Searching for optimal configurations by simulated tunneling

Optimization theory deals with algorithms finding the lowest cost (energy) configuration in a minimal number of steps. When the cost function has many local minima, the deterministic algorithms become easily trapped in suboptimal solutions. The simulated annealing method tries to overcome this difficulty by introducting thermal noise in the problem. Here we explore the possibility of implementing search procedures analogous to the quantum tunneling effect. The suggested dynamics is a guided diffusion process of an interactingpopulation of configurations. Different dynamical aspects of the search process are formulated first in a simple one-dimensional tight-binding model with a hierarchical potential. The new algorithm is then applied to the Traveling Salesman Problem. It is demonstrated that the use of interacting, evolving populations of tours representing our wave packet leads to systematic improvements and possibly, to the optimal tour. In addition, the structure of the cost function landscape for a given instance becomes locally accessible. The performance of the algorithm and its implications for parallel computing and genetic programming are briefly discussed.     

Electronic properties of polyoxometalates: a DFT study of alpha/beta-[XM(12)O(40)](n-) relative stability (M=W, Mo and X a main group element)

Keggin heteropolyanions [XM(12)O(40)](n-) have various isomeric structures, alpha and beta being the most common. Conventionally, the alpha structure appears to be the most stable, but calculations carried out at the DFT level for X = P(V), Si(IV), Al(III), As(V), Ge(IV), and Ga(III) and M = W(VI) and Mo(VI) show that this stability depends on several factors, particularly on the nature of the heteroatom (X) and the total charge of the cluster. In this paper, we apply the clathrate model to the Keggin molecule to carry out a fragment-interaction study to elucidate when and why the traditional relative stability of various isomers can be inverted. The fully oxidized anions that have inverted the traditional stability trend in this series are [AlW(12)O(40)](5-) and [GaW(12)O(40)](5-), both of which contain a third-group heteroatom and an overall charge of -5. beta-isomers are always more easily reduced than alpha-isomers. This experimental observation suggests that reduction favors the stability of beta-isomers and one of the most important results of this study is that the alpha/beta inversion is achieved in most cases after the second reduction. The alpha- and beta-isomers may have different properties because the energy of the LUMO, a symmetry-adapted d(xy)-metal orbital, is different.     

CHEMILUMINESCENCE FROM THE OXIDATION OF AUXIN DERIVATIVES

Abstract— The thiophenyl ester of indole-3-acetic acid and indole-3-acetonitrile produce chemiluminescence in aerated dimethylsulfoxide in the presence of potassium t -butoxide. The emitter is the aromatic aldehyde. In the case of acetonitrile, the other product expected from the cleavage of an intermediate dioxetane, cyanate/isocyanate, has also been identified. Other auxins also chemiluminesce under similar conditions, but the emitters have not been properly identified.
These systems are models for the peroxidase catalyzed oxidation of indole-3-acetic acid to indole-3-carboxaldehyde and as such support the earlier inference (Vidigal et al , 1975) that the excited aldehyde is generated in the enzymic process.
An additional result is the observation of an exciplex between excited indole-3-carboxaldehyde and the thiophenylester of indole-3-acetic acid. This appears to be the first case of chemical generation of an exciplex by a route other than radical ion reaction, presumably by the dioxetane route.     

A study of thin surface layers by multilayer Mössbauer spectroscopy /MMS/

A stacking Mössbauer technique, MMS has been applied for studying thin surface layers. The surface layers formed on the⁵⁷Fe film in aqueous solutions of corrosion inhibitors, such as zinc phosphate and barium metaborate, and in distilled water was studied by this method. It has been found that the corrosion is much slower in the presence of zinc phosphate and barium metaborate. XPS analysis suggests the formation of a mixed iron zinc phosphate on the surface of the⁵⁷Fe film after corrosion in a zinc phosphate solution.     

Über die Reproduzierbarkeit der turbidimetrischen Bestimmung von Phosphorspuren mit Strychninmolybdostickstoff(V)säure

Microchimica Acta - Mit der turbidimetrischen Strychninnitrat-Methode für Phosphorspurenbestimmung nach der Version von Hegedüs und Dvorszky kann man nur dann ausgezeichnete...     

Radionuclide X-ray fluorescence determination of Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn and Pb in industrial wastewaters after preconcentration of determined elements

Radionuclide X-ray fluorescence analysis was used for the determination of Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn and Pb in industrial wastewaters (from surface treatment of metals and glasses) after precipitation of determined elements by 8-hydroxyquinoline.     

Thermal degradation of copolymers of styrene and methyl-vinyl-silane by pyrolysis gas chromatography

Pyrolysis gas chromatographic investigations have been carried out on copolymers of styrene with trimethyl-vinyl-silane and of styrene with dimethyl-phenyl-vinyl-silane, in order to study the mechansims of thermal degradation and the copolymer structures. We have identified the pyrolysis products and measured their relative amounts. The experiments show that the controlling factor in the mechanism of the degradation is the nature of the side-group attached to the carbon atom at which chain scission occurs. If this side-group is phenyl, the main degradation process is depropagation; if it is if it is trimethyl-silyl or dimethyl-phenyl-silyl, intramolecular hydrogen abstraction followed by β scission becomes more important than depropagation. From the point of view of degradation mechanism, the nature of the side-group attached to the carbon atom from which the hydrogen is abstracted is of minor importance.We estimated the average copolymer block length from the amounts of products containing both comonomers as well as from the amounts of trimer composed of the same monomer.