Measurements of total and positronium-formation cross sections for the scattering of positrons by alkali atoms

We present a review of our recent measurements of total cross sections (Q _T's) for the scattering of positrons by Na, K, and Rb, and positronium-formation cross sections (Q _Ps's) for Na and K. For our total cross section measurements, a beam transmission technique has been used. For ourQ _Ps measurements, our approach involves setting upper and lower limits onQ _Ps using a combination of (1) measuring the transmission of the positron beam with the angular discrimination of the apparatus made as poor as possible, and (2) measuring the 511 keV annihilation gamma rays in coincidence produced by the decay of para-Ps formed in the scattering cell. Comparison with theoretical calculations shows that our measuredQ _T's andQ _Ps's for Na and K agree reasonably well with a close coupling approximation (CCA) calculation which takes into account the formation of Ps in then=1 andn=2 states. In the 3–10 eV energy range, this calculation predicts a peak in theQ _T's andQ _Ps's for K which also appears in our measurements. The absence of such a peak in our measuredQ _T's andQ _Ps's (preliminary) for Na in this energy range is also consistent with the same theory. Comparisons with five-state CCA calculations ofQ _T which do not take Ps-formation into account also show good agreement with our positron-Na, K, and RbQ _T measurements for energies above 20 eV, but show dramatic departures from our measurements below 10 eV for K and Rb.     

Raman scattering in impurity-induced anharmonic crystals

The theory of first-, second-, and third-order Raman scattering is investigated for isotopically disordered anharmonic crystals. The theory of time-dependent thermodynamic Zubarev Green's functions is adopted to obtain the Raman tensor, intensity of Raman lines, and differential cross sections of various orders of scatterings. It is observed that each class of scattering can be separated into diagonal and nondiagonal parts. The first-order and nondiagonal parts are absent in the case of chemically pure crystals. The diagonal parts are separated into anharmonic and interference terms. The interference terms arise due to the interactions of anharmonic phonons with the local phonons. The temperature and defect dependencies are discussed in detail along with the nature of continuous and line spectra. It is proposed that very high-power laser sources will reveal the third-order spectra, and that the resulting structure can be explained with the help of temperature-dependent one-, two-, and three-phonon density of states.     

Collective mechanism for nuclear stopping and transverse flow in heavy-ion collisions

The role of filamentation instability of quark-gluon plasma, in explaining collective phenomena in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, has been analyzed. Using equations of SU(2) two fluid color hydrodynamics it is shown that this instability can significantly enhance nuclear stopping and might contribute to collective sideward flows.     

Comparative resin kinetics using in situ fluorescence measurements

The aminolysis of a novel activated ester resin was utilized for kinetic study via continuous in situ fluorescence measurements. A variety of resin compositions (polystyrene, JandaJel, ArgoPore, TentaGel, NovaGel, and PEGA) and solvents (dimethylformamide, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, 1,2-dichlorethane, and toluene) were tested to compare their effects on the reaction rate. A linear relationship between the reaction rate and (solvent polarity x swelling of resin) was elucidated for the aminolysis reaction.     

Electrochemical studies on the composition,stabilities and thermodynamics of Zn+2, Cd+2 and Pb+2 complexes with methylene bis thio acetic acid

Potentiometric and conductometric studies on the zinc, cadmium, lead—methylene bis thio acetic acid system in aqueous media reveal the formation of 1:1 and 1:2 (M:L) complexes in thepH range 3.4–5.1. Their stability constants have been determined at 20°, 30° and 40 °C by applyingCalvin andMelchior's extension ofBjerrum's method. The overall changes in thermodynamic function H, G and S accompanying complexation have been evaluated at 30 °C.

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Elektrochemische Untersuchungen über Zusammensetzung, Stabilität und Thermodynamik von Zn(II)-, Cd(II)- und Pb(II)-Komplexen mit Methylen-bisthioessigsäure

Zusammenfassung Potentiometrische und konduktometrische Untersuchungen an Zink-, Cadmium- und Blei-Methylen-bis-thioessigsäure-Systemen in wäßrigem Medium zeigten die Bildung von 1:1 und 1:2 (M:L)-Komplexen impH-Bereich 3,4–5,1. Die Stabilitätskonstanten wurden bei 20°, 30° und 40 °C mittels derCalvin-Melchior-Methode (erweiterteBjerrum-Methode) bestimmt. Die thermodynamischen Parameter H, G und S der Komplexierung wurden für 30 °C ermittelt.

     

Kinetics and mechanism of silver(I)-catalysed oxidation of malonic acid by peroxodiphosphate in acetate buffers

Summary The kinetics of the silver(I)-catalysed oxidation of malonic acid by peroxodiphosphate (pdp) was studied in acetate buffers. The rate law as represented by-d[pdp]/dt = {(k ₁ K _inf2 ^sup-1 [H⁺]² + k ₂[H⁺] + k ₃ K ₃)/ ([H⁺]²/K ₂ + [H⁺] + K ₃)}[pdp][Ag(I)] conforms to the proposed mechanism. The rate is independent of malonic acid concentrations. Acetate ions do not affect the rate; however, the rate decreases as the ionic strength increases. A probable portrait of reaction events is suggested. A comparative analysis of the reactivity pattern of malonic acid towards peroxodiphosphate and peroxodisulphate in presence of silver(I) has been made.     

Formation of spatially patterned colloidal photonic crystals through the control of capillary forces and template recognition

We report the formation of microscopic patterns of substrate-supported, 3D planar colloidal crystals using physical confinement in conjunction with surfaces displaying predetermined binary patterns of hydropholicity. The formation process involves a primary self-assembly wherein nano- and microscale colloids order into a photonic fcc lattice via capillary interactions followed by a secondary template-induced crystal cleavage step. Following this method, arbitrary arrays of pattern elements, which preserve structural and orientational properties of the parent crystal, can be easily obtained.     

Small-angle x-ray scattering studies on epoxidized butadiene-styrene block copolymers

Small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations for epoxidized butadiene-styrene (BS) block copolymers were performed. For unepoxidized copolymers, the SAXS curve exhibits a maximum which indicates that the copolymer has heterogeneity domain morphology. Using the standard theory for a two-phase system, mean distances between domains, the correlation length l _p , and the thickness of the phase boundary were calculated from the SAXS data. It was found that the epoxidation of BS copolymers decreases the ability of the copolymer to separate the individual components. As the content of the epoxide groups increases, the dimensions of the domains decrease until they disappear, the boundary between domains and the matrix becomes less and less definite, and the copolymer composes a homogeneous system. The disappearance of the two-phase structure of the BS copolymers indicates an increase in the compatibility of polystyrene and epoxidized polybutadiene. According to the method of Van Krevelen, the solubility parameters of polystyrene and epoxypolybutadiene were calculated. Small differences between these parameters support the conclusions drawn from the SAXS investigations