A new technique for obtaining the activation energy distribution of a relaxing system

This paper describes a robust and fast fitting procedure applicable for relaxing processes that cannot be understood as a discrete sum of single processes but require an activation energy distribution. The method is based on a set of closed-form expressions that allow the computation of the relaxation parameters directly from the isochronal curves obtained experimentally. The usefulness of this method is checked by analyzing the isochronal curves given by a theoretical energy distribution and the magnetic disaccommodation spectra observed in yttrium iron garnet (YIG) samples. PACS 02.60.Ed; 75.60.Lr; 75.50.Gg     

Monte Carlo Simulation of Electron Transport and X-Ray Generation. II. Radiative Processes and Examples in Electron Probe Microanalysis

Theoretical models for Monte Carlo simulation of radiative processes, i.e. bremsstrahlung and characteristic x-ray emission, are presented. Possible strategies for simulating electron transport are briefly described. For mechanisms involving energy loss and angular deflections, difficulties for strict implementation of accurate numerical differential cross sections still remain due to the strong correlations between these variables. Practical solutions for the case of inelastic collisions and bremsstrahlung emission are described. Comparisons of simulation results with experimental data for several problems of interest in electron probe microanalysis are presented.     

New Interfaces for Coupling TLC with TOF SIMS

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - Two interfaces have been tested for coupling thin-layer chromatography (TLC) with time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry...     

Young's inequality in trace-class operators

 If a and b are trace-class operators, and if u is a partial isometry, then , where ∥⋅∥₁ denotes the norm in the trace class. The present paper characterises the cases of equality in this Young inequality, and the characterisation is examined in the context of both the operator and the Hilbert–Schmidt forms of Young's inequality. Received: 20 December 2001 / Revised version: 11 July 2002 / Published online: 10 February 2003 Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 47A63, 15A60     

Highly edge‐connected detachments of graphs and digraphs

Let G = (V,E) be a graph or digraph and r : V → Z₊. An r‐detachment of G is a graph H obtained by ‘splitting’ each vertex ν ∈ V into r(ν) vertices. The vertices ν₁,…,ν_r(ν) obtained by splitting ν are called the pieces of ν in H. Every edge uν ∈ E corresponds to an edge of H connecting some piece of u to some piece of ν. Crispin Nash‐Williams 9 gave necessary and sufficient conditions for a graph to have a k‐edge‐connected r‐detachment. He also solved the version where the degrees of all the pieces are specified. In this paper, we solve the same problems for directed graphs. We also give a simple and self‐contained new proof for the undirected result. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 43: 67–77, 2003     

Measurability implies continuity for solutions of functional equations - even with few variables

Summary. We prove that - under certain conditions - measurable solutions $f$ of the functional equation $f(x)=h(x,y,f(g_{1}(x,y)),\ldots,f(g_{n}(x,y))),\quad(x,y)\in D \subset \mathbb{R}^{s} \times \mathbb{R}^{l}$ are continuous, even if $1\le l\le s$. As a tool we introduce new classes of functions which - roughly speaking - interpolate between continuous and Lebesgue measurable functions. Connection between these classes are also investigated.     

Characterization of Cds clusters in zeolite-A grown in alkaline solution

CdS clusters were synthesized in A type zeolite by reaction in alkaline aqueous solution at temperatures from 30 to 70 °C. The optical properties of the samples were studied by diffuse reflectance and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Their crystalline structure and morphology were studied by X-ray diffraction and by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. We found that at lower temperatures the CdS clusters are encapsulated in the zeolite cages. We compared the properties of these clusters with those encapsulated in the cages of zeolites X and Y, prepared by similar methods. CdS clusters smaller than the CdS exciton diameter are also formed outside the cages in the zeolite matrix. The size of these clusters increases with temperature producing a red-shift of the absorption edge in the optical absorption spectra.     

Weakly nonlocal irreversible thermodynamics

Weakly nonlocal thermodynamic theories are critically revisited. A relocalized, irreversible thermodynamic theory of nonlocal phenomena is given, based on a modified form of the entropy current and new kind of internal variables, the so called current multipliers. The treatment is restricted to deal with nonlocality connected to dynamic thermodynamic variables. Several classical equations are derived, including Guyer‐Krumhansl, Ginzburg‐Landau and Cahn‐Hilliard type equations.     

Asymptotic behaviour of the least squares estimator of the mean of AR(1) models

The aim of the paper is to investigate the limit behaviour of the least squares estimator of the shift parameter of nearly unstable, nearly stable, and nearly explosive AR(1) models. Both zero start and stationary cases are treated. Connection with the maximum likelihood estimator of the shift parameter of continuous time AR(1) processes is also discussed.     

Photo-orientation at liquid crystal—polymer interfaces

It is suggested that liquid crystal—polymer interfaces are coupled systems, in which the components mutually influence the orientational state of each other. The photo-orientation process at liquid crystal-polymer interfaces provides a striking example of such a coupling. Experiments show that the anisotropic structure generated by polarised light at a polymer surface is strongly affected by the phase of the liquid crystal covering the polymer. Photo-orientation is significantly more efficient when the liquid crystal is in the isotropic phase than when it exhibits orientational order. The observations are interpreted by assuming that in the smectic and nematic phases the liquid crystal stabilises to a large extent polymer chain-segments aligned parallel to the director, while it blocks the photo-induced formation of chain-segments in the perpendicular direction. Other situations, in which the coupling between the liquid crystal and the polymer can be important, are also discussed briefly.