One and two hydrogen atom migrations in the retro-diels-alder fragmentation of norbornene and bicyclo [2.2.2] octene derivatives under electron impact

Norbornene derivatives with one or two carbonyl-containing substituents at positions 5 and 6 (anhydrides, esters, amides, cyclic ketones) undergo an electron impact induced rerro-Diels-Alder fragmentation accompanied by the migration of one hydrogen atom (RDA + H) giving rise to the [dienophile + H]⁺ ions. Bicyclo[2.2.2]octene derivatives substituted at C(5) and C(6) by a ring with two carbonyl groups (anhydrides, imides, diketones) undergo an RDA fragmentation accompanied by the transfer of two hydrogen atoms (RDA + 2H). Bicyclo[2.2.2]octene 5,6-diesters undergo both the RDA + H and RDA + 2H fragmentations, and the relative abundance of the resulting [dienophile + H]⁺ and [dienophile + 2H]⁺˙ ions is strongly affected by configuration.     

Dynamical symmetries in Kondo tunneling through complex quantum dots

Kondo tunneling reveals hidden SO(n) dynamical symmetries of evenly occupied quantum dots. As is exemplified for an experimentally realizable triple quantum dot in parallel geometry, the possible values n=3,4,5,7 can be easily tuned by gate voltages. Following construction of the corresponding o(n) algebras, scaling equations are derived and Kondo temperatures are calculated. The symmetry group for a magnetic field induced anisotropic Kondo tunneling is SU(2) or SO(4).     

New spin-orbit-induced universality class in the integer quantum Hall regime

Using heuristic arguments and numerical simulations it is argued that the critical exponent nu describing the localization length divergence at the integer quantum-Hall transition is modified in the presence of spin-orbit scattering with short-range correlations. The exponent is very close to nu=4/3, the percolation correlation length exponent, consistent with the prediction of a semiclassical argument. In addition, a band of weakly localized states is conjectured.     

Efficient design of freight train operation with double-hump yards

This work provides a new methodology to solve the rail freight train service design problem, with the following distinctive characteristics: (1) service costs, traveling distances and capacities of different service paths in each double-hump yard are explicitly considered; and (2) the direction of train service movement through double-hump yards are determined. The problem is formulated as integer programming, aiming at minimizing the total cost of cumulative train service cost, service cost and distance-driven cost. Three examples of different scales are solved using tabu search algorithm. The results and process of the algorithm, compared with exact solutions determined by the ILOG Cplex software, demonstrate high computational efficiency and solution quality. A small- and a large-scale case study in China are used to examine the model. The results show that the methodology used could save between 8.3 and 40% of the number of shifted service cars compared with the best-known published model.     

Abandonment versus blocking in many-server queues: asymptotic optimality in the QED regime

We consider a controlled queueing system of the $G/M/n/B+GI$ G / M / n / B + G I type, with many servers and impatient customers. The queue-capacity $B$ B is the control process. Customers who arrive at a full queue are blocked and customers who wait too long in the queue abandon. We study the tradeoff between blocking and abandonment, with cost accumulated over a random, finite time-horizon, which yields a queueing control problem (QCP). In the many-server quality and efficiency-driven (QED) regime, we formulate and solve a diffusion control problem (DCP) that is associated with our QCP. The DCP solution is then used to construct asymptotically optimal controls (of the threshold type) for QCP. A natural motivation for our QCP is telephone call centers, hence the QED regime is natural as well. QCP then captures the tradeoff between busy signals and customer abandonment, and our solution specifies an asymptotically optimal number of trunk-lines.     

Rational Abandonment from Tele-Queues: Nonlinear Waiting Costs with Heterogeneous Preferences

We consider the modelling of abandonment from a queueing system by impatient customers. Within the proposed model, customers act rationally to maximise a utility function that weights service utility against expected waiting cost. Customers are heterogeneous, in the sense that their utility function parameters may vary across the customer population. The queue is assumed invisible to waiting customers, who do not obtain any information regarding their standing in the queue during their waiting period. Such circumstances apply, for example, in telephone centers or other remote service facilities, to which we refer as tele-queues. We analyse this decision model within a multi-server queue with impatient customers, and seek to characterise the Nash equilibria of this system. These equilibria may be viewed as stable operating points of the system, and determine the customer abandonment profile along with other system-wide performance measures. We provide conditions for the existence and uniqueness of the equilibrium, and suggest procedures for its computation. We also suggest a notion of an equilibrium based on sub-optimal decisions, the myopic equilibrium, which enjoys favourable analytical properties. Some concrete examples are provided to illustrate the modelling approach and analysis. The present paper supplements previous ones which were restricted to linear waiting costs or homogeneous customer population.     

Reflection at a complex potential barrier in the semiclassical theory of scattering

The reflection of spherical waves at a complex potential barrier is discussed in the semiclassical approximation. We study the complex WKB method and the Uniform Approximation in the special case of weakly absorptive barriers, typical of surface transparent optical potentials used in heavy-ion reactions. It is found that the complex WKB results lead to a very accuratecross- section despite their inaccuracy in the most importantphase shifts. Thereby, the amazing stamina of the WKB has been confirmed once more. One of us (Y.A.) spent the summer of 1976 at the Max-Planck Institute at Heidelberg where the present work has been done. He would like to thank J. Hüfner and H. Weidenmüller for the hospitality extended to him.     

The three-nucleon problems with weak NN interaction

We consider the three-nucleon system in which each two-nucleon pair interacts both strongly and weakly. The strong part is assumed to be separable but an addition of small non-separable term is possible. The weak two-nucleon interaction (which is absolutely non-separable) is assumed to be given in terms of its partial wave components in momentum space. These elements have been calculated by Lassey and McKellar starting from recent models of non-relativistic (strangeness conserving non-leotonic) NN weak interaction. An expression for the weak part of the elastic nucleon-deuteron scattering amplitude is derived within the framework of two potential scattering theory. The weak three-body driving terms are explicitly evaluated. They reflect weak form factors responsible for the weak dissociation of two nucleon isobars (including parity impurity of the deuteron wave function) as well as weak NN scattering. The expressions appearing below are numerically tractable and can be used to elaborate on previous calculations.