Linear sorting withO(logn) processors

A file ofn records can be sorted in linear time givenO(log(n)) processors. Four such algorithms are presented and analyzed. All of them have reasonable hardware requirements; no memory access conflicts are generated; a constant number of communication lines per processor are needed (except for one case); and the space requirements areO(n) orO(n log(log(n))).     

A telescope illumination system for a wide-field endoscope

Endoscopic illumination systems conduct light down a built-in fibre-optic bundle to illuminate the object. Many modern endoscopes employ wide-field imaging optical systems and therefore require an illuminating beam of large divergence. This is commonly provided by placing a strong diverging lens at the far end of the fibre bundle, but it results in a poor uniformity of illumination in the object space. This paper describes the design of a telescopic illumination system to overcome this problem.     

Spectroscopical diagnostics of alpha particles in the TSP tokamak

Reported to the 5th All-Union Conference on High-Temperature Plasma Diagnostics (June 18–22, 1990, Minsk).     

High-throughput concept for tailoring switchable mirrors

The optical properties, the switching kinetics and the lifetime of hydrogen switchable mirrors based on Mg-Ni alloys are determined with particular regard to the composition of the optically active metal-hydride layer in combination with the thickness of the catalytic capping layer. For this, a high-throughput experiment is introduced. The switching kinetics and the reversibility of switchable mirrors are strongly thickness dependent, though the details hinge on the fine structure of the clustered capping layer. Therefore, the kinetics is correlated with the surface structures of Pd on Mg_yNi_1−y as investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy. The results are explained by the so-called strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) state, characterized by a complete encapsulation of the capping layer clusters by oxidized species originating from the support. The SMSI-effect is less important with increasing Pd-layer thickness, and is suppressed by a good wetting of the Pd-clusters on the optically active film. This explains the critical thickness for the catalyzed hydrogen uptake observed in many switchable mirror systems. Moreover, the degradation of the kinetics during cycling is found to depend on the Pd-layer thickness and on the gas environment. Only films, covered with at least 15 nm Pd, show small degradation caused by the SMSI-effect. The SMSI-effect is partly reversible: after changing the gas environment from hydrogen to oxygen, the oxide on the Pd-clusters can be partly removed.     

VUV-UV excited luminescent properties of LnCa4O(BO3)3:RE (Ln=Y, La, Gd; Re=Eu, Tb, Dy, Ce)

Calcium lanthanide oxyborate doped with rare-earth ions LnCa₄O(BO₃)₃:RE³⁺ (LnCOB:RE, Ln=Y, La, Gd, RE=Eu, Tb, Dy, Ce) was synthesized by the method of solid-state reaction at high temperature. Their fluorescent spectra were measured from vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) to visible region at room temperature. Their excitation spectra all have a broadband center at about 188 nm, which is ascribed to host absorption. Using Dorenbos’ and Jφrgensen's work [P. Dorenbos, J. Lumin. 91 (2000) 91, R. Resfeld, C.K. Jφrgensen, Lasers and Excite States of Rare Earth [M], Springer, Berlin, 1977, p. 45], the position of the lowest 5d levels E(Ln,A) and charge transfer band E_ct were calculated and compared with their excitation spectra.Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺ ions doped into LnCOB show efficient luminescence under VUV and UV irradiation. In this system, Ce³⁺ ions do not show efficient luminescence and quench the luminescence of Tb³⁺ ions when Tb³⁺ and Ce³⁺ ions are co-doped into LnCOB. GdCOB doped with Dy³⁺ shows yellowish white light under irradiation of 254 nm light for the reason that Gd³⁺ ions transfer the energy from itself to Dy³⁺. Because of the existence of Gd³⁺, the samples of GdCOB:RE³⁺ show higher excitation efficiency than LaCOB:RE³⁺ and YCOB:RE³⁺, around 188 nm, which indicates that the Gd³⁺ ions have an effect on the host absorption and can transfer the excitation energy to the luminescent center such as Tb³⁺, Dy³⁺ and Eu³⁺.     

Controlled structure and density of “living” polystyrene brushes on flat silica surfaces

Thin layers of polystyrene were grown from surface-grafted nitroxide initiators via controlled “living” free radical polymerization. The “reactive” Langmuir-Blodgett deposition method allowed an effective control of the initiator layer density leading to PS brushes with different and high grafting density and stretching. The influence of the grafting density on the layer structure was studied. Comparison with theoretical predictions for monodispersed brushes in bad solvent was discussed. The thickness was found to vary linearly with molecular weight and the density dependence was shown using wetting measurements. Special features of controlled radical nitroxide polymerization from a surface were discussed. A direct comparison of the molecular weight and polydispersity between surface and bulk polymers was made by de-grafting the brushes into a toluene/HF solution. Finally, some evidence of a “surface Fischer” effect was shown from re-initiated layers. Received 20 December 2001     

Low-temperature reaction of magnesium with fluorobenzene

The low-temperature reaction of magnesium with fluorobenzene has been investigated. Joint condensation of magnesium and fluorobenzene vapours at low temperatures quantitatively gave phenylmagnesium fluoride in one stage.     

Two-spin-majority cellular automaton as a model of 2D cluster and interface growth

A new probabilistic cellular automaton model is introduced to simulate cluster and interface growth in two dimensions. The dynamics of this model is an extension to higher dimensions of the compact directed percolation studied by Essam. Numerical results indicate that the two-dimensional cluster coarsening and growth can be described only approximately by the conventional cluster size scaling due to a crossover in the growth mode. The spreading of the initially flat interface follows a purely diffusional,t ^1/2, law.