Alpha decay and proton-neutron correlations

We study the influence of proton-neutron (p-n) correlations on alpha-decay width. It is shown from the analysis of alpha Q values that the p-n correlations increase the penetration of the alpha particle through the Coulomb barrier in the treatment following Gamow's formalism, and enlarges the total alpha-decay width significantly. In particular, the isoscalar p-n interactions play an essential role in enlarging the alpha-decay width. The so-called "alpha-condensate" in Z > 84 isotopes are related to the strong p-n correlations.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C (R.C.

La(III), Ce(III), Gd(III), and Eu(III) Complexation with Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane in Aqueous Solution

© Lanthanides such as cerium(III), europium(III), and gadolinium(III) are widely used for designing fluorescent probes or magnetic resonance imaging contrasting agents for biological systems. The synthesis and study of lanthanide complexes in buffer solutions imitating biological fluids are often complicated because of a lack of data on the lanthanide interactions with buffer solution components. Therefore, Ln(III) [where Ln(III) = La(III), Ce(III), Gd(III), Eu(III)] complexation with a widely used buffer agent, tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris), in aqueous solution is studied using potentiometry, spectrofluorimetry, and 139La NMR spectroscopy. The stoichiometric composition of complexes is determined using mass spectrometry. The thermodynamic stability constants of Ln(III)-Tris complexes are calculated from potentiometric and spectral data; the difficulties in the study of these systems, reliability, and accuracy of the obtained constants are discussed. The possible structures of free Tris and its complexes with lanthanides(III) are optimized on the density functional theory/PBE0 level; the peculiarities of metal-ligand bonds were studied by Quantum Theory Atoms in Molecules analysis