Gas avalanche detectors, combining solid photocathodes with fast electron multipliers, provide an attractive solution for photon localization over very large sensitive areas and under high illumination #ux. They o!er single-photon sensitivity and the possibility of operation under very intense magnetic "elds. We discuss the principal factors governing the operation of gas avalanche photomultipl...

Directionally solidified alkali halide binary eutectics have been recently proposed as THz polaritonic metamaterials based on their ordered microstructure and the suitable phonon-polariton resonances in the THz range of the spectrum. In the present work we focus on the search of new available eutectic systems both binary and ternary eutectics with well-ordered fibrous or lamellar microstructure...

A new class of cluster-catalyzed reactions is proposed and investigated using extensive molecular-dynamics simulations. These reactions involve the collision between reactants which are embedded in inert gas clusters, whose role is that of a local heat bath (i.e., extended third body). The concept is demonstrated for the reactions [ Na, Cl, ] + Ar, + Cl (for q = 12 and 32) and [ Na,,Cl,, ] + ‘A...

The surface topography and local surface work function of ultrathin MgO(001) films on Ag(001) have been studied by noncontact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). First principles calculations have been used to explain the contrast formation of nc-AFM images. In agreement with literature, thin MgO films grow in islands with a quasi rectangular shape. Contra...

Massively-parallel molecular dynamics simulation is applied to systems containing electrolytes, vapour-liquid interfaces, and biomolecules in contact with water-oil interfaces. Novel molecular models of alkali halide salts are presented and employed for the simulation of electrolytes in aqueous solution. The enzymatically catalysed hydroxylation of oleic acid is investigated by molecular dynami...

Dicyanoaurate, dicyanoargentate, and dicyanocuprate ions in solution and doped in different alkali halide hosts exhibit interesting photophysical and photochemical behavior, such as multiple emission bands, exciplex tuning, optical memory, and thermochromism. This is attributed to the formation of different sizes of nanoclusters in solution and in doped hosts. A series of spectroscopic methods ...

In recent years, several theoretical studies have indicated potentially interesting, even perhaps surprising phenomena that could be observed by experiment--but have not yet been studied in the laboratory. Here we give the background and motivation for two of these, with the admitted goal of stimulating those experimental studies. The two topics: (1) the production and study of amorphous alkali...

Photoinduced metal-mediated radical polymerization is a rapidly developing technique which allows for the synthesis of macromolecules with defined molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distributions, although typically exhibiting significant limitations in aqueous media. Herein we demonstrate that the presence of alkali metal halide salts, in conjunction with low copper concentration and...

Complete basis set extrapolations of alkali halide (LiF, LiCl, NaF, NaCl) energy, dipole, and polarizability surfaces are performed with and without applied fields along the internuclear axis using state-averaged multireference configuration interaction. Comparison between properties (equilibrium separation, dissociation energy, crossing distance, diabatic coupling constant, dipole, and polariz...

Layered ternary chalcogenides AxMX2 (A = al­ kali metal, M = transition metal, X = S, Se) of group IV b to VI b elements may be prepared either by reactions a t high temperatures (600-1000 °C) from the elements1 and via alkali halide m elts2 or at low temperatures from the corresponding binary phases MX2 by intercalation of alkali metals from liquid ammonia3. Both series of compounds were found...