Ultra-high energy cosmic rays and prompt TeV gamma rays from gamma ray bursts

Gamma ray bursts (GRBs) have been proposed as one possible class of sources of the ultrahigh energy cosmic ray (UHECR) events observed up to energies ≳ 10²⁰ eV. The synchrotron radiation of the highest energy protons accelerated within the GRB source should produce gamma rays up to TeV energies. Here we briefly discuss the implications on the energetics of the GRB from the point of view of the detectability of the prompt TeV γ-rays of proton-synchrotron origin in GRBs in the up-coming ICECUBE muon detector in the south pole.     

On interrelation between the internal pressure and the cohesion energy density

The question about the definition of the “internal pressure” concept is being discussed. It is shown that the previously found differential relation between the cohesion energy density and the internal pressure is one of the examples of an absolutely general interrelation between definitely connected differential functions. It is ascertained that the ratio (the internal pressure divided by the cohesion energy density) is a structuresensitive parameter inherent to the calorific (thermal) equation of a liquid state.     

Illuminating Molecular Processes in Living Cells

Lately, scientists have explored approaches to developing fluorescent and/or bioluminescent indicators to pinpoint cellular processes in single living cells. These analytical methods have become a key technology for visualizing and detecting what was otherwise unseen in live cells. The target signaling included second messengers, protein phosphorylations, protein–protein interactions, and protein localizations.     

Deactivation reactions in the modeled 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinyloxy‐mediated free‐radical polymerization of styrene: A comparative study with the 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinyloxy/acrylonitrile system

The competitiveness of the combination and disproportionation reactions between a 1‐phenylpropyl radical, standing for a growing polystyryl macroradical, and a 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) radical in the nitroxide‐mediated free‐radical polymerization of styrene was quantitatively evaluated by the study of the transition geometry and the potential energy profiles for the competing reactions with the use of quantum‐mechanical calculations at the density functional theory (DFT) UB3‐LYP/6‐311+G(3df, 2p)//(unrestricted) Austin Model 1 level of theory. The search for transition geometries resulted in six and two transition structures for the radical combination and disproportionation reactions, respectively. The former transition structures, mainly differing in the out‐of‐plane angle of the N? O bond in the transition structure TEMPO molecule, were correlated with the activation energy, which was determined to be in the range of 8.4–19.4 kcal mol^?1 from a single‐point calculation at the DFT UB3‐LYP/6‐311+G(3df, 2p)//unrestricted Austin Model 1 level. The calculated activation energy for the disproportionation reaction was less favorable by a value of more than 30 kcal mol^?1 in comparison with that for the combination reaction. The approximate barrier difference for the TEMPO addition and disproportionation reaction was slightly smaller for the styrene polymerization system than for the acrylonitrile polymerization system, thus indicating that a β‐proton abstraction through a TEMPO radical from the polymer backbone could diminish control over the radical polymerization of styrene with the nitroxide even more than in the latter system. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 232–241, 2007     

Molecular modeling study on surface,thermal, mechanical and gas diffusion properties of chitosan

The motivation of this work is to provide reliable and accurate modeling studies of the physical (surface, thermal, mechanical and gas diffusion) properties of chitosan (CS) polymer. Our computational efforts have been devoted to make a comparison of the structural bulk properties of CS with similar type of polymers such as chitin and cellulose through cohesive energy density, solubility parameter, hydrogen bonding, and free volume distribution calculations. Atomistic modeling on CS polymer using molecular mechanics (MM) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations has been carried out in three dimensionally periodic and effective two dimensionally periodic condensed phases. From the equilibrated structures, surface energies were computed. The equilibrium structure of the films shows an interior region of mass density close to the value in the bulk state. Various components of energetic interactions have been examined in detail to acquire a better insight into the interactions between bulk structure and the film surface. MD simulation (NPT ensemble) has also been used to obtain polymer specific volume as a function of temperature. It is demonstrated that these V–T curves can be used to locate the volumetric glass transition temperature (T_g) reliably. The mechanical properties of CS have been obtained using the strain deformation method. Diffusion coefficients of O₂, N₂, and CO₂ gas molecules at 300 K in CS have been estimated. The calculated properties of CS are comparable with the experimental values reported in the literature. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1260–1270, 2007     

Melt rheology of polylactide/montmorillonite nanocomposites

In this article, the linear and nonlinear shear rheological behaviors of polylactide (PLA)/clay (organophilic‐montmorillonite) nanocomposites (PLACNs) were investigated by an Advanced Rheology Expanded System rheometer. The nanocomposites were prepared by master batch method using a twin‐screw extruder with poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) as a compatibilizer. The presence of org‐MMT leads to obvious pseudo‐solid‐like behaviors of nanocomposite melts. The behaviors caused by the formation of a “percolating network” derived from the reciprocity among the strong related sheet particles. Therefore, the storage moduli, loss moduli, and dynamic viscosities of PLACNs show a monotonic increase with MMT content. Nonterminal behaviors exists in PLACNs nanocomposites. Besides the PLACNs melts show a greater shear thinning tendency than pure PLA melt because of the preferential orientation of the MMT layers. Therefore, PLACNs have higher moduli but better processibility compared with pure PLA. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 3189–3196, 2007     

MgO films grown on yttria-stabilized zirconia by molecular beam epitaxy

MgO films were grown on (0 0 1) yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The crystalline structures of these films were investigated using X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Growth temperature was varied from 350 to 550 °C, with crystalline quality being improved at higher temperatures. The MgO films had a domain structure: (1 1 1)[1 1 2¯]_MgO(0 0 1)[1 0 0]_YSZ with four twin variants related by a 90° in-plane rotation about the [1 1 1]_MgO axis. The observed epitaxial orientation was compared to previous reports of films grown by pulsed laser deposition and sputtering and explained as resulting in the lowest interface energy.     

Geometry and electronic structure of a heterometallic cluster Mo<Subscript>2</Subscript>Mg<Subscript>2</Subscript> in different oxidation states of Mo: a DFT study

Reduction of tetranuclear heterometallic complex Mo₂Mg₂ was simulated using the B3LYP and PBE density functional methods. The results of geometry calculations of the initial complex [Mo^VIO₂Mg(MeOH)₂(OMe)₄]₂ and a partially reduced Mo^V complex are in good agreement with experimental data. The reduced Mo^III complex is characterized by a decrease in the binding energy of aqua ligands. Structural rearrangement of the complex with release of a coordination position at the Mo atoms requires small energy expenditure. One can assume that the reduction of the polynuclear complex causes overcrowding of its coordination sphere, which favors formation of dinitrogen complexes. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 441–457, March, 2008.     

The supersymmetric WKB approximation of ring-shaped oscillator potential in r and θ dimensions with spherical polar coordinates

According to calculation of the energy spectrum of ring-shape oscillator potential by using the supersymmetric WKB approximation, it is shown that the energy spectrum of some noncentral separable potentials can be exactly obtained in r and θ dimensions by above method.