Stochastic programming and the option of doing it differently

Option theory and stochastic programming are tightly linked. Most options can be analyzed in both frameworks, and the two approaches support each other in many slightly more complex situations. But this similarity hides some central differences in perspective. This short note tries to focus on one of these, namely the fact that option theory can be applied only to options already identified, while stochastic programming is able to help us find options in contexts where it is not at all clear what they are, and where finding might be more important than valuing.     

Molecular organization in MAPLE‐deposited conjugated polymer thin films and the implications for carrier transport characteristics

The morphological structure of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) thin films deposited by both Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) and solution spin‐casting methods are investigated. The MAPLE samples possessed a higher degree of disorder, with random orientations of polymer crystallites along the side‐chain stacking, π–π stacking, and conjugated backbone directions. Moreover, the average molecular orientations and relative degrees of crystallinity of MAPLE‐deposited polymer films are insensitive to the chemistries of the substrates onto which they were deposited; this is in stark contrast to the films prepared by the conventional spin‐casting technique. Despite the seemingly unfavorable molecular orientations and the highly disordered morphologies, the in‐plane charge carrier transport characteristics of the MAPLE samples are comparable to those of spin‐cast samples, exhibiting similar transport activation energies (56 vs. 54 meV) to those reported in the literature for high mobility polymers. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017 , 55, 39–48     

Radiation damage in polymer films from grazing‐incidence X‐ray scattering measurements

Grazing‐incidence X‐ray scattering (GIXS) is widely used to analyze the crystallinity and nanoscale structure in thin polymer films. However, ionizing radiation will generate free radicals that initiate crosslinking and/or chain scission, and structural damage will impact the ordering kinetics, thermodynamics, and crystallinity in many polymers. We report a simple methodology to screen for beam damage that is based on lithographic principles: films are exposed to patterns of X‐ray radiation, and changes in polymer structure are revealed by immersing the film in a solvent that dissolves the shortest chains. The experiments are implemented with high throughput using the standard beam line instrumentation and a typical GIXS configuration. The extent of damage (at a fixed radiation dose) depends on a range of intrinsic material properties and experimental variables, including the polymer chemistry and molecular weight, exposure environment, film thickness, and angle of incidence. The solubility switch for common polymers is detected within 10–60 s at ambient temperature, and we verified that this first indication of damage corresponds with the onset of network formation in glassy polystyrene and a loss of crystallinity in polyalkylthiophenes. Therefore, grazing‐incidence X‐ray “patterning” offers an efficient approach to determine the appropriate data acquisition times for any GIXS experiment. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 1074–1086     

Explicit bounds and heuristics on class numbers in hyperelliptic function fields

In this paper, we provide tight estimates for the divisor class number of hyperelliptic function fields. We extend the existing methods to any hyperelliptic function field and improve the previous bounds by a factor proportional to with the help of new results. We thus obtain a faster method of computing regulators and class numbers. Furthermore, we provide experimental data and heuristics on the distribution of the class number within the bounds on the class number. These heuristics are based on recent results by Katz and Sarnak. Our numerical results and the heuristics imply that our approximation is in general far better than the bounds suggest.

     

Ion-beam sculpting time scales

A study of ion sculpting dynamics in SiO2 and SiN using periodically pulsed ion beams reveals material transport that depends strongly on the time structure of the pulsed beams. It is found that significant nanoscale matter transport can occur over second long time scales after the ion beam has been extinguished. A simple phenomenological model described the dynamics of ion beam sculpting in terms of two material time scales. The model accounts for the surprising observation of enhanced matter transport affected by pulsed ion beams over continuous ion beam exposure.     

Scattering of light by deformed disordered spherulites

The change in the light-scattering patterns upon deforming two-dimensional disordered spherulites is shown to arise from four effects occurring upon stretching: (1) the change in shape of the spherulite, (2) the change in average orientation of the optic axes of the scattering volume elements, (3) the change in deviation of the optic axis orientation angle from its average value, and (4) the change in the distance over which this deviation is correlated. The effects of these contributions upon the experimental scattering patterns are analyzed.     

Gleichungen für die dynamische Viskosität und die Wärmeleitfähigkeit von reinem fluidem Wasser

Zusammenfassung Methoden zum Aufstellen von Gleichungen für die dynamische Viskosität und die Wärmeleitfähigkeit reiner fluider Stoffe werden angegeben und ihre Brauchbarkeit wird bei H₂O nachgewiesen. Es ergibt sich nur jeweils eine Gleichung für die Berechnung der Transportgrößen, die allerdings die Variablen Temperatur und Dichte anstelle von Temperatur und Druck enthält, dafür aber das ganze Gas- und Flüssigkeitsgebiet erfaßt. Es werden neue Erkenntnisse über die prinzipielle Abhängigkeit der Transportgrößen von Temperatur und Dichte gewonnen.

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Equations for the dynamic viscosity and the thermal conductivity of pure fluid water substance

Methods for formulating equations for the dynamic viscosity and the thermal conductivity of pure fluid substances are given; their applicability is proved for H₂O. It is found that only one equation is needed to calculate the transport properties, which has the variables temperature and density instead of temperature and pressure, but covers the whole gaseous and liquid region. New knowledge of the principal dependence of the transport properties on temperature and density is attained.

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Über dieses Thema wurde am 6. 10. 1969 auf dem Thermodynamik-Kolloquium des VDI in Zürich berichtet.