Vibrational Dynamics Studies by Nuclear Resonant Inelastic X-Ray Scattering

Nuclear resonant inelastic X-ray scattering of synchrotron radiation is being applied to ever widening areas ranging from geophysics to biophysics and materials science. Since its first demonstration in 1995 using the ⁵⁷Fe resonance, the technique has now been applied to materials containing ⁸³Kr, ¹⁵¹Eu, ¹¹⁹Sn, and ¹⁶¹Dy isotopes. The energy resolution has been reduced to under a millielectronvolt. This, in turn, has enabled new types of measurements like Debye velocity of sound, as well as the study of origins of non-Debye behavior in presence of other low-energy excitations. The effect of atomic disorder on phonon density of states has been studied in detail. The flux increase due to the improved X-ray sources, crystal monochromators, and time-resolved detectors has been exploited for reducing sample sizes to nano-gram levels, or using samples with dilute resonant nuclei like myoglobin, or even monolayers. Incorporation of micro-focusing optics to the existing experimental setup enables experiments under high pressure using diamond-anvil cells. In this article, we will review these developments. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

一些高Tc超导体的弹性性质

 本文用超声相比较方法测定了高T_c超导体La_1.85Sr_0.15CuO₄，La₂CuO₄和YBa₂Cu₃O₇的纵波和横波声速，进而导出了它们的纵向模量、切变模量、杨氏模量、泊松比、德拜温度及定体比热。在La_1.85Sr_0.15CuO₄样品上，还进行了压力实验，发现所有弹性模量都是随压强增加而增加。定体比热c_V和泊松比σ在高压下则略有下降。德拜温度是随压强增加而增加的。     

Debye screening for two-dimensional Coulomb systems at high temperatures

The grand canonical ensemble of a two-dimensional Coulomb system with±1 charges is proved to have screening phenomena in its high-temperature region. The Coulomb potential in a finite region is assumed to be (–)^–1, where is the Laplacian with zero boundary conditions on. The hard-core condition is not assumed. The model is set up by separating (–)^–1 into a shortrange part and a long-range part depending on a parameter. The self-energies are subtracted only for the short-range part and therefore a choice of is a choice of subtraction of self-energies. The method of proof is in general the same as that of Brydges-Federbush Debye screening, except that here a modification for the short-range part of the potentials is needed.     

On the determination of crystallinity and cellulose content in plant fibres

A comparative study of cellulose crystallinity based on the sample crystallinity and the cellulose content in plant fibres was performed for samples of different origin. Strong acid hydrolysis was found superior to agricultural fibre analysis and comprehensive plant fibre analysis for a consistent determination of the cellulose content. Crystallinity determinations were based on X-ray powder diffraction methods using side-loaded samples in reflection (Bragg-Brentano) mode. Rietveld refinements based on the recently published crystal structure of cellulose Iβ followed by integration of the crystalline and amorphous (background) parts were performed. This was shown to be straightforward to use and in many ways advantageous to traditional crystallinity determinations using the Segal or the Ruland–Vonk methods. The determined cellulose crystallinities were 90–100 g/100 g cellulose in plant-based fibres and 60–70 g/100 g cellulose in wood based fibres. These findings are significant in relation to strong fibre composites and bio-ethanol production.     

Electron affinity of exotic systems under Debye plasma

Electron affinity of plasma embedded muonium (μ⁺e^?) and pionium (π⁺e^?) has been estimated using a general three‐body formalism within variational framework. Electron correlation is taken care of using extended Hylleraas basis sets. The stability of the three‐body systems have been studied under the Debye screening model of the plasma, which changes the Coulombic potential to the screened Coulomb one. The electron affinity of the muonium and pionium is maximum for free systems, and it decreases gradually toward zero with increase of the plasma strength, which tends to push the three‐body system toward gradual instability. The electron correlation contribution to the affinity has been analyzed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2007     

Analysis of the contribution of skeletal vibrations to the heat capacity of linear macromolecules in the solid state

Automatic computer programs are developed to calculate one- two-, and three-dimensional Debye functions. Prior tables of these functions are critically reviewed. Also, strategies are derived to calculate Debye temperatures from heat capacities. Both, simple three-dimensional Debye analyses and Tarasov analyses were carried out on 35 linear macromolecules. The experimental heat capacities for these analyses were collected in the ATHAS data bank. It is shown that the skeletal heat capacity of linear macromolecules is often best represented by only two vibrations per chain atom. For most of the all-carbon chain macromolecules the intramolecular skeletal heat capacity can be given by C_vs=D₁[520 (28/MW)^1/2] whereMW is the molecular mass andD ₁ represents the one-dimensional Debye function. Polyoxides show a higher intramolecular theta temperature, but a lower intermolecular theta temperature. Double bonds and phenylene groups in the chain increase the intramolecular theta temperature.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. F. H. Müller.On leave from the Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University, Moscow, USSR.     

Calculations of dynamic dipole polarizabilities of Li and Na atoms in debye plasma using the model potential technique

The effects of Debye plasma on the frequency‐dependent polarizabilities of Li and Na atoms are investigated using symplectic algorithm within the framework of the pseudostate summation technique. Dynamic dipole polarizabilities of Li (2s ²S) and Na(3s ²S) as functions of scaled number density of the plasma electrons for arbitrary plasma temperature are presented. Screening effects on the resonance frequencies are also presented. In free‐atomic cases, our calculated results are comparable with the reported theoretical and experimental predictions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Dust-Acoustic Nonlinear Waves in a Nanoparticle Fraction of Ultracold (2K) Multicomponent Dusty Plasma

The nonlinear dust-acoustic instability in the condensed submicron fraction of dust particles in the low-pressure glow discharge at ultra-low temperatures is experimentally and theoretically investigated. The main discharge parameters are estimated on the basisof the dust-acoustic wave analysis. In particular, the temperature and density of ions, as well as the Debye radius, are determined. It is shown that the ion temperature exceeds the temperature of the neutral gas. The drift characteristics of all plasma fractions are estimated. The reasons for the instability excitation are considered.