Operation of KrF and ArF tunable excimer lasers without Cassegrain optics

A commercial tunable excimer laser consists of an oscillator-amplifier combination. The oscillator produces high-quality light that is sent to the amplifier and is distributed throughout the amplifier cavity via Cassegrain optics. We describe here two alternative approaches, a single-pass configuration for use with KrF and a triple-pass configuration with ArF, both of which do away with the Cassegrain optics. In each approach, the beam energy is the same as with Cassegrain optics. For KrF, the changes provide better locking, a higher degree of linear polarization, and a better spatial beam homogeneity, but a poorer beam divergence. For ArF, there is also better beam homogeneity, but the locking efficiency and divergence are not as good as with Cassegrain optics.     

Phosphine-mediated [4 + 2] annulation of bis(enones): a Lewis base catalyzed "mock Diels-Alder" reaction

Lewis-base-catalyzed cycloisomerization of bis(enones) to decalins has been demonstrated as an alternative to the traditional Lewis acid catalyzed Diels-Alder cycloaddition. In this process, a trialkylphosphine mediates both bond formation steps in two distinct catalytic cycles. The single-pot operation generates two carbon-carbon bonds and up to five contiguous stereocenters in one step, starting from achiral, aliphatic substrates; eight examples are provided. [reaction: see text]     

Microwave Spectra of o-Fluorotoluene and Its 13C Isotopic Species: Methyl Internal Rotation and Molecular Structure

The rotational spectra of o-fluorotoluene and its seven ¹³C isotopic species were recorded in the frequency range from 4 to 20 GHz with employment of pulsed molecular beam Fourier-transform microwave (MB-FTMW) spectrometers. The analysis of the spectra in the two lowest states of methyl internal rotation (torsional ground state, A and E species) was based on a asymmetric frame-rigid symmetric top Hamiltonian with inclusion of centrifugal distortion terms, yielding structural rotational constants, as well as the threefold barrier V ₃ to internal rotation and the angle(a,i) between the principal moment of inertia a axis and the internal rotor axis i. The rotational constants of all eight isotopomeres were used to derive the seven ¹³C r _s coordinates of the molecule.     

Simulated annealing and genetic algorithms for minimizing mean flow time in an open shop

This paper considers the problem of scheduling n jobs on m machines in an open shop environment so that the sum of completion times or mean flow time becomes minimal. It continues recent work by Bräsel et al. [H. Bräsel, A. Herms, M. Mörig, T. Tautenhahn, T. Tusch, F. Werner, Heuristic constructive algorithms for open shop scheduling to minmize mean flow time, European J. Oper. Res., in press (doi.10.1016/j.ejor.2007.02.057)] on constructive algorithms. For this strongly NP-hard problem, we present two iterative algorithms, namely a simulated annealing and a genetic algorithm. For the simulated annealing algorithm, several neighborhoods are suggested and tested together with the control parameters of the algorithm. For the genetic algorithm, new genetic operators are suggested based on the representation of a solution by the rank matrix describing the job and machine orders. Extensive computational results are presented for problems with up to 50 jobs and 50 machines, respectively. The algorithms are compared relative to each other, and the quality of the results is also estimated partially by a lower bound for the corresponding preemptive open shop problem. For most of the problems, the genetic algorithm is superior when fixing the same number of 30 000 generated solutions for each algorithm. However, in contrast to makespan minimization problems, where the focus is on problems with an equal number of jobs and machines, it turns out that problems with a larger number of jobs than machines are the hardest problems.     

Simultaneous multiple-line Raman/Rayleigh/LIF measurements in combustion

It is demonstrated that multiple 1D Raman scattering, Rayleigh scattering, and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) measurements can be performed simultaneously. This can be used for quasi-2D (or quasi-3D) single-shot measurements of multiple species and the temperature in turbulent reacting and non-reacting flows. The technique has the potential to yield more precise information than most competitive planar imaging approaches in combustion. For example, it can be used to overcome Raman/LIF interference problems in technical flames. This is achieved by a new optical set-up that makes use of an imaging spectrograph combined with fiber optics. Received: 13 October 1999 / Revised version: 26 November 1999 / Published online: 27 January 2000     

Automated column-switching high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of flumequine and oxolinic acid in extracts from fish

Two methods for automated analysis of extracts from edible muscle tissue of Atlantic salmon are described. Oxolinic acid and flumequine are extracted with phosphate buffer pH 9, and the extracts are analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography using a column-switching system. One method applies on-line concentration and clean-up of the extracts on a precolumn packed with polystyrene-divinylbenzene. This method was useful for the analysis of oxolinic acid and flumequine in the microgram/g range. The other method was based on on-line dialysis and concentration of the dialysate on the polymeric precolumn. This method was shown to be a reliable method for residue analysis, and the limit of detection was 2 ng/g for oxolinic acid and 3 ng/g for flumequine with fluorescence detection.