Mass extrapolation of quarks and leptons to higher generations

An empirical mass formula is tested for the basic fermion sequences of charged quarks and leptons. This relation is a generalization of Barut’s mass formula for the lepton sequence (e, μ, τ......). It is found that successful mass extrapolation to the third and possibly to other higher generations (N>2) can be obtained with the first and second generation masses as inputs, which predicts the top quark massm _t to be around 20 GeV. This also leads to the mass ratios between members of two different sequences (i) and (i′) corresponding to the same higher generations (N>2).     

Effect of spermine and DNase on DNA release from bacteriophage T5

Bacterial viruses (bacteriophages) consist of nucleic acid protected by a protein envelope called capsid. At the start of infection, the phage genome is translocated into the bacterial cytoplasm. In vitro (and also in vivo), this DNA release can be triggered by binding a specific receptor protein to the phage tail. The force responsible for the release arises from energy stored in the capsid due to strong confinement of the DNA. We show that this force can be modified by adding molecules like spermine that affect DNA conformation. The tetravalent cation spermine can reduce the pressure inside the capsid and induce condensation of the released DNA. We examine the effect of spermine on DNA ejection from phage T5 by using light scattering and gel electrophoresis to measure the amount of DNA remaining in the capsid at the end of ejection. We discuss the results in terms of free energy minimization and we demonstrate that the presence of a DNA condensate outside the phage generates an additional force pulling passively on the DNA remaining inside the capsid.     

Analysis of hydrogen bonds by the IR spectra of thymine and N<Subscript>1</Subscript>,N<Subscript>3</Subscript>-deuterothymine

Calculations of the frequencies and absolute intensities of the IR bands of plane vibrations of thymine and N₁,N₃-deuterothymine in various phase states have been carried out. It has been shown that in the polycrystalline state thymine forms hydrogen bonds C₂=O₈...HN₁ and C₂=O₈...HN₃, and in an aqueous solution the intermolecular interaction is realized by means of the hydrogen bonds O₈...HO and O...HN₁.__________Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 72, No. 1, pp. 99–105, January–February, 2005.     

Electro- and photoluminescence of compounds based on doped zinc sulfide in the 500–750-nm range

The influence of atmospheric passivation on the electro- and photoluminescent properties of ZnS powders doped with In and/or CuCl is investigated. The processes proceeding in the material during thermal doping with In and/or CuCl as well as participation of oxygen in forming the electro- and photoluminescent radiation centers are discussed. The possibility of creating electro- and photoluminophors based on ZnS that have a continuous spectrum in the visible range with the same spectral density is shown. An electroluminophor based on ZnS:In,Cu,Cl that emits radiation with practically the same spectral density in the 550–750-nm range has been created as well as a photoluminophor based on ZnS:In that emits similarly within the range 500 < < 700 nm.__________Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 72, No. 1, pp. 90–93, January–February, 2005.     

Mechanism of photoluminescence excitation of Mn<Superscript>2+</Superscript> ions in ZnS crystals

The mechanisms of photoluminescence excitation of Mn²⁺ ions in ZnS crystals have been investigated on the basis of complex analysis of the temperature dependences of the photoluminescence and photoluminescence-excitation spectra of ZnS:Mn crystals. The activation energy of a manganese luminescence center was estimated at E_a = 0.17 ± 0.05 eV. It is shown that E_a represents an energy band with a width ΔE_a = 0.1 eV, within which a manganese luminescence center can experience radiationless recombination. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 72, No. 6, pp. 788–793, November–December, 2005.     

Absorption and fluorescence of 8-azasteroids in the gas phase

Extensive studies of the spectral-luminescent characteristics of four 8-azasteroids and a model compound 2-(3,3-dimethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-isoquinolidene)-5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedion in the gas phase have been made. From the analysis of the dependences of the absorption spectra on the vapor pressure (T_low) and the fluorescence spectra on T_low and the exciting radiation wavelength (_exc) a conclusion on the presence in the vapors of the investigated 8-azasteroids of three absorption and fluorescence centers (S-, M-, and L-centers) has been drawn. The absorption spectra of these centers strongly overlap. Their long-wave absorption boundaries have been determined. The dependence of the fluorescence spectra of all three centers on _exc, which is inherent in rarefied gases of individual organic molecules, is observed. The S-centers are the molecules of the initial steroids, and the M- and L-centers are the molecules of thermo- and phototransformations of the initial steroids. The model compound in the gas phase is characterized by the same dependences of the fluorescence spectra on T_low and _exc as those inherent in 8-azasteroids. Taking into account the additional data obtained as a result of investigation of the absorption and fluorescence spectra of solutions of the substances extracted from vacuum cells after the investigation of 8-azasteroids and the model compound in the gas phase, conclusions on the nature of the M- and L-centers have been drawn.__________Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 72, No. 1, pp. 48–57, January–February, 2005.     

Rotational spectrum of cyclohexyl sarin

The rotational spectrum of cyclohexyl sarin (also known as GF) has been measured in a jet-cooled expansion using Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. Two spectra have been observed, each having splittings associated with the internal rotation of the CH₃P group. The observed V₃ barriers are similar in magnitude to those reported for other organophosphonate nerve agents. The two conformational structures of GF have been identified from comparisons of the observed rotational constants and dipole moment magnitudes with ab initio predictions at the MP2/6311G (d,p) level. These two structures are distinguished by the placement of the fluorophosphonate group at the equatorial and axial positions of the cyclohexane ring. The data also suggest that both conformers prefer a positioning of the FP group with the PO oxygen in an eclipsed orientation relative to the C₁ hydrogen on the ring.     

Superconductivity in Sr<Subscript>0.75</Subscript>Y<Subscript>0.75</Subscript>Ba<Subscript>1.5</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript> O<Subscript>7−<Emphasis Type="Italic">d</Emphasis></Subscript> compounds

The effect of simultaneous Sr substitution at the Ba and Y sites has been studied in the Sr_0.75Y_0.75Ba_1.5Cu₃O_7–dsystem. Attempts to replace 25% Y and 25% Ba have been successful and superconductivity was observed above 78 K for Sr_0.75Y_0.75Ba_1.5Cu₃O_7–d compound with high oxygen content, i.e., O_6.76, and having orthorhombic crystal symmetry. The compound was treated in argon gas at 800°C to reduce the oxygen content and to induce some structural changes. The Sr_0.75Y_0.75Ba_1.5Cu₃O_6.1 compound thus obtained has tetragonal symmetry and low oxygen content, O_6.1. It has also shown superconductivity at 28 K. The paper presents a careful comparison of the structural and electrical properties and infrared absorbance spectra of the two compounds with the same metallic composition, Sr_0.75Y_0.75Ba_1.5Cu₃, but with different oxygen content and crystal symmetry. The study clearly establishes the occurrence of superconductivity in tetragonal Sr-substituted (both at Y and Ba sites in) YBCO.     

An Example of Embedded Singular Continuous Spectrum for One-Dimensional Schrödinger Operators

We present a new example of a potential such that the corresponding Schrödinger operator in the halfaxis has singular continuous spectrum embedded in the absolutely continuous spectrum. The singular part is supported in an essentialy dense set. This generalizes a result of C. Remling [3].Mathematics Subject Classification: 34L40, 81Q10.     

Relaxation of Paramagnetic Centers during Modulation of a Stationary Magnetic Field

It has been found that the phase shift _min in the synchronous detection block that ensures the minimum amplitude of the EPR lines of ruby, diphenylpicrylhydrazyl, and MnSO₄·5H₂O, depends on the amplitude of the modulationH _m of a stationary magnetic field. The dependence of _min on H _m is explained by the inertial nature of the recovery of the stationary states of paramagnetic centers on a change in the magnetic field strength.