The effect of fluorine-based plasma treatment on morphology and chemical surface composition of biocompatible silicone elastomer

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been used to investigate the effect of reactive ion etching (RIE) on poly(methylhydrogensiloxane-co-dimethylsiloxane) surface in fluorine-based plasmas. Polysiloxane layers supported on the standard silicon wafers were etched using SF₆ + O₂ or CF₄ + O₂ plasmas. SEM studies show that the polysiloxane morphology depends on plasma chemical composition strongly. Presence of a columnar layer likely covered with a fluorine rich compound was found on the elastomer surface after the CF₄ + O₂ plasma exposure. After the SF₆ + O₂ or CF₄ + O₂ plasma treatment the polysiloxane surface enriches with fluorine or with fluorine and aluminum, respectively. Different morphologies and surface chemical compositions of the silicone elastomer etched in both plasmas indicate different etching mechanisms.     

Cassie's Law and Concavity of Wall Tension with Respect to Disorder

For the semiinfinite Ising model with quenched boundary disorder, we prove concavity inequalities for the difference of wall tensions associated with the minus and plus phases. These inequalities generalize phenomenological equalitiesknown as Cassie's law.     

Continuum limit of overlap valence quarks on a twisted mass sea

We study a lattice QCD mixed action with overlap valence quarks on two flavours of Wilson maximally twisted mass sea quarks. Employing three different matching conditions to relate both actions to each other, we investigate the continuum limit by using three values of the lattice spacing ranging from a≈0.05 fm$a\approx 0.05\text{fm}$ to 0.08 fm$0.08\text{fm}$. A particular emphasis is put on the effect on physical observables of the topological zero modes appearing in the valence overlap operator. We estimate the region of parameter space where the contribution from these zero modes is sufficiently small such that their effects can be safely controlled and a restoration of unitarity of the mixed action in the continuum limit is reached.     

Patterns of lepton-flavour violation motivated by decoupling and sneutrino inflation

We present predictions for flavour-violating charged-lepton decays induced by the seesaw mechanism implemented within the constrained minimal supersymmetric standard model (CMSSM) with universal input soft supersymmetry breaking terms. We assume that one heavy singlet neutrino almost decouples from the seesaw mechanism, as suggested by the pattern of light neutrino masses and mixing angles. This is suggested independently by sneutrino inflation with a low reheating temperature, T_RH10⁷ GeV, so as to avoid overproducing gravitinos. This requirement further fixes the mass of the weakly-coupled sneutrino, whose decays may lead to leptogenesis. We find that BR(μ→eγ)10⁻¹³ but BR(τ→μγ)10⁻⁹ in the bulk of the acceptable parameter space, apart from a few isolated points. The ratio BR(μ→eγ)/BR(τ→eγ) depends on only one complex parameter, and is particularly interesting to compare with experiment.     

Radon in well waters in the Kraków area

The method and the results of radon concentration measurements in water samples are presented. Since May 2000, measurements of radon concentration in well waters in the Kraków area have been carried out--both in urban wells (depth above 50 meters) and in other private wells (depth of several meters). The ionisation chamber AlphaGUARD PQ 2000PRO along with the additional special equipment AquaKIT were used for determination of radon concentration in water samples. A total of 45 wells were examined for radon concentration in water--19 urban wells, 21 private ones (from Nowa Huta, Ojcowska, Wola Justowska area--parts of Kraków) and 5 mineral water sources. Wola Justowska is a region where tectonics faults occur and radon can easily migrate from deep basement structure. All the obtained values of radon concentration are below 12 Bq/l. These preliminary results do not show a direct correlation between geological structure and radon concentration in water samples. However, further investigation is needed and is planned to be undertaken.     

Gain–loss asymmetry for emerging stock markets

Stock indexes for some European emerging markets are analyzed using an investment-horizon approach. Austrian ATX index and Dow Jones have been studied and compared with several emerging European markets. The optimal investment horizons are plotted as a function of an absolute return value. Gain–loss asymmetry, originally found for American DJIA index, is observed for all analyzed data. It is shown, that this asymmetry has different character for emerging and for established markets. For established markets, gain curve lies typically above loss curve, whereas in the case of emerging markets the situation is just the opposite. We propose a measure quantifying the gain–loss asymmetry that clearly exhibits a difference between emerging and established markets.     

Spectroscopic and atomic force microscopy investigations of hybrid materials composed of fullerenes and 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane

Fullerene based materials may open a new horizon in many fields of science. In this study we fabricated thin films of the hybrid materials formed as a result of interactions between C₆₀ fullerenes and 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS). The deposition technique was a combination of spin-coating and evaporation methods. Interactions within the films were investigated by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS). Surface morphology was measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). We found that there are strong chemical reactions between the nucleophilic nitrogen atoms from APTMS and electrophilic fullerene molecules. Results of NEXAFS investigations suggest that due to direct interactions between APTMS and C₆₀ the electronic structure of the fullerene molecules changes while at the same time AFM proved that the C₆₀ molecule diameter is not altered.     

Plasmonic refraction‐induced ultrahigh transparency of highly conducting metallic networks

We demonstrate a high optoelectronic performance and application potential of our random network, with subwavelength diameter, ultralong, and high‐quality silver nanowires, stabilized on a substrate with a UV binder. Our networks show very good optoelectronic properties, with the single best figure of merit of ∼1686, and excellent stability under harsh mechanical strain, as well as thermal, and chemical challenge. Our network transparency strongly exceeds the simple shading limit. We show that this transmission enhancement is due to plasmonic refraction, which in an effective medium picture involves localized plasmons, and identify the inhomogeneous broadening as the key factor in promoting this mechanism. Such networks could become a basis for a next generation of ultrahigh‐performance transparent conductors.