In-beam spectroscopy of 253, 254No

In-beam conversion electron spectroscopy experiments have been performed on the transfermium nuclei ^{253, 254}No using the conversion electron spectrometer SACRED in nearly collinear geometry in conjunction with the gas-filled separator RITU at the University of Jyv?skyl?. The experimental setup is discussed and the spectra are compared to Monte Carlo simulations. The implications for the ground-state configuration of ²⁵³No are discussed. Received: 21 March 2002 / Accepted: 16 May 2002 / Published online: 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: rdh@ns.ph.liv.ac.uk RID="b" ID="b"Present address: GANIL, F-14021 Caen, France. RID="c" ID="c"Permanent address: IReS Strasbourg, IN2P3-CNRS, F-67037-Strasbourg, France. RID="d" ID="d"Present address: CEA/DIF DCRE/SDE/LDN F-91680 Bruyeres-le-Chatel. RID="e" ID="e"Present address: Daresbury Laboratory, Daresbury WA4 4AD, UK. RID="f" ID="f"Permanent address: IPN Lyon, IN2P3-CNRS, F-69037 Lyon, France.     

The timescale of spinodal dewetting at a polymer/polymer interface

We investigate the dynamics of spinodal dewetting in liquid-liquid polymer systems. Dewetting of poly(methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA) thin films on polystyrene (PS) “substrates” is followed in situ using neutron reflectivity. By following the development of roughness at the PS/PMMA interface and the PMMA surface we extract characteristic growth times for the dewetting process. These characteristic growth times are measured as a function of the molecular weight of the two polymers. By also carrying out experiments in the regime where the dynamics are independent of the PS molecular weight, we are able to use dewetting to probe the scaling of the PMMA thin film viscosity with temperature and molecular weight. We find that this scaling reflects bulk behaviour. However, absolute values are low compared to bulk viscosities, which we suggest may be due in part to slippage at the polymer/polymer interface. Received 25 June 2001 and Received in final form 5 December 2001     

Hydrogen and muonium in silicon

First principles calculations of the properties of hydrogen and muonium in silicon are presented. H⁺ and H⁻ are shown to have definite preferences for bond-centred and tetrahedral interstitial sites respectively whereas H⁰ (or a muon) is shown to be stable at two sites with almost equal energies, the bond-centred and antibonding sites. The structures of normal and isotropic muonium are discussed. In contrast to common belief the tetrahedral site is shown to be unstable with the muon moving spontaneously towards one of the neighbouring silicon atoms. The barrier to motion between equivalent antibonding sites is low suggesting that the normal muonium signal is isotropic because of motional averaging, not due to the symmetry of a well defined equilibrium site.     

Some difficulties for Clifton,Redhead, and Butterfield's recent proof of nonlocality

Clifton, Redhead, and Butterfield have recently produced a generalization of the new non-locality proof due to Greenberger, Horne, and Zeilinger. Their proof is intended to have certain advantages over the standard Belltype arguments. One of these is that, although the proof allows for causally relevant apparatus hidden variables, it avoids the need for making certain standard locality assumptions about those parameters. On closer inspection, the part of the proof which supposedly removes the need for such assumptions is shown to rest on a fallacy. This renders the proof invalid. Two other, related difficulties are explored along the way.1. CRB actually provide two nonlocality proofs, but our concern here is with the first.2. Cf. p.173 for a precise formulation of these. (Any references in these footnotes are to [1].) Note that, due to the way CRB define the µ's, these conditions are not entirely independent.3. Cf. p.174. Note that CRB claim to derive the independence of outcomes from apparatus existents via our other assumptions without imposing any other conditions on their distributions, citing Lemma 2, which we shall object to in Sec. 4 below. This should be given a careful reading; Lemma 2 only purports to derive the statistical independence of outcomes fromlocal (i.e., nearby) apparatus hidden variables. The independence of outcomes fromdistant apparatus hidden variables is assumed, rather, in OL.4. Here, and in many places, I shall rely on [1] for the details.5. CRB have endorsed this definition of M (personal correspondence).6. More precisely, those values of do so for at least one possible quadruple of apparatus existents, and measurement results; and foruncountably many setting quadruples in (p.167).7. Given CRB's way of defining the µ's so as to include the information found in the 's, the terms in OF and most of those in OL would actually be ill-defined in most cases (for each ) inany theory. This is simply because the measuring devices cannot be set to measure in two different directions at once. However, it should be possible to remedy that situation by simply redefining µ so that it includes only information about the state of the apparatus not covered by .8. CRB endorse the first of these two suggestions (personal correspondence).9. I have omitted the arguments fromA,B,C andD. Wherever they appear without arguments they will implicitly have the three with which they were first introduced. Note that M⁺ should ideally be indexed by and , as there is no reason to think that all the same members of M will makeABCD = +1 for different values of and .10. Cf. note 6 above.11. Note that in light of this objection to their proof, we can see that CRB also fail to establish the link they claim exists between TF, strict correlations, and the condition they call TF.TF is the four-particle analogue of the conjunction of Shimony's outcome independence and his parameter independence (p.162). They rest their claim about the link on Lemma 2 (pp.162 and 165).     

New cw far infrared molecular lasers from ClO2, HCCF,FCN, CH3NC,CH3F,and propynal

Many new laser lines between 100 μm and 1 mm have been detected by optically pumping several polyatomic molecules with C¹⁶O₂ and C¹⁸O₂ lasers. Tentative assignment of the lasing transitions has been possible in some cases.     

The vibrational transition moment for the ν2 bands of 14ND3 and 15ND3

Intensities were measured at high pressure (200 Torr) for blended K-multiplets in the P and R branches of the s0 → aν₂ and a0 → sν₂ bands of ¹⁴ND₃. Intensities of 55 individual lines at 10 Torr of ¹⁵ND₃ were also measured by deconvolution of the true line shape from the observed vibration-rotation spectrum and the instrumental line shape. From these results we estimate a transition moment of 0.179 ± 0.010 D for both ¹⁴ND₃ and ¹⁵ND₃. These lead to a derivative of the dipole moment, $\text{|}\text{?μ}\text{?Q}{}_2\text{| = 93}\text{cm}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>3</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{sec}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}$.     

Towards an Operational Model for Prevention and Treatment of Asthma Attacks

Asthma is one of the major chronic diseases in many countries. At present there is no cure for asthma, but medical advances can help to reduce the chances of attacks of the condition. Efficient care for asthma involves complexity, uncertainty, variability and the use of scarce resources, and these are the same conditions that indicate a possible use for the modelling approach of operational research. This paper is concerned with a pilot model that was developed through joint work by medical professionals and operational researchers. The development of the model is explained and illustrative results indicate the potential value of the modelling approach for the care of asthma in the community.