A guide for the meaningful surface analysis of wood by XPS and ToF-SIMS

The surface analysis of wood and wood products is becoming increasingly important for reasons ranging from the investigation of molecular constituents through to the optimization of industrial processes. As with any natural product, wood analysis is not straightforward, and this review aims to provide guidance for the successful surface analysis of wood by XPS and ToF-SIMS. Through example experiments, three themes are addressed relevant to obtaining meaningful results: considerations related to heterogeneity in the composition of wood (e.g., growth rings); the impact of the chemical removal of minor wood components known as extractives, and whether such a process is necessary; and the potential for misleading or erroneous results as a result of contamination occurring during sample preparation. In addition to discussing successful sample preparation approaches, the important role to be played by MVA in surface analysis is emphasized, particularly in the analysis of ToF-SIMS data. Examples of ToF-SIMS/MVA are provided that highlight the identification of contamination in sample preparation, the quantification of wood composition in terms of cellulose and lignin, and the indication of age of softwood samples. Through consideration of the complexities that influence wood surface analysis, the design and interpretation of consequential experiments become easier and more accurate.     

Recoil polarimetry with the Crystal Ball at MAMI

The spectrum and properties of the excited states of the nucleon are still poorly established despite decades of study. These proceedings describe new measurements of pseudo-scalar meson photoproduction at the Crystal Ball at MAMI, employing a new large acceptance nucleon recoil polarimeter. The double- and single-polarisation observables obtained will provide valuable and unique data to be used as part of the world effort to improve our knowledge of this fundamental spectrum.     

Precision measurements of strangeness photoproduction at threshold energies with the Crystal Ball at MAMI-C

The photoproduction of K＋ mesons from the nucleon provides important constraints on the nucleon excitation spectrum and at threshold energies challenges effective field theories based on chiral perturbation in the strange quark sector. Preliminary cross-section measurements for γ（P, K＋）A are presented at an unprecedented beam energy resolution. The data was collected at the MAMI-C facility in Mainz using the Crystal Ball Detector. A new method of K＋ detection was used in which the K＋ is tagged from its weak decay products in the detector crystals. This technique has application with other calorimeters at present and future hadron facilities.     

Spin polarization of CrO2 at and across an artificial barrier

We report a systematic study of the spin polarization of epitaxial CrO2 films at and across an interface using planar junctions with a superconducting counterelectrode. By chemical modification of the CrO2 surface before the deposition of the superconductor, junctions with a wide range of barrier strength were obtained. Analysis of the conductance data on these junctions, especially under Zeeman splitting of the superconducting density of states, yields consistent, close to full spin polarization for CrO2 regardless of the barrier strength.     

A-stable block implicit one-step methods

A class of methods for solving the initial value problem for ordinary differential equations is studied. We developr-block implicit one-step methods which compute a block ofr new values simultaneously with each step of application. These methods are examined for the property ofA-stability. A sub-class of formulas is derived which is related to Newton-Cotes quadrature and it is shown that for block sizesr=1,2,..., 8 these methods areA-stable while those forr=9,10 are not. We constructA-stable formulas having arbitrarily high orders of accuracy, even stiffly (strongly)A-stable formulas.     

Photo-oxidation of unsaturated ferrocenyl-substituted carboxylic acids

In aqueous solution (pH 9) containing N₂O, the unsaturated acids $\text{trans}$-FcCHCH(CH₂)nCO₂H (n = 0 and 1) and FcCCCO₂H each undergo photo-oxidation, upon illumination with u.v. light of wavelength 240-250 nm, giving dipolar ferricenium species which may be chemically reduced back to the original acids. The mechanism of photo-oxidation, which is inhibited by ethanol, appears to be similar to that previously proposed for saturated ω-ferrocenylalkanoic acids.     

Photochemically induced electron transfer from [3]ferrocenophanylbutanoate anions

The anions of 4-([3]ferrocenophanyl)butanoic acids (Id and IId), when excited by light of around 240 nm wavelength in aqueous solution in the presence of N₂O, undergo photo-oxidation to zwitterions (III and IV respectively) in a manner completely analogous to the reaction of 4-ferrocenylbutanoate anion. The differences in the kinetic parameters of the reactions are thought to be attributable in part to slight tilting of the cyclopentadienyl rings caused by the connecting trimethylene bridge.