On algebraically special space-times with twisting rays

The reduced gravitational field equations are derived for algebraically special space-times with twisting geodesic and shear-free rays for a large class of Ricci tensors. These equations coincide with those derived by Trim and Wainwright under more restrictive assumptions on the Ricci tensor. Penrose's conformal technique is used to facilitate computation and interpretation of the results. The remaining coordinate freedom and freedom in the choice of tetrad is discussed.     

Electrochemical studies on ion-selective polymer membrane electrodes

The selectivity and response of neutral carrier based polymer membrane electrodes are investigated via exchange current measurements for systems containing valinomycin, dibenzo-18-crown-6, and plasticizer alone in a polyvinyl chloride matrix. Using a transient galvanostatic step method, apparent exchange current densities of 1.3 X 10^?3 A/cm², 5.4 X 10^?6 A/cm², and 2.2 X 10^?9 A/cm² were obtained with K⁺ as the primary ion for the three types of membranes, respectively. Preliminary results indicate that the exchange current data obtained with this technique are complementary to the potentiometric response observed for the membranes studied.     

On event horizons in static space-times

A proof of the (vacuum) Israel theorem on event horizons in static space-times is given employing the Newman-Penrose formalism. The theorem is extended to include the case of a static, massive, complex, scalar field.Supported in part by the National Research Council of Canada.     

Statistical interpretation of the temperature and stress shift factors

Expressions for the temperature and stress shift factors are derived on the basis of a statistical-probability treatment of the segmental motion of the macromolecules using the theory of energy level transitions. It is shown that in the general case the temperature shift factor should depend on stress, and the stress shift factor on temperature.Institute of Polymer Mechanics, Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR, Riga. Translated from Mekhanika Polimerov, No. 3, pp. 528–531, May–June, 1976.     

Left-flat spaces and their associated space-times

It is already known that for an asymptotically flat space-time the metric coefficients and the other Newman-Penrose variables (in a suitable frame) can be constructed, in principle, by specifying certain initial data at conformal null infinity (and one further function on another null hypersurface), integrating the Newman-Penrose equations in the conformally rescaled “unphysical” space, and then transforming the results back to the physical space-time. If this is done approximately near ?⁺, for vacuum, the well-known Newman-Unti expansion is obtained. In this paper, after complexifying null infinity ?⁺ we generate, in a similar fashion, a left-flat spaceH using as much of the initial data of a given asymptotically flat space-timeM as possible, and show that the left-flat spaceH thus constructed is, in fact, the H-space corresponding toM. The advantage of our method is that it allows a reversal of procedure. Under suitable conditions we can generate from a given left-flat spaceH a class of physical space-times whose H-space is precisely the given left-flat spaceH. We shall see that the formal procedure requires only the local but not the global properties of ?⁺.     

Solid-state NMR identification and quantification of newly formed aluminosilicate phases in weathered kaolinite systems

The weathering of a specimen kaolinite clay was studied over the course of 369 d via solid-state 29Si magic angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and high-field 27Al MAS NMR. The chosen baseline solution conditions (0.05 mol kg-1 of Al, 2 mol kg-1 of Na+, 1 mol kg-1 of NO3-, 1 mol kg-1 of OH-, and pH approximately 13.8) approximate those of solutions leaking from waste tanks at the Hanford Site in Richland, WA. Nonradioactive Cs and Sr cations were added to this synthetic tank waste leachate (STWL) solution at concentrations of 10(-3), 10(-4), and 10(-5) molal (m) to represent their radionuclide counterparts. The transformations of silicon- and aluminum-containing solid phase species were monitored quantitatively by using NMR spectroscopy, with the resulting spectra directly reporting the influence of the initial Cs and Sr on formation and transformation of the neo-formed solids. At the lowest concentration of Cs and Sr employed (10(-5) m in each cation) peaks consistent with the formation of zeolite-like minerals were detected via 29Si and 27Al MAS NMR as early as 33 d. At concentrations of 10(-3) m in each cation, new silicon species are not detected until 93 d, although neophases containing four-coordinate aluminum were detectable at earlier reaction times via 27Al MAS NMR. At the highest magnetic field strengths employed in this NMR study, deconvolutions of resonances detected in the tetrahedral region of the 27Al MAS spectra yielded multiple components, indicating the existence of at least four new aluminum-containing phases. Two of these phases are identified as sodalite and cancrinite through comparison with diffuse-reflectance infrared (DRIFT) spectra and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) results, while a third phase may correlate with a previously detected aluminum-rich chabazite phase. All measurable solid reaction products have been quantified via their 27Al MAS resonances acquired at high magnetic field strengths (17.6 T), and the quantitative nature of the 27Al NMR data shows that cancrinite growth increases while sodalite reaches a steady state with respect to total aluminum in the solid phases. The data also relate the coupling of Cs sorption to the ripening of feldspathoid phases in this heterogeneous system as a function of time, and illustrate the important influence of co-contaminants on the environmental reaction kinetics studied here.     

Bridging ligand planarity as a route to long-lived, near infrared emitting dinuclear ruthenium(II) complexes

The dinuclear ruthenium complex of a large, planar bis-tridentate bridging ligand has been prepared; to the best of our knowledge, this species is the near IR-emitting Ru(II) complex exhibiting the longest-lived emission and highest quantum yield reported so far, due to the dramatic reduction in its radiationless decay rate constant.