First measurements of 238Pu and 238Pu/137Cs activity ratio in Montenegro soil

Plutonium-238 (²³⁸Pu) activity concentrations in soil samples from Montenegro (six samples from three localities) have been measured for the first time. The ²³⁸Pu/¹³⁷Cs activity ratio was determined on the basis of alpha and gamma-spectrometric measurements, and found to be with an average of 0.0006 and standard deviation of 0.0003. By using the activity ratios determined in the present study, ²³⁸Pu activity concentrations were estimated for three localities in the central: one in the northern, and two in the eastern part of Montenegro.     

Modeling polarization-dependent gain in fiber Raman amplifiers with randomly varying birefringence

We report a new stochastic model for studying the polarization-dependent gain in Raman fiber amplifiers with randomly varying birefringence as a function of the pump state of polarization and the polarization mode dispersion parameter. Our theoretical results agree with the previously obtained experimental data.     

Surface Josephson plasma waves in layered superconductors

We predict the existence of surface waves in layered superconductors in the THz frequency range, below the Josephson plasma frequency omega J. This wave propagates along the vacuum-superconductor interface and dampens in both transverse directions out of the surface (i.e., towards the superconductor and towards the vacuum). This is the first prediction of propagating surface waves in any superconductor. These predicted surface Josephson plasma waves are important for different phenomena, including the complete suppression of the specular reflection from a sample (Wood's anomalies) and a huge enhancement of the wave absorption (which can be used as a THz detector).     

The pKa theoretical estimation of C―H,N―H,O―H and S―H acids in dimethylsulfoxide solution

A scheme for the pK_a estimation of organic acids in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) solution based on quantum chemical calculations is proposed. The procedure of pK_a calculation requires several steps. The first is the calculation of the gas phase acidity of the compound. The G3MP2B3, G4MP2 as well as CBS‐QB3 composite methods made it possible to estimate values of gas phase acidities of an extensive set of structures with a high confidence level (standard deviations equal to 1.15, 1.13 and 1.29 kcal mol^?1, respectively; the test set included 91 compounds). The second step is the computation of the solvation correction with the integral equation formalism version of polarizable continuum model (IEF‐PCM)–B3LYP/6‐311+G(d,p) approximation. Within the bounds of our approach, the medium properties were covered only by the PCM model, i.e. the proposed procedure neglects specific interactions between DMSO and the solute. It was determined that the approach to pK_a estimation mentioned above is the most balanced in terms of accuracy, resource intensity and computation time cost. In the third step, the error of the pK_a calculation was decreased by correlation allowances. Correlation allowances were determined for each acid class (62 С―Н, 55 N―Н, 24 O―Н and 5 S―Н acids) in the range of 50 units in terms of logarithmic scale using the test set including 146 compounds. Seven O―H acids showing the ability to form cyclic dimers were separated into a discrete group. The proposed methodology was applied to the estimation of pK_a for trans‐ and cis‐dimethyl‐4,5‐dihydro‐3H‐pyrazol‐3,5‐dicarboxylates as well as for 5‐fluorouracil subject to competitive dissociation, the latter by N1―H or N3―H bonds. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Anomalous behavior of conductivity of the confined Q1D electron system over liquid helium

Conductivity of electrons in a quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) system over liquid helium in narrow channels with the parabolic profile of the potential well has been investigated at temperature T, from 0.4 to 1.8 K, for different driving electric fields and radius of channel curvature. The interval of linear electron densities varied from 2.18×10³ up to 1.7×10⁶ cm⁻¹.

The inverse mobility (1/μ_eff) in the electron-ripplon scattering region at the high linear densities of charges in the channel increases with temperature decreasing. This anomalous behavior of the electron transport in the low-temperature region has been explained by either the electron ordering or the polaronic effects in confined conducting channels. The nonlinear behavior of the electron velocity as a function of a driving electric field is supposed to be due to Breg–Cherenkov radiation of the ripplons. The radiation occurred if the velocity of electrons in the channel approaches to the critical value.     

Electrochemical reactors for NO decomposition. Basic aspects and a future

The electrochemical reduction of nitric oxide in the presence of the excess oxygen was reviewed. It was shown that the selectivity and activity of the cathodes is strongly dependent on the composition and on the microstructure of the cathode material. A concept of electrochemical reactor with multilayer electro-catalytic electrode was proposed and successfully designed in Advanced Manufacturing Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Nagoya, Japan. The typical values of current efficiency in such electrochemical reactors are of the order of 10–20% at gas composition: 1,000 ppm NO and 2% O₂ balanced in He and at gas flow rate 50 ml/min. The value of current efficiency depends on the functional multi-layer electrode composition, structure, and operating temperature. Such electrochemical reactors show the value of NO/O₂ selectivity (ν _sel) higher than 5 (ν _sel > 5) at intermediate temperature and up to ν _sel = 25 at low temperature operation. It was shown that multilayer electro-catalytic electrode should consist at list from three main functional layers: cathode, electro-catalytic electrode, covering layer, in order to operate as an electrode with high selectivity.     

Sustained turbulence in the three-dimensional Gross-Pitaevskii model

We study the three-dimensional forced-dissipated Gross-Pitaevskii equation. We force at relatively low wave numbers, expecting to observe a direct energy cascade and a consequent power-law spectrum of the form k^−α. Our numerical results show that the exponent α strongly depends on how the inverse particle cascade is attenuated at ks lower than the forcing wave-number. If the inverse cascade is arrested by a friction at low ks, we observe an exponent which is in good agreement with the weak wave turbulence prediction k⁻¹. For a hypo-viscosity, a k⁻² spectrum is observed which we explain using a critical balance argument. In simulations without any low k dissipation, a condensate at k=0 is growing and the system goes through a strongly turbulent transition from a 4-wave to a 3-wave weak turbulence acoustic regime with evidence of k^−3/2 Zakharov-Sagdeev spectrum. In this regime, we also observe a spectrum for the incompressible kinetic energy which formally resembles the Kolmogorov k^−5/3, but whose correct explanation should be in terms of the Kelvin wave turbulence. The probability density functions for the velocities and the densities are also discussed.     

Elastic moduli of η‐Ta2N3, a tough self‐healing material,via laser ultrasonics

The elastic moduli of the dense polycrystalline oxygen‐bearing η‐Ta₂N₃, a novel hard and tough high‐pressure (HP) material, were measured using the laser ultrasonic technique. The bulk modulus was determined to be B₀ = 281(15) GPa which is only ～11% below that from HP compression measurements. Our value of the shear modulus G₀ = 123(2) GPa is below those ones predicted theoretically for model structures. The discrepancies in G₀ could be due to a substitution of an‐ ions and the formation of cation vacancies in η‐Ta₂N₃. Self‐healing behaviour of η‐Ta₂N₃ by mechanical polishing was observed and confirmed by two independent experimental methods. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The 't Hooft–Polyakov monopole in the presence of a 't Hooft operator

We present explicit BPS field configurations representing one non-Abelian monopole with one minimal weight 't Hooft operator insertion. We explore the SO(3)$\mathit{SO}(3)$ and SU(2)$\mathit{SU}(2)$ gauge groups. In the case of SU(2)$\mathit{SU}(2)$ gauge group the minimal 't Hooft operator can be completely screened by the monopole. If the gauge group is SO(3)$\mathit{SO}(3)$, however, such screening is impossible. In the latter case we observe a different effect of the gauge symmetry enhancement in the vicinity of the 't Hooft operator.     

N‐Methylbenzoazacrown ethers with the nitrogen atom conjugated with the benzene ring: the improved synthesis and the reasons for the high stability of complexes with metal and ammonium cations

An improved method for the synthesis of formyl derivatives of N‐methylbenzoazacrown ethers is proposed. They are prepared in up to 68% yields over fewer steps and with a much shorter time required for the last step. The stability constants of complexes formed by N‐methylbenzoazacrown ethers and their structural analogs with alkali metal, alkaline‐earth metal and ammonium cations were determined by ¹H NMR titration in CD₃CN. High stability of complexes of N‐methyl derivatives of benzoazacrown ethers is demonstrated, comparable with or even exceeding the stability of benzocrown‐ether complexes and markedly exceeding the stability of complexes of phenylazacrown ethers with the same macrocycle size. The structures of azacrown ethers and their complexes with Ba(ClO₄)₂ were studied by X‐ray diffraction. A high degree of pre‐organization of N‐methylbenzoazacrown ethers toward the formation of complexes with metal and ammonium cations was noted, which is due to the clear‐cut pyramidal geometry of the nitrogen atom and the orientation of the lone electron pairs (LEPs) of most heteroatoms towards the centre of the macroheterocycle. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.