Experimental lifetimes of some levels of KrI

Lifetime of nine levels belonging to the and configuration of neutral krypton have been measured by high-frequency deflection technique with a delayed coincidence single photon counting arrangement. The results have been compared with other experimental and theoretical values. The lifetimes of the 9s[3/2]₁ and 7p[1/2]₀ levels have been measured for the first time.     

Precise toppling balance, quenched disorder, and universality for sandpiles

A single sandpile model with quenched random toppling matrices captures the crucial features of different models of self-organized criticality. With symmetric matrices avalanche statistics falls in the multiscaling Bak-Tang-Wiesenfeld universality class. In the asymmetric case the simple scaling of the Manna model is observed. The presence or absence of a precise toppling balance between the amount of sand released by a toppling site and the total quantity the same site receives when all its neighbors topple once determines the appropriate universality class.     

Metrics of static spheroidal charged dust distributions

Two sets of solutions for a static incoherent charge distribution with spheroidal symmetry are presented. In one set, the charge distribution can be bounded and the charge-to-mass-density ratio is unity everywhere in relativistic units. In the other, the distribution pervades the entire space and the ratio of charge to mass-density also varies at different points.U.G.C. Teacher-fellow, on leave from Physics Department, B.N. Mahavidyalaya, Itachuna, Hooghly, India.     

Solitons in a relativistic plasma with negative ions

The interaction of the nonlinearity and the dispersiveness causing the solitary waves is studied in a relativistic plasma with negative ions through the derivation of a nonlinear partial-differential equation known as the Korteweg-de Vries equation. The negative ions play a salient part in the existence and behavior of the solitons and could be of interest in laboratory plasmas. First, the observations are made in a nonisothermal plasma, and later the reduction to the nonisothermality of the plasma shows entirely different characteristics as compared to the solitons in the isothermal plasmas. Comparison with the various solitons is emphasized     

Non-linear dynamic behaviour of plates on elastic foundations

The large amplitude transverse vibration characteristics of a simply-supported isotropic equilateral triangular plate on elastic foundation have been investigated by following Berger's well-known approximate method in conjunction with a special type of co-ordinates known as tri-linear co-ordinates. A second order non-linear differential equation for the unknown time function has been obtained and solved, as usual, in terms of Jacobian elliptic functions. Results obtained from numerical calculations are presented graphically.     

Dispersion of elastic guided waves in piezoelectric infinite plates with inversion layers

In this work, we study the dispersion of elastic waves in piezoelectric infinite plates with ferroelectric inversion layers. The motivation is to analyze the effect of ferroelectric inversion layers on wave dispersion and resonant behavior under impulsive line loads. A semi-analytical finite-element (SAFE) method has been adopted to analyze the problem. Two model problems are considered for analysis. In one, the plate is composed of a layer of 36° rotated y-cut LiNbO₃ with a ferroelectric inversion layer. In the other, material is PZT-4 with a ferroelectric inversion layer. Comparison with experimental results, reported in the literature for isotropic materials, shows a very good agreement with theoretical predictions obtained using SAFE method. Furthermore, comparison of the resonance frequencies of the S₁ modes, calculated using KLM approximation (f₀ = C_d/2h) and SAFE method, are illustrated for each problem. The frequency spectra of the surface displacements show that resonant peaks occur at frequencies where the group velocity vanishes and the phase velocity remains finite, i.e., a minimum in the dispersion curve below the cut-off frequency. The effect of the ratio of the thicknesses of the inversion layer (IL) and the plate on the frequencies and strength of the resonant peaks is examined. It is observed that for PZT-4 with 50% IL to plate thickness ratio the frequency for the second resonant peak is about twice that for the first one. Results are presented showing the dependence of resonant frequencies on the material properties and anisotropy. Materials selection for single-element harmonic ultrasound transducers is a very important factor for optimum design of transducers with multiple thickness-mode resonant frequencies. The theoretical analysis presented in this study should provide a means for optimum ultrasound transducer design for harmonic imaging in medical applications.     

Magnetization curves for general cylindrical samples in a transverse field

Using the recent results for the surface current density on cylindrical surfaces of arbitrary cross-section producing uniform interior magnetic field we propose a method for obtaining solutions of Bean’s critical state model for general cylindrical samples. The method uses the technique of conformal mapping to express the sample surface and the flux-fronts in terms of a set of coefficients that depend on a parameter. The flux-fronts are to be determined by solving a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations for the coefficients. Retaining only a certain finite number of leading coefficients we get an approximate solution. The procedure is illustrated by considering two cyclindrical samples — one with an elliptical cross-section and the other with a non-elliptical cross-section. The virgin curve and small and large magnetization hysteresis loops for the two samples are obtained.     

Acetic anhydride-promoted one-pot condensation of 2,4-thiazolidinedione with bisulfite adducts of aldehydes

We describe a simple and efficient one-pot method for condensing bisulfite adducts of aromatic aldehydes directly with 2,4-thiazolidinedione catalyzed by acetic anhydride. The two main highlights of this study are the one-pot condensation of bisulfite adducts with 2,4-thiazolidinedione in non-aqueous media and the use of Design of Experiment to understand and optimize the reaction conditions. This methodology was then generalized using other active methylene compounds, such as malononitrile.