The iodimetric determination of the reducing capacity of aluminium alkyls

A rapid method for the determination of the reducing strength of aluminium alkyls has been developed. The method depends on the reaction with iodine. Replicate analysis shows a reasonable degree of precision.     

On the finiteness theorem of Siegel and Mahler concerning diophantine equations

In this paper we present a new proof, involving so-called nonstandard arguments, of Siegel's classical theorem on diophantine equations: Any irreducible algebraic equation f(x,y) = 0 of genus g > 0 admits only finitely many integral solutions. We also include Mahler's generalization of this theorem, namely the following: Instead of solutions in integers, we are considering solutions in rationals, but with the provision that their denominators should be divisible only by such primes which belong to a given finite set. Then again, the above equation admits only finitely many such solutions. From general nonstandard theory, we need the definition and the existence of enlargements of an algebraic number field. The idea of proof is to compare the natural arithmetic in such an enlargement, with the functional arithmetic in the function field defined by the above equation.     

The ground state of the Bose gas

The mathematical formalism describing the Bose gas at zero temperature is analysed with the aid of methods that have recently been successful in relativistic quantum field theory. First the spectrum conditions for an infinitely extended system are given and the algebra of observables and the algebra of field operators are defined. General properties of states over these algebras are discussed and theorems are given which connect the linked cluster property, translation invariance and the purity of the states. It is proved that pure states over the algebra of observables have the property of factorisable off-diagonal long range order. The class of quasi free states is defined and of these states those which are translation invariant and possess the linked cluster property are analysed. It is shown that this class of states contains a subclass of pure states of the Bogoliubov type and a subclass of states which are mixtures of non-translationally invariant pure states. The applications of these quasi free states to the interacting Bose gas are summarized.     

Rapid determination of chloride in silica or other solids

A rapid evolution method has been developed for the determination of chloride. This procedure can be applied to a wide range of chloride concentrations.     

Laser inhibited diffusion in rhodamine-ethanol solutions

The diffusion of rhodamine-6G dye in ethanol is observed to be inhibited by optical pumping by a cadmium laser. The diffusion process is observed as a function of the solution temperature. The relative difference in diffusion coefficients with and without optical pumping is calculated. The effect is interpreted as being due to a stronger solvent-dye interaction in the first excited singlet state of rhodamine-6G.     

CVD growth of N-doped carbon nanotubes on silicon substrates and its mechanism

In the present study, we report the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of nitrogen-doped (N-doped) aligned carbon nanotubes on a silicon (Si) substrate using ferrocene (Fe(C5H5)2) as catalyst and acetonitrile (CH3CN) as the carbon source. The effect of experimental conditions such as temperature, gaseous environment, and substrates on the structure and morphology of N-doped carbon nanotubes arrays is reported. From XPS and EELS data, it was found that the nitrogen content of the nanotubes could be determined over a wide range, from 1.9% to 12%, by adding the addition of hydrogen (H2) to the reaction system. It was also shown by SEM that N-doped carbon nanotube arrays could be produced on Si and SiO2 substrates at suitable temperatures, although at different growth rates. Using these concentrations, it was possible to produce three-dimensional (3D) carbon nanotubes architectures on predetermined Si/SiO2 patterns. The mechanism underlying the effect of nitrogen containing carbon sources on nanotube formation was explored using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).     

Shot noise in the current of a surface acoustic-wave-driven single-electron pump

We have measured the noise at approximately 1.6 MHz in the current produced by a single-electron pump that uses an approximately 2.7 GHz surface acoustic wave (SAW). The current can be varied by altering the voltage applied to surface gates. Over the range of gate voltage where the current is close to the quantized value corresponding to one electron being transported per cycle of the SAW, the noise in the current is dominated by shot noise, whereas away from this range the noise mostly arises from switching the charge states of electron traps in the material. By combining measurements of the shot noise and the current, we determined how the error rates--the probabilities of transporting zero or two electrons in a cycle--vary with gate voltage when the current is close to the quantized value. The results obtained suggest that these two probabilities are controlled by closely linked mechanisms.     

Difference in icosahedral short-range order in early and late transition metal liquids

New short-range order data are presented for equilibrium and undercooled liquids of Ti and Ni. These were obtained from in situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction measurements of electrostatically levitated droplets. While the short-range order of liquid Ni is icosahedral, consistent with Frank's hypothesis, significantly distorted icosahedral order is observed in liquid Ti. This is the first experimental observation of distorted icosahedral short-range order in any liquid, although this has been predicted by theoretical studies on atomic clusters.