Magnetic calorimeter for registration of small energy release

A scheme of magnetic calorimeter for registration of rare events characterized by small energy release (cosmic rays, WIMPs, solitary X-ray quanta) is proposed. The calorimeter is brought to operation by adiabatic demagnetization, and its magnetic response is measured by a quantum interferometer (SQUID, A. Barone and G. Paterno, Physics and applications of Josephson Effect). Special consideration is given to the specific features of calorimeter operation in the ferromagnetic transition region. The trigger registration of ultrasmall energy release by a ferromagnetic system in the metastable state is described.     

Paramagnetic defects in BaTiO3 and their role in light-induced charge transport — Optical studies

On the basis of a previous identification of paramagnetic defects in nominally undoped as grown BaTiO₃ single crystals, we have investigated the changes of the concentrations of these centers and their optical absorptions under illumination with light of varying wavelengths. The most pronounced charge transfers occur by hole ionization of Fe⁴⁺ and — to a lesser extent — of Cr⁵⁺ and Cr⁴⁺. At low temperatures the created holes are trapped in the form of O^–-ions next to Al³⁺ or unknown acceptor defects. Corresponding Fe⁴⁺ and O^– absorptions have been identified.     

New estimates for the Laplacian,the div–curl,and related Hodge systems

We establish new estimates for the Laplacian, the div–curl system, and more general Hodge systems in arbitrary dimension, with an application to minimizers of the Ginzburg–Landau energy. To cite this article: J. Bourgain, H. Brezis, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 338 (2004).     

Kinetics and mechanisms of chlorine transfer from chloramine to amines in aqueous medium

The kinetics and the equilibrium constant of the chlorine transfer reaction between monochloramine NH₂Cl and the amines: C₂H₅NH₂, (CH₃)₂CHNH₂, (CH₃)₂NH, and (C₂H₅)₂NH are investigated by spectrophotometry in aqueous medium at 25°C, in the pH range from 8 to 13 and for an ionic strength equal to 1.03 ± 0.05M. For a concentration of total ammonia equal to 1M, the observed rate constant is pH independent below 8 and above 12.8 and reaches a maximum located between the pK_as of NH₄⁺ and RR'NH₂⁺. From these results and those obtained earlier for NH₂Cl and CH₃NH₂, the reaction is shown to involve an interaction between neutral molecules NH₂Cl and RR'NH, subject to general acid catalysis. The ability of an interaction corresponding to a specific catalysis and involving NH₃Cl⁺ and RR'NH rather than NH₂Cl and RR'NH₂⁺ is also discussed. The activation parameters are given for each reaction.     

Peripheral spectrum of positive quasi-compact operators onC 0(X)

LetX be a locally compact space, andT, a quasi-compact positive operator onC ₀(X), with positive spectral radius,r. Then the peripheral spectrum ofT is a finite set of poles containingr, and the residue of the resolvent ofT at each peripheral pole is of finite rank. Using the concept of closed absorbing set, we develop an iterative process that gives the order,p, ofr, some special bases of the algebraic eigenspaces ker(T-r) ^p and ker(T ^*-r) ^p , and finally the dimension of the algebraic eigenspace associated to each peripheral pole.     

Size dependence of self-diffusion in the hard-square lattice gas

A striking size dependence of the mean-square displacement of diffusing particles in the two-dimensional lattice gas of hard squares has been observed by Monte Carlo simulation. It is shown that the size effect is due to the formation of a stable cage structure in small lattices when the particle concentration is high. The formation of cages is governed by a new type of percolation problem related to bootstrap percolation.