Magnesium nanoparticles with transition metal decoration for hydrogen storage

We report on the hydrogen storage behaviour of Mg nanoparticles (NPs) (size range 100 nm–1 μm) with metal-oxide core–shell morphology synthesized by inert gas condensation and decorated by transition metal (TM) (Pd or Ti) clusters via in situ vacuum deposition. The structure and morphology of the as-prepared and hydrogenated NPs is studied by electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction including in situ experiments and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, in order to investigate the relationships with the hydrogen storage kinetics measured by the volumetric Sieverts method. With both Pd and Ti, the decoration deeply improves the hydrogen sorption properties: previously inert NPs exhibit complete hydrogenation with fast transformation kinetics, good stability and reversible gravimetric capacity that can attain 6 wt%. In the case of Pd-decoration, the occurrence of Mg–Pd alloying is observed at high temperatures and in dependence of the hydrogen pressure conditions. These structural transformations modify both the kinetics and thermodynamics of hydride formation, while Ti-decoration has an effect only on the kinetics. The experimental results are discussed in relation with key issues such as the amount of decoration, the heat of mixing between TM and Mg and the binding energy between TM and hydrogen.     

Lateral IBIC characterization of single crystal synthetic diamond detectors

In order to evaluate the charge collection efficiency (CCE) profile of single‐crystal diamond devices based on a p‐type/intrinsic/metal configuration, a lateral Ion Beam Induced Charge (IBIC) analysis was performed over their cleaved cross sections using a 2 MeV proton microbeam. CCE profiles in the depth direction were extracted from the cross‐sectional maps at variable bias voltage. IBIC spectra relevant to the depletion region extending beneath the frontal Schottky electrode show a 100% CCE, with a spectral resolution of about 1.5%. The dependence of the width of the high efficiency region from applied bias voltage allows the constant residual doping concentration of the active region to be evaluated. The region where the electric field is absent shows an exponentially decreasing CCE profile, from which it is possible to estimate the diffusion length of the minority carriers by means of a drift–diffusion model. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Asymmetric flow networks

This paper provides a new model of network formation that bridges the gap between the two benchmark game-theoretic models by Bala and Goyal (2000a) – the one-way flow model, and the two-way flow model – and includes both as limiting cases. As in both the said models, a link can be initiated unilaterally by any player with any other in what we call an “asymmetric flow” network, and the flow through a link towards the player who supports it is perfect. Unlike those models, there is friction or decay in the opposite direction. When this decay is complete there is no flow and this corresponds to the one-way flow model. The limit case when the decay in the opposite direction (and asymmetry) disappears corresponds to the two-way flow model. We characterize stable and strictly stable architectures for the whole range of parameters of this “intermediate” and more general model. A study of the efficiency of these architectures shows that in general stability and efficiency do not go together. We also prove the convergence of Bala and Goyal’s dynamic model in this context.     

Viscosity Characterization of the Value Function of an Investment-Consumption Problem in Presence of an Illiquid Asset

We study a problem of optimal investment/consumption over an infinite horizon in a market consisting of a liquid and an illiquid asset. The liquid asset is observed and can be traded continuously, while the illiquid one can only be traded and observed at discrete random times corresponding to the jumps of a Poisson process. The problem is a nonstandard mixed discrete/continuous optimal control problem, which we face by the dynamic programming approach. The main goal of the paper is the characterization of the value function as unique viscosity solution of an associated Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation. We then use such a result to build a numerical algorithm, allowing one to approximate the value function and so to measure the cost of illiquidity.     

The Fried Average Entropy and Slow Entropy for Actions of Higher Rank Abelian Groups

We consider two numerical entropy-type invariants for actions of \({\mathbb{Z}^k}\) , invariant under a choice of generators and well-adapted for smooth actions whose individual elements have positive entropy. We concentrate on the maximal rank case, i.e. \({\mathbb{Z}^k,\,k \geq 2}\) actions on k + 1-dimensional manifolds. In this case we show that for a fixed dimension (or, equivalently, rank) each of the invariants determines the other and their values are closely related to regulators in algebraic number fields. In particular, in contrast with the classical case of \({{\mathbb Z}}\) actions the entropies of ergodic maximal rank actions take only countably many values. Our main result is the dichotomy that is best expressed under the assumption of weak mixing or, equivalently, no periodic factors: either both invariants vanish, or their values are bounded away from zero by universal constants. Furthermore, the lower bounds grow with dimension: for the first invariant (the Fried average entropy) exponentially, and for the second (the slow entropy) linearly.     

First report of non‐coloured flavonoids in Echium plantagineum bee pollen: differentiation of isomers by liquid chromatography/ion trap mass spectrometry

Apicultural products have been widely used in diet complements as well as in phytotherapy. Bee pollen from Echium plantagineum was analysed by high‐performance liquid chromatography/photodiode‐array detection coupled to ion trap mass spectrometry (HPLC‐PAD‐MSⁿ) with an electrospray ionisation interface. The structures have been determined by the study of the ion mass fragmentation, which characterises the interglycosidic linkage in glycosylated flavonoids and differentiates positional isomers. Twelve non‐coloured flavonoids were characterised, being kaempferol‐3‐O‐neohesperidoside the major compound, besides others in trace amounts. These include quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin glycosides, with several of them being isomers. Acetylated derivatives are also described. This is the first time that non‐coloured flavonoids are reported from this pollen, with MS fragmentation proving to be most useful in the elucidation of isomeric structures. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Efficient method to prepare diethylphosphonacetamides

An efficient and versatile synthetic method is described to synthesize diethylphosphonacetamides in a single step.     

Simulation of dynamic speckle sequences and its application to the analysis of transient processes

Dynamic speckle has been used in recent years to analyse several transient processes that are produced in industrial and biological applications. We present here a numerical simulation to generate a temporal sequence of dynamic speckle patterns which is based on a model used for speckle formation by the superposition of waves from discrete scattering centres. It is demonstrated that the first and second statistics of the intensity of each speckle image, the time history of the speckle pattern, the temporal evolution of the correlation coefficient, and the power spectral density of the intensity generated by the proposed model reproduce quite well those obtained from experimentally recorded data. The process of a fast drying paint is presented as an example of the application of the proposed numerical model.