On a Quadratic Optimization Problem with Equality Constraints

The constrained optimization problem with a quadratic cost functional and two quadratic equality constraints has been studied by Bar-on and Grasse, with positive-definite matrix in the objective. In this note, we shall relax the matrix in the objective to be positive semidefinite. A necessary and sufficient condition to characterize a local optimal solution to be global is established. Also, a perturbation scheme is proposed to solve this generalized problem.     

Liquid-liquid extraction of Th(IV) with Cyanex302

Summary Th(IV) was quantitatively extracted from 1 ^. 10^-3M HNO₃ using 1 ^. 10^-3M Cyanex302 in xylene and was stripped from the organic phase with 5M HCl. The effect of different parameters affecting the extraction was systematically studied to achieve optimum conditions for the extraction of thorium. Based on the data some separations of thorium from binary and complex mixtures and its recovery from monazite sand were achieved. The method is reproducible with a relative standard deviation of 0.4%.     

Chiral phase transition and Anderson localization in the instanton liquid model for QCD

We study the spectrum and eigenmodes of the QCD Dirac operator in a gauge background given by an instanton liquid model (ILM) at temperatures around the chiral phase transition. Generically we find the Dirac eigenvectors become more localized as the temperature is increased. At the chiral phase transition, both the low lying eigenmodes and the spectrum of the QCD Dirac operator undergo a transition to localization similar to the one observed in a disordered conductor. This suggests that Anderson localization is the fundamental mechanism driving the chiral phase transition. We also find an additional temperature dependent mobility edge (separating delocalized from localized eigenstates) in the bulk of the spectrum which moves toward lower eigenvalues as the temperature is increased. In both regions, the origin and the bulk, the transition to localization exhibits features of a 3D Anderson transition including multifractal eigenstates and spectral properties that are well described by critical statistics. Similar results are obtained in both the quenched and the unquenched case though the critical temperature in the unquenched case is lower. Finally we argue that our findings are not in principle restricted to the ILM approximation and may also be found in lattice simulations.     

The unsatisfiability threshold revisited

The problem of determining the unsatisfiability threshold for random 3-SAT formulas consists in determining the clause to variable ratio that marks the experimentally observed abrupt change from almost surely satisfiable formulas to almost surely unsatisfiable. Up to now, there have been rigorously established increasingly better lower and upper bounds to the actual threshold value. In this paper, we consider the problem of bounding the threshold value from above using methods that, we believe, are of interest on their own right. More specifically, we show how the method of local maximum satisfying truth assignments can be combined with results for the occupancy problem in schemes of random allocation of balls into bins in order to achieve an upper bound for the unsatisfiability threshold less than 4.571. In order to obtain this value, we establish a bound on the q-binomial coefficients (a generalization of the binomial coefficients). No such bound was previously known, despite the extensive literature on q-binomial coefficients. Finally, to prove our result we had to establish certain relations among the conditional probabilities of an event in various probabilistic models for random formulas. It turned out that these relations were considerably harder to prove than the corresponding ones for unconditional probabilities, which were previously known.     

Asymptotic analysis and estimates of blow‐up time for the radial symmetric semilinear heat equation in the open‐spectrum case

We estimate the blow‐up time for the reaction diffusion equation u_t=Δu+ λf(u), for the radial symmetric case, where f is a positive, increasing and convex function growing fast enough at infinity. Here λ>λ^*, where λ^* is the ‘extremal’ (critical) value for λ, such that there exists an ‘extremal’ weak but not a classical steady‐state solution at λ=λ^* with ∥w(?, λ)∥_∞→∞ as 0<λ→λ^*?. Estimates of the blow‐up time are obtained by using comparison methods. Also an asymptotic analysis is applied when f(s)=e^s, for λ?λ^*?1, regarding the form of the solution during blow‐up and an asymptotic estimate of blow‐up time is obtained. Finally, some numerical results are also presented. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of surface energy and relative humidity on AFM nanomechanical contact stiffness

The effects of surface functionality and relative humidity (RH) on nanomechanical contact stiffness were investigated using atomic force acoustic microscopy (AFAM), a contact scanned-probe microscopy (SPM) technique. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with controlled surface energy were studied systematically in a controlled-humidity chamber. AFAM amplitude images of a micropatterned, graded-surface-energy SAM sample revealed that image contrast depended on both ambient humidity and surface energy. Quantitative AFAM point measurements indicated that the contact stiffness remained roughly constant for the hydrophobic SAM but increased monotonically for the hydrophilic SAM. To correct for this unphysical behavior, a viscoelastic damping term representing capillary forces between the tip and the SAM was added to the data analysis model. The contact stiffness calculated with this revised model remained constant with RH, while the damping term increased strongly with RH for the hydrophilic SAM. The observed behavior is consistent with previous studies of surface energy and RH behavior using AFM pull-off forces. Our results show that surface and environmental conditions can influence accurate measurements of nanomechanical properties with SPM methods such as AFAM.     

Working group report: Flavor physics and model building

This is the report of flavor physics and model building working group at WHEPP-9. While activites in flavor physics have been mainly focused on B-physics, those in model building have been primarily devoted to neutrino physics. We present summary of working group discussions carried out during the workshop in the above fields, and also briefly review the progress made in some projects subsequently.     

Dielectric relaxation and aging effect in interpenetrating network polymers of poly(urethane)-poly(methyl methacrylate)

The permittivity and loss of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) network crosslinked with trimethylol-1,1,1 propane and its interpenetrating network polymers with 10, 34, and 50% (by weight) poly(urethane) have been measured from 100 to 400 K over a frequency range of 12 to 1 × 10⁵ Hz. Two relaxation processes, γ and β, are observed in the PMMA network, and a third process, α_pu, in the 10% poly(urethane) IPN. At higher concentrations of poly(urethane), the γ process is removed from the temperature-frequency range of our study. Crosslinking in pure PMMA slows the segmental motions involved in the β process and raises its activation energy. Physical aging of the 10 wt% poly(urethane)-PMMA causes its γ process to become indiscernible and the α_pu process to become better resolved. A discussion of these results in terms of local regions of segmental motion is provided.