Global symmetry breaking in the nonconserved order parameter system during phase ordering

We study global symmetry breaking in the 2D system of scalar nonconserved order parameter following a quench to zero temperature. We show that the instant of time when the symmetry is broken and the final morphology is chosen corresponds to the saturation of the order parameter inside the domains. There are three possible final morphologies: the positive and negative order parameter final morphology, and the state of the coexisting positive and negative order parameter subsystems with a flat interface between them. We find also that each type of the final morphology constitutes about 1/3 of all cases, what agrees with the results obtained recently by Spirin et al. [Phys. Rev. E 65, 016119 (2001)]. Our results are pertinent for the two dimensional systems, but we suspect that there is also a way to apply similar arguments for the three dimensional ones.     

The role of heat-conducting walls in the measurement of heat and mass transport in transient grating experiments

We present a two-dimensional model to account for the role of heat-conducting walls in the measurement of heat transport and Soret-effect-driven mass transport in transient holographic grating experiments. Heat diffusion into the walls leads to non-exponential decay of the temperature grating. Under certain experimental conditions it can be approximated by an exponential function and assigned an apparent thermal diffusivity D_{th, app} < D_{th, s}, where D_th,s is the true thermal diffusivity of the sample. The ratio D_{th, app}/D_{th, s} depends on only three dimensionless parameters, d /l_s, κ_s/κ_w, and D_{th, s}/D_{th, w}. d is the grating period, l_s the sample thickness, κ_s and κ_w the thermal conductivities of sample and wall, respectively, and D_th,w the thermal diffusivity of the wall. If at least two measurements are performed at different d /l_s, both D_th,s and κ_s can be determined. Instead of costly solving PDEs, D_th,s can be obtained by finding the zero of an analytic function. For thin samples and large grating periods, heat conduction into the walls plays a predominant role and the concentration grating in binary mixtures is no longer one-dimensional. Nevertheless, the normalized heterodyne diffraction efficiency of the concentration grating remains unaffected and the true thermal and collective diffusion coefficient and the correct Soret coefficient are still obtained from a simple one-dimensional model.     

Polymer-assisted complexing controlled orientation growth of ZnO nanorods

The growth of the oriented zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods on silicon substrates based on a simple novel chemical transformation and thermal hydrolysis by using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as self-assembling complex polymer was introduced in this paper. All the polymers were removed after chemical oxidation and only the carbonized grid backbones remained that confines the ZnO nanorod’s diameter and enhance the absorption and diffusion of ZnO at the tips of the nanorods during growth. The ZnO nanorods are investigated by FTIR, XRD and FE-SEM. The results indicated that these nanorods have fine hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure and their diameter varies from 20 to 90 nm and the length up to about 1 μm. A polymer-localized ZnO growth model is proposed, which well explains the growth behavior of ZnO nanorods.This revised version was published online in August 2005 with a corrected issue number.     

Fabrication of copper oxide nanofluid using submerged arc nanoparticle synthesis system (SANSS)

The optimal parameters are found for preparing nanofluid in our submerged arc nanoparticle synthesis system (SANSS) using a copper electrode. A suspended copper oxide nanofluid is thus produced at the current of 8.5–10 A, voltage of 220 V, pulse duration of 12 μs, and dielectric liquid temperature of 2°C. The CuO nanoparticle are characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron diffraction pattern (SAD) and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). The equality volume spherical diameter of the obtained copper oxide particle is 49.1 nm, regular shape and narrow size distribution.This revised version was published online in August 2005 with a corrected issue number.     

The Singularity of Kontsevich’s Solution for QH<Superscript>*</Superscript>(CP<Superscript>2</Superscript>)

In this paper we study the nature of the singularity of the Kontsevichs solution of the WDVV equations of associativity. We prove that it corresponds to a singularity in the change of two coordinates systems of the Frobenius manifold given by the quantum cohomology of CP². Mathematics Subject Classifications (2000) 53C99, 32D99, 14N35, 88A99.     

Polymer-supported and polymeric chiral guanidines: Preparation and application to the asymmetric Michael reaction of iminoacetate with methyl vinyl ketone

Summary Polymer-supported and polymeric chiral guanidines carrying an imidazolidine skeleton are designed as polymer-based base catalysts. Thus, (R)-2-[(S)-1-hydroxymethyl-2-phenylethylimino]-4-phenylimidazolidine was newly prepared from (R)-phenylglycine as the key functional unit of these guanidines. Application of the polymer-based chiral guanidines to the asymmetric Michael reaction of t-butyl diphenyliminoacetate with MVK led to expected asymmetric induction in the Michael adduct with moderate enantioselectivity in the use of the latter polymeric chiral guanidines.     

Advances in organic synthesis using polymer-supported reagents and scavengers under microwave irradiation

Summary Microwave-assisted and polymer-supported organic syntheses have emerged independently as versatile tools for rapid generation of organic molecules. Chemists are increasingly looking for a combination of both techniques for efficient organic synthesis. This review covers the recent literature on organic synthesis using microwave heating in conjunction with polymer-supported reagents and scavengers.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In Situ</Emphasis> Synthesis of Field-responsive Nanocrystalline BaTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> Particles Modified with Functional Organics

Nanocrystalline BaTiO₃ particles modified with polarizable ligands were synthesized through hydrolysis of modified metal–organics below 100°C. BaTiO₃ precursor was synthesized from barium metal, titanium isopropoxide and polarizable ligands in a mixture of ethanol and 2-ethoxyethanol. The modified Ba–Ti complex alkoxide was hydrolyzed yielding BaTiO₃ particles modified with organics. The crystallinty of nanometer-sized particles was dependent upon the hydrolysis conditions, and increased with increasing water amount and time. The nanocrystalline particles were identified to be BaTiO₃ by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron diffraction. A fluid consisting of modified BaTiO₃ particles and silicone oil revealed a typical electrorheological (ER) behavior on applying DC field. The ER behavior was found to depend upon the kind of ligand. 4-Fluorobenzyloxy modifier revealed the highest yield stress in the ER measurement among 4-substitued benzyloxy ligands examined.     

The role of the pion pair term in the theory of the weak axial meson exchange currents

The structure of the weak axial pion exchange current is discussed in various models. It is shown how the interplay of the chiral invariance and the double-counting problem restricts uniquely the form of the pion potential term, to the case when the nuclear dynamics is described by the Schrödinger equation with static nucleon-nucleon potential.