Calibration of imaging laser-induced fluorescence measurements in highly absorbing flames

It has been described earlier that imaging measurements of laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) in flames can be calibrated to number densities with an integrated absorption measurement provided the integrated absorption is small. In this paper a method is presented that extends the technique to flames with substantial absorption, improves the number density determination and allows the experimental parameters to be chosen more freely. The method is based on an iterative computer procedure that reconstructs the 1-D spatially resolved absorption profile from laser measurements of the 1-D spatially resolved LIF and the integrated absorption of the laser beam. The technique is experimentally demonstrated by measurements of OH number densities in atmospheric flames. It is potentially a single-pulse method. Other applications of the iterative procedure are mentioned.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 6-oxa-nor-tropane glycomimetics as glycosidase inhibitors

The preparation of polyhydroxylated 6-oxa-nor-tropane glycomimetics structurally related to the glycosidase inhibitor family of the calystegines is reported. The synthetic strategy involves the furanose→piperidine rearrangement of 5-deoxy-5-ureido-l-idose precursors, followed by intramolecular glycosylation involving the primary hydroxyl group. Inversion of the configuration at C-3 in the resulting 6-oxa-(+)-calystegine B₂ analogue allows accessing the elusive 3-epi-6-oxa-(+)-calystegine B₂ skeleton. Acid-catalyzed opening of the nor-tropane bicycle was observed, however, which could be avoided by careful neutralization of the reaction mixture. The inhibition results suggest that (+)-calystegine B₂ derivatives and the corresponding C-3 epimers can be seen as glucomimetics and galactomimetics, respectively, pointing to a 1-azasugar mode of action for this family of alkaloids.     

Two-Dimensional Coulomb Systems on a Surface of Constant Negative Curvature

We study the equilibrium statistical mechanics of classical two-dimensional Coulomb systems living on a pseudosphere (an infinite surface of constant negative curvature). The Coulomb potential created by one point charge exists and goes to zero at infinity. The pressure can be expanded as a series in integer powers of the density (the virial expansion). The correlation functions have a thermodynamic limit, and remarkably that limit is the same one for the Coulomb interaction and some other interaction law. However, special care is needed for defining a thermodynamic limit of the free energy density. There are sum rules expressing the property of perfect screening. These generic properties can be checked on the Debye–Hückel approximation, and on two exactly solvable models, the one-component plasma and the two-component plasma, at some special temperature.     

On a diophantine problem of P. Erdös

Research supported in part by Grant 4055 from the Hungarian National Foundation for Scientific Research and by Kereskedelmi és Hitelbank Rt. Universitas Foundation.     

Critical thickness and stress relaxation in YBaCuO (123) strained epitaxial layers and YBaCuO based strained superlattices

An energy model has been used to calculate the critical thickness h _c of YBaCuO thin films and YBaCuO based superlattices within an isotropic or anisotropic approximation. The critical thickness of single layers calculated from the anisotropic model (16 nm) is in good agreement with the previously published experimental values which are spread out from 4 to 20 nm. In the case of superlattices, relaxation appears to be governed by the critical thickness of the elementary sub-layers and is then better evaluated through the calculation performed for YBaCuO single layers. XRD measurements on YBa₂Cu₃O₇/PrBa₂Cu_3?xGa_xO₇ superlattices grown on {100{ SrTiO₃ have evidenced a tetragonal stress in the YBaCuO ab plane which remains expanded when the YBaCuO elementary layer thickness is lower than 4.8 nm (4 YBaCuO cells). However the critical temperature of the shortest period superlattices is only slightly affected by this expanded stress in contrast to the effect of an elastic stress externally applied along the ab plane of YBaCuO thin films.     

Density estimation and adaptive control of markov processes: Average and discounted criteria

We consider a class of discrete-time Markov control processes with Borel state and action spaces, and ^d i.i.d. disturbances with unknown distribution . Under mild semi-continuity and compactness conditions, and assuming that is absolutely continuous with respect to Lebesgue measure, we establish the existence of adaptive control policies which are (1) optimal for the average-reward criterion, and (2) asymptotically optimal in the discounted case. Our results are obtained by taking advantage of some well-known facts in the theory of density estimation. This approach allows us to avoid restrictive conditions on the state space and/or on the system's transition law imposed in recent works, and on the other hand, it clearly shows the way to other applications of nonparametric (density) estimation to adaptive control.Research partially supported by The Third World Academy of Sciences under Research Grant No. MP 898-152.     

Comparative analysis of (p,d), (d,t) and (3He, α) reactions on13C nucleus

The angular distributions of the (p, d), (d, t) and(³He, ) reactions on¹³C have been analysed within the framework of DWBA in which additional information on nuclear vertex constants was introduced. Although all these reactions seem to be similar single nucleon transfer, their mechanism is shown to be quite different and so is the information extracted thereof. While from the (p, d) reactions spectroscopic factors may be extracted unambiguously, from the (d, t) reactions it is possible to obtain directly the values of vertex constants only, which in turn are consistent with those determined by extrapolation of the experimental cross sections of the (p, d) reactions to the pole.In the case of (³He, ) reactions, however, the analysis indicates inadequacy of the DWBA concerning the calculations of central partial amplitudes. For a more reliable extraction of structural information, besides the correct normalization of peripheral amplitudes, a contribution of more complex mechanisms must be taken into account.     

XPS investigation of LPE garnet films

XPS spectra of YIG, YIG:Bi, YIG:Ca and YIG:Co(Ge, Ca) epitaxial garnet films were measured at room temperature. The positions of the main iron, yttrium, oxygen, bismuth, cobalt and lead spectral lines were determined and their changes with the surface treatments were investigated. It was found that divalent and trivalent states of iron and cobalt ions can be resolved, the chemical shifts being in oposite directions.The authors would like to thank Dr. J. imová for careful EPMA analysis of the samples.