Complete Fusion Enhancement and Suppression of Weakly Bound Nuclei at Near Barrier Energies

We consider the influence of breakup channels on the complete fusion of weakly bound systems in terms of dynamic polarization potentials. It is argued that the enhancement of the cross section at sub-barrier energies may be consistent with recent experimental observations that nucleon transfer, often leading to breakup, is dominant compared to direct breakup. The main trends of the experimental complete fusion cross section for $^{6,7}$Li + $^{209}$Bi are analyzed in the framework of the DPP approach.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure

Origin and evolution of the zodiacal dust cloud

The astrophysical importance of the zodiacal cloud became more apparent. The most useful source of information on the structure of the zodiacal cloud is the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) observations. A substantial fraction of the extensive IRAS data set was analyzed. Also, a numerical model was developed (SIMUL) that allows to calculate the distribution of night-sky brightness that would be produced by any particular distribution of dust particle orbits. This model includes the effects of orbital perturbations by both the planets and solar radiation, it reproduces the exact viewing geometry of the IRAS telescope, and allows for the eccentricity of the Earth's orbit. SIMUL now is used to model not just the solar system dust bands discovered by IRAS but the whole zodiacal cloud

The origin and evolution of the zodiacal dust cloud

We have now analyzed a substantial fraction of the IRAS observations of the zodiacal cloud, particularly in the 25 micron waveband. We have developed a gravitational perturbation theory that incorporates the effects of Poynting-Robertson light drag (Gomes and Dermott, 1992). We have also developed a numerical model, the SIMUL mode, that reproduces the exact viewing geometry of the IRAS telescope and calculates the distribution of thermal flux produced by any particular distribution of dust particle orbits (Dermott and Nicholson, 1989). With these tools, and using a distribution of orbits based on those of asteroidal particles with 3.4 micron radii whose orbits decay due to Poynting-Robertson light drag and are perturbed by the planets, we have been able to: (1) account for the inclination and node of the background zodiacal cloud observed by IRAS in the 25 micron waveband; (2) relate the distribution of orbits in the Hirayama asteroid families to the observed shapes of the IRAS solar system dustbands; and (3) show that there is observational evidence in the IRAS data for the transport of asteroidal particles from the main belt to the Earth by Poynting-Robertson light drag

Structural properties of crumpled cream layers

The cream layer is a complex heterogeneous material of biological origin which forms spontaneously at the air-milk interface. Here, it is studied the crumpling of a single cream layer packing under its own weight at room temperature in three-dimensional space. The structure obtained in these circumstances has low volume fraction and anomalous fractal dimensions. Direct means and noninvasive NMR imaging technique are used to investigate the internal and external structure of these systems.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, accepted in J. Phys. D: Appl. Phy