Electronic properties of model quantum-dot structures in zero and finite magnetic fields

We have computed electronic structures and total energies of circularly confined two-dimensional quantum dots and their lateral dimers in zero and finite uniform external magnetic fields using different theoretical schemes: the spin-density-functional theory (SDFT), the current-and-spin-density-functional theory (CSDFT), and the variational quantum Monte Carlo (VMC) method. The SDFT and CSDFT calculations employ a recently-developed, symmetry-unrestricted real-space algorithm allowing solutions which break the spin symmetry. Results obtained for a six-electron dot in the weak confinement limit and in zero magnetic field as well as in a moderate confinement and in finite magnetic fields enable us to draw conclusions about the reliability of the more approximative SDFT and CSDFT schemes in comparison with the VMC method. The same is true for results obtained for the two-electron quantum dot dimer as a function of inter-dot distance. The structure and role of the symmetry-breaking solutions appearing in the SDFT and CSDFT calculations for the above systems are discussed. Received 16 October 2001 and Received in final form 17 January 2002     

Collective bounce-off phenomenon in139La+Ag(Br) reaction at 1.1 A GeV energy

Out of a total statistics of 896¹³⁹La+Ag(Br) interactions, 128 interactions having multiplicity of target fragments (Z⩾1)⩾8 and projectile fragments (Z⩾2)⩾4 have been selected. They correspond to quasi-peripheral interactions. Azimuthal angle correlation between sources of target fragments (TFs) and projectile fragments (PFs) shows the existence of bounce-off effect. Using data of La+Ag(Br) and⁸⁴Kr+Ag(Br) reactions it is shown that individual helium [Z=2, PFs] and heavier fragment [Z⩾3, PFs] show different emission characteristics. Further, a two prong correlation functionT(Φ _ij ) plotted for heavier fragments and helium fragments separately, indicates the possibility of existence of different physical conditions. This observation is supported by the different momentum widths of helium fragments and heavier fragments. From the momentum width data of Kr+Ag(Br) reactions normalized density comes out to be ≈4.7. Using quasi-elastic kinematics for the bounce-off nuclei, the excitation energy has been computed from the experimental data of flow angles. The strength of bounce-off seems to decrease with the increase of excitation energy or temperature.     

Low energy properties of identical and strongly correlated particles

Interesting qualitative consequences can arise from the quantum mechanical identity among strongly correlated particles that carry spin. This is demonstrated for properties connected with the low energy excitations in molecular and electronic systems. Spatial permutations among the identical particles are used as the key features. The particular behaviour of rotational tunneling molecules or molecular parts under the influence of dissipation are discussed together with the consequences arising for conversion transitions. The relationship between the thermal shifting of the tunneling line and the conversion rate at low and at elevated temperatures is explicated. The valuable information, that can be extracted from the conversion behaviour after isotopical substitution, is explained in detail. At low temperatures qualitative changes are predicted for the conversion rate by deuteration. Weakly hindered rotors show, also experimentally, drastic isotopic effects. The second part is devoted to finite systems of strongly interacting electrons that appear in semi-conductor nano-structures. The lowest excitation energies are strongly influenced by the interaction. They can be understood and determined starting from the limit of crystallized electrons by introducing localized many particle ‘pocket states’. The energy levels show multiplet structure, in agreement with numerical results. The total electron spin, associated with the low energy excitations, is crucially important for the nonlinear transport properties through quantum dots. It allows for instance to explain the appearance of negative differential conductances.     

Lifetime measurement of the ((11/2)−) isomer in 125Cs

A new rotational band has been observed in ¹⁶⁷Lu by ¹⁵²Sm (¹⁹F,4n)reaction at the HI-13 tandem accelerator of CIAE in Beijing. The high spin transition energies of the new band are almost identical to the triaxial superdeformed bands recently discovered in ¹⁶³Lu and ¹⁶⁵Lu. This new band is predicted as a triaxial superdeformed band by total routhian surface calculations. Received: 6 October 1997     

Rotational bands in 181Ta

High-spin states in ¹⁸¹Ta have been studied via the ¹⁷⁶Yb(¹¹B,α2n) reaction at 52 MeV using the PEX array and at 57 MeV using the NORDBALL array, with α-particle detection. The previously known, K^π=(7/2)⁺ ground state band and K^π=(9/2)⁻ band have been extended to spins (29/2)⁺ and (31/2)⁻, respectively. Two new one-quasiparticle bands, the K^π=(5/2)⁺ band built on the known (5/2)⁺ isomer and a K^π=((1/2)⁻) band have been observed. Two other rotational bands with three-quasiparticle structure, K^π=(15/2)⁻ and ((19/2)⁺ with π(7/2)[404]ν²(1/2)[510](9/2)[624] and π(9/2)[514]ν²(1/2)[510](9/2)[624] configurations, respectively, have been newly observed. The half-life of the K^π=((19/2)⁺) bandhead which decays to the head of the (15/2)⁻ band has been measured to be 140(36) ns. However, transitions from the ((19/2)⁺) state to the (15/2)⁻ band have not been observed. Received: 26 August 1998     

Effect of purified fractions from cell culture supernate of high‐density pre‐B acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells (ALL3) on the growth of ALL3 cells at low density

The mechanisms underlying the aberrant growth and interactions between cells are not understood very well. The pre‐B acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells directly obtained from an adult patient grow very poorly or do not grow at all at low density (LD), but grow better at high starting cell density (HD). We found that the LD ALL3 cells can be stimulated to grow in the presence of diffusible, soluble factors secreted by ALL3 cells themselves growing at high starting cell density. We then developed a biochemical purification procedure that allowed us to purify the factor(s) with stimulatory activity and analyzed them by nanoliquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC‐MS/MS). Using nanoLC‐MS/MS we have identified several proteins which were further processed using various bioinformatics tools. This resulted in eight protein candidates which might be responsible for the growth activity on non‐growing LD ALL3 cells and their involvement in the stimulatory activity are discussed.     

Collective risk models with dependence

In actuarial science, collective risk models, in which the aggregate claim amount of a portfolio is defined in terms of random sums, play a crucial role. In these models, it is common to assume that the number of claims and their amounts are independent, even if this might not always be the case. We consider collective risk models with different dependence structures. Due to the importance of such risk models in an actuarial setting, we first investigate a collective risk model with dependence involving the family of multivariate mixed Erlang distributions. Other models based on mixtures involving bivariate and multivariate copulas in a more general setting are then presented. These different structures allow to link the number of claims to each claim amount, and to quantify the aggregate claim loss. Then, we use Archimedean and hierarchical Archimedean copulas in collective risk models, to model the dependence between the claim number random variable and the claim amount random variables involved in the random sum. Such dependence structures allow us to derive a computational methodology for the assessment of the aggregate claim amount. While being very flexible, this methodology is easy to implement, and can easily fit more complicated hierarchical structures.     

On log-normal convolutions: An analytical–numerical method with applications to economic capital determination

We put forward an efficient algorithm for approximating the sums of independent and log-normally distributed random variables. Namely, by combining tools from probability theory and numerical analysis, we are able to compute the cumulative distribution functions of the just-mentioned sums to a high precision and in a relatively short computing time. We illustrate the effectiveness of the new method in the contexts of the individual and collective risk models, aggregate economic capital determination, and economic capital allocation.