DOMAINS OF SOLVATED IONS IN AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS, THEIR CHARACTERISTICS AND IMPACT ON ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY: THEORY AND EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE

In this paper, we identify a yet unreported, quantum-electro-dynamic (QED) interactions induced, self-organization in aqueous solutions. We show that its characteristics conform to hitherto unexplained experimental findings, reported in the literature. Specifically, our analysis shows: (a) Solvated ions may organize into micrometer (μm) sized domains, wherein the plasma oscillations of identical ions are in-phase. (b) These liquid domains have a crystalline-like lattice structure. (c) For salt solutions, for concentrations C below a solute specific transition concentration C trans , the ions organize into the "in-phase" domains. For C larger than C trans , domains form wherein the plasma oscillations of the solvated ions are just coherent. Previous studies provided theoretical and experimental evidence for the "coherent" domains. However, they did not show that the "coherent" domains only exist for C > C trans . Typically, at room temperature and pressure, C trans is about 10-4 M or below. (d) At C trans , the molar electric conductivity sharply changes, i.e. for C < C trans , the slope of the molar electric conductivity dependence on concentration is several times larger than for C > C trans .

Ionization potentials and Lamb shifts of the ground states of 4 He and 3 He

In order to obtain an experimental value for the Lamb shift of the ground state of helium it is necessary to determine a very precise value for the ionization potential. For this pur­pose the wavelengths of the far ultra-violet lines 584·3 (1 1 S -2 1 P ), 537·0 (1 1 S -3 1 P ) and 591·4 Å (1 1 S -2 3 P 1 ) of 4 He have been redetermined with much improved accuracy and those of 3 He have been measured for the first time. The standards used were lines of C + and A + in the region 610 to 520 Å which were derived by means of the combination principle from lines at longer wavelengths. The final results for the wavelengths of the 4 He lines are 584·3339, 537·0293 and 591·4121 Å with an estimated accuracy of ± 0·0005 Å. For 3 He the corresponding figures, obtained by adding the measured shifts to the 4 He wavelengths, are 584·3640, 537·0577 and 591·4466 Å. The term values of the upper states of these lines relative to the ionization limit have been redetermined by a new measurement of the Bergman series 3 3 D – n 3 F , of the intercombination lines 2 3 P –3 1 D and 2 1 P –3 3 D and a remeasurement of the near ultra-violet 2 1 P – n 1 D and 2 3 P – n 3 D series. Combining these results with those of the far ultra-violet lines the following values for the ionization potentials of 4 He and 3 He are obtained: I. P. ( 4 He) = 198310·8 2 ± 0·15 cm -1 , I. P. ( 3 He) = 198300·3 2 ± 0·15 cm -1 . The isotope shift of the ground state, 10·50 ± 0·05 cm -1 , agrees closely with the theoretical prediction. Experimental values for the Lamb shift are obtained by comparing the observed ioniza­tion potentials with those obtained from the Dirac theory not including quantum electro-dynamic effects. Using Kinoshita’s 39-parameter value, one finds a Lamb shift of —0·7 9 and —0·8 2 ± 0·15 cm -1 for 4 He and 3 He, respectively. [ Added in proof : Using Pekeris’s 203-parameter value one finds —1·1 9 and —1·2 3 cm -1 , respectively.] The value predicted by Kabir, Salpeter & Sucher is —1·3 3 ± 0·2 cm -1 .