Stability of stationary solutions of a semilinear parabolic partial differential equation

We consider a parabolic partial differential equation u_t = u_xx + f(u) on a compact interval of spatial variable x with Dirichlet boundary conditions. The stability of stationary solutions of this system is studied by the use of Liapunov's second method. We obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for the stability, asymptotic stability, neutral stability, instability, and conditional stability. These conditions are closely connected with the conditions for the existence of the stationary solutions.     

On the Origin of the Non-Arrhenius Na-ion Conductivity in Na3OBr

The sodium-rich antiperovskites (NaRAPs) with composition Na₃OB (B=Br, Cl, I, BH₄, etc.) are a family of materials that has recently attracted great interest for application as solid electrolytes in sodium metal batteries. Non-Arrhenius ionic conductivities have been reported for these materials, the origin of which is poorly understood. In this work, we combined temperature-resolved bulk and local characterisation methods to gain an insight into the origin of this unusual behaviour using Na₃OBr as a model system. We first excluded crystallographic disorder on the anion sites as the cause of the change in activation energy; then identified the presence of a poorly crystalline impurities, not detectable by XRD, and elucidated their effect on ionic conductivity. These findings improve understanding of the processing-structure-properties relationships pertaining to NaRAPs and highlight the need to determine these relationships in other materials systems, which will accelerate the development of high-performance solid electrolytes.