General covariance of the non-abelian DBI-action: checks and balances

We perform three tests on our proposal to implement diffeomorphism invariance in the non-abelian D0-brane DBI action as a base-point independence constraint between matrix Riemann normal coordinate systems. First, we show that T-duality along an isometry correctly interchanges the potential and kinetic terms in the action. Second, we show that the method to impose base-point independence using an auxiliary dN²-dimensional nonlinear sigma model also works for metrics which are curved along the brane, provided a physical gauge choice is made at the end. Third, we show that without alteration this method is applicable to higher order in velocities. Testing specifically to order 4, we elucidate the range of validity of the symmetrized trace approximation to the non-abelian DBI action.     

A Numerical Calculation for Electron Impact Excitation of Copper

The scattering of electrons by atomic copper has been studied using Born approximation and the concept of the generalized oscillator strength (GOS). Differential and total cross-sections for the excitation of the 3d¹⁰ 4p² P state are calculated at incident energies of 100 eV and are compared with other available experimental and theoretical data. The agreement between our calculation for the differential cross-section and the available experimental results is fairly good at the forward angles, while the agreement at large angles is poor. The calculated total cross-sections are compared with the experimental data and those predicted by several theories. It is found that our calculation for the total cross-sections are in a good agreement with the close coupling calculation of Msezane and Henry (1986a, Physical Review A 33, 1631) for incident energies greater than 20 eV. The integrated cross-section measurements of Ismail and Teubner (1995, Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics 28, 4164) are in good agreement with the present calculation.     

Rank,covering number and a simple spectrum

For a dynamical system (X, B, T, μ) we investigate the connections between metric invariants, the rankr(T) and the covering numberF ^*(T) and a spectral property for having a simple spectrum. Given a positive integerr≥2, a real numberb, 0<b<1 such thatr·b≥1, we construct examples of systems withr(T)=r, F ^*(T)=b and having a simple spectrum.     

Characterization of Metallo Bis(terpyridine) Diblock Polymers by Nonaqueous Capillary Zone Electrophoresis

A method of nonaqueous capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) has been developed to characterize block (co)polymers of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(styrene) containing metallo bis(terpyridine) complexes as bridging units. Specific CZE separation conditions had to be applied, with barium perchlorate dissolved in N-methylformamide (NMF) as background electrolyte and OV-1701-OH deactivated capillaries. For detection UV absorption was measured at a wavelength of 316 nm. Metallo diblock polymers with molecular weights up to 30,000 Da could be analyzed by the proposed nonaqueous CZE method. Experiments performed with polymeric compounds containing Fe, Ni or Ru as central metal ions showed that their electrophoretic mobilities were independent of the type of metal ion. Therefore, the data on the size of the polymeric compounds could be obtained using just one set of calibration standards. Polydispersities of the samples calculated from the experimental results were in correlation with the polydispersities of the polymers used in the synthesis of the metallo diblock polymers. Several polymeric samples contained metallo mono(terpyridine) complexes as impurities. These by-products could be separated from the main product. With symmetrical diblock polymers only one by-product was detected, while with an asymmetric diblock polymer two types of mono-complexes were found. The amount of the mono-complexes present as impurities was dependent on the type of central metal ion (Ni > Fe >> Ru).     

Microstructural assessment of InN-on-GaN films grown by plasma-assisted MBE

The structural properties of InN thin films, grown by rf plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on Ga-face GaN/Al₂O₃(0001) substrates, were investigated by means of conventional and high resolution electron microscopy. Our observations showed that a uniform InN film of total thickness up to 1 μm could be readily grown on GaN without any indication of columnar growth. A clear epitaxial orientation relationship of , was determined. The quality of the InN film was rather good, having threading dislocations as the dominant structural defect with a density in the range of 10⁹–10¹⁰ cm⁻². The crystal lattice parameters of wurtzite InN were estimated by electron diffraction analysis to be a=0.354 nm and c=0.569 nm, using Al₂O₃ as the reference crystal. Heteroepitaxial growth of InN on GaN was accomplished by the introduction of a network of three regularly spaced misfit dislocation arrays at the atomically flat interface plane. The experimentally measured distance of misfit dislocations was 2.72 nm. This is in good agreement with the theoretical value derived from the in-plane lattice mismatch of InN and GaN, which indicated that nearly full relaxation of the interfacial strain between the two crystal lattices was achieved.     

U(2, 2) Symmetry as a Common Basis for Quantum Theory and Geometrodynamics

We formulated some criticisms of the Diracequation and its Clifford-algebraic philosophy; inparticular, we show that, within a general-relativisticcontext, they seem to contain hidden action-at-distance concepts. We suggest a new model based on thefour-component Klein-Gordon equation locally invariantunder the U(2,2) gauge group. The usual Dirac equationis then obtained as a certain approximation. The geometrodynamical sector shows reasonablecorrespondence with general relativity.