A simple theory of the photoproduction of pi /sup 0/ mesons from complex nuclei based on the impulse and closure approximation is studied. The theory is compared with an experiment of Goodwin, Anderson, and Kenney that shows the dependence of the number of decay gammas from pi /sup 0/ mesons photo- produced from various nuclei as a function of the atomic number at 45, 90, and 135 degrees for incident photon energies from threshold to 350 Mev. The dependence measured near threshold and at 45 degrees does not agree with the simple theory nor is it consistent with partial elastic production. By a method of Placzek and Wick the corrections to the simple theory are estimated, and found to be large near threshold. These corrections may explain the discrepancy between the theory and the experimental results. No information about the nuclear-pair correlation function is obtained. The impulse approximation is used to calculate the relative ratio of the radiative absorption rate of pi /sup -/ mesons absorbed in hydrogen and deuterium from an atomic s state. The calculated value of the ratio T = R( pi /sup -/ + d yields 2n + gamma )/R( pi /sup -/ + p yields …

A matrix isolation technique for the investigation of infrared absorption spectra of molecules of hightemperature species trapped in a pseudo- gas phase'' is described. The spectra of the dichlorides of zinc, cadmium, and mercury in argon, krypton, and xenon matrices are reported. Presence in the gas phase of dimers of zinc chloride and mercuric chloride is noted. An absorption band, previously reported as due to the degenerate bending motion of zinc chloride, is attributed to zinc dimer. (auth)

Thesis submitted to University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Activities in a program to determine the wetting behavior of pure metals such as Au, Ag, Ge, Al, and Cu on solid Be are reported. Results of similar investigations of binary alloys such as Be--Ti, Be-Zr, and Be--Pd are also included. The contact angles of the molten metals on Be as a function of temperature, exposure time, and atmosphere were measured. The solid-liquid interfacial reactions occurring as a function of test temperature and atmosphere were investigated, and the liquid- vapor and internal surface tensions for those systems in which interfacial reactions did not appear to occur were calculated. (J.R.D.)

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