Spiral space filling geometrical constructions using rhombuses in two dimensions are considered as plausible mechanisms for quasicrystal growth. These models will show staircase-like features which may be observed experimentally.

In the electronic spectrum of silicon monotelluride which has been produced in microwave discharges through sealed tubes, a large number of new bands belonging to theA¹Π-X¹Σ⁺ system (3100–3900 Å) and theE¹Σ⁺-X¹Σ⁺ system (2800–3100 Å) of Si¹³⁰Te has been observed. The vibrational structure analyses of these band systems have resulted in the determination of improved vibrational constants in all the three electronic states involved in these transitions. An error in the previous determination of the vibrational constants of theE¹Σ⁺ state has been corrected. An upper limit for the dissociation energy of the silicon monotelluride has been determined to be 40,000 cm⁻¹.

Construction of a spatial light modulator (SLM) using reverse saturable absorber molecules is suggested. The SLM characteristics are derived using a recently proposed steady-state kinetic analysis. Results are presented for the rhodamine 6G dye molecules.

The quantum corrections to the thermodynamic properties of polar hard sphere fluids and fluid mixtures are estimated taking into account the influence of dipole and quadrupole moments. Expressions are given for the second virial coefficient, free energy and pressure and results are given for different values ofμ* andϑ*. The first order quantum correction arises due to the translational contribution only. The quantum effect increases with density,μ* andϑ*. Numerical results are also estimated for binary mixtures of (i) hard spheres and dipole hard spheres and (ii) hard spheres and quadrupole hard spheres. The ‘excess’ free energy for dipole hard sphere binary mixture is also reported. It is found that the ‘excess’ quantum effect depends on the concentration and the particle diameter ratio and increases with increase ofμ* andϑ*.

Spherical micelles in ionic micellar solutions, often aggregate to form spherical, cylindrical or chain-like aggregates on addition of salt to the solution. It is known that the technique of small angle neutron scattering (SANS) can be used to distinguish spherical and cylindrical aggregates. To examine if SANS can be used to distinguish the latter two aggregation processes, we have calculated the angular distribution of scattered neutrons from 0.002 M CTAB solutions. These calculations show that aggregation of CTAB micelles results in large changes in SANS spectra. The shapes of SANS spectra are different for the above three types of aggregates, suggesting that technique of SANS can indeed be used to distinguish the three aggregation processes. The size of the aggregate can also be obtained from such studies.

Various state-equations, derived by expanding energy as a function of volume in Taylor series and using different order Pade’s approximants, have been combined with quasi-harmonic approximation for free energy to reproduce the pressure dependence of thermodynamic properties of NaBr, NaI and AgCl crystals. We have used these state-equations to compute the reduced volume, the isothermal bulk modulus and the pressure derivative of isothermal bulk modulus for the three crystals at various pressures (up to 80 kbar) and at room temperature (T=298 K). The results obtained are reasonably good lending support to the state-equations and the technique used to extend their applicability. The significant results obtained in the present study include the unified reduced equation of state for the three crystals which generates almost a single curve for theP – V behaviour at room temperature.

The dynamic properties of a biased two-level system in contact with a dissipative bath are studied in the weak coupling limit using a resolvent expansion method. The theory yields consistent results at low temperatures, a regime in which the widely used dilute bounce gas approximation (DBGA) to an underlying functional integral expression breaks down. The present results are however equivalent to a recently adapted functional integral technique that goes beyond the DBGA. The calculated expressions are relevant for analyzing the neutron scattering data on tunneling of light interstitials, e.g., hydrogen, in metals, at very low temperatures.