The unitary-model-operator approach to nuclear many-body problems

Microscopic nuclear structure calculations have been performed within the framework of the unitary-model-operator approach. Ground-state and single-particle energies are calculated for nuclei around ^{14}C, ^{16}O and ^{40}Ca with modern nucleon-nucleon interactions.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Talk presented at the International Symposium on Correlation Dynamics in Nuclei (CDN05), Jan. 1 - Feb. 4, 2005, Tokyo, Japa

The unitary-model-operator approach to nuclear many-body problems

Microscopic nuclear structure calculations have been performed within the framework of the unitary-model-operator approach. Ground-state and single-particle energies are calculated for nuclei around ^{14}C, ^{16}O and ^{40}Ca with modern nucleon-nucleon interactions.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Talk presented at the International Symposium on Correlation Dynamics in Nuclei (CDN05), Jan. 1 - Feb. 4, 2005, Tokyo, Japa

The unitary-model-operator approach to nuclear many-body problems

Microscopic nuclear structure calculations have been performed within the framework of the unitary-model-operator approach. Ground-state and single-particle energies are calculated for nuclei around ^{14}C, ^{16}O and ^{40}Ca with modern nucleon-nucleon interactions.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Talk presented at the International Symposium on Correlation Dynamics in Nuclei (CDN05), Jan. 1 - Feb. 4, 2005, Tokyo, Japa

CO 2 - reinforced nanoporous carbon potential energy field during CO 2 /CH 4 mixture adsorption. A comprehensive volumetric, in-situ IR, and thermodynamic insight

CO2/CH4 mixture adsorption is very important in different fields like, for example, a biogas purification. Using a comprehensive experimental approach based on volumetric and in-situ FTIR measurements the new results of CO2/CH4 mixture separation on a carbon film are reported. The application of this experimental approach makes it possible to elaborate the effect of enhanced CH4 adsorption at low CO2 concentrations in the adsorbed phase. The presence of this effect is proved experimentally for the first time. This effect is responsible for the deviation of Ideal Adsorption Solution model from the experimental data. To discuss separation mechanism the activity coefficients at constant spreading pressure values are calculated. At low spreading pressure, CO2 activity coefficient is strongly disturbed by the presence of CH4 molecules in the surface mixture. In contrast, the CH4 activity coefficients are remarkably influenced by adsorbed CO2 only at higher CO2 surface concentrations. The obtained activity coefficients are successfully described by a new modification of the Redlich-Kister equation. This modification takes into account the interaction between binary mixture components and an adsorbent. Finally we show that the studied carbon possesses very good CO2/CH4 mixture separation properties, comparable to those reported for other adsorbents

The application of multiplex PCR to detect seven different DNA targets in group B streptococci

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) causes severe infections in infants and in immunocompromised adults. GBS pathogenicity varies between and within serotypes, with considerable variation in genetic content between strains. For this reason, it is important to be able to carry out immediate and comprehensive diagnostics of these infections. Seven genes important for screening of GBS infection were detected: cfb gene encoding the CAMP factor presented in every GBS; the cps operon genes such as cps1aH, cps1a/2/3IJ, and cps5O specific for capsular polysaccharide types Ia, III, and V, respectively; macrolide resistance genes ermB and mefA/E; and the gbs2018 S10 region specific for ST17 hypervirulent clone. Standardization of multiplex PCR with the use of seven primer pairs was performed on 81 bacterial strains representing different GBS isolates (n = 75) and other Gram-positive cocci (n = 10). Multiplex PCR can be used as an effective screening method to detect different sequences important for the screening of GBS infection

Nuclear Structure Calculations with Coupled Cluster Methods from Quantum Chemistry

We present several coupled-cluster calculations of ground and excited states of 4He and 16O employing methods from quantum chemistry. A comparison of coupled cluster results with the results of exact diagonalization of the hamiltonian in the same model space and other truncated shell-model calculations shows that the quantum chemistry inspired coupled cluster approximations provide an excellent description of ground and excited states of nuclei, with much less computational effort than traditional large-scale shell-model approaches. Unless truncations are made, for nuclei like 16O, full-fledged shell-model calculations with four or more major shells are not possible. However, these and even larger systems can be studied with the coupled cluster methods due to the polynomial rather than factorial scaling inherent in standard shell-model studies. This makes the coupled cluster approaches, developed in quantum chemistry, viable methods for describing weakly bound systems of interest for future nuclear facilities.Comment: 10 pages, Elsevier latex style, Invited contribution to INPC04 proceedings, to appear in Nuclear Physics

Super-sieving effect in phenol adsorption from aqueous solutions on nanoporous carbon beads

Removal of aromatic contaminants, like phenol, from water can be efficiently achieved by preferential adsorption on porous carbons which exhibit molecular sieving properties. Here, we present nanoporous carbon beads exhibiting an outstanding sieving effect in phenol adsorption from aqueous solution at neutral pH, which is evidenced experimentally and theoretically. The molecular sieving with pure phenol adsorbed phase is achieved by tuning the pore size and surface chemistry of the adsorbent. This study elucidates the essential role of hydrophobic interactions in narrow carbon micropores in removal and clean-up of water from organic pollutants. Furthermore, we suggest a new theoretical approach for evaluation of phenol adsorption capacity that is based on the Monte Carlo simulation of phenol adsorption with the relevance to the pore size distribution function determined by the density functional theory method from low temperature nitrogen adsorption

Morphologically disordered pore model for characterization of micro-mesoporous carbons

We present a new morphologically disordered slit-shaped pore (MDSP) model for simulating gas adsorption in micro-mesoporous carbonaceous materials. The MDSP model qualitatively accounts for the inherent roughness of carbon pore walls in accord with the atomistic structural model of LMA10 reference carbon material. The MDSP model is applied to pore size distribution (PSD) calculations from nitrogen adsorption isotherms measured at 77.4 K in the range of pore widths from 0.72 to 40 nm. The MDSP model improves significantly the nitrogen adsorption porosimetry and, being fully atomistic, it is transferable to study various adsorbate-adsorbent systems. Computations of PSD functions for a series of carbonaceous materials, including activated carbon fiber, granular activated carbons, synthetic activated carbons showed that MDSP generates smooth Gaussian-type PSD functions with a well-defined average pore size. Furthermore, PSD functions computed from the MDSP model are free from the artificial gaps in the region of narrow micropores (∼1 nm and ∼2 nm) predicted from the standard slit-shaped pore models with ideal graphite-like walls. MDSP is not only a complementary model to existing approaches, such as quench-solid density functional theory method, but it paves the way to efficient atomistic simulations of various compounds within morphologically disordered carbon nanopores

Mapping the meaning of "difference' in Europe: A social topography of prejudice

This paper draws on original empirical research to investigate popular understandings of prejudice in two national contexts: Poland and the United Kingdom. The paper demonstrates how common-sense meanings of prejudice are inflected by the specific histories and geographies of each place: framed in terms of ‘distance’ (Poland) and ‘proximity’ (United Kingdom), respectively. Yet, by treating these national contexts as nodes and linking them analytically the paper also exposes a connectedness in these definitions which brings into relief the common processes that produce prejudice. The paper then explores how inter-linkages between the United Kingdom and Poland within the wider context of the European Union are producing – and circulating through the emerging international currency of ‘political correctness’ – a common critique of equality legislation and a belief that popular concerns about the way national contexts are perceived to be changing as a consequence of super mobility and super diversity are being silenced. This raises a real risk that in the context of European austerity and associated levels of socioeconomic insecurity, negative attitudes and conservative values may begin to be represented as popular normative standards which transcend national contexts to justify harsher political responses towards minorities. As such, the paper concludes by making a case for prejudice reduction strategies to receive much greater priority in both national and European contexts

Measurement of differential cross section for proton-induced deuteron breakup at 108 MeV

The experiment was performed at CCB IFJ PAN in Kraków with the use of the BINA detector. The experimental program and data analysis of proton-induced deuteron breakup reaction at 108 MeV are presented