Radiative decay ofJ/ψ into γ π+ π−

The radiative decayJ/ψ → γ π⁺ π^? has been studied using the 8.6 millionJ/ψ produced in the DM2 experiment at the DCIe ⁺e^? storage rings at Orsay. The π⁺ π^? mass spectrum shows a cleanf ₂ (1270) signal, and the possible presence of two other states at thef ₂ (1720) andf ₄ (2030) masses. For thef ₂ (1270), the branching ratio BR(J/ψ →γf)xBR(f→π⁺ π^?) is measured to be (7.50±0.30±1.12)×10^?4, and the spin analysis prefers theJ=2 assignment, with helicity parametersx=0.83±0.06 andy=0.01±0.06. The existence of higher mass states is discussed.     

Raman study of (NH4)2CuCl4·2H2O—I: Dynamics and structure in low temperature phase

We report the results of a Raman scattering study of (NH₄)₂CuCl₄2H₂O at 300, 205 and 100°K, in order to elucidate the dynamics and phase transition in this double salt. A group theoretical calculation of the symmetry vectors, in the high temperature phase (D_4h¹⁴), is made and the various modes are identified. The deuterated compound (ND₄)₂CuCl₄·2D₂O has also been investigated to help in identifying the modes involving motion of the ammonium ions and water molecules. Through a careful analysis of the spectra at 100°K, the space group in the low temperature phase has been established as D_2d³. The important consequence of this result is that this leads to parallel spatial ordering of ammonium tetrahedra in this compound in the low temperature phase.     

Operator method and eigenvalues of the triple-well anharmonic oscillator

Using an algebraic technique based on the Lie algebra of the group SO(2, 1) the eigenvalues of the triple-well anharmonic oscillator are calculated for all ranges of the coupling constant. Approximate analytic formulas for the eigenvalues up to second order are given. The results obtained are compared with those of other authors.     

Isospin symmetry violation, meson production and η-nucleus interaction studies

We have studied isospin symmetry violation in nuclear reactions by measuring simultaneously the cross-section of the following two reactionsp +d →³H π⁺ andp +d →³He π⁰. The experiment was perfomed at the cooler synchrotron accelerator COSY, Jülich at several beam energies close to the correspondingη production threshold. We also have ongoing programmes onη-nucleus final-state interaction studies viap+⁶ Li →⁷ Be +η reactions, high resolution search for dibaryonic resonances and lambda-proton final state interaction studies. The experimental details and results obtained so far are presented here     

Hinge peptide combinatorial libraries for inhilbitors of botulinum neurotoxins and saxitoxin: Deconvolution strategy

Combinatorial library screening offers a rapid process for identifying potential therapies to toxins. Hinge peptide libraries, which rely on conformational diversity rather than traditional molecular diversity, reduce the need for huge numbers of syntheses and screening steps and greatly expedite the discovery process of active molecules. Hinge peptide libraries having the structures: Acetyl-X₁–X₂–hinge–X₃–X₄–NH₂ (capped) and X₁–hinge–X₂–X₃ (uncapped), where X₁ through X₄ are near-equimolar mixtures of twelve L-amino acids and hinge = 4-aminobutyric acid, were screened for inhibitory activity in bioassays for botulinum neurotoxins A and B (BoNT/A, BoNT/B) and saxitoxin. The zinc protease activity of the reduced light chains of BoNT/A and /B was assayed by measuring the cleavage of synthetic substrates. Saxitoxin activity was measured by the restoration of the viability of neuroblastoma cells treated with ouabain and veratridine. Deconvolution of libraries was accomplished by fixing one position at a time beginning with the C-terminus. Primary library subsets in which position 4 was fixed showed moderate levels of inhibition for BoNT/A. Secondary library subsets showed stronger inhibition in the bioassays. In each of the bioassays, inhibitory potency was stronger when the second position to be fixed was on the opposite side of the hinge, rather than on the same side with respect to the C-terminus, suggesting that the hinge facilitates the interaction of side chains. Inhibitors for all three of the toxins studied were discovered within library subsets, although not necessarily in primary subsets. These studies demonstrate that (1) the best strategy for deconvoluting hinge peptide libraries is by fixing residues alternately on each side of the hinge moiety, and (2) it is essential to investigate secondary subsets even when primary subsets are inactive. The present findings support the concept that the increased flexibility imposed by the inclusion of a central hinge residue in small peptides increases the opportunity for side chain interactions, providing a distinct advantage for hinge peptide libraries over conventional peptide libraries. Hinge peptide libraries are a rich source of novel ligands for modulation of biomechanisms. The library subsets uncovered in this study may possess peptides that will lead to effective therapies to neurotoxin poisoning.     

A comparative study on the morphology of P3HT:PCBM solar cells with the addition of Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoparticles by spin and rod coating methods

Our previous study presented up to 20% power conversion efficiency (PCE) enhancement of poly(3-hexylthiophene):phenyl-C₆₁-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) solar cells under the Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) self-assembly (SA) effect by spin coating. Fe₃O₄ NPs (about 11 nm hydrodynamic diameter) form a thin layer at the top interface of the light absorbing active layer, which results in the generation of PCBM rich region improving the charge transport (Zhang et al. Sol Energ Mat Sol C 160:126–133, 2017). In order to investigate the feasibility of this Fe₃O₄ NPs SA effect under large-scale production condition, a smooth rod was implemented to mimic roll-to-roll coating technique and yield active layers having about the same thickness as the spin-coated ones. Small angle neutron scattering and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction were employed finding out similar morphologies of the active layers by these two coating techniques. However, rod-coated solar cell’s PCE decreases with the addition of Fe₃O₄ NPs compared with the one without them. This is because PCBM rich region is not created at the top interface of the active layer due to the absence of Fe₃O₄ NPs, which is attributed to the weak convective flow and low diffusion rate. Moreover, in the rod-coated solar cells, the presence of Fe₃O₄ NPs causes decrease in P3HT crystallinity, thus the charge transport and the device performance. Our study confirms the role of spin coating in the Fe₃O₄ NPs SA effect and enables researchers to explore this finding in other polymer nanocomposite systems.     

Pervasive randomness in physics: an introduction to its modelling and spectral characterisation

An introduction to the modelling and spectral characterisation of random phenomena is detailed at a level consistent with a first exposure to the subject at an undergraduate level. A signal framework for defining a random process is provided and this underpins an introduction to common random processes including the Poisson point process, the random walk, the random telegraph signal, shot noise, information signalling random processes, jittered pulse trains, birth–death random processes and Markov chains. An introduction to the spectral characterisation of signals and random processes, via either an energy spectral density or a power spectral density, is detailed. The important case of defining a white noise random process concludes the paper.     

Catalytic effect of water,water dimer,water trimer,HCOOH, H2SO4, CH3CH2COOH and HN(NO2)2 on the isomerisation of HN(NO2)2 to O2NNN(O)OH: a mechanism study

In this article, the isomerisation mechanisms of HN(NO₂)₂ to O₂NNN(O)OH without and with catalyst X (X = H₂O, (H₂O)₂, (H₂O)₃, HCOOH, H₂SO₄, CH₃CH₂COOH and HN(NO₂)₂) have been investigated theoretically at the CBS-QB3 level of theory. Our results show that the catalyst X (X = H₂O, (H₂O)₂, (H₂O)₃, HCOOH, H₂SO₄ and CH₃CH₂COOH) shows different positive catalytic effects on reducing the apparent activation energy of the isomerisation reaction processes. Such different catalytic effects are mainly related to the number of hydrogen bonds and the size of the ring structure in X (X = H₂O, (H₂O)₂ and (H₂O)₃)-assisted transition states, as well as different values of pK_a for H₂SO₄, HCOOH and CH₃CH₂COOH. Very interesting is also the fact that H₂SO₄-assisted reaction is the most favourable for the hydrogen transfer from HN(NO₂)₂ to O₂NNN(O)OH, due to the smallest pK_a (?3.0) value of H₂SO₄ than H₂O, HCOOH, H₂SO₄ and CH₃CH₂COOH, and also because of the largest ∠X???H???Y (the angle between the hydrogen bond donor and acceptor) involved in H₂SO₄-assisted transition state. Compared to the self-catalysis of the isomerisation mechanisms of HN(NO₂)₂ to O₂NNN(O)OH, the apparent activation energy of H₂SO₄-assisted channel also reduces by 9.6 kcal?mol^?1, indicating that H₂SO₄ can affect the isomerisation of HN(NO₂)₂ to O₂NNN(O)OH, most obvious among all the catalysts H₂O, (H₂O)₂, (H₂O)₃, HCOOH, H₂SO₄, CH₃CH₂COOH and HN(NO₂)₂.     

Faithful actions of locally compact quantum groups on classical spaces

We construct examples of locally compact quantum groups coming from bicrossed product construction, including non-Kac ones, which can faithfully and ergodically act on connected classical (noncompact) smooth manifolds. However, none of these actions can be isometric in the sense of Goswami (Commun Math Phys 285(1):141–160, 2009), leading to the conjecture that the result obtained by Goswami and Joardar (Rigidity of action of compact quantum groups on compact, connected manifolds, 2013. arXiv:1309.1294) about nonexistence of genuine quantum isometry of classical compact connected Riemannian manifolds may hold in the noncompact case as well.