Walks,walls, wetting,and melting

New results concerning the statistics of, in particular,p random walkers on a line whose paths do not cross are reported, extended, and interpreted. A general mechanism yielding phase transitions in one-dimensional or linear systems is recalled and applied to various wetting and melting phenomena in (d=2)-dimensional systems, including fluid films and p×1 commensurate adsorbed phases, in which interfaces and domain walls can be modelled by noncrossing walks. The heuristic concept of an effective force between a walk and a rigid wall, and hence between interfaces and walls and between interfaces, is expounded and applied to wetting in an external field, to the behavior of the two-point correlations of a two-dimensional Ising model belowT _c and in a field, and to the character of commensurate-incommensurate transitions ford=2 (recapturing recent results by various workers). Applications of random walk ideas to three-dimensional problems are illustrated in connection with melting in a lipid membrane model.Based on the Boltzmann Medalist address presented at the 15th IUPAP International Conference on Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics, Edinburgh, July 1983.     

Solution absorption and luminescence studies of tetraphenylboron, -carbon, -silicon, -germanium, -tin, -lead, -phosphorus, -arsenic,and -antimony

The lowest absorption band of the tetraphenyl compounds resembles that of the lowest absorption band of benzene with the following difference. In benzene the electronic origin is strictly forbidden, and all intensity is associated with a symmetric progression built on one mode of asymmetric vibration. In the tetraphenyl compounds the intensity associated with the asymmetric vibration is relatively unaffected; however, there is increasing intensity associated with the electronic origin and a symmetric progression built on it along the series

$\text{φ}{}_4\text{Pb}\text{< φ}{}_4\text{Sn}\text{< φ}{}_4\text{Ge}\text{< φ}{}_4\text{Si}\text{< φ}{}_4\text{C}\text{? φ}{}_4\text{B}{}^{\mathrm{?}}\text{< φ}{}_4\text{Sb}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{< φ}{}_4\text{As}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{< φ}{}_4\text{P}{}^{\mathrm{+}}$

. For the cations it is the electronic origin and the progression built on it that are the primary source of intensity. This effect is attributed to an inductive perturbation. A similar effect is observed in the fluorescence spectrum. In phosphorescence, the relative enhancement of the electronic origin and the progression built on it is far less marked. The phosphorescence emission of φ₄Pb and φ₄Sb⁺ are red shifted from the others by ～0.5 eV, an effect attributed to formation of a triplet excimer. Increasing spin-orbit coupling in the triplet due to a heavy atom effect can be seen in the decreasing phosphorescence lifetime (range 4 sec to 4 msec) and decreasing ratio of $\text{φ}{}_{\mathrm{f}}\text{φ}{}_{\mathrm{p}}$ (fluorescence to phosphorescence quantum yields) in the order

$\text{φ}{}_4\text{C}\text{> φ}{}_4\text{B}\text{> φ}{}_4\text{Si}\text{> φ}{}_4\text{P}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{> φ}{}_4\text{Ge}\text{> φ}{}_4\text{As}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{> φ}{}_4\text{Sn}$

In all cases nonexponential decay of phosphorescence is observed.     

Quarks,diquarks, tetraquarks,and pentaquarks

A particle about 50% more massive than a proton, with positive charge, positive strangeness and positive baryon number, has been claimed in several experiments. Such a particle cannot be made from three quarks; its minimal configuration requires four quarks and an antiquark and it became known as a ‘pentaquark’. This article summarizes the evidence and concentrates on the theoretical interest that it has excited into the nature of correlations among quarks and antiquarks in the strong interaction limit of QCD.     

Gold,silver, and palladium nanoparticle/nano-agglomerate generation,collection, and characterization

Generation, collection, and characterization of gold, silver, and palladium nanoparticles and nano-agglomerates (collectively “nanoparticles”) have been explored. The nanoparticles were generated with a spark aerosol generator (Palas GFG-1000). They were collected using a deposition cell under diffusion and thermophoresis. The shapes and sizes of the deposited particles were measured using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM images showed that the particles were in the range of 8–100 nm in diameter, and their shapes varied from nearly spherical to highly non-spherical. Thermophoresis enhanced the deposition of nanoparticles (over the diffusive or the isothermal deposition) in all cases. Further, the size distributions of the nanoparticles generated in the gas phase (aerosol) were measured using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS 3080, TSI) spectrometer. The SMPS results show that an increase in the spark frequency of the generator shifted the size distributions of the nanoparticles to larger diameters, and the total particle mass production rate increased linearly with increase in the spark frequency. The computational fluid dynamics code Fluent (Ansys) was used to model the flow in the deposition cell, and the computed results conform to the observations.     

Black swans,power laws,and dragon-kings: Earthquakes,volcanic eruptions,landslides, wildfires,floods, and SOC models

Extreme events that change global society have been characterized as black swans. The frequency-size distributions of many natural phenomena are often well approximated by power-law (fractal) distributions. An important question is whether the probability of extreme events can be estimated by extrapolating the power-law distributions. Events that exceed these extrapolations have been characterized as dragon-kings. In this paper we consider extreme events for earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, landslides and floods. We also consider the extreme event behavior of three models that exhibit self-organized criticality (SOC): the slider-block, forest-fire, and sand-pile models. Since extrapolations using power-laws are widely used in probabilistic hazard assessment, the occurrence of dragon-king events have important practical implications.     

Elements,devices, and methods for fractal communication technology,electronics, and nanotechnology

The numerous results obtained in radio physics using fractal theory, fractional dimension, and fractional operators have been briefly classified taking into account the scaling effects of real radio signals and electromagnetic fields. A universal modeling environment based on a multilayer virtual generalized distributed RLCG element and the method of generalized finite distributed elements for analysis and synthesis of models of fractional objects and processes that possess fractional power dependence of the input impedance on frequency have been proposed. Examples of synthesis of one- and two-dimensional models are given. It is shown that nonlinear, parametrical, and other properties of modeled objects can be taken into consideration by means of the vectors of electrophysical parameters of layers and design factors.     

Structural, energetic, and electronic properties of Sin, Gen, and SinGen clusters

Results of a theoretical study of the properties of Si_n, Ge_n, and Si_nGe_n clusters are presented. An approximate density-functional method in combination with genetic algorithms have been used in an unbiased determination of the structures of the lowest total energy. The resulting structural, energetic, and electronic properties are analysed and compared with each other for the different systems.     

Bits,time, carriers,and matter

The formal structure of quantum information theory is based on the well-founded concepts and postulates of quantum mechanics. In the present contribution, I am inverting the usual approach presented in textbooks by beginning with the use of bit states as basic and fundamental units of information and establish a dynamical map for them. The condition of reversibility, imposed on an ordered sequence of actions operating on a bit state, introduces, by necessity, the unitarity property of actions. I also verify that the uniformity of time, as a parameter for ordering events, is due to the admission of a composition law for the actions. In the limit of infinitesimal intervals between actions, a reversible and linear equation arises for the dynamical changes in time of a qubit (superposition of bit states). The admission that a bit of information is stored or carried by a massive particle necessarily leads to the Schrödinger–Pauli equation (SPE); the bit is associated to a spin 1/2. Within this approach, I verify that the particle dynamical equation becomes “enslaved” by the spin dynamics. In other words, the bit (or spin) precedes in status the particle dynamical evolution, being at the root of the quantum character of the standard Schr¨odinger equation, even when spin and spatial degrees of freedom are uncoupled.     

Ionization,electron-attachment, -detachment,and charge-transfer in oxygen and air

An extended theory which allows for ionization (α), associative (¯η) and dissociative (¯η) electron attachment, detachment (?), and charge-transfer (χ) is successfully applied to spatial current growth experiments inoxygen in the rangeE/p=30–50 V/cmtorr to yield consistent data for the respective coefficients. Mass spectrometer results are also adequately described by the theory and data, ¯η-values are compared with calculations based on electron beam data. A temporal electron current growth version of the theory is applied to measurements inair to yield a corresponding set of data, ¯η and χ values are found to be in accordance with the percentage of oxygen in air. Earlier detachment rates for air and oxygen, and ionization rates for air, are confirmed.     

Einstein,Podolsky, Rosen,and Shannon

The Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen paradox (1935) is reexamined in the light of Shannons information theory (1984). The EPR argument did not take into account that the observers information was localized, like any other physical object.Dedicated to the memory of James T. Cushing     

Mesomorphic, dielectric, and optical properties of fluorosubstituted biphenyls, terphenyls, and quaterphenyls

Compounds with moderate and large negative dielectric anisotropy (Δɛ) are very attractive liquid crystal (LC) for vertical alignment mode (VA). Materials with such properties can be achieved by lateral substitution of a polar group into a mesogenic molecule. We synthesized some new LC materials with a negative value of Δɛ, a moderately high birefringence (Δn), and a low viscosity. The mesomorphic and physical behaviour of the novel biphenyls, terphenyls and quaterphenyls fluorosubstituted in the rigid core and also with fluorinated alkyl and alkoxy chains are investigated. The prepared series of four LC compounds are promising for new LC mixtures for various applications. Examples of nematic mixtures with Δɛ∼−3.25 will be presented.     

Results in One, Two, and Three Dimensions, for Delta Functions, Square Wells, and Delta Shells, Respectively

 I will outline three-particle calculations, and results, in one dimension [1–4] with delta-function interactions, in two dimensions [5–11] for square wells and in three dimensions [12] with delta shells. The presentation will be that of my own work, obtained together with colleagues. The initial approach is that of expansions of the wave function in terms of hyperspherical adiabatic functions, usually deduced from hyperspherical harmonics. Received October 29, 2001; accepted for publication November 23, 2001     

Phase sensitive,all-optical and self-integrated multi-logic AND,OR, XOR,and NOT gates

The design and simulation of all-optical and self-integrated primary logical AND, OR, XOR and NOT gates based on phase sensitivity of spatial optical solitons have been reported. By tuning the phase of incident solitons into a bulky nonlinear Kerr medium and interaction between the phase tuned solitons, the self-integrated logical gates are achieved simultaneously in a 50 μm long distance by one setup. These are the advantages in the application and design of integrated circuits. In addition, the proposed logical gates can be cascaded and the logical AND and XOR gates can simultaneously have two outputs. The simplicity of constructing, simultaneous functions with one setup, the possibility of integrating, high sensitivity and fabrication ease are the advantages of the proposed logical gates and may be a good candidate for the future of integrated photonic computational circuits.     

Propensities,correlations, and metaphysics

An attempt is made to defend realism and the absence of space-like causation in quantum mechanics, by invoking indeterminism and a new necessary condition for stochastic causality, we term robustness. This condition is defended against recent critical attacks by Cartwright and Jones, and by Healey, and the violation of the robustness condition in Bell-type correlation experiments is shown to follow if an appropriate interpretation of the state vector is employed.This paper is dedicated to Sir Karl Popper on the occasion of his 90th birthday.     

Mind,matter, and physicists

Some aspects of the problem of measurement in quantum theory are treated. We stress that the problem is both physical and conceptual, that the physical problem has been solved and the conceptual one is inherent in quantum theory. We also deal with some remarks made by Wigner concerning physics and the explanation of life, and present alternative positions on the mind-matter relationship within a deterministic framework, as we see them.     

Kaluza,Klein, confinement,and nuclear forces

The nonsymmetric Kaluza-Klein and Jordan-Thiry theories are reviewed as interesting propositions of physics in higher dimensions. It is shown how a dielectric model of confinement can be derived from interference effects in these theories. It is postulated that the old puzzle of nuclear physics,-particles, can be connected to the skewon fieldg _[v] and the scalar field in the nonsymmetric Jordan-Thiry theory. Similarities are pointed out between the nonsymmetric Jordan-Thiry Lagrangian in the flat space limit and the soliton bag model Lagrangian. Finally the nonsymmetric Jordan-Thiry Lagrangian is proposed as the bosonic part of the strong interaction Lagrangian.On leave of absence from the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Science, 00-330 Warsaw, Poland.     

Gravitation,torsion, and electromagnetism

A term bilinear in the derivative of the torsion is added to the Lagrangian of general relativity to produce torsion that propagates. Using standard variational techniques, field equations are derived with the torsion being interpreted as the electromagnetic potential and the antisymmetric part of the Ricci tensor as the electromagnetic field tensor. The equation of motion is derived from the field equations, and the results are compared to the Einstein-Maxwell formulation.     

Stress, strain, and NMR

Experimental and ab initio results that demonstrate the effect of stress on the nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of materials are shown. The design of a cell that generates uniaxial compressive stress is presented, and results on gallium phosphide and lead nitrate single crystals that illustrate the observable results of the stress are shown. Tensors that relate stress and strain to changes in the chemical shielding tensors and the electric field gradient tensors are defined formally. The elements of these tensors are then computed by a density functional theory approach that makes use of planewaves and pseudopotentials. The experimental results are interpreted with the aid of the calculations. Extensions to spinning samples and to the interpretation of optical phenomena in materials are discussed.