Nanocrystalline CoSn2-carbon composite electrode prepared by using sonochemistry

A sonochemical method has been used to prepare negative electrode materials containing intermetallic nanoparticles and polyacrylonitrile (PAN). The ultrasound irradiation is applied to achieve small particle size. After annealing at 490 °C under Ar-flow, the polymer PAN is partially carbonized and the metallic nanoparticles are surrounded by a carbonaceous matrix. The main metallic phase is CoSn₂. The carbonaceous coating and the surface oxides have been explored by using XPS. The resulting CoSn₂-carbonaceous phase electrode (CoSn₂@C) shows improved electrochemical behavior (ca. 450 mAh/g after 50 cycles) in comparison with previous reports on pure crystalline CoSn₂. The reaction between CoSn₂@C and Li has been studied by using XRD and ¹¹⁹Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy. The formation of large grains of crystalline Li_xSn phases after the first discharge is discarded. The small particle size which is achieved by using ultrasonication and the carbonaceous matrix contribute to maintain the Co-Sn interactions during the electrochemical cycling. The aggregation of the nanosized metallic particles upon electrochemical cycling can be suppressed by the carbonaceous matrix (pyrolytic PAN).     

On the True Nature of Renormalizability in Horava-Lifshitz Gravity

We argue that the true nature of the renormalizability of Horava-Lifshitz gravity lies in the presence of higher order spatial derivatives and not in the anisotropic Lifshitz scaling of space and time. We discuss the possibility of constructing a higher order spatial derivatives model that has the same renormalization properties of Horava-Lifshitz gravity but that does not make use of the Lifshitz scaling. In addition, the state-of-the-art of the Lorentz symmetry restoration in Horava-Lifshitz-type theories of gravitation is reviewed.     

Chapter 6 On the construction of strong complementarity slackness solutions for DEA linear programming problems using a primal-dual interior-point method

A novel approach for solving the DEA linear programming problems using a primaldual interior-point method is presented. The solution found by this method satisfies the Strong Complementarity Slackness Condition (SCSC) and maximizes the product of the positive components among all SCSC solutions. The first property is critical in the use of DEA and the second one contributes significantly to the reliability of the solution.This research was partially supported by NSF Cooperative Agreement No. CCR-88-09615, ARO Grant 9DAAL03-90-G-0093, DOE Grant DEFG05-86-ER25017, and AFOSR Grant 89-0363.Partially supported by Fulbright/LASPAU.     

Strongly prime alternative pairs with minimal inner ideals

In this paper, we use the known classification of the finite capacity simple alternative pairs and the version of the Litoff Theorem for Jordan pairs to describe all the strongly prime alternative pairs with nonzero socle. We study the inheritance of some properties (primeness, nondegenerancy,…) when passing from the original alternative pair to the symmetrized pair. Thus, we can apply Jordan theoretical results to the alternative case. This work has been partially supported by 1) the “Plan Andaluz de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico” with project no. 1027 and 2) the DGICYT with project no. PB93-0990     

Type-D vacuum solutions with cosmological constant

All type-D vacuum (nonnull orbit and null orbit) solutions with are exhibited in canonical coordinates. The nonnull orbit metrics with contain four families of solutions: the static Levi-Cività metrics, the nondivergingD's, the divergingD's, and the diverging and twisting solutions. The null orbit metrics subdivide into two subclasses of solutions: the divergenceless null orbitD's, and the diverging and twisting null orbit solution.     

Invariant mass distribution of jet pairs produced in association with a W boson in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=1.96 TeV

We report a study of the invariant mass distribution of jet pairs produced in association with a W boson using data collected with the CDF detector which correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.3 fb(-1). The observed distribution has an excess in the 120-160 GeV/c(2) mass range which is not described by current theoretical predictions within the statistical and systematic uncertainties. In this Letter, we report studies of the properties of this excess.     

Observation of the baryonic flavor-changing neutral current decay Λb(0)→Λμ+μ-

We report the first observation of the baryonic flavor-changing neutral current decay Λ(b)(0)→Λμ(+)μ(-) with 24 signal events and a statistical significance of 5.8 Gaussian standard deviations. This measurement uses a pp collisions data sample corresponding to 6.8 fb(-1) at √s = 1.96 TeV collected by the CDF II detector at the Tevatron collider. The total and differential branching ratios for Λ(b)(0)→Λμ(+)μ(-) are measured. We find B(Λ(b)(0)→Λμ(+)μ(-))=[1.73 ± 0.42(stat) ± (syst)] × 10(-6). We also report the first measurement of the differential branching ratio of B(s)(0)→?μ(+)μ(-), using 49 signal events. In addition, we report branching ratios for B(+)→K(+)μ(+)μ(-), B(0)→K(0)μ(+)μ(-), and B→K(*)(892)μ(+)μ(-) decays.     

Linear polarization degree for detecting magnetic properties of small particles

Motivated by the recent advances with magnetic nanoparticles, in this research we propose a new technique for their characterization based on the measurement of certain polarimetric parameters of the scattered light, such as the linear polarization degree when it is determined at a "right-angle" scattering configuration. We will show the sensitivity of its spectral evolution with the magnetic properties of the particle.     

The effect of metal dispersion on the resonance of antennas at infrared frequencies

In this paper the optical parameters at infrared frequencies of metallic thin films were obtained experimentally using a variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometer and used to simulate numerically the frequency response of antennas and antenna-coupled detectors at infrared frequencies (5–15 μm). The simulation results agree with previously published data and practical guidelines are presented for the design and fabrication of dipole and bowtie antennas at infrared frequencies.