Recombination of Au25+ with free electrons at low energies

The origin of the widely observed enhancement of rates for electron-ion recombination at very low energies is still unknown. We investigated the recombination of Au²⁵⁺ with free electrons in a merged-beams experiment at the UNILAC accelerator of the GSI in Darmstadt. At E _rel= 0 eV we found an enormous enhancement factor of 365 compared to the theory of radiative recombination. An increase of the electron density by a factor of 10 had not much influence on the measured rate coefficient. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Fischer--Tropsch, hydrotreating and superClaus catalysts

In modern society the application of catalysts, and hence, research in the field of catalysis, is becoming more and more important. In the strongly increasing chemical industry most reaction processes are performed with the aid of catalysts. Knowledge about the structure of the active sites present at the surface of catalysts will facilitate the design of new catalysts with better performances. Such knowledge can be obtained by Mössbauer spectroscopy, which is an excellent in-situ characterization technique due to the high penetrating power of the γ-radiation used and the sensitivity of the spectral parameters for the chemical state and local environment of the Mössbauer atoms.     

Investigation of acceptor centers in semiconductors with the diamond crystal structure by the μ − SR method

The residual polarization of negative muons in crystal silicon samples with phosphorus (P: 1.6×10¹³ cm⁻³) and antimony (Sb: 2×10¹⁸ cm⁻³) impurities is investigated. The measurements are made in a 1000 G magnetic field oriented in a direction transverse to the muon spin in the temperature range 4–300 K. The relaxation rate and shift of the precession frequency in the silicon sample with the phosphorus impurity are measured more accurately than previously. It is found that in antimony-doped silicon the acceptor center _μ A1 at temperatures below 30 K can be in both ionized and neutral states. The experimental data are interpreted on the basis of spin-lattice relaxation of the magnetic moment of an acceptor center, formation of acceptor-donor pairs, and recombination of charge carriers at the acceptor. Preliminary measurements showed a nonzero residual polarization of negative muons in germanium. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 68, No. 1, 61–66 (10 July 1998)     

String representation of SU(3) gluodynamics in the Abelian projection

A dual Ginzburg-Landau model corresponding to SU(3) gluodynamics in the Abelian projection is studied. A string theory describing QCD string dynamics is obtained in this model. The interaction of static quarks in mesons and baryons is investigated in an approximation to leading order. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 68, No. 2, 109–114 (25 July 1998)     

Does the phase transition exist in the one-component plasma model?

Explanations are given for why there is no real first-order phase transition in the one-component plasma (OCP) model. The fluid (liquid) and crystalline states of the OCP observed in computer experiments are not in equilibrium, on account of instability of the system. However, specific features of the free energy suggest that some sort of a “virtual” phase transition occurs in the model. Such a transition can be turned real by choosing the right form of the background energy. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 1, 82–85 (10 January 1997) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

Nearest-neighbor two-point correlation function of the Z-invariant eight-vertex model

The nearest-neighbor two-point correlation function of the Z-invariant inhomogeneous eight-vertex model in the thermodynamic limit is computed using the free-field representation. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 68, No. 3, 243–247 (10 August 1998) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

Anomalous proximity effect in d-wave superconductors

The anomalous proximity effect between a d-wave superconductor and a thin disordered normal layer is studied theoretically in the framework of Eilenberger equations. It is shown that disorder of the quasiparticle reflection from this thin layer leads to the formation of an s-wave component localized near the boundary. The angular and spatial structure of the pair potential near the interface is studied. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 7, 478–483 (10 April 1998) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.     

Three-dimensional integrable models and associated tangle invariants

In this paper we show that the Boltzmann weights of the three-dimensional Baxter-Bazhanov model give representations of the braid group if some suitable spectral limits are taken. In the trigonometric case we classify all possible spectral limits which produce braid group representations. Furthermore, we prove that for some of them we get cyclotomic invariants of links and for others we obtain tangle invariants generalizing the cyclotomic ones.     

Study of the gas-phase parameters affecting the silicon-oxide film deposition induced by an ArF laser

A study of the gas-phase parameters involved in ArF laser induced chemical vapour deposition of silicon-oxide thin films is presented. A complete set of experiments has been performed showing the influence of the concentration of the precursor gases, N₂O and SiH₄, and their influence on total and partial pressures on film growth and properties. In this paper we demonstrate the ability of this LCVD method to deposit silicon oxide films of different compositions and densities by appropriate control of gas composition and total pressure. Moreover, a material specific calibration plot comprising data obtained using different preparation techniques is presented, allowing determination of the stoichiometry of SiO _x films by using FTIR spectroscopy independently of the deposition method. For the range of processing conditions examined, the experimental results suggest that chemical processes governing deposition take place mainly in the gas phase.