Potential formation and high density plasma production on the tandem mirror GAMMA 10

GAMMA 10 experiments have advanced in high density experiments after the last EPS Workshop where we reported high density plasma production by using an ion cyclotron range of frequency heating at a high harmonic frequency and neutral beam injection in the central cell. Recently a high density plasma was obtained with much improved reproducibility than before and without degradation of diamagnetic signal. The high density plasma was attained by adjusting the spacing of the conducting plates installed in the anchor transition regions. Dependencies of particle confinement time, ion energy confinement time and plasma confining potential on plasma density were obtained for the first time in the high density region. Presented at 5th Workshop “Role of Electric Fields in Plasma Confinement and Exhaust”, Montreus, Switzerland, June 23–24, 2002.     

Temperature dependence of the exafs spectrum in YBa2Cu3O7−δ compounds

The temperature dependence of the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) is studied in the high T_c superconductors, YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ. The measurements were done at the Cu K-edge for samples of two orthorhombic phases (T_c≈90 K and ≈58 K, respectively) and a nonsuperconducting tetragonal phase. Interatomic distances and mean square relative displacements σ² for Cu-O bonds are determined by the least squares refinement. The results indicate that values of σ² increase near T_c for both the orthorhombic samples. It is concluded that this anomalous behavior related to T_c is caused by an anomalous vibration of oxygen atoms in the Ba-O layer. Changes in the Cu-O distances from 300 to 20 K are not found.     

Novel UV‐induced photografting process for preparing poly(tetrafluoroethylene)‐based proton‐conducting membranes

A novel process comprising the UV‐induced photografting of styrene into poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) films and subsequent sulfonation has been developed for preparing proton‐conducting membranes. Although under UV irradiation the initial radicals were mainly generated on the surface of the PTFE films by the action of photosensitizers such as xanthone and benzoyl peroxide, the graft chains were readily propagated into the PTFE films. The sulfonation of the grafted films was performed in a chlorosulfonic acid solution. Fourier transform infrared and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the grafted and sulfonated membranes. With a view to use in fuel cells, the proton conductivity, water uptake, and mechanical properties of the prepared membranes were measured. Even through the degree of grafting was lower than 10%, the proton conductivity in the thickness direction of the newly prepared membranes could reach a value similar to that of a Nafion membrane. In comparison with γ‐ray radiation grafting, UV‐induced photografting is very simple and safe and is less damaging to the membranes because significant degradation of the PTFE main chains can be avoided. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2624–2637, 2007     

In situ observations of domain wall motion in Mn–Zn and Ni–Zn ferrites by Lorentz microscopy and electron holography

Domain wall motion in Mn–Zn and Ni–Zn ferrites with applied magnetic fields is investigated by in situ observations with Lorentz microscopy and electron holography. It is found that both Mn–Zn and Ni–Zn ferrites have a mean grain size of approximately 10 μm and several pores with sizes ranging from 0.2 to 1.1 μm. In situ observations by Lorentz microscopy with an applied magnetic field reveals that in Mn–Zn ferrite, the domain walls move easily across the grain boundary, while in Ni–Zn ferrite, the domain walls move along the grain boundary but are pinned at the grain boundary and pores. From in situ observations of Ni–Zn ferrite by electron holography, it is clarified that domain wall pinning at the grain boundary retards a sensitive increase in magnetic flux parallel to the applied field direction, which is considered to result in high hysteresis loss.     

Stability of the steady state for the Falk model system of shape memory alloys

In this article a stability result for the Falk model system is proven. The Falk model system describes the martensitic phase transitions in shape memory alloys. In our setting, the steady state is a nonlocal elliptic problem. We show the dynamical stability for the linearized stable critical point of the corresponding functional. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tangent circle bundles admit positive open book decompositions along arbitrary links

In the present paper we generalize the divide lying in the unit disk, introduced by A'Campo, to compact, oriented, smooth surfaces, and prove a fibration theorem for generalized divides. As a consequence, we will show that, for any link L in the tangent circle bundle Y to the compact surface, there exists an additional knot K such that the link L∪K is the binding of a “positive” open book decomposition of Y.     

Synthesis of the LMN-ring fragment of the Caribbean ciguatoxin C-CTX-1

Ciguatoxin C-CTX-1 was isolated as a principal causative toxin of ciguatera seafood poisoning in the Caribbean Sea, and is structurally classified as a ladder-shaped polycyclic ether. In this Letter, we report the synthesis of the tricyclic LMN-ring system of C-CTX-1. SmI₂-mediated reductive cyclization efficiently constructed the seven-membered M-ring with the axially oriented 1,3-dimethyl structure.     

Likelihood estimation of soft-core interaction potentials for Gibbsian point patterns

The likelihood method is developed for the analysis of socalled regular point patterns. Approximating the normalizing factor of Gibbs canonical distribution, we simultaneously estimate two parameters, one for the scale and the other which measures the softness (or hardness), of repulsive interactions between points. The approximations are useful up to a considerably high density. Some real data are analyzed to illustrate the utility of the parameters for characterizing the regular point pattern.     

2-alkoxy and 2,2-dialkoxy nitriles from acetals and orthoesters — exchange of alkoxy into cyano group by means of cyanotrimethylsilane

Title transformation is accomplished by the catalytic action of SnCl₂ or BF₃·OEt₂ Lithio derivative of 2,2-dimethoxyacetonitrile is used as synthetic equivalent of methyl lithioformate.