ARDESIA: A fast silicon drift detector X-ray spectrometer for synchrotron applications

ARDESIA, a four-channel X-ray spectrometer based on silicon drift detectors (SDDs), is presented. It has been developed for synchrotron applications targeting especially X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) with good energy resolution at high count rates (a few Mcps per second). The main target applications are XRF and XAFS techniques. The system features a 2 × 2 monolithic array of 5-mm-pitch SDDs cooled with a double Peltier scheme and coupled to a four-channel CUBE charge preamplifier. Different digital pulse processors allowing operation in Mcps per second count rates are employed. The results of preliminary characterization measurements performed at both the LNF DAΦNE-Light DXR1 beamline and the ESRF LISA BM-08 are reported, in particular, XRF measurements on low atomic number elements (down to the Carbon K-line, 270 eV) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure of trace materials in pyrite.     

Twisted Lorentzian manifolds: a characterization with torse-forming time-like unit vectors

Robertson–Walker and generalized Robertson–Walker spacetimes may be characterized by the existence of a time-like unit torse-forming vector field, with other constrains. We show that Twisted manifolds may still be characterized by the existence of such (unique) vector field, with no other constrain. Twisted manifolds generalize RW and GRW spacetimes by admitting a scale function that depends both on time and space. We obtain the Ricci tensor, corresponding to the stress–energy tensor of an imperfect fluid.     

Dynamical iteration schemes for multiscale simulation in nanoelectronics

In this paper we present the spatial discretization of the thermal element model for coupled electrothermal simulation introduced in [1] with a suitable multiscale Finite Element scheme. The structure of the local matrices for the the thermal element is presented in detail and some preliminary numerical results are reported. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Random lasing in freely suspended dye-doped nematic liquid crystals

Random lasing in fully disordered systems having organic and inorganic nature has been the subject of extensive studies since the beginning of the past decade. The interest mainly emerges from the unexpected role played by disorder in the laser action. The disorder was considered detrimental for the optical feedback in cavity laser, until it was demonstrated that multiple-scattering materials including a gain medium act as random laser. Here, a completely new approach is reported, where freely suspended complex fluid films doped with fluorescent molecules under optical excitation generate narrowband lasing peaks. The constellation of localized modes is selected by properly choosing the gain profile. The idea to have laser action in absence of mirrors and boundaries realizes an unparalleled tunable and moldable laser source.     

Field-induced phases of an orientable charged particle in a dilute background of point charges

We report numerical simulations of a two-dimensional dynamical model comprised of a rodlike particle surrounded by a cloud of smaller particles of the same charge, in the presence of an alternating electric field inside a box. We show that this system displays a remarkable dynamical effect; at low forcing frequencies the rod tends to align perpendicularly to the external field, whereas for higher field frequencies the standard orientation (parallel to the field) prevails. Interestingly, the transition between orientations is abrupt enough to resemble a phase transition. The fact that the "anomalous" orientation (perpendicular to the field) takes place is also interesting in the light of some recent laboratory experiments on colloidal solutions, where anomalous orientation at low frequencies was observed. Our toy model suggests that future physically realistic simulations of these systems should explore whether the anomalous orientation may be due to the collective dynamics of the colloidal particles, without necessarily involving more sophisticated electro-osmotic effects.     

Onset of diffusive behavior in confined transport systems

We investigate the onset of diffusive behavior in polygonal channels for disks of finite size, modeling simple microporous membranes. It is well established that the point-particle case displays anomalous transport, because of slow correlation decay in the absence of defocusing collisions. We investigate which features of point-particle transport survive in the case of finite-sized particles (which undergo defocusing collisions). A similar question was investigated by Lansel, Porter, and Bunimovich [Chaos 16, 013129 (2006)], who found that certain integrals of motion and multiple ergodic components, characteristic of the point-particle case, remain in "mushroom"-like systems with few finite-sized particles. We quantify the time scales over which the transport of disks shows features typical of the point particles, or is driven toward diffusive behavior. In particular, we find that interparticle collisions drive the system toward diffusive behavior more strongly than defocusing boundary collisions. We illustrate how, and at what stage, typical thermodynamic behavior (consistent with kinetic theory) is observed, as particle numbers grow and mean free paths diminish. These results have both applied (e.g., nanotechnological) and theoretical interest.     

LQG vertex with finite Immirzi parameter

We extend the definition of the “flipped” loop-quantum-gravity vertex to the case of a finite Immirzi parameter γ. We cover both the Euclidean and Lorentzian cases. We show that the resulting dynamics is defined on a Hilbert space isomorphic to the one of loop quantum gravity, and that the area operator has the same discrete spectrum as in loop quantum gravity. This includes the correct dependence on γ, and, remarkably, holds in the Lorentzian case as well. The ad hoc flip of the symplectic structure that was required to derive the flipped vertex is not anymore required for finite γ. These results establish a bridge between canonical loop quantum gravity and the spinfoam formalism in four dimensions.     

Transient analysis of boiling heat transfer in periodic drying out miniature pools

The evolution of the two-phase thermal control technique is moving in the direction of the use of devices which operate in stable periodic or chaotic unsteady regimes. In these devices the heat transfer coefficient relative to the evaporator walls therefore changes over time and it is hardly predictable, especially in the case of boiling regime. This paper deals with the analysis of the boiling coefficient evolutions over time during the operations of a thermal control devices which periodically operates, the Periodic Two-Phase Thermosyphon (PTPT). An experimental technique for measuring the transient boiling heat transfer coefficient in a thick flat evaporator is shown.     

Fuzzy-based robust structural optimization

Robust optimization is conventionally defined as the collection of the possible problem solutions that can ensure acceptable performances and sufficient immunity against the effects of uncertain parameter variability. Methods proposed until now use a probabilistic way to model uncertainty and to quantify the final sensitivity. In this work, a fuzzy uncertainty modellization is adopted for structural engineering. In particular, to define solution performance scattering, the fuzzy entropy is used as a global measure of variable dispersion. The final formulation of the problem deals with two antithetical objective functions, the fuzzy expected value of structural performance and its fuzzy entropy. This fuzzy-based approach in robust design is able to give a set of Pareto optimal solutions in terms of structural efficiency and sensitivities regarding uncertainty, and represents a suitable tool in supporting the decision maker. Finally, different applications have been developed to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method.     

On the effect of catalyst status in the quantitative determination of platinum in Pt-Sn/MgO materials

The development of an analytical method for the determination of platinum in MgO based Pt/Sn catalysts is described. Electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy (ETAAS) was chosen because of its high sensitivity and robustness against spectral interferences. All the sources of chemical interferences were statistically analyzed and corrections were adopted for the presence of magnesium oxide support. The effectiveness of different mineralization procedures was critically evaluated as a function of the chemical of the solid catalyst. Microwave digestion allowed recovery of metal of 100% for all the catalysts analyzed and exhibited significant better precision values than other digestion methods, which could nevertheless be utilized under proper conditions in selected cases. Received: 31 July 2000 / Revised: 17 October 2000 / Accepted: 24 October 2000