Rescaled mean spherical approximation (RMSA) has been used to calculate the structure factor for the aqueous suspension of polystyrene macroions with the interaction potential taken according to Derjaguin and Landau (1941) and Verwey and Overbeek (1948) (DLVO) model. The effects of charge over the macroion and size on the surface potential and therefore, the structure factor have been studied. The breakdown of the DLVO potential with an excess charge over the macroion (⩾800e) has been reported. The oscillation in the first peak height of structure factor versus wave vector curve with size has been correlated with the Debye length.

Raman spectra of strontium borate binary glasses in the systemxSrO.(1-x)B₂O₃ forx=0.20, 0.25, 0.30, 0.35, 0.40, and 0.50 and ternary glasses in the system (SrCl₂)_y.[xSrO.(1−y−x)B₂O₃]_1−y fory=0.10, 0.20, 0.30 and 0.40 andx=0.20 and 0.35, are reported. Raman spectra of the glasses show experimental evidence of glass network modifying nature of SrO in borate matrix. SrO causes a change of boron atom coordination number from 3 to 4 resulting in the complex structural groupings comprising of BO₄ and BO₃ units. Strontium cations are not easily accommodated in the glass structure and tend to break up the network at high concentration (x) of SrO, causing non-bridging oxygens. The effect of temperature variation of binary glasses has also been studied. The introduction of SrCl₂ to the binary stronium borate glass causes a large change in intensity of low frequency Raman scattering whereas there is no change in the vibrational dynamics in the high frequency region. The temperature reduced Raman spectra represents true vibrational density of states. Martin-Brenig model developed for the low frequency region has been discussed to obtain the structural correlation range in the glass.

A theoretical framework for treating the effects of magnetic fieldH on the pairing theory of superconductivity is considered, where the field is taken in an arbitrary direction with respect to crystal axes. This is applicable to closed, as well as open normal state Fermi surface (FS), including simple layered metals. The orbital effects of the magnetic field are treated semiclassically while retaining the full anisotropic paramagnetic contribution. Explicit calculations are presented in the limits |H| → |H_c2(T)|,T ∼ 0 andT →T_c(|H|), |H| ∼ 0. Effects of weak nonmagnetic impurity scattering, without vertex corrections, have also been taken into account in a phenomenological way. The final results for the case of open FS and layered materials are found to differ considerably from those of the closed FS. For example, an important parameter,h(T=0)=|H_c2(0)|/[-Tδ|H_c2T|δT]_T{s0} for the case of a FS open ink_z-direction with thek_z-bandwidth, 4t₃, very small compared to the Fermi energy,E_F, is close to 0.5906, compared to 0.7273 for the closed FS, in the clean limit. Analytical results are given for the magnetic field dependence ofT_c and the temperature dependence of H_c2 for a model of layered superconductors with widely open FS. For a set of band structure parameters for YBa₂Cu₃O₇ used elsewhere, we find reasonable values for the upper critical fieldH_c2(0), the slope (dH_c2/dT)_Tc0, anisotropic coherence lengths ζ_i(T=0),i=x, y, z, and (dT_c/d|H|)_{|H| → 0}.

SERS studies of 1-butylaminoanthraquinone in silver sol have been made to understand the nature of adsorption. The enhancement mechanism is explained on the basis of charge transfer process. The molecule is adsorbed through the binding sites but not flat on to the surface.

Electronic spectra of two high spind⁸ nickel complexes, Ni(en)₃Cl₂.2H₂O and Ni(OAc)₂.4H₂O, are reported. Polarized spectra were measured at 298 K. Temperature dependent spectra were measured using unpolarized light down to 20 K. The spectra at 20 K are well resolved revealing the features of spin-forbidden transitions and vibrational fine structure on some of the bands. Some of the spectra are deconvoluted to separate out the overlapping bands. The assignments are made usingD₃ symmetry for Ni(en)₃Cl₂.2H₂O complex whileD₄ symmetry is used for Ni(OAc)₂.4H₂O. The energies of the spectroscopic states are calculated and compared with the observed transition energies. The distortion parameters are determined.

A dilatometer, using the three terminal capacitance technique, suitable for measurement of linear thermal expansion of solids in the temperature range 1.3–300 K is described. The dialtometer is designed such that the mounting system for the specimen does not undergo any significant changes in dimensions when the specimen is heated. The apparatus, therefore, yields in principle absolute values of α, the coefficient of linear thermal expansion. The performance of the apparatus has been checked by measurements on copper in the temperature range of 77–300 K. Some preliminary results on the behaviour of α for Y₁Ba₂Cu₃O_6.9 compound in the vicinity of superconducting transition temperature,T_c are also described. The system can detect relative changes in length Δl/l₀ of about 10⁻⁸. Attempts are being made to improve the sensitivity.

A triple axes multiple target holder assembly has been designed and fabricated to accommodate 27 targets to be used inside a high vacuum scattering chamber. This target holder assembly has been used satisfactorily in ion solid collision experiments using heavy ion beams from an accelerator.

A technique for frequency stabilization of an internal mirror He-Ne laser using phase sensitive detection without cavity length modulation is suggested. The orthogonally plane polarized modes are separated and then convered into two photoelectric signals using two photodetectors. The photoelectric signals are switched alternately so as to generate a square wave, whose amplitude is proportional to the intensity difference between the two orthogonal polarizations. A lock-in amplifier is used to detect this square wave, with the switching frequency as reference. The phase detected signal is used for thermal stabilization of the laser. The frequency stability of 5 × 10⁻⁹ was obtained with an integration time of 1 s.