Discovery of Long-Lived Shape Isomeric States which Decay by Strongly Retarded High-Energy Particle Radioactivity

The reaction 28Si + 181Ta has been studied at E(Lab) = 125 and 135 MeV. Coincidences between high energy particles and various X- and gamma-rays from abnormally long-lived states were observed. e.g. 7.8 - 8.6 MeV alpha-particles with gamma-rays of a superdeformed band, 5.1 - 5.5 MeV alpha-particles with X- and gamma-rays of W, Re, and Pt, and 3.88 MeV particles (interpreted as protons) with 185.8 keV gamma-rays. The data are interpreted in terms of the production of long-lived (t(1/2) of several months) high spin isomeric states in the second well of the potential in the parent nuclei, which decay to the normal states in the daughters, and in the third well of the potential, which decay to the second well.Comment: 25 pages including 11 figures and 3 table

Is Purity Eternal?

Phenomenological and formal restrictions on the evolution of pure into mixed states are discussed. In particular, it is argued that, if energy is conserved, loss of purity is incompatible with the weakest possible form of Lorentz covariance.Comment: 12 pages, in Plain Tex; section 3 on Lorentz covariance expanded and improved in response to year-long correspondence with the referee, but the conclusions are unchanged; UCSBTH-92-2

Contribution to the Odonata of the Kingdom of Tonga

New data on the Odonata fauna of the Kingdom of Tonga is provided following re-search carried out on Tongatapu and 'Eua islands in July 2012. New localities for Tongatapu Island are put on record and previous studies are compared with new pheno-logical data from a period during which field surveys are rarely conducted on Pacific islands. Although Odonata have been collected before from 'Eua Island, the data presented here is the first published so far. 'Eua Island is assessed as a very important venue for further research on Odonata. Overall the Kingdom of Tonga is very depauperate in water resources with lotic biotopes very restricted in area and found on 'Eua Island, and possibly on Tofua and Late islands, which are both volcanic. This study on the Odonata of 'Eua resulted in records of eighttaxa, including with Teinobasis sp. nov., which will be described elsewhere. Morphological variation in Pseudagrion microcephalum stainbergerorumand Trameatransmarinaare discussed in the context of their subspecific affiliation. Diagnostic features for easier differentiation are proposed for the first of these taxa; the validation of commonly used diagnostic traits is discussed for the second