magic! this does the trick:
expression(paste(italic(n)[symbol("\052")]))
thanks for the hint, ted!
--
Andrew B. Collier
Physicist
Waves and Space Plasmas Group
Hermanus Magnetic Observatory
Honorary Senior Lecturer tel: +27 31 2601157
Space Physics Research Institute fax: +27 31 2607795
University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa gsm: +27 83 3813655