Surface effects in field-induced smectic transitions

We study the surface behavior of a semi-infinite smectogenic sample bounded by a solid wall, in the presence of an external electric field. Our analysis is performed in the framework of a Landau-de Gennes theory. For the sake of simplicity, we consider only the case in which, in the absence of field and surfaces, a direct isotropic to smectic-A transition occurs, while in the presence of the electric field a nonspontaneous nematic phase appears. Two new surface phases are identified, namely a parasmectic and a surface-induced smectic phase. The shifts in the transition temperatures and the critical behavior of the surface states are analyzed. Received: 25 August 1997 / Accepted: 23 January 1998     

Rheological behaviour and shear thickening exhibited by aqueous CTAB micellar solutions

In this experimental work we carefully investigate the rheological behaviour and in particular the shear thickening exhibited by aqueous micellar solutions of CTAB with NaSal as added counterion. We are particularly interested in the evolution of the critical shear rate (at which shear thickening occurs) versus C _D , the surfactant concentration. We show that , at fixed salt concentration C _S , increases with C _D following a power law evolution with a positive exponent of + 5.8. On the other hand we show that if the ratio C _D / C _S is fixed, decreases with C _D with a negative exponent of -2.0. Nevertheless investigations of the zero shear viscosity indicate that in all situations (implying variation of the surfactant concentration C _D , or the salt concentration C _S or the temperature) is a decreasing function of the length of the micelles. All these evolutions are compatible with a gelation mechanism which could possibly be associated with entanglement effects of large interacting flowing structures. Received: 3 March 1998 / Revised: 16 June 1998 / Accepted: 3 July 1998     

Microscopic conditions favoring itinerant ferromagnetism: Hund's rule coupling and orbital degeneracy

The importance of Hund's rule coupling for the stabilization of itinerant ferromagnetism is investigated within a two-band Hubbard model. The magnetic phase diagram is calculated by finite-temperature quantum Monte-Carlo simulations within the dynamical mean-field theory. Ferromagnetism is found in a broad range of electron fillings whereas antiferromagnetism exists only near half filling. The possibility of orbital ordering at quarter filling is also analyzed. Received: 26 February 1998 / Accepted: 17 April 1998     

Magnetic order in LaEuSrCuO studied [2pt] by Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy

⁵⁷Fe M?ssbauer effect studies of La_1.65Eu_0.20Sr_0.15CuO₄ doped with 0.5 at% ⁵⁷Fe performed in the temperature region 300 K > T > 4.2 K give an onset temperature for magnetic ordering of K. This temperature practically is the same as that found in Nd doped La_2-xSr_xCuO₄. It indicates that the magnetic ordering temperature in the LTT phase of rare earth (RE) doped La_2-xSr_xCuO₄ is independent of the RE moment. The direction of the ⁵⁷Fe magnetic moment in the magnetically ordered state is within the CuO₂ plane, while it has been found to be parallel to the c-axis in Nd doped La_2-xSr_xCuO₄. Received: 23 June 1998 / Accepted: 14 July 1998     

“String” formulation of the dynamics of the forward interest rate curve

We propose a formulation of the term structure of interest rates in which the forward curve is seen as the deformation of a string. We derive the general condition that the partial differential equations governing the motion of such string must obey in order to account for the condition of absence of arbitrage opportunities. This condition takes a form similar to a fluctuation-dissipation theorem, albeit on the same quantity (the forward rate), linking the bias to the covariance of variation fluctuations. We provide the general structure of the models that obey this constraint in the framework of stochastic partial (possibly non-linear) differential equations. We derive the general solution for the pricing and hedging of interest rate derivatives within this framework, albeit for the linear case (we also provide in the appendix a simple and intuitive derivation of the standard European option problem). We also show how the “string” formulation simplifies into a standard N-factor model under a Galerkin approximation. Received: 30 January 1998 / Revised: 12 February 1998 / Accepted: 16 February 1998     

Fluoride-assisted trifluoromethylation of aromatic thiones with (trifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane

In the presence of a stoichiometric amount of Bu₄NF·3H₂O, (trifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane reacts with aromatic thiones in both thiophilic and carbophilic ways to deliver, in medium yield, a mixture of (trifluoromethylthio)diarylmethane and 1,1-diaryl-2,2,2-trifluoroethanethiol, the former product being the major one.     

The Essential Component of the Solution Set for Vector Equilibrium Problems

In the paper, by using Ky Fan’s section theorem, we obtain an existence theorem for vector equilibrium problems. Motivated by the ideas of Kinoshita and McLennan, we introduce the concept of the essential component of the solution set for vector equilibrium problems, and we prove that there exists at least one essential component of the solution set for every vector equilibrium problem satisfying some conditions. Research was partially supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, P. R. China.     

Products of compact filters and applications to classical product theorems

Two results on product of compact filters are shown to be the common principle behind a surprisingly large number of theorems.     

用分光光度法测定蜂胶超临界CO2萃取物中总黄酮含量

利用碱性条件下黄酮与Al3 生成粉红色络合物在可见光区510 nm处有最大吸收的特性,以芦丁为标样,采用分光光度法测定蜂胶超临界CO2萃取物中总黄酮含量,并与HPLC标准方法测定结果进行比较,发现各平行样的测定结果基本一致,最大偏差为268.38 mg/100 g,最小偏差为52.77 mg/100 g.该法简便快捷,结果相对准确,可作为蜂胶超临界CO2萃取物中总黄酮含量快速评估的一种方法.     

On Ramsey numbers of uniform hypergraphs with given maximum degree

For every ?>0 and every positive integers Δ and r, there exists C=C(?,Δ,r) such that the Ramsey number, R(H,H) of any r-uniform hypergraph H with maximum degree at most Δ is at most C|V(H)|^1+?.