A 13-membered crown ether with an azoxy subunit in the macrocycle: Synthesis and X-ray structure

The presented azoxy compound is an example of a new crown ether analogue. It has been synthesized by the reduction of an open chain dinitro compound with stannite under strongly alkaline conditions. A method for the separation of the azo and azoxy compounds formed simultaneously has been proposed. The structures of two crystallographically independent molecules of compound2 have been determined. In spite of the small size of the macroring in compound2, the phenyl residues around the azoxy group have atrans orientation. Supplementary Data relating to this article have been deposited with the British Library as Supplementary Publication No. 82157 (11 pages).     

Structural and physical properties of Mg3−xZnxSb2 (x=0-1.34)

The Mg_3−xZn_xSb₂ phases with x=0-1.34 were prepared by direct reactions of the elements in tantalum tubes. According to the X-ray single crystal and powder diffraction, the Mg_3−xZn_xSb₂ phases crystallize in the same P3¯m1 space group as the parent Mg₃Sb₂ phase. The Mg_3−xZn_xSb₂ structure is different from the other substituted structures of Mg₃Sb₂, such as (Ca, Sr, Ba) Mg₂Sb₂ or Mg_5.23Sm_0.77Sb₄, in a way that in Mg_3−xZn_xSb₂ the Mg atoms on the tetrahedral sites are replaced, while in the other structures Mg on the octahedral sites is replaced. Thermoelectric performance for the two members of the series, Mg₃Sb₂ and Mg_2.36Zn_0.64Sb₂, was evaluated from low to room temperatures through resistivity, Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity measurements. In contrast to Mg₃Sb₂ which is a semiconductor, Mg_2.36Zn_0.64Sb₂ is metallic and exhibits an 18-times larger dimensionless figure-of-merit, ZT, at room temperature. However, thermoelectric performance of Mg_2.36Zn_0.64Sb₂ is still poor and it is mostly due to its large electrical resistivity.     

Time-resolved luminescent spectroscopy of YAG:Ce single crystal and single crystalline films

The peculiarities of the luminescence and energy transfer from YAG host to the emission centers formed by the Y_Al antisite defects and Ce³⁺ ions have been studied in YAG:Ce single crystals, grown from the melt by modified Bridgman method in Ar and CO₂ + H₂ atmospheres, and YAG:Ce single crystalline film, grown by liquid phase epitaxy method, using the comparative time-resolved luminescent spectroscopy under excitation by synchrotron radiation in the range of fundamental adsorption of this garnet.     

Hubble Law: Measure and Interpretation

We have had the chance to live through a fascinating revolution in measuring the fundamental empirical cosmological Hubble law. The key progress is analysed: (1) improvement of observational means (ground-based radio and optical observations, space missions); (2) understanding of the biases that affect both distant and local determinations of the Hubble constant; (3) new theoretical and observational results. These circumstances encourage us to take a critical look at some facts and ideas related to the cosmological red-shift. This is important because we are probably on the eve of a new understanding of our Universe, heralded by the need to interpret some cosmological key observations in terms of unknown processes and substances.     

High‐perfomance Ce‐doped multicomponent garnet single crystalline film scintillators

We report for the first time the optimized content and excellent scintillation properties of single crystalline film (SCF) scintillators of multicomponent Gd_3–xLu_x Al_5–yGa_y O₁₂:Ce garnet compounds grown by liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) method. The Gd_1.5Lu_1.5Al_2.75Ga_2.25O₁₂:Ce and Gd₃Al_2.75–2Ga_2.25–3O₁₂:Ce SCF show the light yield (LY) comparable with that of high‐quality bulk crystal analogues of these garnets but faster scintillation decay and very low thermoluminescence in the above room temperature range. To our knowledge, these SCF possess the highest LY values ever obtained in LPE grown garnet SCF scintillators exceeding by at least 1.5–1.6 times the values previously reported for SCF scintillators.

     

Some generalizations of the classical moment problem

The article is devoted to two generalizations of the classical power moment problem, namely: 1) instead of representing the moment sequence by ⁿ , a representation by polynomialsP _n (), ¹, connected with a Jacobi matrix, appears; 2) in the representation, instead of ⁿ , the expression ⁿ figures, where is a real generalized function (i.e., we investigate some infinite-dimensional moment problem).The work is partially supported by the DFG, Project 436 UKR 113/39/0 and by the CRDF, Project UM1-2090.     

Preparation, Luminescence Properties, and Application of Scintillators Based on Lu3Al5O12:Ce Single‐Crystal Films

The possibility of obtaining scintillators with a high effective atomic number of the element Z _ef based on Lu₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce³⁺ singlecrystal films (SCF) on doping with La³⁺ and Sc³⁺ ions on Y₃Al₅O₁₂ substrates has been investigated. It is established that the SCF of (LuLaY)₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce³⁺ (Z _ef = 58.9 and = 6.67 g/cm²) does not rank below those of Y₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce³⁺ (Z _ef = 29 and = 4.52 g/cm²) in the conversion efficiency of radiation at the band with _max = 515 nm. This allows their use as screens of xray images with a space resolution of 0.75–1.00 m. It is suggested that in the SCF of Lu₃Al₅O₁₂ the isoelectronic impurities of lanthanum and scandium form radiative recombination centers of the type La_Lu, Sc_Lu, and ScAl as well as the centers Lu as a consequence of the effect of replacement of some Lu³⁺ ions by the La³⁺ ions to octanodes of the garnet lattice. The low efficiency of Ce³⁺ radiation in the SCF of (LuSc)₃(AlSc)₅O₁₂:Ce is explained by substantial losses due to excitation of the recombination luminescence in the UV region of the centers formed by the isoelectronic impurities of scandium and to the possible existence of the channel of energy excitation dissipation related to the transitions between extrema of the allowed energy bands and activator levels.     

Luminescence of excitons in single-crystal garnets

Comparative studies of the luminescence of Y₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce and Lu₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce single-crystal films and their volume analogues—Y₃Al₅O₁₂ and Y₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce single crystals, excited by synchrotron radiation with energy E=120–150 eV, have been performed. The films were grown from melt-solution by liquid-phase epitaxy and the crystals were grown from melt. The single-crystal films and single crystals studied are characterized by different degrees of structural order, in particular, different concentrations of substitutional defects of the Y _Al ³⁺ and LU _Al ³⁺ types. It was ascertained that the bands at 260 and 250 nm in the intrinsic luminescence spectra of Y₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce and Lu₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce single-crystal films and single crystals are due to the emission of self-trapped excitons. The luminescence band with λ_max=300 nm and τ=0.36 μs, which is present in the luminescence spectrum of single crystals and absent in the spectra of single-crystal films, is due to the recombination of electrons with holes localized at Y _Al ³⁺ centers. It is shown that an efficient energy transfer by excitons to activator ions occurs in Y₃Al₅O₁₂ and Lu₃Al₅O₂ single-crystal films doped with Ce³⁺ ions.     

$\Phi $-functions for complex 2D-objects

Within two-dimensional cutting and packing problems with irregular shaped objects, the concept of -functions has been proven to be very helpful for several solution approaches. In order to construct such -functions a previous work, in which so-called primary objects are considered, is continued. Now -functions are constructed for pairs of objects which can be represented as a finite combination (union, intersection, complement) of primary objects which allows the handling of arbitrary shaped objects by appropriate approximations of sufficient accuracy.Received: October 2002, Revised: October 2003, AMS classification: 65K05, 90C26, 90B06All correspondence to: Guntram Scheithauer