Permeation flux of organic molecules through silica-surfactant nanochannels in a porous alumina membrane.

The permeation fluxes of phenol, benzene sulfonate (BS) and benzene disulfonate (BDS) through a porous anodic alumina membrane with the perpendicularly oriented silica-surfactant nanochannel assembly membrane (NAM) were measured in water-ethanol mixture media. The permeation flux depended on solute charges and on solvent composition. As the ethanol ratio increased, the fluxes of BS and BDS increased and the flux of phenol decreased. The results of extraction/elution experiments also depended on the solute charges and the solvent composition. Chromatographic experiments in n-hexane showed that dipole and hydrophobic interactions affect the retention of solutes. Permeation of the solute across the NAM in water-ethanol mixture is likely to be determined by various factors such as dipole interaction, hydrophobic interaction, solvation, and anion-exchange efficiencies.     

The Gradient Condition for One-Dimensional Symmetric Exclusion Processes

For every Gibbs measure on the one dimensional lattice Z with translation-invariant potential of finite range, an exchange rate for one-dimensional lattice gas which satisfy both the detailed balance condition relative to the Gibbs measure and the gradient condition is constructed.     

Absorption Coefficient Measurements of Strongly Scattering Media Using Time-Resolved Transmittance of a Short Pulse in Near-Infrared (NIR) Wavelength Range

Absorption coefficient measurements of strongly scattering and weakly absorbing media have been performed using time resolved transmittance of a 100 fs pulse through a 30 mm slab containing latex spheres suspended in water and absorbing ink solutions. The scattering and absorption coefficients were selected so that the optical properties of the media were similar to those of biological tissues. Measured curves of time-resolved transmittance of the pulse through the media were used to estimate the optical properties of the media. The experiment was made at two different wavelengths, 784 nm and 810 nm. Estimated absorption coefficients were in good agreement with those measured in a nonscattering case by a spectrophotometer.Presented at the 7th International Workshop on Multiple Scattering Lidar/Light Experiments (MUSCLE7), July 21-23 1994, Chiba, Japan.     

The oldest mid-oceanic carbonate buildup complex: Setting and lithofacies of the Vendian (Late Neoproterozoic) Baratal limestone in the Gorny Altai Mountains,Siberia

The Baratal limestone in the Gorny Altai Mountains, southern Siberia, occurs as large allochthonous blocks within a Cambrian accretionary complex that developed around the Siberia craton. Before the final accretion to Siberia in the Cambrian, the terrigenous clastic-free Baratal limestone was deposited directly upon a basaltic basement with a geochemical signature identical to that of modern oceanic plateau. The Baratal limestone with 598 ± 25 Ma (Early Vendian) Pb-Pb isochron age consists of three distinct facies; 1) massive lime mudstone with ooids and stromatolites, 2) bedded lime mudstone, and 3) limestone conglomerate/breccia dominated by ooid-bearing lime mudstone clasts. The first represents a shallow marine environment on top of an ancient oceanic plateau, while the latter two represent the deeper slope to bottom-of-slope facies of a plateau. The Vendian Baratal limestone provides the oldest example of a reconstructed shallow marine carbonate buildup complex developed on a plateau/seamount in a mid-ocean.     

Effective activation energy of 16MeV proton irradiated QMG-YBCO

Ion irradiation effects on improvement of flux-pinning properties for quenched and melt growth YBCO samples (QMG-materials) were studied. Irradiation with 16MeV protons was performed up to a dose of 1×10¹⁶ p/cm². The effective activation energies of vortices are expressed with the formula, U_eff=g(T)h(H)f(J) ∝ (J/J_c)^−∝* [1-(T/T_x)²]^2/3*H^−1/3 at lower irradiation doses below 5×10¹⁵ p/cm². The J-dependence of U_eff changes from power-law to quesi-exponential dependence with an increment of irradiation dose.     

Measurement of Fluorescence Quantum Yield of Ultraviolet-Absorbing Substance Extracted from Red Alga: Porphyra yezoensis and its Photothermal Spectroscopy

Optical properties of an ultraviolet-absorbing substance (UVAS) extracted from the marine red alga, Porphyra yezoensis, have been investigated. The substance is excited by UV light, and the emitted fluorescence is detected using an intelligent fluorescence detector. The fluorescence of UVAS is weaker by four orders of magnitude than the fluorescence intensity emitted by anthracene in the same optical system. The absorbed energy is apparently not transferred to the photosynthesis process and is believed to be consumed as heat. Using photothermal spectroscopy, a signal is observed indicating that the absorbed photon energy has transferred to the heat. The waveform of the photothermal signal of UVAS is similar to that of quinoxaline, whose fluorescence quantum yield is known to be zero. It is determined that the fluorescence quantum yield and the energy of the triplet state of UVAS are 1.7 ± 0.7 ± 10⁻⁴ and 21000 ± 1000 cm ⁻¹, respectively. The conclusion is that the excited molecules of UVAS decay by passing through the triplet state and dissipate all absorbed energy as heat.     

Analytical model of longitudinal tire traction in snow

An analytical model to estimate longitudinal traction of a tire in snow was developed and verified to have good predictability in comparison with measurements. Snow traction of a tire is composed of four kinds of forces in this model: braking force attributable to snow compression, shear force of snow in void (space between tread blocks), frictional force, and digging force (edge effect generated by sipes and blocks). The mechanical characteristics of snow were considered in the prediction of braking force and shear force, but were not considered in the prediction of other forces. The contribution of shear force of snow in void and the frictional force was large in static traction (traction just before a tire slips). On the other hand, the contributions of digging force and frictional force were large in situations involving high slip ratios.