Annealing effects of highly homogeneous a-Si1−xCx:H

We report the effect of annealing on the properties of amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbide thin films. The samples were deposited onto different substrates by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition at temperatures between 300 and 350 °C. The gaseous mixture was formed by silane and methane, at the ‘silane starving plasma regime’, and diluted with hydrogen. Rutherford backscattering and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry were used, respectively, to determine the atomic composition and chemical bonds of the samples. The film’s structure was analyzed by means of X-ray absorption fine structure and X-ray diffraction. For temperatures higher than 600 °C, amorphous silicon carbide films annealed under inert atmosphere (Ar or N₂) clearly changed their structural and compositional properties due to carbon loss and oxidation, caused by the presence of some oxygen in the annealing system. At 1000 °C, crystallization of the films becomes evident but only stoichiometric films deposited on single crystalline Si[1 0 0] substrates presented epitaxial formation of SiC crystals, showing that the crystallization process is substrate dependent. Films annealed in high-vacuum also changed their structural properties for annealing temperatures higher than 600 °C, but no traces of oxidation were observed or variations in their silicon or carbon content. At 1200 °C the stoichiometric films are fully polycrystalline, showing the existence of only a SiC phase. The XANES signal of samples deposited onto different substrates and annealed under high-vacuum also show that crystallization is highly substrate dependent.     

A numerical mapping of energy gains in a powered Swing-By maneuver

The present paper studies the effects of a powered Swing-By maneuver, considering the particular and important situations where there are energy gains for the spacecraft. The objective is to map the energy variations obtained from this maneuver as a function of the three parameters that identify the pure gravity Swing-By with a fixed mass ratio (angle of approach, periapsis distance and velocity at periapsis) and the three parameters that define the impulsive maneuver (direction, magnitude and the point where the impulse is applied). The mathematical model used here is the version of the restricted three-body problem that includes the Lemaître regularization, to increase the accuracy of the numerical integrations. It is developed and implemented by an algorithm that obtains the energy variation of the spacecraft with respect to the largest primary of the system in a maneuver where the impulse is applied inside the sphere of influence of the secondary body, during the passage of the spacecraft. The point of application of the impulse is a free parameter, as well as the direction of the impulse. The results make a complete map of the possibilities, including the maximum gains of energy, but also showing alternatives that can be used considering particularities of the mission.     

Estimation-induced correlations of the Zernike coefficients of the eye aberration

The statistical properties of the estimated eye aberrations differ in general from the actual ones owing to the cross coupling and aliasing generated in the estimation process. In particular, the estimated Zernike aberration coefficients may show fictitious correlations that are not present in the incoming wavefronts. This fact should be taken into account when analyzing estimated aberration datasets, searching for correlations related to physiological eye features. We give an analytical model for this effect and evaluate its magnitude for a particular example, assuming that the true aberration statistics follows a Kolmogorov power law.     

Chromosomal differentiation of populations of Lysapsus limellus limellus, L. l. bolivianus, and of Lysapsus caraya (Hylinae, Hylidae)

Cytogenetic analysis were done on specimens from two populations of Lysapsus limellus limellus, three of L. l. bolivianus and of one of Lysapsus caraya. All animals showed a diploid chromosomal number of 2n=24. The karyotypes of the two L. limellus subspecies were very similar, differing only by the larger amount of telomeric heterochromatin and a small pericentromeric C-band on the short arms of pair 2 in L. l. limellus specimens. The karyotype of L. caraya differed from those of the two L. limellus subspecies in terms of chromosomal morphology, C-banding pattern and location of the main NOR on chromosomes 7 and 6, respectively. The karyotype of the L. l. bolivianus population from Guajará-Mirim/RO differed from those of the other populations of the same subspecies in morphology and heterochromatin pattern of chromosomes 7 and 8. Additional NORs were detected by silver staining and confirmed by FISH in one of the homologues of pairs 1 and 8 in L. l. bolivianus and in pair 7 in L. caraya. These results suggest that a reassessment of the taxonomic status of L. limellus subspecies, especially of the L. l. bolivianus populations, may be necessary.     

Self-acceleration and matter content in bicosmology from Noether symmetries

In bigravity, when taking into account the potential existence of matter fields minimally coupled to the second gravitation sector, the dynamics of our Universe depends on some matter that cannot be observed in a direct way. In this paper, we assume the existence of a Noether symmetry in bigravity cosmologies in order to constrain the dynamics of that matter. By imposing this assumption we obtain cosmological models with interesting phenomenology. In fact, considering that our universe is filled with standard matter and radiation, we show that the existence of a Noether symmetry implies that either the dynamics of the second sector decouples, being the model equivalent to general relativity (GR), or the cosmological evolution of our universe tends to a de Sitter state with the vacuum energy in it given by the conserved quantity associated with the symmetry. The physical consequences of the genuine bigravity models obtained are briefly discussed. We also point out that the first model, which is equivalent to GR, may be favored due to the potential appearance of instabilities in the second model.     

Extraction optimization for antioxidant phenolic compounds in red grape jam using ultrasound with a response surface methodology

Optimization of the extraction methodology for antioxidant phenolic compounds in red grape jam was performed with an ultrasound-assisted system. The antioxidant phenolic compounds were extracted and analyzed by determining the total phenolic content (Folin Ciocalteu), as well as by employing free radical DPPH and the beta-carotene/linoleic acid system. To optimize the parameters of solvent concentration, time and extraction temperature, the experiments were carried out using the central composite rotatable design (CCRD) method. Using response surface methodology (RSM), the best combinations achieved were with 60% ethanol and water for 20 min at 50 °C. The optimized parameters for this method were compared to an extraction method that has been commonly noted in the literature, which used to be the standard method, and the results were expressed in the milligram equivalent of quercetin per gram of jam (mg E.Q/g Jam). With the new method, the antioxidant potential measured by DPPH was 70% higher than that obtained with the standard extraction method, and the antioxidant potential measured using the beta-carotene/linoleic acid system was 65% higher. In addition, a significant decrease in the total analysis time was achieved (from 10 h to 30 min), when compared to the standard method.     

Sparse 1D discrete Dirac operators I: Quantum transport

Some dynamical lower bounds for one-dimensional discrete Dirac operators with different classes of sparse potentials are presented, and the particular role of the particle mass is emphasized.     

Stereoselective synthesis of o-bromo (or iodo)aryl P-chirogenic phosphines based on aryne chemistry

The efficient synthesis of chiral or achiral tertiary phosphines bearing an o-bromo (or iodo)aryl substituent is described. The key step of this synthesis is based on the reaction of a secondary phosphine borane with the 1,2-dibromo (or diiodo)arene, owing to the formation in situ of an aryne species in the presence of n-butyllithium. When P-chirogenic secondary phosphine boranes were used, the corresponding o-halogeno-arylphosphine boranes were obtained without racemization in moderate to good yields and with ee up to 99%. The stereochemistry of the reaction, with complete retention of the configuration at the P atom, has been established by X-ray structures of P-chirogenic o-halogenophenyl phosphine borane complexes. The decomplexation of the borane was easily achieved without racemization using DABCO to obtain the free o-halogeno-arylphosphines in high yields.     

NMR hand-held moisture sensor.

An open magnet design, hand-held NMR sensor head is presented. Wood moisture content and cement hydration tests demonstrate the potential of the tool for in-situ material assessment. The magnetic field distribution was adjusted by positioning blocks of permanent magnets using millimeter scale 3-dimensional magnetic field modeling. A low Q-factor circuit was used for spin-echo sequences with short echo times.