Minimum Distance Between the Faces of Two Convex Polyhedra: A Sufficient Condition

The problem of finding the Euclidean distance between two convex polyhedra can be reduced to the combinatorial optimization problem of finding the minimum distance between their faces. This paper presents a global optimality criterion for this problem. An algorithm (QLDPA) for the fast computation of the distance between convex and bounded polyhedra is proposed as an application of it. Computer experiments show its fast performance, especially when the total number of vertices is large.     

Numerical simulations of a filament in a flowing soap film

Experiments concerning the properties of soap films have recently been carried out and these systems have been proposed as experimental versions of theoretical two‐dimensional liquids. A silk filament introduced into a flowing soap film, was seen to demonstrate various stable modes, and these were, namely, a mode in which the filament oscillates and one in which the filament is stationary and aligns with the flow of the liquid. The system could be forced from the oscillatory mode into the non‐ oscillatory mode by varying the length of the filament. In this article we use numerical and computational techniques in order to simulate the strongly coupled behaviour of the filament and the fluid. Preliminary results are presented for the specific case in which the filament is seen to oscillate continuously for the duration of our simulation. We also find that the filament oscillations are strongly suppressed when we reduce the effective length of the filament. We believe that these results are reminiscent of the different oscillatory and non‐oscillatory modes observed in experiment. The numerical solutions show that, in contrast to experiment, vortices are created at the leading edge of the filament and are preferentially grown in the curvature of the filament and are eventually released from the trailing edge of the filament. In a similar manner to oscillating hydrofoils, it seems that the oscillating filaments are in a minimal energy state, extracting sufficient energy from the fluid to oscillate. In comparing numerical and experimental results it is possible that the soap film does have an effect on the fluid flow especially in the boundary layer where surface tension forces are large. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Control of the Morphology of Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials Elaborated by Reactive Processing Without Solvent

We study the synthesis of organic-inorganic hybrids in the molten state of the polymer without solvent, by reactive processing. The synthesis is based in a first step upon the crosslinking of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) through an exchange reaction between the pendant ester groups of EVA and tetrapropoxysilane (TPOS) in presence of dibutyltin oxide (DBTO) as an indispensable catalyst. Then in a second step the hydrolysis-condensation reactions of residual alkoxide groups results in silica network formation, which is covalently bonded with the organic network. An original approach was developed to correlate the evolution of the hydrolysis-condensation reactions through the assessment of propanol by gas chromatography and the evolution of the morphology through SAXS and TEM analysis. Silica-rich domains with a diameter close to 5 nm are obtained.     

稀土粉末Eu∶Y_2O_3的自由感应衰减量子拍

稀土固体是重要的激光和光电子材料。目前 ,由于以宽带信号和太赫兹比特数据传输率为特征的信息技术的发展 ,稀土固体材料的相干瞬态动力学过程成为宽带与高速信息光子学的基本物理问题之一。研究了室温下稀土粉末样品Eu3+ ∶Y2 O3自由感应衰减的相干瞬态光谱 ,这有助于理解有效的光吸收动力学、激发态弛豫、相干能量传递和超短光脉冲在稀土固体中的传播。用一对紫外飞秒相干光脉冲作用于稀土粉末样品Eu3+ ∶Y2 O3,然后监测物质激发态的布居数随两个激发脉冲之间的延时的变化 ,测量到其自由感应衰减量子拍 (FID) ,从拍频周期分析确定了其能级精细结构 ,能级的退相时间长达皮秒量级。理论分析和实验结果符合得很好。对稀土离子的量子干涉的研究 ,表明其在受激受控光放大方面具有潜在的应用前景     

Synthesis of Novel Monomeric Dyes with Anthraquinone Residue

Two novel polymerizable dyes with anthraquinone residue have been prepared, and their structures were characterized by FTIR, ^1HNMR and EA.     

A Novel Cardiac Glycoside from Parepigynum funingesis

From the dried aerial part ofParepigynumfuningesis Tsiang et P. T. Li (Apocynaceae),a new cardiac glucoside, named parefuningoside (1) had been isolated. Its structure was determined by means of hydrolysis and spectral analysis.     

Randers space forms

This note chronicles various roles played by the Yasuda-Shimada theorem in some recent developments of Riemann--Finsler geometry. We shall demonstrate that the said theorem is, at various stages of its life, an enigma, an inspiration, a flawed icon, and a powerful catalyst.