Thermal analysis and X-ray studies of chiral ferroelectric liquid crystalline materials and their binary mixtures

Summary Thermal properties of a homologous series of ferroelectric liquid crystals S-(-)-[4-(2-n-alkoxy-propionyloxy)]biphenyl-4'-[n-alkoxy-(3,5-dimethyl)]benzoate have been investigated by polarizing optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The mesophases were identified and confirmed by X-ray too. Three binary mixtures were prepared from the individual homologues. In one of the mixtures (Mix1), the ferroelectric SmC* phase has broadened and became enantiotropic. This mesophase remained monotropic in the other two mixtures (Mix2, Mix3). The chiral nematic N* phase did not appear in Mix1, but remained monotropic for the other two mixtures. Two molecular parameters, the layer spacing and the average intermolecular distance have been calculated from the X-ray results for the homologues and their mixtures. An intercalated tail-to-tail packing of molecules was found both in the single compounds and their mixtures resulting in the layer spacing about half of the molecular length of the single compounds.     

Density of states for intermediate valence and Kondo systems

We calculate the density of states for the nondegenerate Anderson model for various values ofu=U/ andn _f using the perturbation theory withu as the expansion parameter. Summing all the -independent self-energy diagrams, we use the Friedel sum rule and Ward identities to express the physical quantities in terms of the remaining -dependent part of the self-energy, which we evaluate to the 2nd order. The results for the spin and charge susceptibilities obtained in such a way compare rather well with the Bethe-ansatz results. The density of states exhibits different features in different parts of the parameter space. In Kondo region (u>1,n _f 1, i.e., – _f ~U/2), we obtain a many-body resonance (half-width T _K ) around the Fermi level and two broad peaks () at about _f +n _f U and _f +U. In the VF region (u>1, and | _f |) we obtain only two peaks (), one at about _f and one between _f +n _f U and _f +U. The consequences regarding the shape of the photoemission and inverse photoemission spectra of Ce intermetallics are discussed.     

The elliptical gaussian wave transformation due to diffraction by an elliptical hologram

Realized as an interferogram of a spherical and a cylindrical wave, the elliptical hologram is treated as a plane diffracting grating which produces Fresnel diffraction of a simple astigmatic gaussian incident wave. It is shown that if the principal axes of the incident beam coincide with the principal axes of the hologram, the diffracted wave field is composed of three different astigmatic gaussian waves, with their waists situated in parallel but distinct planes. The diffraction pattern, observed on a transverse screen, is the result of the interference of the three diffracted wave components. It consists of three systems of overlapped second-order curves, whose shape depends on the distance of the observation screen from the hologram, as well as on the parameters of the incident wave beam and the hologram. The results are specialized for gratings in the form of circular and linear holograms and for the case of a stigmatic gaussian incident wave, as well as for the normal plane-wave incidence on the three mentioned types of hologram.     

Analytical Detectors Based on Microplasma Spectrometry

Miniaturizing all dimensions of apparatus, such as electronics and computers, is the current trend followed by scientists in various fields. The idea of Lab-on-a-Chip has significantly expanded and found its broad applications in analytical chemistry. Microplasmas can act as a sample excitation source and are the miniaturized versions of full-sized plasmas. These can be created in various forms, such as direct current, microwave induced, capacitively coupled and inductively coupled plasmas. Scaling down the size would reduce the amount of gases, liquids and consumables required, as well as the sample analysis time, which in turn would decrease the operating costs. Therefore, several research groups are involved in the development of microplasmas for utilisation in analytical instruments.     

Spektroskopische Untersuchungen der Metallkomplexe des 2,5-Dibenzoyl-3,4-dihydroxyselenophens

Zusammenfassung Eine Reihe von Metallkomplexen des 2,5-Dibenzoyl-3,4-dihydroxy-selenophens wurden spektroskopisch untersucht. Das Verhalten des Wismutkomplexes und die Möglichkeiten einer spektrophotometrischen Wismutbestimmung auf diesem Wege wurden eingehend studiert.

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Summary A spectroscopic examination was made of a series of metal complexes of 2,5-dibenzoyl-3,4-dihydroxyselenophen. The behavior of the bismuth complex and the possibilities of a spectrophotometric method of determining bismuth in this manner were studied thoroughly.

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Herrn Univ.-Prof. Dr.Hans Lieb zum 80. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Underwater sediment analyses by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy and calibration procedure for fluctuating plasma parameters

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) was applied on sediments directly under water. The aim of the research was to develop a method for measuring the sediment elemental composition, including minor elements, which could be implemented in-situ. The plasma was generated by a double-pulse, Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser operated at 1064 nm. For signal detection, both ICCD and non-gated, compact detectors were used. The major difficulties in underwater sediment analyses are related to the natural and laser induced surface roughness, and to the sample softness. The latter is responsible for the formation of particle clouds above the surface, which scatter both the laser and plasma radiation, and often results in breakdown formation above the analyzed surface. In such cases, a broad sonoluminescence emission from water, formed during the gas bubble collapse was sometimes registered. Under optimized experimental conditions, even by using a non-gated detector and single shot acquisition, it was possible to detect several minor sediment constituents, such as titanium, barium, manganese and others. A crude estimation of the Limit of Detection (LODs) for these elements was performed by underwater measurements on certified soils/sediments. Due to strong shot-to-shot fluctuations in the plasma temperature, well correlated calibration curves, aimed for quantitative analyses, could only be obtained after applying an appropriate data processing procedure. The latter selects automatically only the spectra characterized by similar plasma parameters, which are related to their continuum spectral distribution. Application of such a procedure improves the measurement accuracy also in other surroundings and on samples different from the ones analyzed here.     

Contamination level of Danube river sediments

The paper presents a survey of the contamination level of the Danube river sediments along its course, between 849 km and 1162 km, during the period 1985–1988. Sampling was performed on several locations in the seasons with extreme hydrological conditions (spring, autumn).     

Surface recombination in breakdown time delay experiments: Effect of different cathode materials

The late afterglow in nitrogen with iron electrode is studied by the breakdown time delay method, i.e., by measuring the breakdown time delay t_d as a function of the afterglow time . It is proposed that the cause of the secondary electrons initiating the breakdown is the energy of the surface recombination of nitrogen atoms on the iron electrode. The gas-phase and macrokinetic diffusive models are used to describe the experimental breakdown time delay data. By fitting the theoretical curve to the experimental data: (1) it has been confirmed that the recombination on the molybdenum glass is of the second order and the value of the surface recombination coefficient is determined at 4 mbar; (2) it has been shown that the surface recombination on the iron electrode is of the second order, and the effective recombination coefficients are determined; (3) the analytical form of the recombination coefficient as a function of the adsorption characteristics of surfaces and the pressure of the parent gas has been derived. In addition, the orders of surface recombination on the molybdenum-, aluminum-, and gold-plated electrode were determined by the same method.