Composition and thermal stability of SiO2-based hybrid materials TEOS-MTEOS system

Hybrid materials with different amounts of organics permanently bound on the inorganic network obtained in the TEOS-MTEOS (tetraethoxysilan-methyltriethoxysilan) system are used for obtaining coatings with different optical and mechanical properties. To study the thermal stability of the mentioned materials, compositions with different molar ratios of the precursors were prepared. The influence of the solvent and water amounts on the gelation process was also investigated. The gels obtained were characterised by IR spectrometry and their decomposition temperatures were determined by DTA/TG. Thermal stability of the gels is rather influenced by their composition than the conditions of the gelation process. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Radiation dose contribution from coal-slags used as structural building material

A significant dose contribution on the population could be derived from coal slags used as isolation material. Extremely high natural activities are measured in the coal slag, derived from the region of the settlement Ajka, Hungary. In some buildings monitored, the elevated -doses were nearly 5–10 times higher than the world average ones. The annual average indoor radon concentrations from the slag exceeded 400 Bq/m³ and in some cases up to 1200 Bq/m³. Due to the elevated exposure and the radon concentrations in the dwellings the annual dose was estimated to 8–24 mSv/y more than 5–10 times of the world average one.     

CIRCULAR DICHROISM SPECTRA OF SYSTEM I PARTICLES FROM NORMAL CHLOROPLASTS AND CAROTENOID-DEFICIENT MUTANTS OF MAIZE

Abstract— Circular dichroism (CD) spectra were studied in System I particles prepared by digitonin fragmentation of chloroplasts of normal maize and carotenoid-deficient mutants. CD bands of pigment molecules were found to be higher in particles than in solutions. This phenomenon was most pronounced for the particles containing the carotenoid composition of normal chloroplast lamellae. The CD signal of chlorophylls bound to particles of carotenoid-deficient chloroplasts was closer to that found in solutions. This indicates that aggregation and/or binding of chlorophylls in carotenoid-deficient mutants may be less extensive than in normal chloroplasts.     

CPT-Odd resonances in neutrino oscillations

We consider the consequences for future neutrino factory experiments of small CPT-odd interactions in neutrino oscillations. The nu(&mgr;)-->nu(&mgr;) and nu;(&mgr;)-->nu;(&mgr;) survival probabilities at a baseline L = 732 km can test for CPT-odd contributions at orders of magnitude better sensitivity than present neutrino sector limits. Interference between the CPT-violating interaction and CPT-even mass terms in the Lagrangian can lead to a resonant enhancement of the oscillation amplitude. For oscillations in matter, a simultaneous enhancement of both neutrino and antineutrino oscillation amplitudes is possible.