The 2D Rancieite-type manganic acid and its alkali-exchanged derivatives: Part I — Chemical characterization and thermal behavior

The 2D Rancieite type manganic acid was prepared by reduction of KMnO₄ in acidic medium. Its ion exchange behavior allows to prepare alkali derivatives. All compounds were characterized with use of a combination of X-ray diffraction, chemical analyses, TGA, magnetic measurements and spectroscopic techniques. The evolution of their chemical composition versus temperature was studied between 180 and 400 °C. It shows that the dehydration process is partly reversible in these compounds whereas the weak reduction is irreversible. The 2D Rancieite-type manganic acid is readily different from a Birnessite-type phyllomanganate, as shown by several features: the interlayer distance, the ion exchange capacity, the thermal behavior, the interlayer cation content, the manganese average oxidation state, the magnetic behavior and the IR spectrum.     

The Efficiency Distribution Approach in Data Envelopment Analysis: An Application

A method is developed here for characterizing the empirical distribution of the efficient units in data envelopment analysis. Two empirical applications illustrate the various uses of the distribution approach. One involves the cost frontier which exhibits increasing returns to scale and the other involves a dynamic production frontier, where technological change causes a shift of the production frontier over time.     

Sputtering yield of chromium by argon and xenon ions with energies from 50 to 500 eV

A radioactive tracer technique is described for the quantitative measurement of the sputtering yield of a target material electroplated on a copper substrate. Sputtering yields of chromium by argon and xenon ions with energies from 50 to 500 eV are reported. The ion beams, having a current density ranging from 0.01 to 0.1 mA/cm² at an operating pressure of 2×10^–5 Torr, were produced by a low-energy ion gun. The sputtered atoms were collected on an aluminum foil surrounding the target. ⁵¹Cr was used as the tracer isotope. The results indicate that the radioactive tracer technique is sensitive enough in measuring the extremely small amount of sputtered material at low ion currents and low ion energies.     

The epitaxial growth of gaas using alkylarsine: Part 2. molecular orbital calculation

Semi-empirical molecular orbital calculations were carried out for the compounds (C₂H₅)₃As, (C₂H₅)₃Ga and RAsH₂ (R = C₂H₅, i-C₃H₇, i-C₄H₉, and t-C₄H₉) by using the CNDO/2-U program, and their capability of β-elimination reaction is compared on the basis of the torsion energy to the transition state, electrostatic interactions and orbital overlapping between the central atom and the β-hydrogen, and bond order of the metal-carbon, and carbon-hydrogen bond. In the comparison of (C₂H₅)₃As with (C₂H₅)₃Ga, we found that the β-elimination of (C₂H₅)₃As could hardly be expected to take place in the thermal decomposition. The capability of β-elimination would be smaller in C₂H₅AsH₂ than that in (C₂H₅)₃As. Moreover when the ethyl group is replaced by a t-butyl group in RAsH₂, the β-elimination reaction appears to become more difficult and a large possibility for a radical process is suggested.     

Properties of neodymium-doped aluminophosphate laser glasses

Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 56, No. 1, pp. 90–95, January, 1992.     

Efficient multi and single line atomic fluorine lasers

Intense multi- and single-line laser operation is reported from semiconductively preionised atomic fluorine lasers employing an optimised capacitor transfer excitation circuitry. The performance and spectral characteristics of these lasers are discussed and compared to the characteristics of previously described atomic fluorine lasers. The efficiency of one of these lasers described, at optimum conditions, is reaching a value as high as 0.14%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest efficiency reported up date, for an atomic fluorine laser.     

Some observations on uncertainty propagation through a simple nonlinear system

This paper discusses a number of issues relating to the analysis of uncertain systems or data in the context of (low-frequency) structural dynamics. In order to illustrate potential problems in applying ‘classical’ uncertainty analysis methods to nonlinear systems, a simple nonlinear system is simulated and the breakdown of two standard approaches is demonstrated on data from the system. By relaxing the requirements of the analysis, it is shown that an alternative uncertainty theory gives useful qualitative information about the system. This motivates a discussion of how uncertainty frameworks should be chosen to suit the problem in hand and leads to a clustering of uncertainty problems in structural dynamics into three types: quantification, fusion and propagation.