In-beam spectroscopy of 253, 254No

In-beam conversion electron spectroscopy experiments have been performed on the transfermium nuclei ^{253, 254}No using the conversion electron spectrometer SACRED in nearly collinear geometry in conjunction with the gas-filled separator RITU at the University of Jyv?skyl?. The experimental setup is discussed and the spectra are compared to Monte Carlo simulations. The implications for the ground-state configuration of ²⁵³No are discussed. Received: 21 March 2002 / Accepted: 16 May 2002 / Published online: 31 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: rdh@ns.ph.liv.ac.uk RID="b" ID="b"Present address: GANIL, F-14021 Caen, France. RID="c" ID="c"Permanent address: IReS Strasbourg, IN2P3-CNRS, F-67037-Strasbourg, France. RID="d" ID="d"Present address: CEA/DIF DCRE/SDE/LDN F-91680 Bruyeres-le-Chatel. RID="e" ID="e"Present address: Daresbury Laboratory, Daresbury WA4 4AD, UK. RID="f" ID="f"Permanent address: IPN Lyon, IN2P3-CNRS, F-69037 Lyon, France.     

Paradigms and Paradoxes: Electronegativity and Bond Energies—Living Legacies of Linus and Lee

In this paper we will discuss Pauling's classic Eq. (1) that relates bond energies, "D," and electronegativities, "x." Recast to be applicable to enthalpies of formation and reaction, we apply it to the study of hydrogenolysis reactions of dienes, diynes, and alkanes, halogenolysis reactions (with chlorine, bromine, and iodine) and metathetical reactions of organosulfur species (sulfides, sulfoxides, and sulfones). It is with great regret that this equation is found wanting.     

Dynamic rotational characteristics of actinides on empirical approach

In the paper calculation of the moments of inertia for nuclei from the region 87 ≤ Z ≤ 100 and 130 ≤ N ≤ 156 was made in dependence on the angular momentum of their rotational states. The experimental values of the moments of inertia were calculated for rotational energy of the classic rotor in its quantum form, with the use of a simple formula. The moment of inertia term appearing in the formula was treated as a variable. The calculations were carried out on the basis of experimental data for the energies of the rotational levels for 51 bands built on ground states for even-even nuclei and for nuclei with odd mass number A. In addition, 30 rotational bands built on excited states were also analysed in the investigated region in case of even-even nuclei. For many bands and nuclei the considered dependence of the moment of inertia on angular momentum has been found in the analytical form by fitting polynomials to the experimental data. It turned out that obtained results for the moments of inertia made it possible to describe the energies of rotational levels with a relative deviation not greater or only slightly greater than 1%. In general, in the case of 12 bands of ground level the maximum relative deviation of obtained level energies is smaller than 1%.      

Enrichment of surfactant from its aqueous solution using ultrasonic atomization

Dilute aqueous solutions of dodecyl-benzenesulfonic acid sodium salt (DBS-Na) and polyoxyethylenenonylphenyl ethers (PONPEs) were ultrasonically atomized. The surfactants were concentrated in collected mist droplets. The enrichment ratio increased with decreasing surfactant concentration. Depending on the surfactant’s molecular weight and affinity to water, different enrichment ratio was observed in the range of low feed concentrations. For anionic surfactant, DBS-Na, the enrichment ratio was significantly improved by KCl addition and a peak appeared on the plot of the ratio against KCl concentration. Addition of NaCl or CaCl₂ · 2H₂O to the surfactant solution also enhanced the enrichment ratio; however, the effect was relatively small. Such behaviors of the ratio were interpreted as enhanced interfacial adsorption of the surfactant and a lack of supply of surfactant monomers from liquid bulk because of slow breaking of surfactant micelles. Time required for collecting an amount of mist was also observed. Among the three salt systems, the time for KCl system was twice as long as others. This fact suggested that the formation of smaller droplets in KCl system.     

Shell energy in the heaviest nuclei using the Green’s function oscillator expansion method

The Greens function oscillator expansion method and the generalized Strutinsky smoothing procedure are applied to shell corrections in the heaviest elements. A macroscopic-microscopic method with a finite deformed Woods-Saxon potential is used. The stability condition for the shell correction is discussed in detail and the parameters defining the smoothing procedure are carefully determined. It is demonstrated that the spurious contribution to the total binding energy due to the unphysical particle gas that appears in the standard method can be as large as 1.5 MeV for weakly bound neutron-rich superheavy nuclei, but the effect on energy differences (e.g., alpha-decay values) is fairly small.     

Crossing of the πd<Subscript>5/2</Subscript> and πg<Subscript>7/2</Subscript> orbitals in the <Subscript>51</Subscript>Sb isotopes

Self-consistent calculations using the D1S Gogny force have been performed in order to study the mechanism involved in the crossing of the πd _5/2 and πg _7/2 orbitals in the Sb isotopes. This inversion is well predicted by the HFB + blocking calculations with spherical symmetry performed for the odd-A Sb isotopes. In addition, several HFB and HF calculations have been performed for even-even nuclei of the five neighbouring isotopic chains (Z = 46 to 54, from the proton dripline to N = 82). The results obtained for the binding energies of the two proton orbitals indicate that the radii of the systems play an important role in the crossing, even though some particular πν interactions also give a contribution. The spin-orbit interaction, which is known to be concentrated mainly at the nuclear surface, is proposed to be the main responsible of the crossing.     

Beta-decay of 71Co and 73Co

A decay spectroscopy study of the neutron-rich cobalt isotopes has been performed using fragmentation of a ⁸⁶Kr³⁶⁺ beam and the new LISE2000 spectrometer at GANIL. For ⁷¹Co and ⁷³Co, the -delayed radiation has been observed for the first time, and the half-lives were found to be 79(5) ms and 41(4) ms, respectively. Features of the decay are discussed qualitatively in terms of nuclear models.     

The Role of Liquid Water in Crystalline Hydrate Dehydration: Copper sulphate pentahydrate

Simultaneous Differential Thermal Analysis/Thermogravimetric experiments carried out on one large single crystal, several small single crystals and powdered crystals of pentahydrate copper sulphate have been used to demonstrate the role that retained liquid water plays in maintaining crystal morphology during dehydration. Measured activation energies for stepwise dehydration in the system show the presence of solution-based transformations provide lower energy paths for the dehydration steps and stress relieving mechanisms. Skeletal anhydrous crystals from large-sized pentahydrate copper sulphate have the same morphology as the starting crystal on complete dehydration at controlled heating rates as long as a solution phase is maintained within the crystal during decomposition. The athermal activation energies, in this work, are in agreement with those obtained by isothermal methods as long as coincident reaction paths for the two techniques are maintained. The literature has been reviewed in the light of this work and a three-stage process is presented to rationalise the conflicting information obtained by workers using a variety of different experimental techniques.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Maximally aligned states in 99Ag

Excited states of ⁹⁹Ag were populated via the ⁵⁰Cr + ⁵⁸Ni (261 MeV) reaction using the NORDBALL detector array equipped with charged-particle and neutron detector systems for reaction channel separation. On the basis of the measured γγ-coincidence relations and angular distribution ratios a significantly extended level scheme has been constructed up to E _x ∼ 7.8 MeV and I = 35/2. The experimental results were described within the framework of the shell model. Candidates for states fully aligned in the πg _9/2 ^-3ν(d _5/2, g _7/2)² valence configuration space were found at 4109 and 6265 keV. Received: 18 June 2002 / Accepted: 11 October 2002 / Published online: 4 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: sohler@atomki.hu Communicated by J. ?yst?     

The strength of octupole correlations in neutron-rich Xe isotopes

Excited levels in ¹⁴⁰Xe and ¹⁴²Xe nuclei, populated in the spontaneous fission of ²⁴⁸Cm, were studied by means of prompt γ-ray spectroscopy, using EUROGAM2 array. We report the first observation of an octupole band in ¹⁴²Xe and extend the octupole band in ¹⁴⁰Xe. Level schemes of ¹⁴⁰Xe and ¹⁴²Xe obtained in this work show patterns characteristic of ocupole-vibrational bands. Properties of octupole bands in Xe isotopes indicate that octupole correlations in these nuclei are lower than in the corresponding Ba nuclei. The electric dipole moment of ¹⁴²Xe was found to be larger than in other Xe isotopes, contrary to theoretical predictions. This may be due to the special role of the N = 88 neutron number. Received: 18 November 2002 / Accepted: 15 December 2002 / Published online: 25 February 2003 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: urban@fuw.edu.pl Communicated by D. Schwalm