Anomalous group delay in optical fibres

It is shown, by means of computation on a specific model, how pulse broadening in multimode gradedindex optical waveguides is significantly affected by the levels of excitation of the high-order modes. Pulse widths are computed as functions of the profile parameter, under conditions of equal excitation, high-order mode suppression and GaAs laser excitation.     

Rational Functions with Prescribed Global and Local Minimizers

A family of multivariate rational functions is constructed. It has strong local minimizers with prescribed function values at prescribed positions. While there might be additional local minima, such minima cannot be global. A second family of multivariate rational functions is given, having prescribed global minimizers and prescribed interpolating data.     

The Topology of Algebra: Combinatorics of Squaring

We study the graph each of whose edges connects an element of a given ring with the square of itself. For a finite commutative group (e.g., for the multiplicative group of coprime residue classes modulo a positive integer), we describe this graph explicitly: each of its connected components is an oriented attracting cycle equipped with identical -vertex rooted trees of special form whose roots reside on the cycle. We also compute the graphs of permutation groups on not too many elements and of the subgroups of even permutations; the connected components of these graphs are also uniformly equipped cycles.     

The type and extent of non-LTE in argon arcs at 0.1-10 bar

A 30-A, 3-mm-diameter, wall-stabilized argon arc with 1% hydrogen is examined spectrometrically at pressures of 0.1-10 bar. Values of T_g, and T_exa diverge as pressure decreases below 5 bar (n_e⩽1×10¹⁷ cm^-3) at r=0. T_exβ is 20-40% larger than the other temperatures. The results are dependent on the transition probability scale used     

Quadrupole interaction of8Li and9Li in LiNbO3 and the quadrupole moment of9Li

The quadrupole interaction of nuclear spin polarized⁸Li (I=2) and⁹Li (I=3/2) in LiNbO₃ has been studied at room temperature. The polarization was achieved by optical pumping of a fast atomic beam with circularly polarized laser light. The atoms were implanted into a hexagonal LiNbO₃ single crystal and the quadrupole splitting ofβ-NMR spectra was measured. A ratio of ¦Q(⁹Li)/Q(⁸Li)¦=0.88(4) for the nuclear quadrupole moments was deduced, yielding a new value of ¦Q(⁹Li)¦=25.3 (9) mb for the quadrupole moment of⁹Li.