Statistical theory of finite Fermi systems with chaotic excited eigenstates

A theory of strongly interacting Fermi systems of a few particles is developed. At high excit at ion energies (a few times the single-parti cle level spacing) these systems are characterized by an extreme degree of complexity due to strong mixing of the shell-model-based many-part icle basis st at es by the residual two- body interaction. This regime can be described as many-body quantum chaos. Practically, it occurs when the excitation energy of the system is greater than a few single-particle level spacings near the Fermi energy. Physical examples of such systems are compound nuclei, heavy open shell atoms (e.g. rare earths) and multicharged ions, molecules, clusters and quantum dots in solids. The main quantity of the theory is the strength function which describes spreading of the eigenstates over many-part icle basis states (determinants) constructed using the shell-model orbital basis. A nonlinear equation for the strength function is derived, which enables one to describe the eigenstates without diagonalization of the Hamiltonian matrix. We show how to use this approach to calculate mean orbital occupation numbers and matrix elements between chaotic eigenstates and introduce typically statistical variable s such as t emperature in an isolated microscopic Fermi system of a few particles.

Remediation technologies for heavy metal contaminated ground water

This is a major review work on ground water remediation since the earlier work of Mulligan et al published in 2001 in Engineering Geology Journal. This work resulted from the joint research project of QUB and University of Malaya on iron removal from groundwater for public water supply.

The size distribution of Jupiter Family comet nuclei

We present an updated cumulative size distribution (CSD) for Jupiter Family comet (JFC) nuclei, including a rigorous assessment of the uncertainty on the slope of the CSD. The CSD is expressed as a power law, N(>rN) ?r-qN, where rN is the radius of the nuclei and q is the slope. We include a large number of optical observations published by us and others since the comprehensive review in the Comets II book, and make use of an improved fitting method. We assess the uncertainty on the CSD due to all of the unknowns and uncertainties involved (photometric uncertainty, assumed phase function, albedo and shape of the nucleus) by means of Monte Carlo simulations. In order to do this we also briefly review the current measurements of these parameters for JFCs. Our final CSD has a slope q= 1.92 ± 0.20 for nuclei with radius rN= 1.25 km.

Biological consequences of nanoscale energy deposition near irradiated heavy atom nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are being proposed as contrast agents to enhance X-ray imaging and radiotherapy, seeking to take advantage of the increased X-ray absorption of gold compared to soft tissue. However, there is a great discrepancy between physically predicted increases in X-ray energy deposition and experimentally observed increases in cell killing. In this work, we present the first calculations which take into account the structure of energy deposition in the nanoscale vicinity of GNPs and relate this to biological outcomes, and show for the first time good agreement with experimentally observed cell killing by the combination of X-rays and GNPs. These results are not only relevant to radiotherapy, but also have implications for applications of heavy atom nanoparticles in biological settings or where human exposure is possible because the localised energy deposition high-lighted by these results may cause complex DNA damage, leading to mutation and carcinogenesis.

Anion-templated formation of a unique inorganic 'super-adamantoid' cage [Ag-6(triphos)(4)(O3SCF3)(4)](2+) [triphos = (PPh2CH2)(3)CMe]

In the presence of templating anions, 2:3 molar mixtures of triphos and silver(I) cations unexpectedly give novel hexanuclear cages, which result from an unusual 'endo-methyl' geometry of the triphos ligands.

Low organisational justice and heavy drinking: a prospective cohort study

Objectives: To investigate whether low perceived organisational injustice predicts heavy drinking among employees.

Job strain, effort-reward imbalance, and heavy drinking: A study in 40,851 employees

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship of the job strain model and the effort-reward imbalance model with heavy drinking.