Improvement in SOFC anode performance by finely-structured Ni/YSZ cermet prepared via heterocoagulation

A novel preparation technique for a nanostructured anode for a solid oxide fuel cell is investigated. By mixing nanometer-sized NiO and YSZ powders in a pH-controlled aqueous media, a fine mixture of nanoparticles is successfully obtained through heterocoagulation. The anode prepared from thus prepared mixture has a large triple phase boundary and shows a great improvement in the anode performance by increasing the electric conductivity and effective surface area.     

Efficient H2 adsorption by nanopores of high-purity double-walled carbon nanotubes

DWNT buckypaper adsorbed much more hydrogen than did a SWNT bundle. XRD measurements and GCMC simulation results suggested that the DWNT bundle is loosely packed into an hexagonal array with interstitial pores which can efficiently adsorb H2 molecules.     

Raman and IR studies of the interaction between aerosol OT and polyaminopropylsiloxane

The infrared and Raman spectra of the areosol-OT (AOT)–polyaminopropylsiloxane (poly APS) system have been examined in detail. The results provided ample evidence that there exists a strong hydrogen-bonding network between AOT-carbonyl and poly APS-NH₂ groups.     

Nonequilibrium dynamics of Tonks-Girardeau gases on optical lattices

We summarize in the present work exact results obtained for Tonks-Girardeau gases on one-dimensional optical lattices both for the ground state and nonequilibrium dynamics. On the theoretical side, impenetrable bosons offer the opportunity to study strongly interacting systems in one-dimensional lattices exactly, by means of the Jordan-Wigner transformation, and hence contribute to the topic of strong correlations at the center of interest in both condensed matter physics and quantum gases. This motivation is further enhanced by recent experimental realizations of such systems with ultracold atoms. After having shown their universal properties in equilibrium, we concentrate on their nonequilibrium dynamics. It will be shown that, starting from a pure Fock state, quasi-long-range correlations develop dynamically and lead to the formation of quasicondensates with a momentum determined by the underlying lattice. We expect this effect to be relevant for atom lasers with full control of the wavelength. Then, we will show that the free evolution of an initially confined Tonks-Girardeau gas leads to a momentum distribution that approaches at long times that of the equivalent fermionic system, giving rise to a bosonic gas with a Fermi edge, and hence a fermionization that can only be obtained out of equilibrium. Remarkably, although the momentum distribution function of the Tonks-Girardeau gas becomes equal to the one of the fermions, no loss in coherence is observed in the system, as reflected by a large occupation of eigenstates of the one-particle density matrix.     

Homotopy Algebras Inspired by Classical Open-Closed String Field Theory

We define a homotopy algebra associated to classical open-closed strings. We call it an open-closed homotopy algebra (OCHA). It is inspired by Zwiebach's open-closed string field theory and also is related to the situation of Kontsevich's deformation quantization. We show that it is actually a homotopy invariant notion; for instance, the minimal model theorem holds. Also, we show that our open-closed homotopy algebra gives us a general scheme for deformation of open string structures (A_∞-algebras) by closed strings (L_∞-algebras). H. K is supported by JSPS Research Fellowships for Young Scientists. J. S. is supported in part by NSF grant FRG DMS-0139799 and US-Czech Republic grant INT-0203119.     

2-(6,7-Dimethoxy-2,3-Naphthalimido)ethyl Trifluoromethanesulfonate as a Labeling Reagent for Carboxylic Acids in Liquid Chromatography

A new, highly reactive and sensitive labeling reagent, 2-(6,7-dimethoxy-2,3-naphthalimido)ethyl trifluoromethanesulfonate, (6,7-DMNE-OTf), has been synthesized and used to determine several carboxylic acids by high-performance liquid chromatography. Reactions of the reagent with long-chain, saturated monocarboxylic acids proceed to completion within 5 min in acetone at room temperature in the presence of 18-crown-6 as a catalyst. The acid derivatives could be readily eluted with acetonitrile-water (90:10). The detection limits (signal-to-noise RATIO = 3) with ultraviolet and fluorescence detection are 10 fmol (λ_max = 282 nm) and 3 fmol (λ_ex = 282 nm, λ_em = 456 nm), respectively.     

Recent Progress and Results of LEPS, LEPS2, and ELPH

Hadron photoproduction reactions are complementarily studied at SPring-8/LEPS and ELPH, Tohoku University. Their recent results on hadron structure and interaction are summarized in the present article. On the pentaquark candidate Θ⁺, a clear peak structure is seen in new exclusive analyses using increased statistics data of the γ d→K⁺K^?X reaction. A new project LEPS2 has started at SPring-8 in conjunction with LEPS and ELPH. Recent progress is discussed including a new photon detector system BGO-EGG, which is under construction at ELPH. LEPS2 beam commissioning will start from the end of FY2012.     

A note on sparse SOS and SDP relaxations for polynomial optimization problems over symmetric cones

This short note extends the sparse SOS (sum of squares) and SDP (semidefinite programming) relaxation proposed by Waki, Kim, Kojima and Muramatsu for normal POPs (polynomial optimization problems) to POPs over symmetric cones, and establishes its theoretical convergence based on the recent convergence result by Lasserre on the sparse SOS and SDP relaxation for normal POPs. A numerical example is also given to exhibit its high potential. Research of M. Kojima supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas 16016234. Research of M. Muramatsu supported in part by Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B) 15740054.