Structural tuning of unconventional superconductivity in PuMGa5 (M=Co,Rh)

The superconducting properties of the recently discovered PuMGa5 (M=Co,Rh) superconductors, including the power law behavior of the specific heat, the evolution of the superconducting transition T(c) temperature with pressure, and the linear relation between T(c) and ratio of tetragonal lattice parameters c/a, are compared to those of the heavy fermion CeMIn5 (M=Co,Rh,Ir) unconventional superconductors. The striking similarity of the properties between the two families of superconductors suggests a common physics and a common (magnetically mediated) mechanism of superconductivity.     

Triple-q(-->) octupolar ordering in NpO2

We report the results of resonant x-ray scattering experiments performed at the Np M(4,5) edges in NpO2. Below T(0)=25 K, the development of long-range order of Np electric quadrupoles is revealed by the growth of superlattice Bragg peaks. The polarization and azimuthal dependence of the intensity of the resonant peaks are well reproduced assuming anisotropic tensor susceptibility scattering from a triple-q(-->) longitudinal antiferroquadrupolar structure. Electric-quadrupole order in NpO2 could be driven by the ordering at T0 of magnetic octupoles of Gamma(5) symmetry, splitting the Np ground state quartet and leading to a singlet ground state with zero dipole-magnetic moment.     

Spectral effects in cyclobutane derivatives : The bathochromic-hypochromic shifts in compounds related to verbenone

The bathochromic-hypochromic spectral shifts, observed in bicyclic enones that contain a 4- or a 3-membered ring, are discussed in molecular-mechanical and molecular-orbital terms. It is proposed that the effect, not only by the cyclopropane but also by the cyclobutane ring, is due to extension of the CCCO chromophore, and not to its mere distortion from “normal” geometry. The high-energy absorption of umbellulone (3), 220 nm in ethanol, is characterized as a second π-π^*. 2-Methylbicyclo[3.2.1]oct-2-en-4-one (7) has been synthesized, and its preparation and spectrum are described.