Volume 7, Issue 1

We show that the electrostatic potential of an atomic nucleus “seen” by a fast charged projectile at short distances is quantum mechanically smeared due to nucleus motion around the atomic center of inertia. For example, the size of the “positive charge cloud” in the Hydrogen ground state is much larger than the proper proton size. For target atoms in excited initial states, the effect is even larger. The elastic scattering at large angles is generally weaker than the Rutherford scattering since the effective potential at short distances is softer than the Colombian one due to a natural “cutoff”. In addition, the large-angle scattering leads to target atom excitations due to pushing the nucleus (⇒ inelastic processes). The Rutherford cross section is in fact inclusive rather than elastic. These results are analogous to those from QED. Non-relativistic atomic calculations are presented. The difference and the value of these calculations arise from nonperturbatively (exact) nucleus “dressing” that immediately leads to correct physical results and to significant technical simplifications. In these respects a nucleus bound in an atom is a simple but rather realistic model of a “dressed” charge in the QFT. This idea is briefly demonstrated on a real electron model (electronium) which is free from infinities.

We have performed Hartree-Fock calculations of the electronic structure of N ≤ 10 electrons in a quantum dot modeled with a confining Gaussian potential well. We discuss the conditions for the stability of N bound electrons in the system. We show that the most relevant parameter determining the number of bound electrons is V 0 R 2. Such a feature arises from widely valid scaling properties of the confining potential. Gaussian Quantum dots having N = 2, 5, and 8 electrons are particularly stable in agreement with the Hund rule. The shell structure becomes less and less noticeable as the well radius increases.

Diffraction microtomography in coherent light is foreseen as a promising technique to image transparent living samples in three dimensions without staining. Contrary to conventional microscopy with incoherent light, which gives morphological information only, diffraction microtomography makes it possible to obtain the complex optical refractive index of the observed sample by mapping a three-dimensional support in the spatial frequency domain. The technique can be implemented in two configurations, namely, by varying the sample illumination with a fixed sample or by rotating the sample using a fixed illumination. In the literature, only the former method was described in detail. In this report, we precisely derive the three-dimensional frequency support that can be mapped by the sample rotation configuration. We found that, within the first-order Born approximation, the volume of the frequency domain that can be mapped exhibits a missing part, the shape of which resembles that of an apple core. The projection of the diffracted waves in the frequency space onto the set of sphere caps covered by the sample rotation does not allow for a complete mapping of the frequency along the axis of rotation due to the finite radius of the sphere caps. We present simulations of the effects of this missing information on the reconstruction of ideal objects.

We study ground-state properties of ultracold fermionic mixtures with strong mass imbalance in one and two-dimensional optical lattices through large scale numerical simulations of the attractive Falicov-Kimball model in harmonic confining potentials. In the one-dimensional case, we observe a formation of insulating atomic-density-wave domains at low particle fillings and a coexistence of insulating and metallic domains at intermediate and large particle fillings. Moreover, we show how the formation of metallic regions is reflected in the momentum distribution of the light atoms. In two dimensions, we find a rich spectrum of density-wave patterns including the homogeneous distributions, the axial striped distributions, the labyrinthine phases as well as the segregated phases.

High frequency fields, refracted by a geometry containing a Wood lens placed at a certain distance from a planar uniaxial interface, are derived by using Maslov’s method. The geometrical optics approximation generally valid for high frequency fields fails in the vicinity of a caustic. Maslov’s method is a systematic procedure for predicting the field in the caustic region, combining the simplicity of the ray and the generality of the transform method. Numerical computations are made for the field pattern around the caustic by using Maslov’s method. The results are found to be in good agreement with those obtained using Kirchhoff’s approximation.

The topology of the universe is discussed in relation to the singularity problem. We explore the possibility that the initial state of the universe might have had a structure with 3-Klein bottle topology, which would lead to a model of a nonsingular oscillating (cyclic) universe with a well-defined boundary condition. The same topology is assumed to be intrinsic to the nature of the hypothetical primitive constituents of matter (usually called preons) giving rise to the observed variety of elementary particles. Some phenomenological implications of this approach are also discussed.

In this paper, we consider an integrable approximation of the planar motion of a gyrostat in Newtonian interaction with a spherical rigid body. We then describe the Hamiltonian dynamics, in the fibers of constant total angular momentum vector of an invariant manifold of motion. Finally, using the Liouville-Arnold theorem and a particular analysis of the momentum map in its critical points, we obtain a complete topological classification of the different invariant sets of the phase flow of this problem. The results can be applied to study two-body roto-translatory problems where the rotation of one of them has a strong influence on the orbital motion of the system.

A theoretical description of the frequency-dependent, complex dielectric permittivity of molecular single crystals is given within the framework of the relaxation polarization mechanism. The extended angular jump model, accounting for the local symmetry distortion, simulates the hindered molecular motion. Both the real and imaginary parts of dielectric permittivity are anisotropic in all cases of point symmetry groups of molecule motion, except for those of the cubic crystallographic system. The three-dimensional graphs of dielectric spectra, which can be helpful in practical application, illustrate the predicted spectra.

Sintering effects in YBa2Cu3Oz samples with quasi-equal rare earth substitution have been investigated. It has been shown that the Y-123 type compound can be formed when gadolinium is partially substituted (in this case 50% atomic substitution) for yttrium. The superconducting compound was obtained by the optimized ceramic method, including solid-state reaction, melting and sintering, controlled by X-ray diffraction. The microstructure was investigated by SEM and energy dispersive X-ray analyses. An AC susceptibility measurement has shown that T c =93 K. Temperature-dependece of the thermal conductivity (4.5–300 K) of the polycrystalline Y0.5Gd0.5Ba2Cu3O6.94 sample was also measured.

X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and magnetic measurements were performed in order to investigate the effect of Na+ ion substitution for Ca2+ ions on the crystallographic structure, the character of magnetic ordering, and the effect of transition temperature in La0.7Ca0.3−x NaxMnO3 manganites series (0 ⩽ × ⩽ 0.2). All samples crystallise in an orthorhombic structure with the Pnma space group. We have found a strong dependence of structural and magnetic properties on the cation-size disorder parameter σ 2. The temperature dependence of magnetization of all samples obeys the Bloch T 3/2 law. The values of the spin wave constant at low temperature B increase with the increase of x and the Curie temperature decreases. It is concluded that the substitution of Ca by Na+ ions causes a decrease in total exchange integral Aof the samples.

In this study, the phosphors (Sr1−x , Znx)0.9(Al2−y , By)O4 doped 10 mol % Eu2+, were prepared by combustion method as the fluorescent material for white light emitting diodes (WLEDs), performing as a light source. The luminescent properties were investigated by changing the combustion temperature, the boron concentration, and the ratio of Sr to Zn. The luminescence, crystallinity and particle morphology were investigated by using a luminescence spectrometer, X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. The highest intensity of Sr0.9(Al2−y , By)O4: Eu0.12+ phosphor was achieved when the combustion temperature was 600° and the concentration of B3+ was 8 mol % of the aluminate. A new blue emission was observed when the high Zn concentration (x ⩾ 0.8), and this blue emission disappeared with the Zn concentration became lower than 0.8. The combustion method synthesized phosphor (Sr0.6, Zn0.4)0.9(Al1.92, B0.08)O4: Eu0.12+ showed 3.3 times improved emission intensity compared with that of the Sr0.9(Al1.92, B0.08)O4:Eu0.12+ phosphor under λex = 390 nm.

We have predicted the phase transition pressure (PT)and high pressure behavior of Zirconium and Niobium carbide (ZrC, NbC). The high pressure structural phase transitions in ZrC and NbC has been studied by using a two body inter-ionic potential model, which includes the Coulomb screening effect, due to the semi-metallic nature of these compounds. These transition metal carbides have been found to undergo NaCl (B1) to CsCl (B2)-type structural phase transition, at high pressure like other binary systems. We predict such structural transformation in ZrC and NbC at a pressure of 98GPa and 85GPa respectively. We have also predicted second order elastic constant and bulk modulus. The present theoretical work has been compared with the corresponding experimental data and prediction of LAPW and GGA and LDA theories.

We study pattern formation induced by a spiral wave developing from heterogeneities in an excitable medium. Turbulence can be suppressed by a spiral wave from the heterogeneity, forming multiple coexistent systems of regular geometrical patterns. We find that the types of these patterns depend critically on the degree of heterogeneity. The underlying mechanism is due to dispersion relation which is characterized by excitability.

The similarity solution for the steady two-dimensional flow of an incompressible viscous and electrically conducting fluid over a non-linearly semi-infinite stretching sheet in the presence of a chemical reaction and under the influence of a magnetic field gives a system of non-linear ordinary differential equations. These non-linear differential equations are analytically solved by applying a newly developed method, namely the Homotopy Analysis Method (HAM). The analytic solutions of the system of non-linear differential equations are constructed in the series form. The convergence of the obtained series solutions is carefully analyzed. Graphical results are presented to investigate the influence of the Schmidt number, magnetic parameter and chemical reaction parameter on the velocity and concentration fields. It is noted that the behavior of the HAM solution for concentration profiles is in good agreement with the numerical solution given in reference [A. Raptis, C. Perdikis, Int. J. Nonlinear Mech. 41, 527 (2006)].

A 2-D computer simulation of a coaxial plasma device depending on the conservation equations of electrons, ions and excited atoms together with the Poisson equation for a plasma gun is carried out. Some characteristics of the plasma focus device (PF) such as critical wave numbers a c and voltages U c in the cases of various pressures Pare estimated in order to satisfy the necessary conditions of traveling particle densities (i.e. plasma patterns) via a linear analysis. Oscillatory solutions are characterized by a nonzero imaginary part of the growth rate $$ \Im $$(σ) for all cases. The model also predicts the minimal voltage ranges of the system for certain pressure intervals.

Inhomogeneous plasmas-solar instabilities-are investigated by using the techniques of classical differential geometry for curves, where the Frenet torsion and curvature describe completely the motion of a curve. In our case, the Frenet frame changes in time and also depends upon the other coordinates, taking into account the inhomogeneity of the plasma. The exponential perturbation method, so commonly used to describe cosmological perturbations, is applied to the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) plasma equations to find modes describing Alfvén wave propagation in the medium of planar loops. Stability is investigated in the imaginary axis of the spectra of complex frequencies ω, i.e. $$ \Im $$ m (ω) ≠ 0. A pratical guide for experimental solar physicists is given by computing the twist of force-free solar loops, which generalizes the Parker formula relating the twist to the Frenet torsion. In our expression the twist of the solar loops also depends on the abnormality of the normal vector of the frame.

We study the entanglement features of the ground state of a system composed of spin 1 and 1/2 parts. In the light of the ground state degeneracy, the notion of average entanglement is used to measure the entanglement of the Hilbert subspace. The entanglement properties of both a general superposition as well as the mixture of the degenerate ground states are discussed by means of average entanglement and the negativity respectively.

The exergy of nuclear radiation is evaluated by using a simple quantum statistical thermodynamic approach. Only radiation particles with non-zero rest mass are considered (i.e. protons, neutrons, alpha and beta particles). The exergy and the exergy flux involve efficiency-like factors affecting the internal energy and the energy flux, respectively. These factors are generally different from both the usual Carnot factor and the Petela-Landsberg-Press factor that appears in the exergy of blackbody radiation. The efficiency-like factors are higher in the case of charged rather than neutral particles and in the case of enclosed rather than free radiation. The results are compared with those obtained previously by using a classical thermodynamic theory.

Hypergeometric type operators are shape invariant, and a factorization into a product of first order differential operators can be explicitely described in the general case. Some additional shape invariant operators depending on several parameters are defined in a natural way by starting from this general factorization. The mathematical properties of the eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the operators thus obtained depend on the values of the parameters involved. We study the parameter dependence of orthogonality, square integrability and monotony of the eigenvalue sequence. The results obtained allow us to define certain systems of Gazeau-Klauder type coherent states and to describe some of their properties. Our systematic study recovers a number of well-known results in a natural, unified way and also leads to new findings.

Scattering characteristics of plane waves by a sectorial groove in a perfectly conducting plane are investigated. Both the transverse magnetic (TM) and transverse electric (TE) polarizations of the incident wave are considered. Judicious use of the region-matching technique provides a rigorous series solution to the problem. The analyzed region is separated into two sub-regions by choosing a semi-circular auxiliary boundary. Thefield in each sub-region is expanded as a summationof proper wave functions with unknown coefficients. Enforcing the matching of conditions on the auxiliary boundary and of boundary condition on the circular-arc surface of the groove leads to a linear set of equations and the unknown coefficients are then determined. Numerical results demonstrate the influence of central angles of the sectorial groove on echo width, far-field pattern and near-field distribution. The presented geometry is easily applicable to the design and fabrication of a grating structure for optical switches and tunable filters.

We have solved exactly the two-component Dirac equation in the presence of a spatially one-dimensional Hulthén potential, and presented the Dirac spinors of scattering states in terms of hypergeometric functions. We have derived the reflection and transmission coefficients using the matching condition on the wavefunctions, and investigated the condition for the existence of transmission resonance. Furthermore, we have demonstrated how the transmission resonance depends on the shape of the potential.

The approximately analytical bound and scattering state solutions of the arbitrary l-wave Klein-Gordon equation for the mixed Manning-Rosen potentials are carried out by an improved new approximation to the centrifugal term. The normalized analytical radial wave functions of the l-wave Klein-Gordon equation with the mixed Manning-Rosen potentials are presented and the corresponding energy equations for bound states and phase shifts for scattering states are derived. It is shown that the energy levels of the continuum states, reduce to the bound states of those at the poles of the scattering amplitude. Some useful figures are plotted to show the improved accuracy of our results and the special case for wave is studied briefly.

The Green function for a Dirac particle subject to a plane wave field is constructed according to the path integral approach and the Barut’s electron model. Then it is exactly determined after having fixed a matrix U chosen so that the equations of motion are those of a free particle, and by using the properties of the plane wave and also with some shifts.

A set of relationships between the Morse and Varshni potential functions for describing covalent bondstretching energy has been developed by imposing equal force constant and equal energy integral. In view of the extensive adoption of Morse function in molecular force fields, this paper suggests two sets of parameter conversions from Varshni to Morse. The parameter conversion based on equal force constant is applicable for small change in bond length, while the parameter conversion based on equal energy integral is more applicable for significant bond-stretching. Plotted results reveal that the Varshni potential function is more suitable for describing hard bonds rather than soft bonds.

The ultrasonic attenuation in thulium monochalcogenides TmX (X=S, Se and Te) has been studied theoretically with a modified Mason’s approach in the temperature and range 100 K to 300 K along 〈100〉, 〈110〉 〈111〉 crystallographic directions. The thulium monochalcogenides have attracted a lot of interest due to their complex physical and chemical characteristics. TmS, TmSe and TmTe are trivalent metal, mixed valence state, and divalent semiconductor, respectively. Coulomb and Born-Mayer potential is applied to evaluate the second- and third-order elastic constants. These elastic constants are used to compute ultrasonic parameters such as ultrasonic velocities, thermal relaxation time, and acoustic coupling constants that, in turn, are used to evaluate ultrasonic attenuation. A comparison of calculated ultrasonic parameters with available theoretical/experimental physical parameters gives information about classification of these materials.