site specific structural probe. It is employed to measure the structure of light versus heavy water, thus circumventing the assumption of isomorphism between H and D as used in more traditional neutron diffraction methods. The intramolecular and intermolecular O-H and O-D pair correlations are in excellent agreement with path integral molecular dynamics simulations, both techniques showing a difference of ?0.5% between the O-H and O-D intramolecular bond distances. The results support the validity of a competing quantum effects model for water in which its structural and dynamical properties are governed by an offset between intramolecular and intermolecular quantum contributions.     

The magnetic moments of (vg 9/2)-levels in odd Zn isotopes

^69m,71mZn have been implanted with an isotope separator on-line into a cold iron host matrix. Nuclear magnetic resonance of the low-temperature oriented isotopes has been observed. The resonance frequencies for zero external magnetic field are v_L(^69mZnFe@#@) =36.814(35) MHz andv _L (^71mZnFe)=33.47(19) MHz. From these the magnetic moments of the 9/2⁺ iosmeric states have been derived as μ(^69mZn)=(?)1.138(18) n.m. andμ(^71mZn)=(?)1.035(18) n.m. The experimentally known magnetic moments of (vg _9/2)-levels in odd zinc isotopes are compared to theoretical estimates.     

Proposed experiment for testing quantum contextuality with neutrons

We show that an experimental demonstration of quantum contextuality using 2 degrees of freedom of single neutrons based on a violation of an inequality derived from the Peres-Mermin proof of the Kochen-Specker theorem would be more conclusive than those obtained from previous experiments involving pairs of ions [M. A. Rowe, Nature (London) 409, 791 (2001)10.1038/35057215] and single neutrons [Y. Hasegawa, Nature (London) 425, 45 (2003)10.1038/nature01881] based on violations of Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt-like inequalities.     

The sign of the electric field gradient at the nuclear site of Zn in Zn metal

By use of low temperature nuclear quadrupole orientation the quadrupole coupling constant of^69mZn in a Zn single crystal has been determined asv _Q=eQV _zz/h=–28(3) MHz.A positive sign forV _zzat the nuclear site of Zn in Zn is deduced. The half-life of^69mZn has been remeasured asT _1/2=13.756 (18)h.     

Elektronenstruktur,Spektren und Magnetismus von Chinon-π-Komplexen des Nickels

Zusammenfassung Die Elektronenstrukturen von Bis-durochinon-nickel(0) und der Komplexe vom Typ Olefin-Ni(0)-Chinon werden im Rahmen der LCAO-MO-Näherung diskutiert und zur Deutung der Absorptionsspektren herangezogen. Den im freien Durochmon auftretenden Übergängen lassen sich in den Komplexspektren jeweils nur wenig verschobene Banden zuordnen. Darüber hinaus wird eine intensive Charge-Transfer-Bande beobachtet, die einem Übergang vom höchsten besetzten Nickelzustand zum tiefsten unbesetzten Chinon-Orbital entspricht. Aus der Intensität der Bande, die im freien Chinon dem b _3g 2b ₂ g-Übergang zugeordnet wird, ergibt sich für das gelöste Bis-durochinon-nickel(0)-Molekül die Symmetrie D _2h . Während die Komplexe mit Durochinon in Übereinstimmung mit der Theorie diamagnetisch sind, weisen die analogen Verbindungen der Dimethylchinone magnetische Momente von 1,52 bzw. 2,75 B. M. auf, woraus auf eine Mitbeteiligung polarer Strukturen am Grundzustand dieser Komplexe geschlossen wird.

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The electronic structures of bis-duroquinone-nickel(0) and complexes of the type olefine-Ni(0)-quinone are discussed in the MO-LCAO approximation and used for an interpretation of the absorption spectra. The transitions of the free duroquinone can be correlated with transitions of the complexes at nearly the same wavelengths. In addition, an intense charge transfer band is observed which corresponds to a transition from the highest occupied nickel orbital to the lowest unoccupied quinone orbital. From the intensity of the band which corresponds to b _3g 2b_2g in the free quinone, the symmetry D _2h for the dissolved bis-duroquinone-nickel(0) molecule is deduced. Whereas the duroquinone complexes are diamagnetic in agreement with theory, analogous compounds of the diméthylquinones exhibit magnetic momenta of 1.52 and 2.75 B. M. suggesting the participation of polar structures in the ground state of these complexes.

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Résumé Les structures électroniques du bis-duroquinone-nickel(0) et des complexes du type oléfine-Ni(0)-quinone sont discutées dans le cadre del'approximationMO-LCAO et utilisées pour l'interprétation des spectres d'absorption. Aux transitions de la duroquinone libre peuvent être attribuées des bandes peu déplacées dans les spectres des complexes. En outre on observe une bande intense correspondant à une transition de la plus haute orbitale occupée du nickel à la plus basse orbitale libre de la quinone. L'intensité de la bande nommée b _3g 2b _2g dans la quinone libre indique la symétrie D _2h pour la molécule dissoute du bis-duroquinone-nickel(0). Tandis que les complexes de la duroquinone sont diamagnétiques en accord avec la théorie, des composés analogues des diméthylquinones présentent des moments magnétiques de 1,52 et de 2,75 B. M. d'où l'on infère la participation de structures polaires à l'état fondamental de ces complexes.

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6. Mitteilung über Komplexe vom Typ des Bis-durochinon-nickel(0). 5. Mitt. vgl. [11].     

New Cyclic and Polycyclic Ring Systems Containing Group 14 (Si,Ge, Sn) and 16 (S,Se, Te) Elements

The reactions of Me₂MCl₂ (M = Si, Ge, Sn), Si₂Me₄Cl₂, Si₂Me₂Cl₃, Si₂Me₂Cl₄ and CH₂(SiCl₂Me)₂, and suitable mixtures thereof, with H₂S / NEt₃ and Li₂E (E = Se, Te) have been investigated and lead to a variety of new group 14 chalcogenide systems.