The six-vertex model eigenvectors as critical limit of the eight-vertex model bethe ansatz

The critical limit of the eight-vertex model eigenvectors obtained by means of the generalized Bethe Ansatz is shown to give the six-vertex eigenvectors as constructed in a previous paper by two of the authors. Furthermore, an explicit mapping is established between these eigenvectors and the usual Bethe Ansatz eigenvectors of the six-vertex model. This allows one to show that the indexv labeling the eight-vertex eigenstates becomes exactly the third component of the total spin in the critical limit.     

Atomistic packing models for experimentally investigated swelling states induced by CO2 in glassy polysulfone and poly(ether sulfone)

Atomistic packing models have been created, which help to better understand the experimentally observed swelling behavior of glassy polysulfone and poly (ether sulfone), under CO₂ gas pressures up to 50 bar at 308 K. The experimental characterization includes the measurement of the time‐dependent volume dilation of the polymer samples after a pressure step and the determination of the corresponding gas concentrations by gravimetric gas‐sorption measurements. The models obtained by force‐field‐based molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics methods allow a detailed atomistic analysis of representative swelling states of polymer/gas systems, with respect to the dilation of the matrix. Also, changes of free volume distribution and backbone mobility are accessible. The behavior of gas molecules in unswollen and swollen polymer matrices is characterized in terms of sorption, diffusion, and plasticization. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1874–1897, 2006     

Quantitative and high mass ToF-SIMS studies of siloxane segregation in hydrogel polymers using cryogenic sample handling techniques

This paper examines the capabilities of cryogenic sample handling to examine composition and structure of hydrogel materials where siloxane components are central to the analysis. XPS analysis of multicomponent polymers with cryogenic sample handling following exposure to aqueous environments has revealed the composition and kinetics of near surface reorganization for siloxane and fluorocarbon containing polymers. In this study we report results from a ToF-SIMS protocol for cryogenic sample handling applied to the analysis of surface changes upon hydration/dehydration of hydrogel polymers. Comparison of results from angle dependent XPS and ToF-SIMS are discussed for a range of commercial soft contact lens materials. Both methods detected changes in surface chemistry between the hydrated (frozen) and dehydrated surfaces. Analysis of the hydrated surfaces detected polymer components indicative of the commercial formulation as well as ice clusters. Analysis of the dehydrated materials detected changes in surface chemistry relative to the hydrated surface in addition to loss of water due to sample dehydration. A quantitative standard additions method for ToF-SIMS data was used to determine submonolayer amounts of PDMS impurities at the surface of the hydrogels. ToF-SIMS analysis of a series of seven poly (allyl methacrylate-g-dimethylsiloxane), AMA-g-DMS, graft copolymers in the hydrated state revealed high mass oligomeric ion distributions for systems with bulk PDMS content greater than 25 wt.%. This marks the first time that detection of high mass oligomeric ion distributions from hydrated (frozen) surfaces has been reported. Analysis of the dehydrated surface detected formation of high mass oligomeric ion distributions for systems with PDMS bulk content greater than 15 wt.%, but only detected these ion distributions in wet (frozen) samples when the bulk concentration was greater than 25 wt.%.     

High-pressure effect on the crystal and magnetic structure of LuMnO3: Correlation between a distortion of the triangular lattice and the symmetry of the magnetic state in hexagonal frustrated manganites

The effect of a high pressure (up to 6 GPa) on the crystal and magnetic structure of the hexagonal manganite LuMnO₃ is studied by neutron diffraction in the temperature range 10–295 K. It is found that, as the pressure increases, the ordered magnetic moment of Mn ions at T = 10 K decreases noticeably from 2.48 (0 GPa) to 1.98 μ_B (6 GPa). This decrease is due to an enhancement of the geometrical frustration effects on the triangular lattice. At the same time, the symmetry of the triangular antiferromagnetic state (the irreducible representation Γ₂) remains unchanged. A correlation is revealed between the distortion parameter of the triangular lattice formed by Mn ions and the symmetry of the antiferromagnetic state of hexagonal manganites RMnO₃. Based on this correlation, a generalized magnetic phase diagram of these compounds is constructed. The obtained phase diagram provides an explanation for the changes observed in the magnetic state of hexagonal manganites caused by high pressure and chemical substitution.     

On algebras of Toeplitz fuzzy matrices

In this paper, necessary and sufficient conditions are given for a product of Toeplitz fuzzy matrices to be Toeplitz. As an application, a criterion for normality of Toeplitz fuzzy matrices is derived and conditions are deduced for symmetric idempotency of Toeplitz fuzzy matrices. We discuss similar results for Hankel fuzzy matrices. Keywords: Fuzzy matrix, Toeplitz and Hankel matrices.     

Influence of focusing depth on the microfabrication of waveguides inside silica glass by femtosecond laser direct writing

We studied the influence of focusing depth on the index change threshold and damage threshold of silica glass irradiated by a focused 120 fs laser beam. Both thresholds increased with the focusing depth. The aspect ratio of the waveguide cross section can be selected by changing the focusing depth. A 5 mm long waveguide was written at the depth of 2100 μm, which was single mode at 632.8 nm and exhibited propagation loss of 0.56 dB/cm. The refractive index change was calculated to be ∼2.47×10^-3. The influence of the focusing depth should be considered in multi-layer devices as shown in the fabrication of a 3×3 waveguide array. PACS 42.62.-b; 42.82.Et; 81.05.Kf     

The measurement of beta asymmetries at UNISOR/NOF using external plastic scintillator detectors

The performance of two external plastic scintillator detectors has been tested in an off-line mode using a source of¹⁰⁶RuFe at UNISOR/NOF. The measurement of beta asymmetries at various temperatures has resulted in the reproduction of the previously-determined magnetic dipole moment for the 1⁺ ground state of¹⁰⁶Rh and in addition the conclusion that the sign of this moment is positive.     

Nuclear effects in the hadroproduction and photoproduction ofJ/ψ

Hadroprduction ofJ/ψ in π^? nucleus collisions is studied in the context of the colour singlet model using nuclear structure functions from three different models of the EMC effect. We conclude that it is possible to understand the data on the large transverse momentum (p _T ) and small Feynmanx (x _F ) of theJ/ψ in terms of the nuclear dependence of structure functions alone. We further show that these data can be used to distinguish between different models of the EMC effect, and that a study of distributions in various kinematic variables in photoproduction ofJ/ψ should be able to very effectively supplement the information obtained from hadroproduction experiments.