Chain orientation in polystyrene/poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) blends

The differential orientation of polymer chains has been measured in polystyrene (PS)/poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) compatible blends. Density measurements are reported as a function of binary blend composition at 23°C. Drawing was performed by solid-state coextrusion. PS/PPO blend compositions of 90/10 and 75/25 were drawn within sandwiches of polyethylene at 145°C and isotactic polypropylene at 155°C, i.e. at ca. 25°C above the glass transition temperatures of the two blends. The change in Fourier-transform infrared dichroisms on drawing these blends was measured at 906 and 1190 cm^?1, corresponding to predominantly PS and PPO, respectively. The orientation of PS and PPO was observed as a function of draw ratio λ in the range 1–5; orientations increased with λ for both PS and PPO in both blends but to different degrees. Both polymers decreased in orientation with increasing PPO content. Annealing with fixed ends showed that the PPO chains disorient more slowly than those of PS. All binary systems were found to be amorphous and compatible.     

Endor of a dislocation center in a deformed silicon

We present the first ENDOR measurements on dislocations in silicon, which measurements directly show the extended nature of the electron wave function on the dislocation.     

On a Berry-Esseen theorem for compound Poisson processes

The well-known Berry-Esseen theorem concerning the rate of convergence to a stable law for a sum of independent identically distributed (i.i.d.) random variables is adapted to the case of a compound Poisson process, considered in the collective risk theory. As a consequence the rate of convergence of the Edgeworth expansion to the compound Poisson distribution is examined for all positive values of the time variable, in both cases where the moments of the claim distribution converge or diverge. As a by product the results obtained by T. Höglund [1] concerning the sum of a fixed number (n) of i.i.d. random variables are presented in an alternative manner. His theorems concerning the limiting behaviour for n → ∞ can be transformed slightly in order to make them hold for all n. It is explained how the result on the estimation of the rate of convergence in a limit theorem with a stable law fits with the results obtained by K.I. Satyabaldina [2].     

Anionic polymerization of methacrylonitrile—II.: Polymerization with 1,1-diphenyl-n-hexyllithium and sec-butyllithium as initiators

The anionic polymerization of methacrylonitrile has been investigated at ?75° in toluene with 1,1-diphenyl-n-hexyllithium and sec-butyllithium as initiators. With both initiators, initiation was fast and no unreacted initiator was left. The efficiency was much higher for 1,1-diphenyl-n-hexyllithium than for sec-butyllithium probably for steric reasons. With both initiators, a second order dependence on initiator was found. To check that this is not an artifact resulting from measurements in a medium starting to gel at a point which is difficult to detect precisely, kinetic measurements were also carried out with 2-polystyryl-l,l-diphenylethyllithium as an initiator. Second order kinetics were again obtained; the propagation rate constants, taking into account the efficiencies of initiators, were the same within experimental error for all three initiators. Viscosity measurements performed on a methacrylonitrile “capped” 2-polystyryl-l,l-diphenylethyllithium initiator showed the living polymethacrylonitrile chains to be associated.     

Nonisothermal model of asymmetric fluids

Several studies have been devoted to the investigation of the properties of fluid models with asymmetric stress tensors [1–5].In the following we consider the peculiarities of the Grad nonisothermal model [1]. It is shown that for the case of a nonuniform temperature field in a fluid in the general case there is an intersection of the thermal flux with the moment stress flux. Account for the flux intersection leads to change of the moment of momentum and specific entropy equations.In those cases when the physical characteristics of the medium in the flow region may be considered constant, the flux intersection may influence the fluid flow only through the boundary conditions.Thus, for example, the asymmetric moment stresses created by the temperature gradient will drive a fluid layer into motion if one of the layer surfaces is free.     

A “4π-type” study of the reaction p(d,pp)n at Ed = 26.5 MeV

Experimental data on the three-nucleon reaction p(d, pp)n at E_d = 26.5 MeV obtained with the multidetector system BOL, covering most of the phase space, are presented. The data are compared with Faddeev calculations using a local S-wave potential for the nucleon-nucleon interaction. The calculated cross sections, which are in general not sensitive to the precise choice of the nucleon-nucleon potential, agree well with the data over the major part of phase space. We have, though, discovered a region in phase space with a strong discrepancy. In the same region, around a neutron c.m. angle of 140°, the calculations are sensitive to the N-N potential. Theoretical and experimental angular distributions in the p-n recoil c.m. subsystem for proton- neutron energies below 0.5 MeV agree in absolute magnitude, both being isotropic. For larger relative energies, a discrepancy develops, part of which might be related to missing higher par- tial wave components in the N-N interaction, rather than to Coulomb or S-wave scattering effects. The total breakup cross section has been deduced from the data as 169 ± 36 mb.     

On the magnetic threshold for the alignment of a twisted nematic crystal

A computation of the capacitance and the optical transmission between parallel polarizers of a twisted nematic liquid crystal in a magnetic field shows that the “optical threshold” occurs at a higher value of the field strength than the “capacitive threshold”.