Influence of ion bombardment on residual stresses in diamond-like carbon films

The dependence of internal residual stresses in thin diamond-like carbon films grown by the PECVD technique on the most important growth parameters such as the power of the exciting RF discharge and the substrate bias potential is considered. The results have shown that the mechanical stresses in films reach the uppermost value of 1.9 GPa at the smallest values of power and potential. The stress decreases with the growth of both parameters and has only a slight dependence on the film thickness in the range 0.1–1 μm. The bombardment of the obtained films by argon ions with energy of 300 keV and phosphorus ions with energy of 200 keV has resulted in the reduction of compressive stress with the ion dose growth down to its inversion. AFM study of the bombarded films has revealed significant changes in their surface morphology.     

Towards theory of generic Principal Component Analysis

In this paper, we consider a technique called the generic Principal Component Analysis (PCA) which is based on an extension and rigorous justification of the standard PCA. The generic PCA is treated as the best weighted linear estimator of a given rank under the condition that the associated covariance matrix is singular. As a result, the generic PCA is constructed in terms of the pseudo-inverse matrices that imply a development of the special technique. In particular, we give a solution of the new low-rank matrix approximation problem that provides a basis for the generic PCA. Theoretical aspects of the generic PCA are carefully studied.     

Stability and instability criteria for Kaplan–Yorke solutions

We derive sufficient conditions for the stability and instability of periodic solutions p:\mathbbR ? \mathbbRp:\mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R} of Kaplan–Yorke type to the equation $\ifmmode\expandafter\dot\else\expandafter\.\fi{x}(t) = \alpha f(x(t),x(t - 1)),$\ifmmode\expandafter\dot\else\expandafter\.\fi{x}(t) = \alpha f(x(t),x(t - 1)), where f is even in the first and odd in the second argument. The criteria are based on the monotonicity of the coefficient in a transformed version of the variational equation. For the special case of cubic f, we show that this monotonicity property is satisfied if and only if the set { (p(t),p(t - 1))|t ? \mathbbR} ì \mathbbR² \{ (p(t),p(t - 1))|t \in \mathbb{R}\} \subset \mathbb{R}^{2} is contained in a region E defined by a quadratic form (bounded by an an ellipse or a hyperbola). The coefficients of this quadratic form are expressible in terms of the Taylor coefficients of f. Further, the parameter α in the equation and the amplitude z of the periodic solution are related by an elliptic integral. Using the relation between this integral and the arithmeticgeometric mean, we obtain upper and lower estimates on this relation, and on the inverse function. Combining these estimates with the inequality that defines the region E, we obtain stability criteria explicit in terms of the Taylor coefficients of f. These criteria go well beyond local stability analysis, as examples show.     

Molecular and Electronic Structure of λ3-Iminophoshines

Abstract

An analysis of main features of spatial and electronic structure of λ³-iminophoshines has been carried out on the basis of experimental X-ray structural data and results of quantum chemical calculation     

An improved NMR study of liposomes using 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospatidylcholine as model

In this paper we report a comparative characterization of Small Unilamellar Vesicles (SUVs), Large Unilamellar Vesicles (LUVs) and Multilamellar Vesicles (MLVs) prepared from 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospatidylcholine (POPC), carried out using two NMR techniques, namely High Resolution NMR in solution and High Resolution-Magic Angle Spinning (HR-MAS). The size and size distributions of these vesicles were investigated using the dynamic light scattering technique. An improved assignment of the (1)H-NMR spectrum of MLVs is also reported.     

Resident neuroelectrochemical interfacing using carbon nanofiber arrays

Carbon nanofiber electrode architectures are used to provide for long-term, neuroelectroanalytical measurements of the dynamic processes of intercellular communication between excitable cells. Individually addressed, vertically aligned carbon nanofibers are incorporated into multielement electrode arrays upon which excitable cell matrixes of both neuronal-like derived cell lines (rat pheochromocytoma, PC-12) and primary cells (dissociated cells from embryonic rat hippocampus) are cultured over extended periods (days to weeks). Electrode arrays are characterized with respect to their response to easily oxidized neurotransmitters, including dopamine, norepinephrine, and 5-hydroxytyramide. Electroanalysis at discrete electrodes following long-term cell culture demonstrates that this platform remains responsive for the detection of easily oxidized species generated by the cultured cells. Preliminary data also suggests that quantal release of easily oxidized transmitters can be observed at nanofiber electrodes following direct culture and differentiation on the arrays for periods of at least 16 days.     

Stability and instability criteria for Kaplan–Yorke solutions

We derive sufficient conditions for the stability and instability of periodic solutions of Kaplan–Yorke type to the equation where f is even in the first and odd in the second argument. The criteria are based on the monotonicity of the coefficient in a transformed version of the variational equation. For the special case of cubic f, we show that this monotonicity property is satisfied if and only if the set is contained in a region E defined by a quadratic form (bounded by an an ellipse or a hyperbola). The coefficients of this quadratic form are expressible in terms of the Taylor coefficients of f. Further, the parameter α in the equation and the amplitude z of the periodic solution are related by an elliptic integral. Using the relation between this integral and the arithmeticgeometric mean, we obtain upper and lower estimates on this relation, and on the inverse function. Combining these estimates with the inequality that defines the region E, we obtain stability criteria explicit in terms of the Taylor coefficients of f. These criteria go well beyond local stability analysis, as examples show. This research was supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Germany) Received: March 14, 2005; revised: August 16, 2005     

Wave-Corpuscle Mechanics for Electric Charges

It is well known that the concept of a point charge interacting with the electromagnetic (EM) field has a problem. To address that problem we introduce the concept of wave-corpuscle to describe spinless elementary charges interacting with the classical EM field. Every charge interacts only with the EM field and is described by a complex valued wave function over the 4-dimensional space time continuum. A system of many charges interacting with the EM field is defined by a local, gauge and Lorentz invariant Lagrangian with a key ingredient—a nonlinear self-interaction term providing for a cohesive force assigned to every charge. An ideal wave-corpuscle is an exact solution to the Euler-Lagrange equations describing both free and accelerated motions. It carries explicitly features of a point charge and the de Broglie wave. Our analysis shows that a system of well separated charges moving with nonrelativistic velocities are represented accurately as wave-corpuscles governed by the Newton equations of motion for point charges interacting with the Lorentz forces. In this regime the nonlinearities are “stealthy” and don’t show explicitly anywhere, but they provide for the binding forces that keep localized every individual charge. The theory can also be applied to closely interacting charges as in hydrogen atom where it produces discrete energy spectrum.