Search for the emission of π<Superscript>0</Superscript> mesons from the neutron-induced fission of <Superscript>235</Superscript>U nuclei

A nuclear-reactor experiment on the search for the emission of neutral pions from the neutron-induced fission of ²³⁵U nuclei has been carried out. To this end, an experimental setup for searching for the emission of π⁰ mesons with high sensitivity to this process has been designed and produced. This setup consisted of two Cherenkov total-absorption spectrometers for the detection and measurements of the energy of two gamma-ray photons from π ⁰-meson decay. The spectrometers were placed at the exits of two coaxial horizontal experimental channels. To protect the detectors from low-energy β and γ rays and neutron fluxes, 3.5-m-long water filters were situated in the channels. To reject the cosmic background, large-area scintillation counters operating in the anticoincidence mode were placed over each spectrometer. The energy and time resolution of the spectrometers, as well as the efficiency of detecting charged particles by scintillation counters, were tested on the secondary electron beam of the Tomsk electron synchrotron Sirius. Runs of measurements of the effect on the operating reactor (duration of 805 h) were alternated with runs of measurements of background on the stopped reactor (duration of 403 h). Statistical processing of the experimental results yields an upper limit of ≤5.3×10 ^?12 with a 90% confidence level for the probability of the emission of neutral pions from the neutron-induced fission of ²³⁵U nuclei. This result and results of other works carried out with sources of spontaneously fissioning ²⁵²Cf nuclei show that the probabilities of the emission of π⁰ mesons from spontaneous fission and fission induced by fission-spectrum neutrons are equal to each other.     

Uncertainty of the two-loop RG upper bound on the Higgs mass

A modified criterion of the SM perturbative consistency is proposed. It is based on the analytic properties of the two-loop SM running couplings. Under the criterion adopted, the Higgs mass up to 380 GeV might not give rise to strong coupling prior to the Planck scale. This means that the light Higgs boson is possibly preferred for reasons other than the SM perturbative consistency, i.e., for reasons beyond the SM.     

The calculation of neutron self-shielding factors of a group of isolated resonances

The resonance neutron self-shielding factor, G _res, is required in neutron metrology and activation data analysis. In a previous paper, the authors have shown that a dimensionless variable can be introduced which converts the dependence of G _res on the physical and nuclear properties of the material samples into an universal curve, valid for the isolated resonances of any nuclide. This work presents a methodology based on the universal curve, which enables to calculate G _res for a group of isolated resonances by weighting its individual contributions. A good agreement was reached with results calculated by the MCNP code and with experimental values for Mo foils and wires. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Role of water vapor and CO2 in the paleoclimatic fluctuations along northwestern and southern Syria, and the adjacent Mediterranean Sea

Microscopic petrified grains were collected from a mafic–ultramafic pipe, NE of Dreikeesh, NW Syria. The grains were identified as anthers/gynoecia in herb/grass flowers. Three of the grains showed evidence of magnetism, two slowly dissolved in concentrated HCl, and three microprobed grains showed a montmorillonitic composition. Iron originating from pyroxene was oxidized to magnetite. Released silica formed the mineral suite agate–chalcedony–opal. Warm/cold paleoclimatic fluctuations, occurring during late Pliocene–Holocene, depended on water vapor, CO₂ production, and cinders in the atmosphere. Most of these were associated with changing volcanic/tectonic events. Fluctuations were controlled by heat reflected from the Earth's surface being absorbed by water vapor and CO₂, which both re-reflected the heat back to the surface, thus, raising the temperature. This cycle was repeated several times during late Pliocene–Holocene.     

Dispersion analysis of the least‐squares finite‐element shallow‐water system

The frequency or dispersion relation for the least‐squares mixed formulation of the shallow‐water equations is analysed. We consider the use of different approximation spaces corresponding to co‐located and staggered meshes, respectively. The study includes the effect of Coriolis, and the dispersion properties are compared analytically and graphically with those of the mixed Galerkin formulation. Numerical solutions of a test problem to simulate slow Rossby modes illustrate the theoretical results. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using the new in–in method for the synthesis of polyisoprene/polystyrene heteroarm star polymers

The basis of the two‐step in–in method is as follows: star polymers with poly(divinyl benzene) cores, synthesized by the arm‐first method, include many unreacted double bonds in their core, and these double bonds can be attacked by the carbanions of some monomers such as styrene and dienes. In this work, linear polyisoprene chains were used to attack the double bonds existing in the poly(divinyl benzene) cores of polystyrene star polymers, so that a heteroarm star polymer with polystyrene and polyisoprene arms was synthesized. It was later well characterized with size exclusion chromatography, light scattering, viscometry, UV spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, and ¹H NMR. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 135–142, 2003     

Degradation of Metal 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonate-N-Vinylpyrrolidine Copolymers in Aqueous Solutions Containing Different Cations

The influence of single- and double-charged cations on degradation of metal 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonate-N-vinylpyrrolidine copolymers in aqueous solutions in the presence of potassium peroxodisulfate, K₂S₂O₈, at 50 and 70°C was studied by viscosimetry.     

Preparation and Characteristics of a Cation Exchanger Based on Oxidized Anthracite

The features of anthracite oxidation as influenced by temperature and time were determined. Physicochemical and sorption characteristics of the resulting cation exchanger were studied.     

Method to evaluate the strength of interfaces in polymeric systems

It is shown that CT (compact tension) specimens known from fracture mechanics are adequate to study the strength of interfaces between polymers. The interface is coplanar with the initial notch. The capability of this method is demonstrated by quantifying: (a) the healing procedure of cracks in polystyrene; (b) by elaborating the influence of powders on the welding process in polystyrene; (c) by measuring the strength of interfaces between the different polymers SAN, PMMA, HIPS, PS, PC, and (d) by characterising the influence of a compatibilizer in the interface between PE and HIPS.