Behavior of crystalline silicon under huge electronic excitations: A transient thermal spike description

Recent experimental works devoted to the phenomena of mixing observed at metallic multilayers Ni/Si irradiated by swift heavy ions irradiations make it necessary to revisit the insensibility of crystalline Si under huge electronic excitations. Knowing that Ni is an insensitive material, such observed mixing would exist only if Si is a sensitive material. In order to extend the study of swift heavy ion effects to semiconductor materials, the experimental results obtained in bulk silicon have been analyzed within the framework of the inelastic thermal spike model. Provided the quenching of a boiling ( or vapor) phase is taken as the criterion of amorphization, the calculations with an electron-phonon coupling constant g(300 K) = 1.8 x 10(12) W/cm(3)/K and an electronic diffusivity D-e(300 K) = 80 cm(2)/s nicely reproduce the size of observed amorphous tracks as well as the electronic energy loss threshold value for their creation, assuming that they result from the quenching of the appearance of a boiling phase along the ion path. Using these parameters for Si in the case of a Ni/Si multilayer, the mixing observed experimentally can be well simulated by the inelastic thermal spike model extended to multilayers, assuming that this occurs in the molten phase created at the Ni interface by energy transfer from Si. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

Projected shell model description for high-spin states in neutron-rich Fe isotopes

A systematic study of neutron-rich even-even Fe isotopes with a neutron number from 32 to 42 is carried out by using the projected shell model. Calculations are performed up to the spin I=20 state. Irregularities found in the yrast spectra and in B (E2) values are discussed in terms of neutron excitations to the high-j orbital g(9/2). Furthermore, the neutron two-quasiparticle structure of a low-K negative-parity band and the proton two-quasiparticle structure of a high-K positive-parity band are predicted to exist near the yrast region. Our study reveals a soft nature for the ground state of N approximate to 40 isotopes and emphasizes the important role of the neutron g(9/2) orbital in determining the structure properties for both low- and high-spin states in these nuclei.

Prolate and oblate shape coexistence in Pt-188

A standard in-beam gamma-spectroscopy experiment for Pt-188 is performed via the Yb-176(O-18, 6n) reaction at beam energies of 88 and 95 MeV, and the level scheme for (188) Pt is established. Prolate and oblate shape coexistence has been demonstrated to occur in Pt-188 by applying the projected shell model. The rotation alignment of i(13/2) neutrons drives the yrast sequence changing suddenly from prolate to oblate shape at angular momentum 10th, indicating likely a new type of shape phase transition along the yrast line in Pt-188.

Structure of upper-g(9/2)-shell nuclei and shape effect in the Ag-94 isomeric states

Using a shell model which is capable of describing the spectra of upper g(9/2)-shell nuclei close to the N = Z line, we study the structure of two isomeric states 7(+) and 21(+) in the odd-odd N = Z nucleus Ag-94. It is found that both isomeric states exhibit a large collectivity. The 7(+) state is oblately deformed, and is suggested to be a shape isomer in nature. The 21(+) state becomes isomeric because of level inversion of the 19(+) and 21(+) states due to core excitations across the N = Z = 50 shell gap. Calculation of spectroscopic quadrupole moment indicates clearly an enhancement in these states due to the core excitations. However, the present shell model calculation that produces the 19(+)-21(+) level inversion cannot accept the large-deformation picture of Mukha et al.

Rotation-driven prolate-to-oblate shape phase transition in W-190: A projected shell model study

A shape phase transition is demonstrated to occur in W-190 by applying the projected shell model, which goes beyond the usual mean-field approximation. Rotation alignment of neutrons in the high-j, i(13/2) orbital drives the yrast sequence of the system, changing suddenly from prolate to oblate shape at angular momentum 10h. We propose observables to test the picture.

Nuclear shape-phase diagrams

Ground-state energy functions of even-even and odd-A nuclei are derived from simple parameter-dependent Interacting Boson Model (IBM) and Interacting Boson-Fermion Model (IBFM) Hamiltonians. Exact nuclear shape-phase diagrams in the two-parameter (eta, chi) plane are explicitly described using the energy functions on the basis of the condition of phase equilibrium.

The many-particle scattering system He++ on He: Experiment and a complete unified description

Highly differential experimental results of the scattering system He++ on He at 30 keV are presented as well as a complete unified theoretical description where excitation, transfer and ionization are treated simultaneously on an ab initio level. The agreement even for highly differential cross sections is nearly complete although no explicit correlation besides Pauli correlation is included in the calculations.

High-spin states in Au-188: Further evidence for nonaxial shape

The high-spin level structure of Au-188 has been investigated via the Yb-173(F-19,4n gamma) reaction at beam energies of 86 and 90 MeV. The previously reported level scheme has been modified and extended significantly. A new I-pi = 20(+) state associated with pi h(11/2)(-1) circle times nu i(13/2)(-2)h(9/2)(-1) configuration and two new rotational bands, one of which is built on the pi h(9/2) circle times nu i(13/2) configuration, have been identified. The prolate-to-oblate shape transition through triaxial shape has been proposed to occur around Au-188 for the pi h(9/2) circle times nu i(13/2) bands in odd-odd Au isotopes. Evidence for pi h(11/2)(-1) circle times nu i(13/2)(-1) structure of nonaxial shape with gamma < -70 degrees has been obtained by comparison with total Routhian surface and cranked-shell-model calculations.

Comparison of the shape parameters of DNA-cationic lipid complexes and model polyelectrolyte-lipid complexes

In this study, we used a rheological method to study the shape of DNA-cationic lipid complexes and model polyelectrolyte-lipid complexes. We introduced two kinds of anionic polyelectrolytes, sodium polygalacturonate (PGU) and sodium dextran sulfate (DSS), of varying size, as models for DNA. The prepared complexes were incubated under laminar flow conditions. The results show the same quantitative relation between the shape parameter of lipoplexes and the length of anionic polyelectrolytes, including DNA. The rheological behavior of PGU and DSS were similar to that of DNA. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Coherent classical-path description of deep tunneling

A central challenge to the semiclassical description of quantum mechanics is the quantum phenomenon of "deep" tunneling. Here we show that real time classical trajectories suffice to account correctly even for deep quantum tunneling, using a recently formulated semiclassical initial value representation series of the quantum propagator and a prefactor free semiclassical propagator. Deep quantum tunneling is effected through what we term as coherent classical paths which are composed of one or more classical trajectories that lead from reactant to product but are discontinuous along the way. The end and initial phase space points of consecutive classical trajectories contributing to the coherent path are close to each other in the sense that the distance between them is weighted by a coherent state overlap matrix element. Results are presented for thermal and energy dependent tunneling through a symmetric Eckart barrier.

The shape parameter of Liposomes and DNA-lipid complexes determined by viscometry utilizing small sample volumes

A minicapillary viscometer utilizing <0.5 ml of sample at a volume fraction of <0.1% is described. The calculated a/b of DPPC/DPPG multilamellar liposome was 1.14 as prolate ellipsoids and a/b of dioleoylpropyltrimethyl ammonium methylsulfate-DNA complex at a charge ratio of 4: 1 (+/-) was 3.7 as prolate ellipsoids or 4.9 as oblate ellipsoids. The deviation of shape from perfect sphere is thus expressed quantitatively in more than two significant figures. In these measurement, the necessary amount of DNA is <0.5 mg.