Energy dependence of multiplicity in proton-nucleus collisions and models of multiparticle production

This is a continuation of our earlier investigation (Gurtuet al 1974Phys. Lett. 50 B 391) on multiparticle production in proton-nucleus collisions based on an exposure of emulsion stack to 200 GeV/c beam at the NAL. It is found that the ratioR _em = 〈n _s〉/〈n _ch〉, where 〈n _ch〉 is the charged particle multiplicity in pp-collisions, increases slowly from about 1 at 10 GeV/c to 1·6 at 68 GeV/c and attains a constant value of 1·71 ± 0·04 in the region 200 to 8000 GeV/c. Furthermore,R _em = 1·71 implies an effectiveA-dependence ofR _A =A ^0.18,i.e., a very weak dependence. Predictions ofR _em on various models are discussed and compared with the emulsion data. Data seem to favour models of hadron-nucleon collisions in which production of particles takes place through adouble step mechanism,e.g., diffractive excitation, hydrodynamical and energy flux cascade as opposed to models which envisage instantaneous production.     

Radial oscillations of neutron stars in strong magnetic fields

The eigen frequencies of radial pulsations of neutron stars are calculated in a strong magnetic field. At low densities we use the magnetic BPS equation of state (EOS) similar to that obtained by Lai and Shapiro while at high densities the EOS obtained from the relativistic nuclear mean field theory is taken and extended to include strong magnetic field. It is found that magnetized neutron stars support higher maximum mass whereas the effect of magnetic field on radial stability for observed neutron star masses is minimal.     

Structural studies of LNA:RNA duplexes by NMR: conformations and implications for RNase H activity

We have used NMR and CD spectroscopy to study the conformations of modified oligonucleotides (locked nucleic acid, LNA) containing a conformationally restricted nucleotide (T(L)) with a 2'-O,4'-C-methylene bridge. We have investigated two LNA:RNA duplexes, d(CTGAT(L)ATGC):r(GCAUAUCAG) and d(CT(L)GAT(L)AT(L)GC):r(GCAUAUCAG), along with the unmodified DNA:RNA reference duplex. Increases in the melting temperatures of +9.6 degrees C and +8.1 degrees C per modification relative to the unmodified duplex were observed for these two LNA:RNA sequences. The three duplexes all adopt right-handed helix conformations and form normal Watson-Crick base pairs with all the bases in the anti conformation. Sugar conformations were determined from measurements of scalar coupling constants in the sugar rings and distance information derived from 1H-1H NOE measurements; all the sugars in the RNA strands of the three duplexes adopt an N-type conformation (A-type structure), whereas the sugars in the DNA strands change from an equilibrium between S- and N-type conformations in the unmodified duplex towards more of the N-type conformation when modified nucleotides are introduced. The presence of three modified T(L) nucleotides induces drastic conformational shifts of the remaining unmodified nucleotides of the DNA strand, changing all the sugar conformations except those of the terminal sugars to the N type. The CD spectra of the three duplexes confirm the structural changes described above. On the basis of the results reported herein, we suggest that the observed conformational changes can be used to tune LNA:RNA duplexes into substrates for RNase H: Partly modified LNA:RNA duplexes may adopt a duplex structure between the standard A and B types, thereby making the RNA strand amenable to RNase H-mediated degradation.     

Working group report: Heavy-ion physics and quark-gluon plasma

This is the report of Heavy Ion Physics and Quark-Gluon Plasma at WHEPP-09 which was part of Working Group-4. Discussion and work on some aspects of quark-gluon plasma believed to have created in heavy-ion collisions and in early Universe are reported.     

Synthesis of 5,7-Dihydroxy-6-methoxy-2-(2-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one and Reassignment of Structure of Tamaridone1

The proposed structure of a new flavone, tamaridone, isolated from Tamarix dioica Roxb is untenable on the basis of comparison with its synthetic sample. Its structure has been now revised to 5,7-dihydroxy-8-methoxy-2-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one by careful spectral studies.     

Disparity in properties of 20-mol% Eu-doped ceria synthesized by different routes

Ce_0.8Eu_0.2O_2?δ was synthesized by conventional solid state route as well as wet chemical route (i.e. cation complexation, combustion method). The crystallite size obtained for cation complexation and combustion samples is 14 and 19 nm while their surface area is 11.70 and 29.63 m²g^?1 respectively. Cation complexation synthesized product lead to formation of agglomerates and hence the sintered sample showed porosity compared to combustion synthesized sample. However, despite high packing density the combustion synthesized sample showed lower grain boundary, total conductivity than cation complexation synthesized product due to the formation of siliceous film at the grain boundary.     

Development of tBu-phenyl Acetamide Appended Thiacalix[4]arene as “Turn-ON” Fluorescent Probe for Selective Recognition of Hg(II) Ions

Journal of Fluorescence - Herein, a novel N-(4-(tert-butyl)-phenyl)-2-chloroacetamide functionalized thiacalix[4]arene architecture, viz TCAN2PA has been synthesized and the sensing behaviour...     

Growth morphology of zinc tris(thiourea) sulphate crystals

The growth morphology of crystals of zinc tris(thiourea) sulphate (ZTS) is investigated experimentally, and computed using the Hartman-Perdok approach. Attachment energies of the observed habit faces are calculated for determining their relative morphological importance. A computer code is developed for carrying out these calculations. A special procedure is adopted for computing the cohesive energy of a slice of the structure parallel to any rational crystallographic plane. For estimating the cohesive energies, formal charges on the experimentally determined atomic positions in the molecules of ZTS are calculated by ab initio molecular-orbital computations, with wave functions obtained by the Hartree-Fock procedure. Fairly good agreement with the observed crystal morphology is obtained for a model of growth mechanism in which ZTS is assumed to exist in solution sa szinc tris(thiourea) ions and sulphate ions.