Geometry and Elasticity of Strips and Flowers

We solve several problems that involve imposing metrics on surfaces. The problem of a strip with a linear metric gradient is formulated in terms of a Lagrangian similar to those used for spin systems. We are able to show that the low energy state of long strips is a twisted helical state like a telephone cord. We then extend the techniques used in this solution to two–dimensional sheets with more general metrics. We find evolution equations and show that when they are not singular, a surface is determined by knowledge of its metric, and the shape of the surface along one line. Finally, we provide numerical evidence by minimizing a suitable energy functional that once these evolution equations become singular, either the surface is not differentiable, or else the metric deviates from the target metric.     

Some aspects of nucleation and evolution of microscopic and mesoscopic cracks and quasi-brittle fracture of homogeneous materials

The dynamics of nucleation of microcracks in the region of a developing macroscopic crack has been studied using scanning electron microscopy during in situ experiment and the acoustic emission method. An explosive-like nucleation of microcracks and the influence of dissipative properties of a material on the size and the rate of redistribution of local stresses of the microcracks have been established. Each of nucleations of microscopic and mesoscopic defects is considered as an act of local testing of the dissipative ability of the system, and the interaction between microcracks is determined by relaxation processes when the ability is sufficient. With deteriorating dissipative properties (with increasing residence time under loading, deformation rate, etc.), an elastic linear interaction becomes possible, and the macroscopic fracture occurs. In the microcrack dynamics, a specific ductile-brittle transition is determined by a time deterioration of the dissipative properties of the material under the action of a mechanical load. Generally, as a large latent energy is stored during deformation, a macroscopic fracture can be caused by any little discrete structural transformation.     

Evaluation of Properties and Structural Transitions of Poly-L-lysine: Effects of pH and Temperature

Abstract

The structural response to temperature and pH changes of poly-l-lysine (PLL) has been studied by a variety of experimental methods including turbidimetry, dynamic light scattering, and Zeta potential analysis. The experimental results and the molecular dynamics simulations showed that the PLL structural transitions were a result of a competition between electrostatic repulsion, which promotes an extended state, and the hydrophobic effect, which favors a compact state. In fact, as the pH was decreased, the PLL conformation changed from α-helix to the random coil and the hydrophilic volume increases resulted in a transition to spherical micelles which then swelled due to charge-charge repulsions. Following a rise in temperature and/or at high pH, PLL undergoes the α-helix-to-β-sheet transition and reacted more rapidly to form hydrophobic aggregates.     

ORSAT and modifications of SEFT and APT

Up to now, three subspectra are usually needed for the complete assignment of all signals in 13C spectrum: two DEPT spectra (phi = 90 degrees and phi = 135 degrees) and a proton decoupled spectrum. In this paper, we present a method in which a complete assignment becomes possible with merely two spectra. For this purpose, a new pulse sequence (ORSAT) has been elaborated by using off-resonance irradiation. The method described here is a further development of SEFT and APT. The second required spectrum is a DEPT (phi = 135 degrees). Signal assignment of cholesteryl acetate is demonstrated as an example. 13C routine spectroscopy can be significantly accelerated by applying this method.     

Identification and classification of organic and inorganic components of particulate matter via Raman spectroscopy and chemometric approaches

In this paper, a novel method for developing a tree‐like classifier which differentiates between organic and inorganic particulate matter by means of Raman spectroscopy is introduced. The algorithm is fully automatic and optimises itself without any human interaction. This method uses a tree‐like structure to classify Raman spectra as a decision tree. On every knot of this tree, the optimal classifier is automatically obtained, tested and trained. The optimal classifier is an artificial neural network, linear discriminant analysis or a support vector machine, where different kernels are possible. The support vector machine is optimised by the simulated annealing method to achieve the best possible classifier. After the training, a hold‐out experiment with two completely independent sets of Raman spectra was tried to show the abilities of this method for real‐world application. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Membranes and films of zeolite and zeolite-like materials

An ideal structure of zeolite membrane should be a slice of a perfect zeolite crystal attached on a porous metal or ceramic support. To maximize the throughput, the zeolite layer must be very thin, limited only by the cell dimension of zeolite. Separation of a mixture may then be achieved based on the molecular sieving ability of zeolite, which allows only molecules smaller than a critical size to pass through. A variety of methods have been reported for the preparation of zeolite membranes, but so far a perfect epitaxial zeolite layer is still out of reach and only a polycrystalline zeolite membrane can be obtained. The first part of this review focuses on the permeation of gases and vapors through a polycrystalline zeolite membrane as a separation means. The effect of microstructure on permeance will also be discussed, as well as the preparation methods leading to different microstructures. In addition to the usage as a shape-selective membrane, thin films of zeolite and zeolite-like molecular sieves can also serve as hosts for the encapsulation and orientation of guest atoms and molecules and their clusters. In the second part of this review, the production of layers of aligned microporous molecular sieve crystals on supports and the fabrication of supported thin zeolite-like nanoporous silica films as well as their potential applications on the preparation of advanced materials are discussed.     

Investigation of radiation damage and hardness of H- and He-implanted SiC

In this study, an investigation was conducted in order to determine the effects of high-dose H and He ion implantation on the structure of 3C-SiC and 6H-SiC as well as the effects on material hardness in order to understand the role of H and He produced in SiC by neutron-induced transmutations as described by Heinisch et al. [J. Nucl. Mater. 2004, 327, 175–181.]. H and He ions were implanted into polycrystalline 3C-SiC on a Si substrate and single-crystal bulk 6H-SiC, respectively, at an ion energy of 100 keV, and the total dose that was used for both species was 10¹⁷ ions/cm² in the temperature range of 473–573 K. The specimens were annealed at 1000°C for 20 min in an inert Ar atmosphere. The damaged region in the He-implanted 6H-SiC had a high density of small bubbles, but no cracks were observed. Severe cracking was observed along the damaged region in the H-implanted 3C-SiC specimens as well as a high density of hydrogen platelets. Neither specimen displayed any amorphization. Nanoindentation hardness measurements showed a marked increase in the hardness of the annealed He-implanted 6H-SiC, which was ascribed to the creation of point defects inhibiting interplanar slip. There was also a large decrease in hardness corresponding to the depth of the ion damage.     

噻吩和3-甲基噻吩共聚膜及复合膜的红外光谱

采用扩散电流控制法,通过限制低氧化电位单体的浓度,从而限制它在高电位下的氧化电流,以达到减少它在聚合物中的相对含量的目的,成功地实现了噻吩(Th)和3-甲基噻吩(MTh)的电化学共聚。红外光谱及循环伏安测定分别表明,电化学共聚噻吩和3-甲基噻吩所制得的导电膜不是均聚物的共混物,共聚的方式也不是嵌段共聚,而更可能是无规共聚。此外,制备了噻吩/3-甲基噻吩导电复合膜,其吸波频率较单一导电聚合物有明显拓宽,在400cm-1～7000cm-1范围内有强的宽吸收。实验结果表明,复合膜的结构、层数、厚度以及层间微结构对红外吸收展宽效应都有影响。     

Impact and Static Consolidation of Mechanically-Alloyed Mixture of Copper and Graphite Powders

A mixture of copper and carbon powders was mechanically alloyed in a planetary ball mill. The supersaturated solid solubility of carbon in mechanically-alloyed copper is 25 v at% C, as determined from the lattice parameter change. The supersaturated powder consolidated by static compression at 1.4 v GPa, has the relative density of 95%, a Vickers hardness of 121, and a compressive strength of 1.4 v GPa. In contrast, powder consolidated dynamically by a 90.1 g projectile traveling at a velocity of 38.1 m/s and at an estimated impact compression of 2.3 GPa after 0.4 GPa static precompression has a relative density of 96.3% and a Vickers hardness of 200. X-ray diffraction patterns shift to higher angles after impact compression. The supersaturated solid solubility of 18 at% C in Cu+20 at% C mechanically-alloyed powders was reduced to 12.5 at% C by impact compression. Mechanically-alloyed powders can be consolidated by impact and static pressures while retaining the effects of mechanical alloying; for example, supersaturated solid solubility.     

Rapid and flexible laser marking and engraving of tilted and curved surfaces

We present a novel method for rapid and flexible laser marking and engraving of tilted, curved and freeform work-piece surfaces. The method is based on integrating a three-dimensional (3D) laser measurement system into a 3D laser marking system. We use the same laser source and optics for measurement and processing with a minimum of additional hardware components. A low power CW laser regime is used to measure the 3D shape of a work-piece surface while a high-peak power-pulsed laser regime is used for processing. The acquired 3D surface data are used to determine the 3D trajectory of the processing beam focus. Neither the 3D shape of the work-piece nor its orientation needs to be known in advance as long as the processed surface lies within the working range of the 3D laser processing system. This eliminates the need for exact work-piece positioning before processing and substantially improves processing flexibility (allowing, e.g. variations in work-piece shape or/and orientation from mark to mark). This paper discusses key issues concerning an implementation of the method and presents typical examples of markings and engravings, which demonstrate the advantages of the method with respect to the existing industrial 2D and 3D laser marking and engraving methods. The method can also be applied to flexible laser structuring and microprocessing of curved surfaces.     

Surface dynamics and reconstruction of Si and Ge

The dynamical behavior of a Si(III) and a Ge(III) surface is studied. The formation of a superstructure, i.e. the surface reconstruction, is shown to be a consequence of the softening of surface phonons. Within our model we derive a (7×7) reconstruction for Si and an (8×8) reconstruction for Ge. A buckled model for the superstructure on Si(III) surface as well as on the Ge(III) surface is proposed.     

Definitions and control of the CEP and CEO

The definitions of the carrier to envelope phase (CEP) and carrier to envelope offset (CEO) arc reviewed. It is pointed out that a unique separation of the field of an ultrashort pulse in a “carrier” and “envelope” is not always possible for ultrashort pulses. Another definition is proposed for pulses of a few optical cycles, that is not dependent on the notion of “carrier” and “envelope.” The carrier to envelope offset (CEO) is a frequency, generally defined as the ratio of the change in CEP between pulses, to the pulse (temporal) spacing. It is shown that the CEO exists for trains of long pulses, for which the CEP cannot be measured. Methods of measuring the CEO of a mode-locked laser are proposed. It is shown that MQW have a locking tendency on the CEO of two pulse trains.     

Equations of Relativistic and Quantum Mechanics and Exact Solutions of Some Problems

Relativistic invariant equations are proposed for the action function and the wave function based on the invariance of the representation of the generalized momentum. The equations have solutions for any values of the interaction constant of a particle with a field, for example, in the problem of a hydrogen-like atom, when the atomic number of the nucleus Z > 137. Based on the parametric representation of the action, the expression for the canonical Lagrangian, the equations of motion and the expression for the force acting on the charge during motion in an external electromagnetic field are derived. The Dirac equation with the correct inclusion of the interaction for a particle in an external field is presented. In this form, the solutions of the equations are not limited by the value of the interaction constant. The solutions of the problem of charge motion in a constant electric field, problems for a particle in a potential well, and penetration of a particle through a potential barrier, as well as problem of a hydrogen atom are presented.     

Spontaneous and induced decay of metastable strings and domain walls

We consider decay of metastable topological configurations such as strings and domain walls. The transition from a state with higher energy density to a state with lower one proceeds through quantum tunneling or through thermally catalyzed quantum tunneling (at sufficiently small temperatures). The transition rate is calculated at zero temperature including the preexponential factor and also at a finite low temperature. The thermal enhancement factor is closely related to the probability (effective length) of destruction of the string (the domain wall) in collisions of the Goldstone bosons, corresponding to transverse waves on the string (wall). We derive a general formula which allows to find the probability (effective length) of a string (wall) breakup by a collision of arbitrary number of the bosons. We find that the destruction of a string only takes place in collisions of even number of the bosons, while the destruction of the wall can occur in a collision of any number of particles. We explicitly calculate the energy dependence of such processes in two-particle collisions for arbitrary relation between the energy and the largest infrared scale (the size of a critical gap).     

NOx formation and flame velocity profiles of iso- and n-isomers of butane and butanol

NO formation and flame propagation are studied in premixed flames of iso- and n-isomers of butane and butanol through experimental measurements and direct simulation of experimental profiles. The stabilized flame is realized through the impingement of a premixed combustible jet from a contraction nozzle against a temperature-controlled plate. The velocity field is obtained by means of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and nitric oxide concentration profiles are measured using Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF), calibrated using known NO seeding levels. It is found that NO formation in n- and iso-isomers is comparable under the conditions considered, except for rich butanol mixtures, whereby NO formation is higher for iso-butanol. Generally, less NO is formed in butanol flames than in the butane flames. The experiment is simulated by a 1D chemically reacting stagnation flow model, using literature models of C1–C4 hydrocarbons [Wang et al., 2010] and butanol combustion chemistry [Sarathy et al., 2009, 2012]. NO prediction is tested using two of these mechanisms with a previously-published NO_x submechanism added into the butane and butanol models. While a good level of agreement is observed in the velocity field prediction under lean and stoichiometric conditions, discrepancies exist under rich conditions. Greater discrepancies are observed in NO prediction, except for the C1–C4 mechanism which shows good agreement with the experiment under lean and stoichiometric conditions. The current study provides data for further development of mechanisms with NO_x prediction capabilities for the fuels considered here.     

Temperature and Pressure Dependence of Thermal Conductivity Measurement of Polystyrene and Polycarbonate

The thermal conductivity of polymers in the solid and molten phases, as functions of temperature and pressure, is an essential parameter to permit simulation of polymer processing by computer-aided engineering (CAE). A key factor for the thermal conductivity when used in CAE is the Bridgman parameter (g) as a function of temperature. This is experimentally examined for polystyrene (PS) and polycarbonate (PC) in this paper. It was demonstrated that the thermal conductivity results under pressure were well described by the Eiermann's equation. First, the product of the Bridgman parameter (g) and the compressibility (β) as a function of temperature was calculated by fitting the experimental values with the Eiermann's equation. Second, the compressibility (β) as a function of temperature was estimated from the slope, in a plot of specific volume as a function of pressure. Finally, the Bridgman parameter (g) as a function of temperature was obtained from the two previous figures. The Bridgman parameters from the experiments are discussed by comparing them with those from Eiermann's theoretical model.     

Inter-state coupling and definitions of bright and dark states

Contrary to a standard definition of diabatic states (i.e., those without momentum-dependent coupling), based on the construction from adiabatic ones, we defined diabatic states as bright and dark states of a given experiment. Namely, they are defined as states providing maximum, respectively, zero value of electronic transition dipole moments projected to a given polarization vector. Second, the state from (or to) which the optical transition is performed is not from the space of investigated electronic excited state manifold, but it is chosen by the observer. It is shown, for this case, that the inter-state coupling is a general function of vibrational coordinates. The explicit dependence of the inter-state coupling on vibrational coordinates is particularly important for system with strong Stokes shift. The role of exact definitions of bright and dark states as well as the inter-state coupling is discussed with respect to the coherent structure of electronic population observed in optical spectroscopy.     

A comparison of the mechanical strength and stiffness of MWNT-PMMA and MWNT-epoxy nanocomposites

The surface of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) was functionalized by covalent linking of long alkyl chains. Such functionalization led to a much better tube dispersion in organic solvents than pristine nanotubes, favored the formation of homogenous nanocomposite films, and yielded good interfacial bonding between the nanotubes and two polymer matrices: a thermo-set (Epon 828/T-403) and a thermoplastic (PMMA). Tensile tests indicated, however, that the reinforcement was greatly affected by the type of polymer matrix used. Relative to pure PMMA, a 32% improvement in tensile modulus and a 28% increase in tensile strength were observed in PMMA-based nanocomposites using 1.0 wt% nanotube filler. Contrasting with this, no improvement in mechanical properties was observed in epoxy-based nanocomposites. The poorer mechanical performance of the latter system can be explained by a decrease of the crosslinking density of the epoxy matrix in the nanocomposites, relative to pure epoxy. Indeed we demonstrate that the presence of nanotubes promotes an increase in the activation energy of the curing reaction in epoxy, and a decrease of the degree of curing.     

海刺参及其产品红外光谱的分析与鉴定

作为高档的保健品,深加工的海刺参产品如海刺参注射液、海刺参胶囊等,有着广阔的市场前景,但是目前还没有统一有效的品质鉴定手段和标准。作者采用傅里叶变换红外光谱法(FTIR)和二维相关红外光谱技术(2DIR)对海刺参粉末进行分析,得到了自制海刺参粉的谱图,然后以此为标准对五个不同厂家的海刺参胶囊进行相关性比较,结果显示大连海晏堂的海刺参胶囊与作者自制的鲜活冻干样品最为相符,这表明它基本上是纯的冷冻干燥海刺参粉;实验还表明通过建立标准红外谱图库来监控海刺参产品质量、制定统一标准是完全可能的。