Excited states of linear polyenes

We present density matrix renormalisation group calculations of the Pariser- Parr-Pople-Peierls model of linear polyenes within the adiabatic approximation. We calculate the vertical and relaxed transition energies, and relaxed geometries for various excitations on long chains. The triplet (3Bu+) and even- parity singlet (2Ag+) states have a 2-soliton and 4-soliton form, respectively, both with large relaxation energies. The dipole-allowed (1Bu-) state forms an exciton-polaron and has a very small relaxation energy. The relaxed energy of the 2Ag+ state lies below that of the 1Bu- state. We observe an attraction between the soliton-antisoliton pairs in the 2Ag+ state. The calculated excitation energies agree well with the observed values for polyene oligomers; the agreement with polyacetylene thin films is less good, and we comment on the possible sources of the discrepencies. The photoinduced absorption is interpreted. The spin-spin correlation function shows that the unpaired spins coincide with the geometrical soliton positions. We study the roles of electron-electron interactions and electron-lattice coupling in determining the excitation energies and soliton structures. The electronic interactions play the key role in determining the ground state dimerisation and the excited state transition energies.Comment: LaTeX, 15 pages, 9 figure

Large scale numerical investigation of excited states in poly(phenylene)

A density matrix renormalisation group scheme is developed, allowing for the first time essentially exact numerical solutions for the important excited states of a realistic semi-empirical model for oligo-phenylenes. By monitoring the evolution of the energies with chain length and comparing them to the experimental absorption peaks of oligomers and thin films, we assign the four characteristic absorption peaks of phenyl-based polymers. We also determine the position and nature of the nonlinear optical states in this model.Comment: RevTeX, 10 pages, 4 eps figures included using eps

3. Bird Conservation

Expert assessors Tatsuya Amano, University of Cambridge, UK Andy Brown, Natural England, UK Fiona Burns, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, UK Yohay Carmel, Israel Institute of Technology Mick Clout, University of Auckland, New Zealand Geoff Hilton, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, UK Nancy Ockendon, University of Cambridge, UK James Pearce-Higgins, British Trust for Ornithology, UK Sugoto Roy, Food and Environment Research Agency, DEFRA, UK Rebecca K. Smith, University of Cambridge, UK Wil..

What Works in Conservation 2018

This book provides an assessment of the effectiveness of 1277 conservation interventions based on summarized scientific evidence. The 2018 edition contains new chapters covering practical global conservation of primates, peatlands, shrublands and heathlands, management of captive animals as well as an extended chapter on control of freshwater invasive species. Other chapters cover global conservation of amphibians, bats, birds and forests, conservation of European farmland biodiversity and some aspects of enhancing natural pest control, enhancing soil fertility and control of freshwater invasive species. It contains key results from the summarized evidence for each conservation intervention and an assessment of the effectiveness of each by international expert panels. The accompanying website www.conservationevidence.com describes each of the studies individually, and provides full references

First records, noteworthy observations and new distributional data for birds in Paraguay

Volume: 121Start Page: 23End Page: 3

Component Stress-Strain Behavior and Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Investigation of

Elastomeric polypropylene (ePP) produced from unbridged 2-arylindene metallocene catalysts was studied by uniaxial tensile and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) techniques. The ePP can be separated into three fractions by successive boiling-solvent fractionation method to yield: a low-tacticity fraction soluble in ether (ES), an intermediate-tacticity fraction soluble in heptane (HS), and a high-tacticity fraction insoluble in heptane (HI). Tensile properties of ePP were compared to its solvent fractions, and the role of each solvent fraction residing within ePP was investigated by blending 5 weight % deuterated fraction with ePP. The tensile properties of each fraction vary considerably, exhibiting properties from a weak gum elastomer for ES, to a semi-crystalline thermoplastic for HI. The intermediate-tacticity HS fraction exhibits elastic properties similar to the parent elastomer (ePP). In the melt at 160 °C, SANS shows that all deuterated fractions are homogeneously mixed with ePP in a one-phase system. At 25 °C upon a slow cooling from the melt, the low-tacticity fraction is preferentially segregated in the amorphous domains induced by different crystallization temperatures and kinetics of the deuterated ES and high-tacticity components. The high-tacticity component within ePP (dHI-ePP) retains its plastic properties in the blend. Despite its low crystallinity ( ≤ 2%), the low-tacticity fraction can co-crystallize with the crystalline matrix. The dES-ePP shows little or no relaxation when held under strain and recovers readily upon the release of stress. Keywords elastomeric polypropylene; neutron scattering; polymer deformation; SANS; elongation