An efficient Schottky-varactor frequency multiplier at millimeter waves. Part IV. Quintupler

The multiplication efficiency of a millimeter-wave Schottky-varactor quintupler with fixed idler terminations was studied. The highest efficiency measured was 4.2% at 168 GHz with 10 mW input power and 3.3% with 40 mW input power. Over the range from 165 GHz to 170 GHz the output power was 0.7–1.3 mW withp _in =40 mW.     

A twisted Laurent series ring that is a noncrossed product

The striking results on noncrossed products were their existence (Amitsur [1]) and the determination of ℚ(t) and ℚ((t)) as their smallest possible centres (Brussel [3]). This paper gives the first fully explicit noncrossed product example over ℚ((t)). As a consequence, the use of deep number theoretic theorems (local-global principles such as the Hasse norm theorem and density theorems) in order to prove existence is eliminated. Instead, the example can be verified by direct calculations. The noncrossed product proof is short and elementary. Supported in part by the DAAD (Kennziffer D/02/00701).     

Uncertainties in measured and modelled asymmetry parameters of mineral dust aerosols

The error caused by the uncertainty in the refractive index in the determination of the asymmetry parameter g is studied for a variety of mineral dust aerosol samples at two different optical wavelengths. Lorenz–Mie computations for spherical model particles are compared with results based on laboratory-measured phase functions in conjunction with a commonly used extrapolation method. The difference between the g-value based on measurements and the g-value based on Lorenz–Mie simulations is generally on the same order of magnitude as the error caused by the uncertainty in the refractive index m. For larger effective radii the error in g related to the use of spherical model particles is even larger than that related to the uncertainty in m. This indicates that the use of spherical model particles can be among the major error sources in the determination of the asymmetry parameter of dust aerosols.     

High‐molar‐mass polypropene with tunable elastic properties by hafnocene/borate catalysts

Elastic polypropene has gained growing industrial and academic interest as a thermoplastic elastomer. In this study, “rac”‐ and “meso”‐dimethylsilyl(3‐benzylindenyl)(2‐methylindenyl)hafnium dichloride complexes (Hfr and Hfm, respectively), activated with [NHMe₂Ph][B(C₆F₅)₄]/triisobutyl aluminum, were used in propene polymerization. Using these catalyst systems, we obtained polymers with high molar masses, up to 550 kg/mol, and moderate isotacticities between 34 and 52%. By varying the polymerization conditions, we could modify the polymer microstructure and molar mass. ¹³C NMR was used to calculate the polymer pentad sequence distributions. The crystalline parts of the polymers were analyzed with the differential scanning calorimetry successive self‐nucleation and annealing (SSA) technique. The SSA thermograms revealed that Hfr produced polypropene with a more uniform lamellar structure than Hfm. The mechanical properties were tested with dynamic mechanical analysis creep‐recovery tests. In the series, the polymers with the lowest isotacticities and therefore lowest crystallinities showed the best elastic properties. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4743–4751, 2006     

Positive definiteness in the numerical solution of Riccati differential equations

Summary. In this work we address the issue of integrating symmetric Riccati and Lyapunov matrix differential equations. In many cases -- typical in applications -- the solutions are positive definite matrices. Our goal is to study when and how this property is maintained for a numerically computed solution. There are two classes of solution methods: direct and indirect algorithms. The first class consists of the schemes resulting from direct discretization of the equations. The second class consists of algorithms which recover the solution by exploiting some special formulae that these solutions are known to satisfy. We show first that using a direct algorithm -- a one-step scheme or a strictly stable multistep scheme (explicit or implicit) -- limits the order of the numerical method to one if we want to guarantee that the computed solution stays positive definite. Then we show two ways to obtain positive definite higher order approximations by using indirect algorithms. The first is to apply a symplectic integrator to an associated Hamiltonian system. The other uses stepwise linearization. Received April 21, 1993     

Anomalous capacitance of quantum well double-barrier diodes

The S-parameters of several different quantum well double barrier diodes have been measured. A technique has been developed for measuring whisker contacted diodes with and HP 8510B automatic network analyzer. Special coaxial mounts using K-connectors were designed to enable measurements up to 20 GHz. The voltage-dependent conductance and capacitance were derived from the measured reflection coefficient of each device. The C/V characteristics were observed to exhibit an anomalous increase at voltages corresponding the the negative differential resistance region (NDR). These are the first reported S-parameter measurements in the negative differential resistance region of quantum well double barrier diodes. A theory is presented that explains, in part, the observed results.     

Quadratic data envelopment analysis

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) offers a piece-wise linear approximation of the production frontier. The approximation tends to be poor if the true frontier is not concave, eg in case of economies of scale or of specialisation. To improve the flexibility of the DEA frontier and to gain in empirical fit, we propose to extend DEA towards a more general piece-wise quadratic approximation, called Quadratic Data Envelopment Analysis (QDEA). We show that QDEA gives statistically consistent estimates for all production frontiers with bounded Hessian eigenvalues. Our Monte-Carlo simulations suggest that QDEA can substantially improve efficiency estimation in finite samples relative to standard DEA models.     

Pentakis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl, a sterically crowded and electron-withdrawing group: synthesis and acidity of pentakis(trifluoromethyl)benzene, -toluene, -phenol, and -aniline

A general route to functionalized pentakis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl (C6(CF3)5) derivatives, promising building blocks for designing novel stable carbenes, radical species, superacids, weakly coordinating anions and other practically and theoretically useful species, is presented. This pertrifluoromethylation route proceeds via conveniently pregenerated (trifluoromethyl)copper (CF3Cu) species in DMF, stabilized by addition of 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone (DMI). These species react with hexaiodobenzene at ambient temperature to give the potassium pentakis(trifluoromethyl)phenoxide along with hexakis(trifluoromethyl)benzene and pentakis(trifluoromethyl)benzene in a combined yield of 80%. A possible reaction pathway explaining the formation of pentakis(trifluoromethyl)phenoxide is proposed. Pentakis(trifluoromethyl)phenol gives rise to easily functionalized pentakis(trifluoromethyl)chlorobenzene and pentakis(trifluoromethyl)aniline. Pertrifluoromethylation of pentaiodochlorobenzene and pentaiodotoluene allows straightforward access to pentakis(trifluoromethyl)chlorobenzene and pentakis(trifluoromethyl)toluene, respectively. XRD structures of several C6(CF3)5 derivatives were determined and compared with the calculated structures. Due to the steric crowding the aromatic rings in all C6(CF3)5 derivatives are significantly distorted. The gas-phase acidities (Delta Gacid) and pKa values in different solvents (acetonitrile (AN), DMSO, water) for the title compounds and a number of related compounds have been measured. The origin of the acidifying effect of the C6(CF3)5 group has been explored using the isodesmic reactions approach.     

Versatile wet-chemical synthesis of non-agglomerated CaCO3 vaterite nanoparticles

Calcium carbonate (vaterite) nanoparticles of 20-60 nm size were obtained without stabilizing tensides by heating a dispersion of calcium bicarbonate (CaHCO(3)) in ethylene glycol for 30 minutes at 40 to 100 °C.