Lithium insertion into YBa2Cu3O7

Atomistic computer simulation techniques are used to investigate the effects of lithium insertion into YBa₂Cu₃O₇. Attention is focused on various possible lattice sites occupied by the inserted lithium ions and pathways for their migration. The square-planar position in the Cu(2) layer is calculated to be the most energetically favorable. This is supported by the structural modeling of the ordered lithiated phase Li_0.33YBa₂Cu₃O₇. The calculated activation energies derived from migration profiles are in accord with experimental values and suggest fairly mobile lithium ions.     

Multiplicities of interpoint distances in finite planar sets

What is the maximum number of unit distances between the vertices of a convex n-gon in the plane? We review known partial results for this and other open questions on multiple occurrences of the same interpoint distance in finite planar subsets. Some new results are proved for small n. Challenging conjectures, both old and new, are highlighted.     

Future contributions toJournal of Chemical Crystallography

Future contributions toJournal of Chemical Crystallography     

The force on a lattice defect in an elastic body

It is shown that the force on a lattice defect in an elastic body is, like the force on a disclination in a nematic liquid crystal, a real force which, for equilibrium, must be balanced by an external force applied to the closed surface enclosing the defect.     

Influence of poly(aminoquinone) on corrosion inhibition of iron in acid media

The inhibitor performance of chemically synthesized water soluble poly(aminoquinone) (PAQ) on iron corrosion in 0.5 M sulphuric acid was studied in relation to inhibitor concentration using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. On comparing the inhibition performance of PAQ with that of the monomer o-phenylenediamine (OPD), the OPD gave an efficiency of 80% for 1000 ppm while it was 90% for 100 ppm of PAQ. PAQ was found to be a mixed inhibitor. Besides, PAQ was able to improve the passivation tendency of iron in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ markedly.     

Magnetic force microscopy studies of domain walls in nickel and cobalt films

A magnetic force microscopy is used to examine the domain walls in nickel and cobalt films deposited by argon ion sputtering. Thin nickel films deposited at high substrate temperatures exhibit coexistent Bloch and Neel walls. Films grown at room temperature display alternative Bloch lines with cap switches. These films agglomerate to form grains after annealed at high temperatures. The film composed of larger grains behaves better nucleation implying magnetic domains of closure, while the film composed of smaller grains exhibits more defects implying alternative Bloch lines. We have also observed domain displacements and cap switches, which occur due to precipitation of particles in small grain size films. Stripe domains are observed for film thicknesses larger than 100 nm. They become zigzag cells when an external field of 1.5 T is applied perpendicular to the surface of the films. This experiment indicates that the domain sizes in thin films and the strip widths for thick films both depend on the square-root of the film thickness, which varies from 5 to 45 nm and from 100 to 450 nm, respectively.     

Profile empirical likelihood for parametric and semiparametric models

This paper introduces a profile empirical likelihood and a profile conditionally empirical likelihood to estimate the parameter of interest in the presence of nuisance parameters respectively for the parametric and semiparametric models. It is proven that these methods propose some efficient estimators of parameters of interest in the sense of least-favorable efficiency. Particularly, for the decomposable semiparametric models, an explicit representation for the estimator of parameter of interest is derived from the proposed nonparametric method. These new estimations are different from and more efficient than the existing estimations. Some examples and simulation studies are given to illustrate the theoretical results. The first author is supported by NNSF projects (10371059 and 10171051) of China. The second author is supported by a grant from The Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (#HKU7060/04P). The third author is supported by the University Research Committee of the University of Hong Kong and a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Project No. HKU7323/01M).