Anomalous electric-field effect and glassy behaviour in granular aluminium thin films: electron glass?

We present a study of non-equilibrium phenomena observed in the electrical conductance of insulating granular aluminium thin films. An anomalous field effect and its slow relaxation are studied in some detail. The phenomenology is very similar to the one already observed in indium oxide. The origin of the phenomena is discussed. In granular systems, the present experiments can naturally be interpreted along two different lines. One relies on a slow polarisation in the dielectric surrounding the metallic islands. The other one relies on a purely electronic mechanism: the formation of an electron Coulomb glass in the granular metal. More selective experiments and/or quantitative predictions about the Coulomb glass properties are still needed to definitely distinguish between the two scenarios.     

Catalytic partial oxidation of methane using RhSr- and Ni-substituted hexaaluminates

This paper reports the results of experimental and modeling efforts to characterize partial oxidation of methane to produce synthesis gas (H₂ and CO) using metal-substituted hexaaluminate catalysts in short-contact-time reactors. Hexaaluminate catalysts offer excellent high-temperature stability compared to the equivalent metal-based catalysts. The hexaaluminates are synthesized by a metal-exchange process using alumoxane precursors that enable a wide range of metal substitutions. Of all the combinations tested, RhSr-substituted hexaaluminates yielded the best performance. The catalysts are supported on alumina porous-foam structures, which are positioned within a tube furnace to control the operating temperature. Two-stage combinations of RhSr- and Ni-substituted hexaaluminates are shown to improve conversion activity and selectivity compared to a single-catalyst system.     

Improved experimental tracking techniques for validating discrete element method simulations of tumbling mills

We report on further developments in the three-dimensional tracking of a particle deep within the tumbling ball charge of an experimental mill. The experimental X-ray program employing the use of bi-planar X-ray angiography now includes the tracking of a typical 6 mm bulk charge particle in three dimensions with a spatial resolution that is accurate to within 0.15 mm. The improved experimental tracking techniques presented were developed for the purpose of generating accurate three-dimensional particle trajectory data against which to validate a numerical method for the simulation of discrete media, namely the discrete element method (DEM). These improvements are complimented with techniques for comparing charge profiles between numerical DEM simulations and three-dimensional experimental trajectory data.     

The effect of nanoparticle shape on polymer‐nanocomposite rheology and tensile strength

Nanoparticles can influence the properties of polymer materials by a variety of mechanisms. With fullerene, carbon nanotube, and clay or graphene sheet nanocomposites in mind, we investigate how particle shape influences the melt shear viscosity η and the tensile strength τ, which we determine via molecular dynamics simulations. Our simulations of compact (icosahedral), tube or rod‐like, and sheet‐like model nanoparticles, all at a volume fraction ? ≈ 0.05, indicate an order of magnitude increase in the viscosity η relative to the pure melt. This finding evidently can not be explained by continuum hydrodynamics and we provide evidence that the η increase in our model nanocomposites has its origin in chain bridging between the nanoparticles. We find that this increase is the largest for the rod‐like nanoparticles and least for the sheet‐like nanoparticles. Curiously, the enhancements of η and τ exhibit opposite trends with increasing chain length N and with particle shape anisotropy. Evidently, the concept of bridging chains alone cannot account for the increase in τ and we suggest that the deformability or flexibility of the sheet nanoparticles contributes to nanocomposite strength and toughness by reducing the relative value of the Poisson ratio of the composite. The molecular dynamics simulations in the present work focus on the reference case where the modification of the melt structure associated with glass‐formation and entanglement interactions should not be an issue. Since many applications require good particle dispersion, we also focus on the case where the polymer‐particle interactions favor nanoparticle dispersion. Our simulations point to a substantial contribution of nanoparticle shape to both mechanical and processing properties of polymer nanocomposites. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1882–1897, 2007     

Graphitic nanofillers in PMMA nanocomposites—An investigation of particle size and dispersion and their influence on nanocomposite properties

Mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of graphite/PMMA composites have been evaluated as functions of particle size and dispersion of the graphitic nanofiller components via the use of three different graphitic nanofillers: “as received graphite” (ARG), “expanded graphite,” (EG) and “graphite nanoplatelets” (GNPs) EG, a graphitic materials with much lower density than ARG, was prepared from ARG flakes via an acid intercalation and thermal expansion. Subsequent sonication of EG in a liquid yielded GNPs as thin stacks of graphitic platelets with thicknesses of ～10 nm. Solution‐based processing was used to prepare PMMA composites with these three fillers. Dynamic mechanical analysis, thermal analysis, and electrical impedance measurements were carried out on the resulting composites, demonstrating that reduced particle size, high surface area, and increased surface roughness can significantly alter the graphite/polymer interface and enhance the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of the polymer matrix. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 2097–2112, 2007     

Temperature modulated DSC study of the kinetics of free radical isothermal network polymerization

Temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC) is used to study the kinetics of the free radical isothermal polymerization of triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA). Azo-bis-isobutironitrile was used as initiator. The polymerization’s temperature is lower than the final glass transition temperature of the polymer network. The measurement of the average heat flow released and the heat capacity during the reaction allows identifying the different stages of the reaction. The presence of double peaks in the heat flow is ascribed to the autoacceleration. The influence of temperature, measuring conditions and oxygen are described. Vitrification is detected by the drop in heat capacity. It occurs at increasing conversion rates for increasing temperatures. After vitrification, the diffusion-controlled reaction continues.     

Machine assignment in a nonlinear multi-product flowline

A group of machines for processing a set of jobs in a manufacturing system is often located in a serial line. An efficient strategy for locating these machines such that the total travel distance or the cost of transporting the jobs is minimized is desired. In this research, the assumption of a linear line with equally spaced machine location is relaxed. This research addressed problems of locating unique machines. It is found that the machine distances possess unique properties in this type of a problem. Utilizing these properties, heuristic strategies are proposed to obtain efficient solution where optimal methods are expected to be computationally prohibitive. A lower bound for the optimum solution is also proposed. Results are encouraging.     

Some remarks on general commutators theorems

The paper proves some general facts on commutators that refer to Fuglede-Putnam classical theorem in the spectral theory of not necessarily selfadjoint operators.     

Constructing Space for Science at the Royal Institution of Great Britain

Those who have worked in the Royal Institution of Great Britain have, since its foundation in 1799, made significant contributions to scientific knowledge, to its practical application, and to its communication to a wide variety of audiences. Such work cannot be carried out in an architectural vacuum, and in this paper we examine how the buildings of the Royal Institution, 20 and 21 Albemarle Street in central London, have shaped the work undertaken within its walls and how, on a number of occasions, the buildings have been reconfigured to take account of the evolving needs of scientific research and communication. This paper is based on the Conservation Plan of the Royal Institution that we wrote during 2003. The Conservation Plan did not examine the land owned by the Royal Institution to the north (i.e., 22 and 23 Albemarle Street; for this area see Richard Garnier, “Grafton Street, Mayfair,” Georgian Group Journal 13 (2003), 210–272), but it did discuss 18 and 19 Albemarle Street. In this paper we concentrate on the core Royal Institution buildings at 20 and 21 Albemarle Street. Other studies of the relationship of architecture,space, and science include Crosbie Smith and Jon Agar, ed., Making Space for Science: Territorial Themes in the Shaping of Knowledge (Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1997); Peter Galison and Emily Thompson, ed., The Architecture of Science (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1999); and Sophie Forgan,“The architecture of science and the idea of a university,” Studies in History and Philosophy of Science 20 (1989), 405–434. Frank A.J.L. James is Professor of the History of Science at the Royal Institution; he has written widely on the history of nineteenth-century science in its social and cultural contexts and is editor of the Correspondence of Michael Faraday. He is President of the British Society for the History of Science. Anthony Peers is an Associate of Rodney Melville and Partners where he works in the field of building conservation as an architectural historian. He is a Council member of the Ancient Monument Society.     

Parallel processing of remotely sensed data: Application to the ATSR-2 instrument

Massively parallel computational paradigms can mitigate many issues associated with the analysis of large and complex remotely sensed data sets. Recently, the Beowulf cluster has emerged as the most attractive, massively parallel architecture due to its low cost and high performance. Whereas most Beowulf designs have emphasized numerical modeling applications, the Parallel Image Processing Environment (PIPE) specifically addresses the unique requirements of remote sensing applications. Automated, parallelization of user-defined analyses is fully supported. A neural network application, applied to Along Track Scanning Radiometer-2 (ATSR-2) data shows the advantages and performance characteristics of PIPE.