Time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy of $\mathrm{Al}_{3}\mathrm{O}_{3}^{-}$: photoisomerization versus photofragmentation

In general, clusters are unstable and in many cases several metastable isomers exist even at low temperature. Therefore, a cluster may react with a dramatic geometry change to a small disturbance such as a weak field or to the absorption of a low-energy photon. Here, we study the response of Al₃O₃^-\mathrm{Al}_{3}\mathrm{O}_{3}^{-} to photoexcitation using time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. Earlier experimental and theoretical studies suggested that this cluster anion undergoes a geometry change after photoexcitation. In contrast, our time-resolved spectra indicate that photoexcitation triggers ultra-fast fragmentation. This example demonstrates that ultra-fast processes in clusters are not well understood and that it is still difficult to gain reliable experimental data about such processes.     

Proton-antiproton annihilation into a \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{{\Lambda}}_{c}^{-} pair

The process p $ \bar{{p}}$ $ \rightarrow$ $ \Lambda_{c}^{+}$ $ \bar{{\Lambda}}_{c}^{-}$ is investigated within the handbag approach. It is shown to lowest order of perturbative QCD that, under the assumption of restricted parton virtualities and transverse momenta, the dominant dynamical mechanism, characterized by the partonic subprocess u $ \bar{{u}}$ $ \rightarrow$ c $ \bar{{c}}$ , factorizes in the sense that only the subprocess contains highly virtual partons, namely a gluon, while the hadronic matrix elements embody only soft scales and can be parameterized in terms of helicity flip and non-flip generalized parton distributions. Modelling the latter functions by overlaps of light-cone wave functions for the involved baryons we are able to predict cross-sections and spin correlation parameters for the process of interest.     

Nanoscale modification of Ni/Al interfaces by low-energy $\mathrm{O}_{2}^{+}$ reactive ion beam mixing

The kinetics of growth, composition and electronic structure of thin oxide films formed by reactive ion beam mixing (IBM) of Ni/Al interfaces bombarded with low-energy (3-keV) O₂⁺\mathrm{O}_{2}^{+} ions have been studied at room temperature using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and factor analysis. Initially, NiO species are formed but, later, with increasing ion dose, Ni–Al mixed oxide species appear due to Al incorporation in the near-surface region. These changes are accompanied by a slight increase of the oxygen concentration and a decrease of the Ni/Al ratio in the thin oxide films formed. Angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that Ni–Al mixed oxide species are located nearer the surface than NiO species. Experimental results have been compared with Monte Carlo TRIDYN simulations, suggesting that processes driven by residual defects or the reaction with oxygen predominate over pure ballistic mechanisms during reactive IBM of Ni/Al interfaces.     

\mathrm{CO}_{2}^{*} chemiluminescence study at low and elevated pressures

Chemiluminescence experiments have been performed to assess the state of current $\mathrm{CO}_{2}^{*}$ kinetics modeling. The difficulty with modeling $\mathrm{CO}_{2}^{*}$ lies in its broad emission spectrum, making it a challenge to isolate it from background emission of species such as CH^? and CH₂O^?. Experiments were performed in a mixture of 0.0005H₂+0.01N₂O+0.03CO+0.9595Ar in an attempt to isolate $\mathrm{CO}_{2}^{*}$ emission. Temperatures ranged from 1654 K to 2221 K at two average pressures, 1.4 and 10.4 atm. The unique time histories of the various chemiluminescence species in the unconventional mixture employed at these conditions allow for easy identification of the $\mathrm{CO}_{2}^{*}$ concentration. Two different wavelengths to capture $\mathrm{CO}_{2}^{*}$ were used; one optical filter was centered at 415 nm and the other at 458 nm. The use of these two different wavelengths was done to verify that broadband $\mathrm{CO}_{2}^{*}$ was in fact being captured, and not emission from other species such as CH^? and CH₂O^?. As a baseline for time history and peak magnitude comparison, OH^? emission was captured at 307 nm simultaneously with the two $\mathrm{CO}_{2}^{*}$ filters. The results from the two $\mathrm{CO}_{2}^{*}$ filters were consistent with each other, implying that indeed the same species (i.e., $\mathrm{CO}_{2}^{*}$ ) was being measured at both wavelengths. A first-generation kinetics model for $\mathrm{CO}_{2}^{*}$ and CH₂O^? was developed, since no comprehensively validated one exists to date. CH₂O^? and CH^? were ruled out as being present in the experiments at any measurable level, based on calculations and comparisons with the data. Agreement with the $\mathrm{CO}_{2}^{*}$ model was only fair, which necessitates future improvements for a better understanding of $\mathrm{CO}_{2}^{*}$ chemiluminescence as well as the kinetics of the ground state species.     

{^6_{\Lambda} \rm{H}} Modeled as {^4_{\Lambda} \rm{H}} + n + n

A three-body calculation for the \({^4_{\Lambda} \rm{He}}\) and \({^6_{\Lambda}{\rm H}}\) hypernuclei has been undertaken. The respective cores are \({^4_{\Lambda}{\rm H}}\) . The interactions in the \({^6_{\Lambda}{\rm He}}\) system, modeled as \({^4_{\Lambda} {\rm H+p+n}}\) , are reasonably well known. For example, the p n interaction is well determined by the p n scattering data, the \({^4_{\Lambda}{\rm H}}\) –p interaction can be fitted to the \({^5_{\Lambda}{\rm He}}\) binding energy. The \({^4_{\Lambda}{\rm He}}\) –n interaction can be fitted to α–n scattering data. For the ⁴He–n system the s-wave can be modeled alternatively as a repulsive potential or as an attractive potential with a forbidden bound state. We explore these alternatives in ⁶He, because the interaction comes into play in modeling \({^6_{\Lambda}{\rm He}}\) as well as in our \({^4_{\Lambda}{\rm H}}\) + n + n model of \({^6_{\Lambda}{\rm H}}\) , where the valence neutrons are Pauli blocked from the s-shell of the core nucleus.     

Diffusion processes of trimers on missing row surfaces: \mathrm{Cu }_{3}/\mathrm{Ag }(110) and \mathrm{Ag }_{3}/\mathrm{Cu }(110)

A semi-empirical potential according to the embedded atom, has been applied to investigate the diffusion of trimers by computing the energy barriers for different mechanisms. Our attention was more focused on the leapfrog process which is likely to occur on missing row surfaces. The activation barriers of this mechanism are calculated using drag method at 0K. These barriers are found to be 0.64 and 0.68 eV for hopping out the channel for $\mathrm{Cu }_{3}/\mathrm{Ag }(110) \mathrm{and Ag }_{3}/\mathrm{Cu }$ (110) respectively. While for hopping down at the other side they are about 0.42 and 0.32 eV. Moreover, a deep metastable position is observed during leapfrog diffusion leading to some spectacular trimer motion. At high temperature and essentially for $\mathrm{Cu }_{3}/\mathrm{Ag }$ (110), we also observed a competition between leapfrog process and concerted jump mechanism with a deformation of trimer geometry. Implications of these findings are briefly discussed.     

Improved search for $B_{s}^{0} - \overline{B}_{s}^{0}$ oscillations

An improved search for B _s ⁰ oscillations is performed in the ALEPH data sample collected during the first phase of LEP, and reprocessed in 1998. Three analyses based on complementary event selections are presented. First, decays of B _s ⁰ mesons into hadronic flavour eigenstates are fully reconstructed. This selection yields a small sample of candidates with excellent decay length and momentum resolution and hi gh average B _s ⁰ purity. Semileptonic decays with a reconstructed D _s ^- meson provide a second sample with larger statistics, high average B _s ⁰ purity, but a poorer momentum and decay length resolution due to the partial decay reconstruction. Finally, semileptonic b-hadron decays are inclusively selected and yield the data sample with the highest sensitivity to B _s ⁰ oscillations, as the much higher statistics compensate for the low average B _s ⁰ purity and poorer time resolution. A lower limit is set atps^-1 at 95% C.L., significantly lower than the expected limit of 15.2 ps^-1. Received: 21 February 2003 / Published online: 11 June 2003