Unique solvability of the periodic Cauchy problem for wave-hierarchy problems with dissipation

Wave-hierarchy problems appear in a variety of applications such as traffic flows, roll waves down an open inclined channel and multiphase flows. Usually, these are described by the compressible Navier-Stokes equations with specific non-linearities; in a fluidized bed model they contain an additional pressure gradient term and are supplemented by an elliptic equation for this unknown pressure. These equations admit solutions periodic in space as well as in time, i.e. periodic travelling waves. Therefore, the corresponding initial value problem with periodic boundary conditions is solved locally in time in appropriate Sobolev spaces. Some remarks are made concerning global solutions, the occurrence of clusters or voids and the bifurcation of time periodic solutions, respectively.     

Stationary policies and Markov policies in Borel dynamic programming

Summary The question of the existence of good Markov [good stationary] policies is studied for a general class of Borel [stationary] dynamic programming models. It is shown, for example, that Markov [stationary] policies are uniformly adequate if every transition law is absolutely continuous with respect to a fixed measure [and the reward function is positive or the model satisfies certain compactness and continuity conditions].Research supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Sonderforschungsbereich 72Research supported by National Science Foundation Grant MCS 8100789     

Resonance-enhanced two-photon sum-frequency generation in NiO and KNiF<Subscript>3</Subscript>

Resonance-enhanced sum-frequency generation is introduced as a novel tool for investigation of magnetically ordered compounds. A tunable laser at frequency ₁ is used to excite an intermediate electronic transition resonantly while a second laser at frequency ₂ is used to scan the nonlinear spectrum at ₁+₂. The technique is particularly useful for investigation of centrosymmetric compounds since resonance enhancement at ₁ leads to large nonlinear signals even in the case of weakly allowed nonlinear processes. The technique is demonstrated on antiferromagnetic NiO and KNiF₃ and also shown to be useful for investigation of samples with large thickness or absorption. PACS 42.65.Ky; 78.20.Ls; 42.62.FiThis revised version was published in October 2004 with a correction to the name of Takuya Satoh.     

Time resolved simultaneous detection of 14NO and 15NO via mid-infrared cavity leak-out spectroscopy

We present a ring-down absorption spectrometer based on a continuous-wave CO laser in the mid-infrared spectral region near lambda = 5 microm. Using a linear ring-down cavity (length: 0.5 m) with high reflective mirrors (R = 99.988 %), we observed a noise-equivalent absorption coefficient of 3 x 10(-10) cm(-1)Hz(-1/2). This corresponds to a noise-equivalent concentration of 800 parts per trillion (ppt) for (14)NO and 40 ppt for (15)NO in 1 s averaging time. We achieve a time resolution of 1 s which allows time resolved simultaneous detection of the two N isotopes. The delta(15)N value was obtained with a precision of +/-1.2 per thousand in a sample with a NO fraction of 11 ppm. The simultaneous detection enables the use of (15)NO as a tracer molecule for endogenous biomedical processes.     

Investigation of radiation-induced mixed interstitial configurations in a dilute nickel 1 at.% silicon alloy

Abstract

X-ray energy spectra induced by 1 MeV protons and the energy spectra of the backscattered protons have been examined in the <100> and <110> directions of Ni crystals containing 1 at.% Si. The channeling method was used to investigate interactions between the radiation-induced defects and the silicon atoms. From the measured minimum yields and from the shape of the angular scans the fraction of silicon atoms is determined, which are displaced into the <100> and <110> channels due to proton or helium irradiations and subsequent annealing treatments. In undamaged crystals about 98 % of the silicon atoms are on normal lattice sites. After irradiation a dose dependent fraction of the silicon atoms is displaced 0.05 nm away from the substitutional position indicating the formation of a mixed dumbbell consisting of one selfinterstitial atom and one silicon atom. However, the experimental data can also be interpreted by the assumption of a NiSi₂ complex, in which the silicon atoms are displaced 0.08 nm from the lattice site. Subsequent annealing from 50 K to 160 K does not change the configuration and the concentration of the silicon complexes. At room temperature the silicon atoms in the complex are positioned 0.04 nm from the lattice position. The silicon complexes were totally am ihilated at 400 K.     

Excellent passivation of thin silicon wafers by HF‐free hydrogen plasma etching using an industrial ICPECVD tool

In this work, hydrogen plasma etching of surface oxides was successfully accomplished on thin (～100 µm) planar n‐type Czochralski silicon wafers prior to intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon [a‐Si:H(i)] deposition for heterojunction solar cells, using an industrial inductively coupled plasma‐enhanced chemical vapour deposition (ICPECVD) platform. The plasma etching process is intended as a dry alternative to the conventional wet‐chemical hydrofluoric acid (HF) dip for solar cell processing. After symmetrical deposition of an a‐Si:H(i) passivation layer, high effective carrier lifetimes of up to 3.7 ms are obtained, which are equivalent to effective surface recombination velocities of 1.3 cm s^–1 and an implied open‐circuit voltage (V_oc) of 741 mV. The passivation quality is excellent and comparable to other high quality a‐Si:H(i) passivation. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy shows evidence of plasma‐silicon interactions and a sub‐nanometre interfacial layer. Using electron energy‐loss spectroscopy, this layer is further investigated and confirmed to be hydrogenated suboxide layers. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Direct experimental probe of the on-site Coulomb repulsion in the doubly charged fullerene anion C70 2-

Vibrationally resolved photoelectron spectra were obtained for cold C(70)- and C(70)2-. Accurate values for the first and second electron affinities (EA's) of C(70) were measured as 2.765 +/- 0.010 and 0.002 (+0.01/-0.03)eV, respectively, establishing that C(70)-2 is an electronically stable dianion in the gas phase. The difference between the first and second EA (2.75 eV) provides a direct experimental measure for the on-site Coulomb and exchange interactions between the two excess electrons in C(70)-2. Strong electron correlation effects were also observed between the two excess electrons in C(70)-2.     

Ion beam sputter deposition of TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> films using oxygen ions

TiO₂ thin films were grown by ion beam sputter deposition (IBSD) using oxygen ions, with the ion energy and geometrical parameters (ion incidence angle, polar emission angle, and scattering angle) being varied systematically. Metallic Ti and ceramic TiO₂ served as target materials. The thin films were characterized concerning thickness, growth rate, surface topography, structural properties, mass density, and optical properties. It was found that the scattering geometry has the main impact on the film properties. Target material, ion energy, and ion incidence angle have only a marginal influence. Former studies on reactive IBSD of TiO₂ using Ar and Xe ions reported equivalent patterns. Nevertheless, the respective ion species distinctively affects the film properties. For instance, mass density and the refractive index of the TiO₂ thin films are remarkably lower for sputtering with oxygen ions than for sputtering with Ar or Xe ions. The variations in the thin film properties are tentatively attributed to the angular and the energy distribution of the film-forming particles, especially, to those of the backscattered primary particles.