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Complete fusion excitation functions for 11,10 B+ 159 Tb have been measured at energies around the respective Coulomb barriers, and the existing complete fusion measurements for 7 Li+ 159 Tb have been extended to higher energies. The measurements show significant reduction of complete fusion cross sections at above-barrier energies for both the reactions, 10 B+ 159 Tb and 7 Li+ 159 Tb, when compared to those for 11 B+ 159 Tb. The comparison shows that the extent of suppression of complete fusion cross sections is correlated with the α-separation energies of the projectiles. Also, the two reactions, 10 B+ 159 Tb and 7 Li+ 159 Tb were found to produce incomplete fusion products at energies near the respective Coulomb barriers, with the α-particle emitting channel being the favoured incomplete fusion process in both the cases.PACS number(s): 24.10. Eq, 25.70.Jj, 25.70.Pj, 25.70.Mn, 27.70.+q

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Microbiological and physico-chemical characteristics of tropical forest, grassland and cropfield soils from India were investigated. The study revealed that the conversion of natural forest led to a reduction of soil organic C (26-36%), total N (26-35%), total P (33-44%), microfungal biomass (44-66%) and total microbial biomass C, N and P (25-60%) over a period of 30-50 years. Comparative analysis of microbial activity in terms of basal soil respiration revealed maximum activity in the forest and minimum in the cropfield soil. Analysis of microbial metabolic respiratory activity (qCO2) indicated relatively greater respiratory loss of CO2-C per unit microbial biomass in cropfield and grassland than in forest soil. Considering the importance of the microbial component in soil, we conclude that the conversion of the tropical forest to different land uses leads to the loss of biological stability of the soil.

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The high spin states of 143 Sm have been studied by in-beam γ -spectroscopy following the reaction 130 Te( 20 Ne,7n) 143 Sm at E lab = 137 MeV, using a Clover detector array. More than 50 new gamma transitions have been placed above the previously known J π = 23/2 − , 30 ms isomer at 2795 keV. The level scheme of 143 Sm has been extended up to 12 MeV and spin-parity assignments have been made to most of the newly proposed level. Theoretical calculation with the relativistic mean field approach using blocked BCS method, has been performed. A sequence of levels connected by M1 transitions have been observed at an excitation energy ∼8.6 MeV. The sequence appears to be a magnetic rotational band from systematics.