Ionization potential of clusters in liquids

Time-resolved observations of the fast electron transfer from an electron donor to metal ions adsorbed on metal clusters in solution have shown that a critical size of the cluster is required to make it capable of accepting electrons. The threshold is attributed to a size dependent redox potential of the cluster, increasing with the nuclearity (in contrast with the ionization potential in the gas phase which decreases when n increases): it corresponds to the nuclearity for which the cluster redox potential becomes more positive than the potential of the electron donor acting as a monitor.New data of redox potentials (or IP) of Ag_n clusters (hydroquinone as monitor) and Cu_n cluster (sulfonatopropylviologen anion as monitor) are derived. The influence of n and of the solvation or the ligand is discussed.     

Analysis of the quantum numbers J(PC) of the X(3872) particle

We present an analysis of angular distributions and correlations of the X(3872) particle in the exclusive decay mode X(3872)-->J/psipi+ pi- with J/psi-->mu+ mu-. We use 780 pb-1 of data from pp[over ] collisions at sqrt[s]=1.96 TeV collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. We derive constraints on spin, parity, and charge conjugation parity of the X(3872) particle by comparing measured angular distributions of the decay products with predictions for different J(PC) hypotheses. The assignments J(PC)=1++ and 2-+ are the only ones consistent with the data.     

Measurement of the top-quark mass in all-hadronic decays in pp collisions at CDF II

We present a measurement of the top-quark mass Mtop in the all-hadronic decay channel tt-->W+bW-b-->q1q2bq3q4b. The analysis is performed using 310 pb-1 of sqrt[s]=1.96 TeV pp[over ] collisions collected with the CDF II detector using a multijet trigger. The mass measurement is based on an event-by-event likelihood which depends on both the sample purity and the value of the top-quark mass, using 90 possible jet-to-parton assignments in the six-jet final state. The joint likelihood of 290 selected events yields a value of Mtop=177.1+/-4.9(stat)+/-4.7(syst) GeV/c2.     

Monte Carlo simulations of star-branched polyelectrolyte micelles

The concentration profiles of monomers and counterions in star-branched polyelectrolyte micelles are calculated through Monte Carlo simulations, using the freely jointed chain model. We have investigated the onset of different regimes corresponding to the spherical and Manning condensation of counterions as a function of the strength of the Coulomb coupling. The Monte Carlo results are in fair agreement with the predictions of Self-Consistent-Field analytical models. We have simulated a real system of diblock copolymer micelles of (sodium-polystyrene-sulfonate)(NaPSS)-(polyethylene-propylene)(PEP) with f = 54 hydrophilic branches of N = 251 monomers at room temperature in salt-free solution. The calculated form factor compares nicely with our neutron scattering data. Received 18 July 2002 and Received in final form 11 October 2002 RID="a" ID="a"e-mail: roger@drecam.saclay.cea.fr     

Search for [corrected] B0(s) --> mu+ mu- and B0(d) [corrected] --> mu + mu- decays in pp collisions with CDF II

We report on a search for B0(s) --> mu+ mu- and B0(d) --> mu + mu- decays in pp collisions at square root(s) = 1.96 TeV using 364 pb(-1) of data collected by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. After applying all selection requirements, we observe no candidates inside the B0(s) or B0(d) mass windows. The resulting upper limits on the branching fractions are B(B0(s) --> mu+ mu-) < 1.5 x 10(-7) and B(B0(d) --> mu+ mu-) < 3.9 x 10(-8) at 90% confidence level.     

Search for long-lived doubly charged Higgs bosons in pp collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.96 TeV

We present a search for long-lived doubly charged Higgs bosons (H(+/- +/-)), with signatures of high ionization energy loss and muonlike penetration. We use 292 pb(-1) of data collected in pp collisions at sqrt[s] = 1.96 TeV by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. Observing no evidence of long-lived doubly charged particle production, we exclude H(+/- +/-)(L) and H(+/- +/-)(R) bosons with masses below 133 GeV/c(2) and 109 GeV/c(2), respectively. In the degenerate case we exclude H(+/- +/-) mass below 146 GeV/c(2). All limits are quoted at the 95% confidence level.     

Fast method of XANES data collection suitable for oxidation state mapping

XANES has been recently used for the determination of oxidation states of actinides in environmental samples. To obtain reliable results, however, a sufficiently long counting time at every probing energy and a large number of experimental points per XANES spectrum are required, due to the complex mathematical model used to fit the measured spectrum. This makes micro-mapping difficult, since the time required for data collection becomes unacceptably long. A simplified model for data collection and evaluation is presented. Its effectiveness has been tested by measuring the distribution of Pu oxidation states in a “hot” particle coming from a nuclear weapon test site.     

Introduction of bis-discotic and bis-calamitic mesogenic addends to C 60

The synthesis and characterization of four C 60 Bingel cyclopropanation adducts incorporating bis-biphenylene (three adducts) and bis-triphenylene (one adduct) moieties are described. The thermal analysis (POM and DSC) of these materials reveals that they are not liquid crystalline. However, two of the precursor bis-biphenylene malonate esters possess monotropic mesophases. Furthermore, each of the corresponding C 60 adducts is miscible in the melts of the precursor malonate ester, and at low dopings, retains the liquid crystalline monotropic mesophases of the precursor.