New group structures for Carbon onions and Carbon nanotubes via affine extensions of non-crystallographic Coxeter groups

We present results underlining the conjecture that affine extensions for non-crystallographic Coxeter groups are suitable mathematical objects for the description of the symmetries of Carbon onions and Carbon nanotubes. It is the hope that these considerations will shed new light on open questions concerning structure, stability and formation of these fullerenes.Comment: 13 pages, submitted to Phys. Lett.

The formation and structure of circumstellar and interstellar dust

The intriguing abundance of long linear carbon chain molecules in some dark clouds and in circumstellar shells is still not well understood. Recent laboratory studies which have probed this problem indicate that when carbon vapor nucleates to form particles, linear chains and hollow cage molecules (fullerenes) also form at more-or-less the same time. The results have consequences for the formation, structures and spectroscopic properties of the molecular and dust components ejected from cool carbon-rich stars. A most interesting result of the experimental observations relates to the probability that a third character in addition to the chains and grains, the C(sub 60) molecule probably in the form of the ion C(sub 60)(sup +) in the less shielded regions, is present and perhaps responsible for some of the ubiquitously observed interstellar spectroscopic features such as the Diffuse Interstellar Features, the 2170A UV Absorption or perhaps some of the Unidentified Infrared Bands. Further study of small carbon particles which form in the gas phase has resulted in the discovery that they have quasi-icosahedral spiral shell structures. The role that such species may play in the interstellar medium as well as that played by C(sub 60) (or C sub 60 sup +) should soon be accessible to verification by a combination of laboratory experiment and astronomical spectroscopy

Peculiar Width Dependence of the Electronic Property of Carbon Nanoribbons

Nanoribbons (nanographite ribbons) are carbon systems analogous to carbon nanotubes. We characterize a wide class of nanoribbons by a set of two integers $$, and then define the width $w$ in terms of $p$ and $q$. Electronic properties are explored for this class of nanoribbons. Zigzag (armchair) nanoribbons have similar electronic properties to armchair (zigzag) nanotubes. The band gap structure of nanoribbons exhibits a valley structure with stream-like sequences of metallic or almost metallic nanoribbons. These sequences correspond to equi-width curves indexed by $w$. We reveal a peculiar dependence of the electronic property of nanoribbons on the width $w$.Comment: 8 pages, 13 figure

Deconfinement Phase Transition in Hot and Dense QCD at Large N

We conjecture that the confinement- deconfinement phase transition in QCD at large number of colors $N$ and $N_f\ll N$ at $T\neq 0$ and $\mu\neq 0$ is triggered by the drastic change in $\theta$ behavior. The conjecture is motivated by the holographic model of QCD where confinement -deconfinement phase transition indeed happens precisely at $T=T_c$ where $\theta$ dependence experiences a sudden change in behavior. The conjecture is also supported by quantum field theory arguments when the instanton calculations (which trigger the $\theta$ dependence) are under complete theoretical control for $T>T_c$, suddenly break down immediately below $T<T_c$ with sharp changes in the $\theta$ dependence. Finally, the conjecture is supported by a number of numerical lattice results. We employ this conjecture to study confinement -deconfinement phase transition of hot and dense QCD in large $N$ limit by analyzing the $\theta$ dependence. We estimate the critical values for $T_c$ and $\mu_c$ where the phase transition happens by approaching the critical values from the hot and/or dense regions where the instanton calculations are under complete theoretical control. We also describe some defects of various codimensions within a holographic model of QCD by focusing on their role around the phase transition point.Comment: Talk at the Workshop honoring 60th anniversary of Misha Shifma

Enhanced Sensitivity to the Time Variation of the Fine-Structure Constant and mp/mem_p/m_e in Diatomic Molecules: A Closer Examination of Silicon Monobromide

Recently it was pointed out that transition frequencies in certain diatomic molecules have an enhanced sensitivity to variations in the fine-structure constant $\alpha$ and the proton-to-electron mass ratio $m_p/m_e$ due to a near cancellation between the fine-structure and vibrational interval in a ground electronic multiplet [V.~V.~Flambaum and M.~G.~Kozlov, Phys. Rev. Lett.~{\bf 99}, 150801 (2007)]. One such molecule possessing this favorable quality is silicon monobromide. Here we take a closer examination of SiBr as a candidate for detecting variations in $\alpha$ and $m_p/m_e$. We analyze the rovibronic spectrum by employing the most accurate experimental data available in the literature and perform \emph{ab initio} calculations to determine the precise dependence of the spectrum on variations in $\alpha$. Furthermore, we calculate the natural linewidths of the rovibronic levels, which place a fundamental limit on the accuracy to which variations may be determined.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

Aharonov-Bohm effect in higher genus materials

Flux periodicity of conducting electrons on a closed surface with genus two $g=2$ (double torus) are investigated theoretically. We examine flux periodicity of the ground-state energy and of the wave functions as a function of applied magnetic field. A fundamental flux period of the ground-state energy is twice a fundamental unit of magnetic flux for uniformly applied magnetic field, which is shown to be valid for a simple ladder geometry and carbon double torus. Flux periodicity of the wave functions in a double torus is complicate as compared with a simple torus ($g=1$), and an adiabatic addition of magnetic fluxes does not provide a good quantum number for the energy eigenstates. The results are extended to higher genus materials and the implications of the results are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

Searching for Extra Dimensions in the Early Universe

We investigate extra spatial dimensions ($D = 3+\epsilon$) in the early universe using very high resolution molecular rotational spectroscopic data derived from a large molecular cloud containing moderately cold carbon monoxide gas at Z $\approx 6.42$. It turns out that the $\epsilon$-dependent quantum mechanical wavelength transitions are solvable for a linear molecule and we present the solution here. The CO microwave data allows a very precise determination of $= -0.00000657 \pm .10003032$. The probability that $\neq 0$ is one in 7794, only 850 million years (using the standard cosmology) after the Big Bang.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figure

Reprint of: Preparation and UV/visible spectra of fullerenes C60 and C70

AbstractThe preparation and isolation of pure fullerene-60 and fullerene-70 is described. The solution UV/visible absorption spectra of the two molecules are presented

The Electronic Spectrum of Fullerenes from the Dirac Equation

The electronic spectrum of sheets of graphite (plane honeycomb lattice) folded into regular polihedra is studied. A continuum limit valid for sufficiently large molecules and based on a tight binding approximation is derived. It is found that a Dirac equation describes the flat graphite lattice. Curving the lattice by insertion of odd numbered rings can be mimicked by coupling effective gauge fields. In particular the $C_{60}$ and related molecules are well described by the Dirac equation on the surface of a sphere coupled to a color monopole sitting at its center.Comment: 29 pages, 7 figures. IASSNS-HEP-92/5

C60_{60} in Reflection Nebulae

The fullerene C$_{60}$ has four infrared-active vibrational transitions at 7.0, 8.5, 17.4 and 18.9 $\mu$m. We have previously observed emission features at 17.4 and 18.9 $\mu$m in the reflection nebula NGC 7023 and demonstrated spatial correlations suggestive of a common origin. We now confirm our earlier identification of these features with C$_{60}$ by detecting a third emission feature at 7.04 $\pm$ 0.05 $\mu$m in NGC 7023. We also report the detection of these three C$_{60}$ features in the reflection nebula NGC 2023. Our spectroscopic mapping of NGC 7023 shows that the 18.9 $\mu$m C$_{60}$ feature peaks on the central star and that the 16.4 $\mu$m emission feature due to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons peaks between the star and a nearby photodissociation front. The observed features in NGC 7023 are consistent with emission from UV-excited gas-phase C$_{60}$. We find that 0.1-0.6% of interstellar carbon is in C$_{60}$; this abundance is consistent with those from previous upper limits and possible fullerene detections in the interstellar medium. This is the first firm detection of neutral C$_{60}$ in the interstellar medium.Comment: ApJ Letters, in pres