Surface acronyms

From the above descriptions, it becomes apparent that one can include a wide variety of teclmiques under the label diffraction methods . Table Bl.21.1 lists many techniques used for surface stmctural detemiination, and specifies which can be considered diffraction methods due to their use of wave interference (table Bl.21.1 also explains many teclmique acronyms commonly used in surface science). The diffraction methods range from the classic case of XRD and the analogous case of FEED to much more subtle cases like XAFS (listed as both SEXAFS (surface extended XAFS) and NEXAFS (near-edge XAFS) in the table). 

A big step forward came with the discovery that bombardment of a liquid target surface by abeam of fast atoms caused continuous desorption of ions that were characteristic of the liquid. Where this liquid consisted of a sample substance dissolved in a solvent of low volatility (a matrix), both positive and negative molecular or quasi-molecular ions characteristic of the sample were produced. The process quickly became known by the acronym FAB (fast-atom bombardment) and for its then-fabulous results on substances that had hitherto proved intractable. Later, it was found that a primary incident beam of fast ions could be used instead, and a more generally descriptive term, LSIMS (liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry) has come into use. However, note that purists still regard and refer to both FAB and LSIMS as simply facets of the original SIMS. In practice, any of the acronyms can be used, but FAB and LSIMS are more descriptive when referring to the primary atom or ion beam. 

EXAFS is part of the field of X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), in which a number of acronyms abound. An X-ray absorption spectrum contains EXAFS data as well as the X-ray absorption near-edge structure, XANES (alternatively called the near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure, NEXAFS). The combination of XANES (NEXAFS) and EXAFS is commonly referred to as X-ray absorption fine structure, or XAFS. In applications of EXAFS to surface science, the acronym SEXAFS, for surface-EXAFS, is used. The principles and analysis of EXAFS and SEXAFS are the same. See the article following this one for a discussion of SEXAFS and NEXAFS. 

Tab. 1.1. Surface-specific analytical techniques using particle or photon excitation. The acronyms printed in bold are those used for methods discussed in more details in this publication.

Listing 1. Meanings of the surface analysis acronyms, and their alternatives, that appear in Tabs 1.1. and 1.2. 

The acronym SEC refers to the case where the reference wave function is of the MCSCF type and tire correlation energy is calculated by an MR-CISD procedure. When the reference is a single determinant (HE) the SAC nomenclature is used. In the latter case the correlation energy may be calculated for example by MP2, MP4 or CCSD, producing acronyms like MP2-SAC, MP4-SAC and CCSD-SAC. In the SEC/SAC procedure the scale factor F is assumed constant over the whole surface. If more than one dissociation channel is important, a suitable average F may be used. 

Also in 1950 Sakliarov and Tamm proposed an idea for a controlled thermonuclear fusion reactor, the TOKAMAK (acronym for the Russian phrase for toroidal chamber with magnetic coiF ), which achieved the highest ratio of output power to input power of any fusion device of the twentieth centuiy. This reactor grew out of interest in a controlled nuclear fusion reaction, since 1950. Sakharov first considered electrostatic confinement, but soon came to the idea of magnetic confinement. Tamm joined the effort with his work on particle motion in a magnetic field, including cyclotron motion, drifts, and magnetic surfaces. Sakharov and Tamm realized that... 

Liquid surfaces and liquid-liquid interfaces are very common and have tremendous significance in the real world. Especially important are the interfaces between two immiscible liquid electrolyte solutions (acronym ITIES), which occur in tissues and cells of all living organisms. The usual presence of aqueous electrolyte solution as one phase of ITIES is the main reason for the electrochemical nature of such interfaces. 

OSL Acronym for optically stimulated luminescence. oven A furnace used at relatively low temperatures, overglaze Pigment applied to the surface of pottery after glazing. oxidation A type of chemical reactions in which an atom or atomic group combines with oxygen or one or more electrons are removed from it. oxide A substance composed by the chemical combination of oxygen with another element. 

The first application of the quartz crystal microbalance in electrochemistry came with the work of Bruckenstein and Shay (1985) who proved that the Sauerbrey equation could still be applied to a quartz wafer one side of which was covered with electrolyte. Although they were able to establish that an electrolyte layer several hundred angstroms thick moved essentially with the quartz surface, they also showed that the thickness of this layer remained constant with potential so any change in frequency could be attributed to surface film formation. The authors showed that it was possible to take simultaneous measurements of the in situ frequency change accompanying electrolysis at a working electrode (comprising one of the electrical contacts to the crystal) as a function of the applied potential or current. They coined the acronym EQCM (electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance) for the technique. 

There are also monomeric G-proteins. Just like the trimeric G-pro-teins, they are involved as signal relays and timers. The Ras superfamily relays signals from receptor tyrosine kinases to downstream elements that eventually regulate transcription. Rho and Rac relay signals from cell-surface receptors to the cytoskeleton, while Rab regulates intracellular transport of vesicles. Regardless of what they do, they use the timer mechanism provided by the G-protein. Three-letter acronyms (TLA), such as Ras, Rho, and Rab, are difficult to remember, sometimes even when you know what the letters stand for. Unfortunately, there s nothing you can do about this except to memorize them. 

There are numerous surface-sensitive techniques that can be applied to the study of catalyst surfaces in fact, a complete treatment of these is beyond the scope of this discussion. Therefore, the reader is directed toward some excellent resources for a more complete discussion.1 26-29 Here, we aim only to introduce some of the more popular techniques as well as to familiarize the reader with the alphabet soup of surface-science acronyms that will be used below. 

Investigations of the adsorption of isocyanides on metal surfaces use various analytical techniques. Table 13.2 lists the techniques and their acronyms that are used throughout this chapter. Because isocyanides adsorbed on metal surfaces are often characterized by their v(N=C) stretching frequencies, these vibrational data are summarized in Table 13.3. Also given in Table 13.3 are v(N=C) values of the free (unadsorbed) isocyanides and brief descriptions of the proposed adsorption modes, which are often based on interpretations of the v(N=C) values as discussed in the following sections. 

Table 13.2 Acronyms for techniques used in the study of isocyanide adsorption on metal surfaces.

Aluminium hydroxide has a Moh hardness of about 3 and a specific gravity of 2.4. It decomposes endothermically with the release of water at about 200 °C and this makes it a very useful flame retardant filler, this being the principal reason for its use in polymers. The decomposition temperature is in fact too low for many thermoplastics applications, but it is widely used in low smoke P VC applications and finds some use in polyolefins. For these applications low aspect ratio particles with a size of about 1 micron and a specific surface area of 4-10 m g are preferred. The decomposition pathway can be diverted through the mono-hydrate by the application of pressure, and this may reduce the flame retardant effect [97]. This effect can be observed with the larger sized particles. Although it is chemically the hydroxide, it has for many years been known as alumina trihydrate and by the acronym ATH. 

There is a possibility that an FC state will react before complete thermal equilibration. In the case of diatomic molecules, the process is usually known as predissociation — a dissociative state crosses the excited state potential surface. The situation is more complicated in the case of a coordination compound, but one can imagine an FC state relaxing along some nuclear coordinate leading to bond breaking. A state capable of such a process has been called a DOSENCO state, an acronym for Decay On SElected Nuclear Coordinates .21 The same authors use the term DERCOS (DEcay via Random Coordinate Selection) for a thexi state. 

Not to be confused with insulation, the word insolation (acronym for incoming solar radiation") defines the rate at which direct solar radiation is incident upon a unit horizontal surface at any point on or above the surface of the earth. The unit of insolation is the Langley, named after Samuel Pierpoint Langley (1834-1906). an American astronomer, physicist and pioneer in the utilization of solar energy ... 

SLUFAE. Acronym for Surface Launched Unit Fuel Air Explosive Mine Neutralization System... 

One simple method for the production and cryogenic trapping of ion radicals has recently been devised. The technique, acronymed CWRD (cold window radical discharge), enables the isolation in rare gas matrixes of short-lived species like the p-dichlorobenzene cation radical. These species are formed within discharge plasmas, close to the trapping surface (Kolos 1995). 

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