Stability of a system of Volterra integro-differential equations

Using new and known forms of Lyapunov functionals, this paper proposes new stability criteria for a system of Volterra integro-differential equations.     

Preparation and characterization of single-phase SiC nanotubes and C-SiC coaxial nanotubes

Preparation conditions of single-phase SiC nanotubes and C-SiC coaxial nanotubes were investigated. The characterization of single-phase SiC nanotubes and C-SiC coaxial nanotubes were carried out. The SiC nanowires, which were made of the catenated SiC grains of 50–200 nm in diameter, were obtained in carbon nanotubes reacted at 1450 °C. The only C-SiC coaxial nanotubes were formed at 1300 °C. A few single-phase SiC nantoubes were synthesized at 1200 °C for 100 h. More than half number of nanotubes reacted at 1200 °C for 100 h were altered to single-phase SiC nantoubes by heat treatment of 600 °C for 1 h in air since the remained carbon was removed. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis revealed that the atomic ratio of Si to C in single-phase SiC nanotubes was almost 1; these single-phase SiC nanotubes consisted of near-stoichiometric SiC grains.     

Adsorption and structure of methyl mercaptoacetate on Cu(1 1 1) surface by XPS and NEXAFS spectroscopy

Methyl mercaptoacetate (MA) on Cu(1 1 1) surface was investigated using synchrotron radiation-based X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. MA adsorbs on the surface via thiolate formation and weak interaction of the carbonyl group with the surface. Two different adsorption states previously reported for methanethiolate and ethanethiolate were confirmed, besides atomic sulfur. NEXAFS measurements support gauche-type conformation of MA whose skeleton lies on the surface.     

Magnetisation reversal in media with perpendicular anisotropy

In this paper, we discuss two key aspects of magnetisation reversal in magnetic thin films with perpendicular anisotropy. Firstly, a study has been made of the additional field required to erase data written perpendicular to a thin film recording disk as the linear data density is increased. It has been found that an increase in data density from 40 to 360 kfci results in an increase of 1.25 kOe in the field required to erase the data. Secondly, the effect of varying the level of exchange coupling by co-sputtering CoCrPt samples with SiO₂ has been studied using a characterisation technique that is independent of the self-demagnetising field. It has been found that the samples are fully exchange de-coupled when the film contains >9.8% SiO₂ and the activation volume of reversal remains constant for higher levels of SiO₂.     

Influence of bubble clustering on multibubble sonoluminescence

Influence of clustering of cavitation bubbles on multibubble sonoluminescence (MBSL) in standing wave fields is studied through measurement of MBSL intensity with a photomultiplier tube and observation of corresponding bubble behavior with a high-speed video camera and an intensified charge-coupled device one. It is clarified that, when the SL is quenched suddenly at excessive ultrasonic power, the behavior of bubbles clearly changes; the bubbles which form dendritic branches of filaments change into clusters due to the secondary Bjerknes force. The cluster is composed of several bubbles surrounded by many tiny bubbles, in which bubbles repeatedly coalesce and fragment, and run away from pressure antinodes. When the clusters are broken up by forced fluid motion, the quenching of MBSL is suppressed.     

Achievement of laser fusion of biological cells using UV pulsed dye laser beams

This paper reports a successful achievement of laser-induced biological cell fusion using an excimer laser excited dye laser. To our knowledge, we examined for the first time the dependence of fusion rate on laser pulse energy, number of laser pulses, and laser wavelength. Maximum fusion rate of approximately 50% was obtained by this laser fusion technology.     

Transient behavior of heat removal from a cylindrical heat storage vessel packed with spherical porous particles

The transient heat transfer behavior in the case of heat removal from a cylindrical heat storage vessel packed with spherical particles was investigated experimentally for various factors (flow rate, diameter of spherical particles packed, temperature difference between flowing cold air and spherical particles accumulating heat, and physical properties of spherical particles). The experiments were covered in ranges of Reynolds number based on the mean diameter of spherical particles packed Re_d = 10.3–2200, porosity?=0.310 to 0.475, ratio of spherical particle diameter to cylinder diameterd/D = 0.0075–0.177 and ratio of length of the cylinder to cylinder diameterL/D=2.5–10. It was found that especially the flow rate and the dimension of spherical particles played an important role in estimating the transient local heat transfer characteristics near the wall of the cylindrical vessel in the present heat storage system. As flow rate and diameter of spherical particles were increased under a given diameter of the cylinder heat storage vessel, the mean heat transfer coefficient between the flow cold air and the hot spherical particles increased and the time period to finish removing heat from the vessel reduced. In addition, the useful experimental correlation equations of mean heat transfer coefficient between both phases and the time period to finish removing heat from the vessel were derived with the functional relationship of Nusselt numberNu _d=f [modified Prandtl numberPr ^* (d/D), Re_d) and Fourier numberFo = f(d/D, L/D, Pr^*, Re_d).     

Formation of bcc-Ni thin film on GaAs(100) substrate and phase transformation from bcc to fcc

Ni thin films are prepared on GaAs(100) single-crystal substrates at room temperature by using an ultra-high vacuum radio-frequency magnetron sputtering system. The growth behavior and the crystallographic properties are studied by in-situ refection highenergy electron diffraction and pole-figure X-ray diffraction. In an early stage of film growth, a metastable bcc Ni(100) single-crystal film is formed on GaAs(100) substrate, where the bcc structure is stabilized through hetero-epitaxial growth. With increasing the film thickness, fcc crystals coexist with the bcc(100) crystal. High-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy shows that the film consists of a mixture of bcc and fcc crystals and that a large number of planar faults exist parallel to the fcc(111) close-packed plane. The results indicate that the bcc structure starts to transform into fcc structure through atomic displacement parallel to the bcc{110} close-packed planes.