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Absolute differential and integral cross section measurements for electron impact excitation of the dissociative B1, A1and A1electronic states of water are described. These are very important channels for the production of OH (X2?, ?) radicals, as well as for understanding the origin of the atmospheric Meinel bands. The energy range of our measurements is 20-50 eV, with the angular range of the differential cross section data being 10°-90°. Where possible comparison of the present cross sections with the corresponding results from theoretical calculations is made, the level of agreement between them being found to be quite marginal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An absolute total cross-section for electron scattering from O2 is obtained in the energy range from 20 eV down to 16 meV with a very narrow electron energy width of 7 meV, using the threshold-photoelectron source employing synchrotron radiation. The total cross-section obtained in the present study generally agrees well with those obtained in previous experimental works in the energy region where the previous experimental total cross-sections agree with each other. At lower energies, several features are found, including the very large contribution of the resonance to the total cross-section. The resonance energies and the resonance widths of the individual vibrational states of the resonance are determined from the analysis of the measured absolute total cross-section. The resonance width of the resonance of O2 is found to be much narrower than the value estimated from previous high-resolution experiments and theoretical calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central (Nc) and terminal (Nt) nitrogen K-shell photoelectron spectra (PESs) of N2O molecules have been measured in the σ shape resonance energy region at temperatures of ∼300 and ∼630 K. Estimating vibrational populations based on the Boltzmann distribution at these temperatures, PESs of vibrationally ground and bending-excited levels in the initial electronic ground state were extracted. Vibrationally integrated partial cross sections and asymmetry parameters for ionization from vibrationally ground and bending-excited levels were obtained as a function of the incident photon energy by integrating PESs over the vibrational levels of the core-hole states. In Nc photoionization, the shape resonance from the bending-excited level was found to be shifted to the lower photon energy side and to become narrower than that from the ground vibrational level. In Nt photoionization from the bending-excited level, the downward shift of the resonance is more significant than that in Nc ionization. These experimental findings are qualitatively consistent with theoretical predictions and suggest that the shape resonance associated with the Nt core hole is more sensitive to the bending angle of the initial state than is the shape resonance associated with the Nc core hole. The asymmetry parameters for photoionization from the bending-excited level, however, showed almost the same behavior as those from the ground vibrational level for both K-shell photoionization channels and in the photon energy range studied here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to find an optimal parameter (liquid-ice interface velocity; velocity) of the directional freezing method (Arav et al. 2002 Reprod. Nutr. Dev. 42, 583–586) for conventionally processed bull sperm stored in 0.5-mL straws. We also evaluated sex-sorted bull sperm frozen using this method. Experiment 1: Each single ejaculate from two Holstein bulls was split and processed in egg yolk citrate extender (2 steps, 6% glycerol final; EYC) or egg yolk Tris extender (1 step, 7% glycerol final; EYT1). After cooling and loading in 0.5-mL plastic straws, each batch of semen was frozen using a directional 0.5-mL straw freezer (MTG 550; IMT, Ltd., Ness-Ziona, Israel) in 6 different velocities (v2.0, v2.2, v2.4, v2.6, v2.8, v3.0; mm s-1). Ice seeding time was 45 s. Static freezing in liquid nitrogen vapor was used as the control. Sperm parameters were measured using computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) at 0, 1, and 2 h after thawing. The thawed samples were also evaluated for sperm viability and acrosomal integrity by triple staining. The experiment was repeated 3 times. Data were analyzed by ANOVA. No significant differences in general and progressive motility were observed in each extender regardless of the freezing method. However, sperm viability and acrosomal integrity of sperm frozen in EYC were highest at v3.0 (73.2% and 84.7%, respectively) and were generally higher after MTG freezing (63.4 to 73.2% and 80.6 to 84.7%, respectively) than in the control (52.6% and 73.1%, respectively; P < 0.05 or 0.01) except for v2.4 (54.5% and 70.8%). Sperm viability (74.6 to 77.9% vs. 63.2%) and acrosomal integrity (84.8 to 88.9% vs. 79.3%) in EYT after MTG freezing were also higher than in the control (P < 0.01). Experiment 2: Two single ejaculates from a Holstein bull were flow cytometrically sex-sorted (Schenk et al. 1999 Theriogenology 52, 1375–1391) for X sperm. Each ejaculate was assigned to processing in EYC or egg yolk Tris extender (2 steps, 6% glycerol final; EYT2). Processed sperm was frozen using MTG 550 (velocity set at v3.0) or in liquid nitrogen vapor as control and analyzed as in Experiment 1. In the control, general (40.2% vs. 21.1%; P < 0.01) and progressive (16.3% vs. 4.3%; P < 0.05) motility in EYC were higher than in EYT2, respectively, at 0 h. In MTG freezing, motility (at 0 h, 42.0% vs. 28.3%; P < 0.05), viability (60.5% vs. 40.8%; P < 0.01), and acrosomal integrity (86.9% vs. 71.0%; P < 0.05) in EYC were higher than in EYT2, respectively. But in experiment 2, there were no differences in motility, progressive motility, viability, and acrosomal integrity between MTG freezing and control. The above results suggest that MTG freezing improves membrane and acrosomal quality of bull sperm frozen in 0.5-mL straws. Faster interface velocity (3.0 mm s-1) seems optimal for the given condition. Egg yolk citrate extender seems to be beneficial for MTG freezing of sex-sorted bull sperm, but further studies using ejaculates from different bulls are required to confirm the apparent benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Absolute electron-impact cross sections for molecular targets, including their radicals, are important in developing plasma reactors and testing various plasma processing gases. Low-energy electron collision data for these gases are sparse and only the limited cross section data are available. In this report, elastic cross sections for electron-polyatomic molecule collisions are compiled and reviewed for 17 moleculesrelevant to plasma processing. Elastic cross sections are essential for the absolute scale conversion of inelastic cross sections, as well as for testing computational methods. Data are collected and reviewed for elastic differential, integral, and momentum transfer cross sections and, for each molecule, the recommended values of the cross section are presented. The literature has been surveyed through early 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present new normalized experimental differential cross sections for electron impact excitation of the n = 2 states in helium. The incident electrons have energies in the range 23.5-35 eV, while the scattered electrons are detected over the angular range 10-130deg. Corresponding theoretical results from our convergent close-coupling approach are also presented and in general are in very good accord with our measured data. Where possible, a comparison of the present experimental and theoretical results with those from previous measurements is also made. The case for the n = 2 levels in helium constituting a benchmark cross section data set is examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vibrationally resolved partial cross sections \sigma_{v^{\prime}} and asymmetry parameters \beta_{v^{\prime}} for the photoionization of the NO molecule producing NO+ N (1s[?]1) 3P, 1P ions in the vibrationally excited states v' are measured for photon energies between 412 and 419 eV, across the s* shape resonance region above the N K-shell ionization threshold. The position of the maximum of \sigma_{v^{\prime}}^{^3\Pi,^1\Pi} for the N (1s[?]1) is observed to move towards the N (1s[?]1) 3P and 1P thresholds in both channels with increasing vibrational excitation in the parent ion. The \beta_{v^{\prime}}^{^3\Pi,^1\Pi} curves, on the other hand, exhibit monotonic increase in the investigated photon energy range. The major features are fairly well reproduced by ab initio vibrationally specific calculations based on the multichannel Schwinger configuration interaction (MCSCI) method for the dipole transition moments, where the effects of vibrational motion on the photoionization cross sections are included using the adiabatic approximation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We apply the method of Kim (2007 J. Chem. Phys. 126 064305) in order to derive integral cross sections for the 1S+u and 1Pu states of CO2, from our corresponding earlier differential cross section measurements (Green et al 2002 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 35 567). The energy range of this work is 20-200 eV. In addition, the BEf-scaling approach is used to calculate integral cross sections for these same states, from their respective thresholds to 5000 eV. In general, good agreement is found between the experimental integral cross sections and those calculated within the BEf-scaling paradigm, over the entire common energy range. Finally, we employ our calculated integral cross sections to determine the electron energy transfer rates for these states, for a thermal electron energy distribution. Such transfer rates are in principle important for understanding the phenomena in atmospheres where CO2 is a dominant constituent, such as on Mars and Venus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-resolution Auger spectrum of CO2 subsequent to C 1s[?]1 photoionization is reported along with the corresponding photoelectron spectrum. Auger transitions to seven quasi-stable final states are observed. They are assigned on the basis of theoretical results in combination with the assumption that the Auger spectrum is dominated by transitions to singlet states. From the vibrational progressions in the Auger spectrum, the vibrational energies o, the anharmonicities xo and the equilibrium distances Re for the dicationic final states are derived in a fit analysis assuming Morse potentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]