Possible stimulation of nuclear alpha-decay by superfluid helium

It is suggested that superfluid helium (condensate of 4-He atoms) may stimulate nuclear alpha-decay in a situation when an alpha-emitter moves through superfluid helium with fine-tuned velocity, so that the backward-emitted alpha-particle is at rest in the laboratory frame. It is shown that the probability of stimulated alpha-decay in this case may be sizable enough to be detected.Comment: 5 pages, LaTeX, final published version in Phys. Rev. Lett. 103 (2009

Dispersion of the dielectric function of a charge-transfer insulator

We study the problem of dielectric response in the strong coupling regime of a charge transfer insulator. The frequency and wave number dependence of the dielectric function $\epsilon ({\bf q},\omega)$ and its inverse $\epsilon ^{-1}({\bf q},\omega)$ is the main object of consideration. We show that the problem, in general, cannot be reduced to a calculation within the Hubbard model, which takes into account only a restricted number of electronic states near the Fermi energy. The contribution of the rest of the system to the longitudinal response (i.e. to $\epsilon ^{-1}({\bf q},\omega)$) is essential for the whole frequency range. With the use of the spectral representation of the two-particle Green's function we show that the problem may be divided into two parts: into the contributions of the weakly correlated and the Hubbard subsystems. For the latter we propose an approach that starts from the correlated paramagnetic ground state with strong antiferromagnetic fluctuations. We obtain a set of coupled equations of motion for the two-particle Green's function that may be solved by means of the projection technique. The solution is expressed by a two particle basis that includes the excitonic states with electron and hole separated at various distances. We apply our method to the multiband Hubbard (Emery) model that describes layered cuprates. We show that strongly dispersive branches exist in the excitonic spectrum of the 'minimal' Emery model ($1/U_d=U_p=t_{pp}=0$) and consider the dependence of the spectrum on finite oxygen hopping $t_{pp}$ and on-site repulsion $U_p$. The relationship of our calculations to electron energy loss spectroscopy is discussed.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figure

Origin of spin-gap in CaV4_4O9_9: effect of frustration and lattice distortion

We study the origin of spin-gap in recently discovered material CaV$_4$O$_9$. We analyze the spin-$1/2$ Heisenberg model on the $1/5$ depleted square lattice with nearest neighbor (nn) and next nearest neighbor (nnn) interactions, in terms of the singlet and triplet states of the 4-spin plaquettes and 2-spin dimers. Phase diagram of the model is obtained within a linear ``spin-wave"-like approximation, and is shown to agree well with the earlier results of QMC simulations for nn interactions. We further propose that the special lattice structure of CaV$_4$O$_9$ naturally leads to lattice distortions, which enhances the spin-gap via a spin-Peierls mechanism.Comment: 4 pages, RevTex, 2 postscript figures. Latex file and figures have been uuencode

Hole motion in the Ising antiferromagnet: an application of the recursion method

We study hole motion in the Ising antiferromagnet using the recursion method. Using the retraceable path approximation we find the hole's Green's function as well as its wavefunction for arbitrary values of $t/J_z$. The effect of small transverse interaction also is taken into account. Our results provide some additional insight into the self-consistent Born approximation.Comment: 8 pages, RevTex, no figures. Accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.

Performances and stability of a 2.4 ton Gd organic liquid scintillator target for antineutrino detection

In this work we report the performances and the chemical and physical properties of a (2 x 1.2) ton organic liquid scintillator target doped with Gd up to ~0.1%, and the results of a 2 year long stability survey. In particular we have monitored the amount of both Gd and primary fluor actually in solution, the optical and fluorescent properties of the Gd-doped liquid scintillator (GdLS) and its performances as a neutron detector, namely neutron capture efficiency and average capture time. The experimental survey is ongoing, the target being continuously monitored. After two years from the doping time the performances of the Gd-doped liquid scintillator do not show any hint of degradation and instability; this conclusion comes both from the laboratory measurements and from the "in-tank" measurements. This is the largest stable Gd-doped organic liquid scintillator target ever produced and continuously operated for a long period

Cold resistance genes of fruit crops

Fruit crops are an irreplaceable source of essential nutrients, macro- and microelements, vitamins, organic acids, and antioxidants. Today, the overwhelming part of fruit supply in the market is provided by foreign producers. Import substitution and meeting the demand of the Russian Federation population for fruit consumption by the domestic agro-industrial complex is impossible without expanding the geography of cultivation areas, including those in zones of risky agriculture, which requires breeding of frost-resistant (cold-resistant) cultivars (fruit crops). Application of modern biotechnological and molecular genetic methods in breeding work will increase the profitability of fruit growing by reducing the time required for obtaining plants with the desired traits and by complex evaluation of the prospects of genotypes of parental forms. The present review considers modern data on cold tolerance genes of various fruit and berry crops, summarizes the known mechanisms of their action, activation, and regulation.The review considers modern data on genes of fruit and berry crops resistance to low temperatures, including characterization of genes encoding key receptors, signaling, effector proteins, and transcription factors in apple, pear, peach, pineapple, and strawberry. The known mechanisms of their operation, activation, regulation are given, and signaling cascades are described

Searching for three-nucleon resonances

We search for three-neutron resonances which were predicted from pion double charge exchange experiments on He-3. All partial waves up to J=5/2 are nonresonant except the J=3/2^+ one, where we find a state at E=14 MeV energy with 13 MeV width. The parameters of the mirror state in the three-proton system are E=15 MeV and Gamma=14 MeV. The possible existence of an excited state in the triton, which was predicted from a H(He-6,alpha) experiment, is also discussed.Comment: LaTex with RevTe