Investigation of proton channeling using nuclear-reaction resonances

To investigate orientation effects, an approach based on the measurements of γ-ray yields following the excitation of “narrow" isolated resonances in the reactions occurring on the nuclei of interstitial impurity atoms, that occupy certain positions in a crystal, has been proposed. The carbon atoms were shown to be located in octahedral interstitial sites of the Re-0.4 at. % ¹³C monocrystalline solution. The proton flux distribution in the (0001) channel was investigated via the 1.7476 MeV resonance of the ¹³C(p,γ)¹⁴N reaction. Some particular qualities of the reaction yield were found to be dependent upon the proton energy. The method of measurement of the electronic stopping power of channeled particles has been deduced. The γ-ray yield of the resonance reactions induced by the channeled protons was shown to be dependent on the amplitude of the thermal vibrations of carbon atoms.     

ω-meson photoproduction on nucleons in the near-threshold region

The European Physical Journal A - The ω-meson photoproduction, γ + p→p + ω, is studied in the framework of a model, containing π-meson exchange in t-channel and...     

New results on elements 111 and 112

Experiments on the synthesis and identification of the nuclei ²⁷²111 and ²⁷⁷112 were performed in order to confirm previous results. Three additional decay chains were measured in the reaction ⁶⁴Ni + ²⁰⁹Bi →²⁷³111^*. The study revealed considerably improved data on the decay chain originating from ²⁷²111. One additional chain was measured in the reaction ⁷⁰Zn + ²⁰⁸Pb →²⁷⁸112^*. The decay properties of the chain starting at ²⁷⁷112 are in excellent agreement with the second chain of the first experiment down to ²⁶⁵Sg, where the new chain ends by a previously unknown spontaneous-fission branch. A re-analysis of all the data on elements 110, 111, and 112 measured at GSI since 1994 (a total of 34 decay chains was investigated) revealed that for 2 chains (the second chain of ²⁶⁹110 measured in 1994 and the first chain of ²⁷⁷112 measured in 1996) the results of the new analysis differed from the previous one. In all other cases the earlier data are exactly reproduced. Received: 21 December 2001 / Accepted: 15 January 2002     

The surface science of enzymes

One of the largest challenges to science in the coming years is to find the relation between enzyme structure and function. Can we predict which reactions an enzyme catalyzes from knowledge of its structure—or from its amino acid sequence? Can we use that knowledge to modify enzyme function? To solve these problems we must understand in some detail how enzymes interact with reactants from its surroundings. These interactions take place at the surface of the enzyme and the question of enzyme function can be viewed as the surface science of enzymes. In this article we discuss how to describe catalysis by enzymes, and in particular the analogies between enzyme catalyzed reactions and surface catalyzed reactions. We do this by discussing two concrete examples of reactions catalyzed both in nature (by enzymes) and in industrial reactors (by inorganic materials), and show that although analogies exist and the two kinds of catalyst can be described by similar tools, nature and human effort have come up with different solutions. This on the other hand implies that new and improved catalysts may be made by learning from nature.     

Cosmic dust and our origins

The small solid particles in the space between the stars provide the surfaces for the production of many simple and complex molecules. Processes involving the effects of ultraviolet irradiation of the thin (hundredth micron) mantles are shown to produce a wide range of molecules and ions also seen in comets. Some of the more complex ones inferred from laboratory experiments are expected to play an important role in the origin of life. An outline of the chemical evolution of interstellar dust as observed and as studied in the laboratory is presented. Observations of comets are shown to provide substantial evidence for their being fluffy aggregates of interstellar dust as it was in the protosolar nebula, i.e. the interstellar cloud which collapsed to form the solar system. The theory that comets may have brought the progenitors of life to the earth is summarized.     

核ANC和激发态中子晕

利用转移反应¹¹B(d,p)¹²B和¹²C(d,p)¹³C抽取¹²B<—>¹¹B+n和¹³C<—>¹²C+n重叠函数的核渐近归一化常数,计算了¹²B和¹³C核中价中子密度分布的均方根半径及其在核外的几率.实验结果表明,¹²B的第二(J^π=2^－),第三(J^π=1^－)激发态和13C的第一(J^π=1/2⁺)激发态为中子晕态,而¹³C的第三(J^π=5/2⁺)激发态是中子皮态.考察了库仑势和角动量对晕形成的阻碍效应.提出了均方根半径对于有效核子分离能的统一的标度定律.     

Adatom concentration on GaAs(001) during MBE annealing

We study the concentration of adatoms on GaAs(001) during annealing under MBE conditions. By rapidly cooling the sample from typical growth temperatures and typical As overpressures, the thermal concentration of adatoms can be frozen into small islands on the terraces. The area of the resulting islands is measured with STM far from terrace steps, giving an estimate of the concentration of adatoms during equilibrium. We find that a surprisingly large concentration of adatoms is present for typical growth temperatures, e.g. 0.18 monolayer at 600°C. Possible consequences for current growth models are discussed.     

The adsorption and decomposition of NO on Pd(110)

The sticking probability of nitric oxide (NO) on Pd(110) and the relative selectivity of the surface to nitrogen (N₂) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) production has been measured as a function of coverage and as a function of surface and gas temperatures using a molecular beam. It is found that, at low temperatures (<440 K), molecular adsorption occurs with an initial sticking probability of 0.40 ± 0.02, rising quickly to a maximum of about 0.48 ± 0.02 as coverage increases before falling towards saturation. Following adsorption at 170 K four distinct adsorption sites can be identified by subsequent TPD. Hence, if beaming occurs at a temperature above the TPD peak due to a given site, then that site cannot be populated and the saturation coverage is found to be reduced. At higher temperatures (440–650 K) the sticking probability is seen to decrease continuously as a function of coverage. At a given NO uptake, the sticking probability falls with temperature indicating that the rate of NO desorption is significant in this temperature range. In addition, dissociation occurs leading to the desorption of nitrogen and nitrous oxide leaving only oxygen adatoms on the surface. The oxygen adatoms poison further reaction but can be cleaned off, even at the lowest temperature at which dissociation occurs, by hydrogen or carbon monoxide. At the low temperature end of this range more nitrous oxide is produced than nitrogen but this ratio falls with temperature until, above 600 K, there is 100% selectivity to the production of nitrogen which we propose is due to the low lifetime of molecular NO on the surface. However, at such high temperatures, reaction only occurs on a few sites probably located at the few step edges present on the crystal.     

Entrance Channel Mass Asymmetry Effects in Sub-Barrier Fusion Dynamics by Using Energy Dependent Woods-Saxon Potential

The present article highlights the inconsistency of static Woods-Saxon potential and the applicability of energy dependentWoods-Saxon potential to explore the fusion dynamics of ₂₂⁴⁸Ti+₂₈^58,60,64Ni, ₂₂⁴⁶Ti+₂₈⁶⁴Ni, ₂₂⁵⁰Ti+₂₈⁶⁰Ni, and ₉¹⁹F+₄₁⁹³Nb reactions leading to formation of different Sn-isotopes via different entrance channels. Theoretical calculations based upon one-dimensional Wong formula obtained by using static Woods-Saxon potential unable to provide proper explanation for sub-barrier fusion enhancement of these projectile-target combinations. However, the predictions of one- dimensional Wong formula based upon energy dependent Woods-Saxon potential model (EDWSP model) accurately describe the observed fusion dynamics of these systems wherein the significantly larger value of diffuseness parameter ranging from a = 0.85 fm to a = 0.97 fm is required to address the experimental data in whole range of energy. Therefore, the energy dependence in nucleus-nucleus potential simulates the influence of the nuclear structure degrees of freedom of the colliding pairs.