On the relation between protonium level shifts and nucleon-antinucleon scattering amplitudes

We study the Coulomb and threshold corrections to the low-energy scattering parameters for the proton-antiproton system, with numerical examples based on current optical models. Some commonly used expressions are shown to be inconsistent with our results. We check that the Trueman formula is valid for the level shifts of protonium, provided one takes properly into account the Coulomb corrections to the scattering lengths and volumes.     

Mössbauer study of nanodimensional nickel ferrite – mechanochemical synthesis and catalytic properties

Iron–nickel spinel oxide NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles have been prepared by the combination of chemical precipitation and subsequent mechanical milling. For comparison, their analogue obtained by thermal synthesis is also studied. Phase composition and structural properties of iron–nickel oxides are investigated by X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Their catalytic behavior in methanol decomposition to CO and methane is tested. An influence of the preparation method on the reduction and catalytic properties of iron–nickel samples is established.     

Range reliability in random walks

This paper introduces a definition of reliability based on a process range. Thus, process failure is defined when the range of a process first reaches a given and unacceptable level. The Mean Time To Failure (MTTF) which is denned as the mean of the first time for a range to attain a given amplitude is then calculated for an asymmetric random walk process. The probability distribution of the range is then given and the process reliability over long periods of system operations are then calculated. Applications such as the control of wings movements, stock price and exchange rates volatility (defined in terms of reliability) are also used to motivate the usefulness of range processes in reliability studies. Finally, we point out that there is necessarily a relationship between the range reliability and the propensity of a series to become chaotic.     

Coherent backscattering of electromagnetic waves in a magnetised plasma

Summary A microwave coherent backscattering experiment has been carried out on Mirabelle, a weakly ionised plasma device, with the objective of measuring the electron density fluctuation level. The experiment is a preliminary step in order to prepare the detection system for a microwave stimulated backscattering experiment. The incident electromagnetic wave is focused in front of a plane grid which excites ion acoustic or electron Bernstein waves inducing fluctuations in the plasma. The backscattering signal is collected by the launching circuit and detected by homodyne mixing. The typical ratio of the scattered power to the incident power is about 10⁻¹² and the relative density fluctuations are of the order of δn _e/n _e=10⁻³ against a background electron density ofn _e=1–5·10⁹ cm⁻³. The backscattering measurement is compared with Langmuir probe measurements. The spectral width of the backscattered signal has also been studied, by taking into account effects due to the incident wave focusing and plasma wave damping. The authors of this paper have agreed to not receive the proofs for correction     

A turbidimetric method to measure isoelectric points and particles deposition onto massive substrates

A simple experimental approach was developed to determine the adhesion rate of particles onto massive substrate. Turbidimetry measurements are used to follow the evolution of particle concentration in a suspension in dynamic contact with the walls of a vessel made of different materials. This method allows to rapidly obtain qualitative results about the adhesion of metallic oxides particles on massive substrates. Adhesion of particles of charged latex onto glass was used to validate the approach and was shown to be a method to determine isoelectric points (IEP) of massive substrates. Then, the adhesion of an iron oxide (hematite) particles onto several substrates was studied to determine the reactivity of current labware (glass, polypropylene) and on a metal (aluminum) commonly found in industrial fouling problems. Adhesion of hematite was found to be pH-dependant, and occurs only below ca. 6 (glass) or 7 (polypropylene), and above 7 (aluminum). DLVO calculations were performed to model the hematite/water/glass system and are consistent with the experimental results. Experiments at temperature 7–50 °C have shown an increasing of the adhesion rate from 7 to 40 °C, then a constant value until 50 °C.     

The nature of phase separation in binary oxide melts and glasses. III. Borate and germanate systems

A review of immiscibility data in binary borate and germanate systems was performed in order to compare miscibility gap consolute temperatures with ionic potentials and radii of their associated cations. The trends obtained demonstrate that a selective solution mechanism similar to the one identified for the binary silicate systems is present in the borate and germanate binaries. More importantly, the borate and germanate immiscibility data permitted the identification of a new group of cations depicting an immiscibility behaviour different from the ones identified in binary silicate systems. The new group involves highly polarizable cations possessing a lone pair of electrons. This lone pair of electrons together with oxygen bonded by strong covalent bonds to modifier cations provides efficient shielding to the cations' nuclei which considerably reduces the coulombic repulsions and produces miscibility gaps with very low consolute temperatures. A new group of cations having an homogenizing effect on melts (i.e. a capacity to make immiscible melts single phase) is thus reported. Experimental and spectroscopic data suggest that miscibility gaps associated with cations having a lone pair of electrons exist in binary silicate systems such as TlO_1/2-SiO₂, PbO-SiO₂, SnO-SiO₂ and Bi₂O₃-SiO₂. The consolute temperature of their miscibility gaps is expected to be relatively low and metastable.     

Cohomologie des groupes et corps d'invariants multiplieatifs

Sans résumé     

Vowel Intelligibility in Classical Singing

Vowel intelligibility during singing is an important aspect of communication during performance. The intelligibility of isolated vowels sung by Western classically trained singers has been found to be relatively low, in fact, decreasing as pitch rises, and it is lower for women than for men. The lack of contextual cues significantly deteriorates vowel intelligibility. It was postulated in this study that the reduced intelligibility of isolated sung vowels may be partly from the vowels used by the singers in their daily vocalises. More specifically, if classically trained singers sang only a few American English vowels during their vocalises, their intelligibility for American English vowels would be less than for those classically trained singers who usually vocalize on most American English vowels. In this study, there were 21 subjects (15 women, 6 men), all Western classically trained performers as well as teachers of classical singing. They sang 11 words containing 11 different American English vowels, singing on two pitches a musical fifth apart. Subjects were divided into two groups, those who normally vocalize on 4, 5, or 6 vowels, and those who sing all 11 vowels during their daily vocalises. The sung words were cropped to isolate the vowels, and listening tapes were created. Two listening groups, four singing teachers and five speech-language pathologists, were asked to identify the vowels intended by the singers. Results suggest that singing fewer vowels during daily vocalises does not decrease intelligibility compared with singing the 11 American English vowels. Also, in general, vowel intelligibility was lower with the higher pitch, and vowels sung by the women were less intelligible than those sung by the men. Identification accuracy was about the same for the singing teacher listeners and the speech-language pathologist listeners except for the lower pitch, where the singing teachers were more accurate.     

Encapsulation of ZnS:Mn2+ nanocrystals with diblock copolymers

The encapsulation of the nanocrystalline manganese‐doped zinc sulfide (ZnS:Mn) in poly(styrene‐b‐2vinylpyridine) (PS‐PVP) diblock copolymers is reported. Below the critical micelle concentration in the absence of nanocrystals (NCs), inverse micelles of PS‐PVP were induced by adding ZnS:Mn NCs, the presence of which was confirmed by scanning force microscope and dynamic light scattering. In toluene, a PS‐selective solvent, the less‐soluble PVP blocks preferentially surround the ligand‐coated ZnS:Mn NCs. For PS‐PVP encapsulated ZnS:Mn NCs, the ratio of blue emission to orange emission of ZnS:Mn NCs is dependent on both the concentration of PS‐PVP and the solvent quality. The pyridine of PVP blocks form complexes with the Zn atoms via the nitrogen lone pair and thus the sulfur vacancies are passivated. As a result, the defect‐related blue emission is selectively quenched even when the micelles are not formed. As the concentration of PS‐PVP encapsulating the ZnS:Mn NCs increases, the intensity of blue emission decreases. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 3227–3233, 2006