Necessary first-order conditions for optimal crossing of a given region

We consider a nonlinear optimal control problem with an integral functional in which the integrand is the characteristic function of a closed set in the phase space. An approximation method is applied to prove the necessary conditions of optimality in the form of a Pontryagin maximum principle without any prior assumptions on the behavior of the optimal trajectory. Similarly to phase-constrained problems, we derive conditions of nondegeneracy and pointwise nontriviality of the maximum principle. __________ Translated from Nelineinaya Dinamika i Upravlenie, No. 4, pp. 179–204, 2004.     

Structure and properties of the Ti-Si-N nanocrystalline coatings synthesized in vacuum by the electroarc method

Phase composition, defect substructure, and mechanical properties of the Ti-Si-N coating deposited on metal and ceramic-metal substrates by electroarc sputtering of the Ti-Si composite cathode in an ionized nitrogen atmosphere are investigated by the methods of modern materials science. It is established that coatings so formed with a thickness of ∼1–3 μm are superhard (H_v ∼ 50 GPa), and have the nanocrystalline structure (with crystalline sizes D = 7 nm) based on titanium nitride δ-TiN. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 2, pp. 46–51, February, 2007.     

Squeezed states and uncertainty relations since 1991

A brief review of the history of ten workshops/conferences on “Squeezed States and Uncertainty Relations” and main achievements in the related fields of quantum physics for the period from 1991 to 2007 are presented.     

Electrodynamic properties of nanoporous silicon in the range from terahertz to infrared frequencies

The dielectric response (conductivity and permittivity) spectra of a series of nanoporous silicon samples prepared by anodization of low-resistivity single-crystal silicon are measured, for the first time, using terahertz and IR spectroscopy in the frequency range 7–4000 cm^?1 at room temperature. The spectra obtained are analyzed in terms of the effective medium theory with a size-dependent dielectric response function of nanoinclusions and averaged dielectric characteristics of the surrounding medium. The geometric and dielectric characteristics of silicon nanoinclusions are determined. The dielectric properties of inclusions are found to be affected by nanosize effects, namely, carrier scattering at crystallite boundaries and a broadening of the band gap due to quantum confinement. The spectra of the samples prepared by adding iodine to the electrolyte exhibit a resonance at frequencies of 150–300 cm^?1. The nature of the resonance can be associated with the presence of chemisorbed iodine on the surface of porous silicon. Possible mechanisms responsible for the changes in broadband conductivity and permittivity spectra of single-crystal silicon upon transformation into a nanoporous structure are discussed.     

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.     

Geometrically qualified ESPI vibration analysis of an engine

This paper presents an application in the automotive industry where a combination of electronic speckle-pattern interferometry and laser doppler velocimetry were used at a critical stage in the design process of an internal combustion engine. Combined deformation and surface relief measurements were used to study the phase and amplitude of deformation of a vibrating engine. The relief data was combined with the interferometer geometry and used to geometrically correct the deformation data, in an effort to improve accuracy. The measurements allowed rapid identification and quantification of design weaknesses, particularly those causing undesirable resonances. This led to a significant reduction in the design time and lowering of costs, when compared with existing design optimisation methods.     

Gas solubility of carbon dioxide in poly(lactic acid) at high pressures: Thermal treatment effect

The sorption of carbon dioxide in glassy Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) films was studied by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) at high pressures. Two thermal treatments, melted and quenched, were performed in PLA with two different L:D contents, 80:20 and 98:2, films and compared with a third thermal protocol, annealed, and used in a previous work. The results obtained show that for pressures higher than 2 MPa, the carbon dioxide solubility is larger in PLA 80:20 than in PLA 98:2, indicating that the L:D plays a dominant role on this property. The thermal treatments only affect the gas solubility in PLA 98:2. Sorption isotherms at temperatures 303, 313, and 323 K, below the glass transition temperature of the polymer, and pressures up to 5 MPa were measured and analyzed with three different models, the dual‐mode sorption model, the Flory–Huggins equation, and a modified dual‐mode sorption model where the Henry's law term was substituted by the Flory–Huggins equation. This last model performs especially well for CO₂ in PLA 80:20, due to the convex upward curvature of the solubility isotherms for that system. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 616–625, 2007