The effect of different combinations of boundary conditions on the average radiation efficiency of rectangular plates

The boundary conditions of a vibrating plate are known to have an influence on its sound radiation for frequencies below the critical frequency. To investigate this effect in a systematic way, the average radiation efficiency and radiated power are calculated for a rectangular plate set in an infinite baffle using a modal summation approach. Whereas analytical expressions exist for simply supported boundary conditions, a numerical approach is required for other cases. Nine combinations of boundary conditions are considered, consisting of simply supported, clamped and free edges on different plate edges. The structural vibration is approximated by using independent beam functions in orthogonal directions allowing simple approximate formulae for mode shapes and natural frequencies. This assumption is checked against a finite element model and shown to give reliable results. It is shown that a free plate has the lowest radiation efficiency and a clamped plate the highest for most frequencies between the fundamental panel natural frequency and the critical frequency. Other combinations of boundary condition give intermediate results according to the level of constraint introduced. The differences depend on frequency: excluding the extreme case of a fully free plate all the other boundary conditions give results within a range of 8 dB in the middle part of the short-circuiting region, decreasing towards the critical frequency. At low frequency the differences can be even greater, in some cases up to 20 dB. These conclusions are shown to hold for a range of plate thicknesses and dimensions.     

Postsynthetic modification of peptides via chemoselective N-alkylation of their side chains

A chemoselective, mild, and versatile method for performing postsynthetic modifications of peptide sequences is described. It requires only activated molecular sieves in the presence of an alkyl halide in order to N-alkylate lysine side chains. This reaction is fully compatible with most of the peptide functionalities, discriminates the reactivity of differently protected lysines, and proceeds in good yield. The mild conditions employed were further proved by performing the N-alkylation of a peptide containing a disulfide bridge.     

Thermal decomposition mechanism of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ionic liquid

In order to better understand the volatilization process for ionic liquids, the vapor evolved from heating the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (EMIM(+)Br(-)) was analyzed via tunable vacuum ultraviolet photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (VUV-PI-TOFMS) and thermogravimetric analysis mass spectrometry (TGA-MS). For this ionic liquid, the experimental results indicate that vaporization takes place via the evolution of alkyl bromides and alkylimidazoles, presumably through alkyl abstraction via an S(N)2 type mechanism, and that vaporization of intact ion pairs or the formation of carbenes is negligible. Activation enthalpies for the formation of the methyl and ethyl bromides were evaluated experimentally, ΔH(?)(CH(3)Br) = 116.1 ± 6.6 kJ/mol and ΔH(?)(CH(3)CH(2)Br) = 122.9 ± 7.2 kJ/mol, and the results are found to be in agreement with calculated values for the S(N)2 reactions. Comparisons of product photoionization efficiency (PIE) curves with literature data are in good agreement, and ab initio thermodynamics calculations are presented as further evidence for the proposed thermal decomposition mechanism. Estimates for the enthalpy of vaporization of EMIM(+)Br(-) and, by comparison, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (BMIM(+)Br(-)) from molecular dynamics calculations and their gas phase enthalpies of formation obtained by G4 calculations yield estimates for the ionic liquids' enthalpies of formation in the liquid phase: ΔH(vap)(298 K) (EMIM(+)Br(-)) = 168 ± 20 kJ/mol, ΔH(f,?gas)(298 K) (EMIM(+)Br(-)) = 38.4 ± 10 kJ/mol, ΔH(f,?liq)(298 K) (EMIM(+)Br(-)) = -130 ± 22 kJ/mol, ΔH(f,?gas)(298 K) (BMIM(+)Br(-)) = -5.6 ± 10 kJ/mol, and ΔH(f,?liq)(298 K) (BMIM(+)Br(-)) = -180 ± 20 kJ/mol.     

An Operations Research Approach to the Problem of the Sugarcane Selection

Selection for superior clones is the most important aspect of sugar cane improvement programs, and is a long and expensive process. While studies have investigated different components of selection independently, there has not been a whole system approach to improve the process. This study observes the problem as an integrated system, where if one parameter changes the state of the whole system changes. A computer based stochastic simulation model that accurately represents the selection was developed. This paper describes the simulation model, showing its accuracy as well as how a combination of dynamic programming and branch and bound can be applied to the model to optimise the selection system, giving a new application of these techniques. The model can be directly applied to any region targeted by sugarcane breeding programs or to other clonally propagated crops.     

57Co Mössbauer Emission Study of LiNbO3, Fe:LiNbO3 and Mg:LiNbO3 in Various Thermochemical Reduction States

⁵⁷Co Mössbauer emission spectra of undoped and Fe or Mg melt-doped LiNbO₃ single crystals show substantial amounts of the nucleogenic Fe³⁺ charge state (*Fe³⁺) which was generated as an after-effect of the electron-capture of ⁵⁷Co²⁺. The proportion of *Fe³⁺ is markedly dependent on the Mg content and on the stoichiometry of the sample. Electron trapping is described within the model of competing acceptors. The capabilities of the model are investigated in defect structure analysis and charge trapping studies of LiNbO₃.     

Jahn-Teller distortion and dissociation of CCl4+ by transient X-ray spectroscopy simultaneously at the carbon K- and chlorine L-edge

X-ray Transient Absorption Spectroscopy (XTAS) and theoretical calculations are used to study CCl₄⁺ prepared by 800 nm strong-field ionization. XTAS simultaneously probes atoms at the carbon K-edge (280–300 eV) and chlorine L-edge (195–220 eV). Comparison of experiment to X-ray spectra computed by orbital-optimized density functional theory (OO-DFT) indicates that after ionization, CCl₄⁺ undergoes symmetry breaking driven by Jahn–Teller distortion away from the initial tetrahedral structure (T_d) in 6 ± 2 fs. The resultant symmetry-broken covalently bonded form subsequently separates to a noncovalently bound complex between CCl₃⁺ and Cl over 90 ± 10 fs, which is again predicted by theory. Finally, after more than 800 fs, L-edge signals for atomic Cl are observed, indicating dissociation to free CCl₃⁺ and Cl. The results for Jahn–Teller distortion to the symmetry-broken form of CCl₄⁺ and formation of the Cl–CCl⁺₃ complex characterize previously unobserved new species along the route to dissociation.

Dynamics of CCl₄⁺ prepared by 800 nm strong-field ionization, as studied with X-ray transient absorption spectroscopy (XTAS) and quantum chemical calculations.     

Transitions from coherent to incoherent state induced by anharmonic interaction

A non-linear stochastic oscillator driven by a coherent radiation field is studied. Analog simulation is shown to support the arguments of theory on the specific role of the fluctuation-dissipation process and/or anharmonic interaction in making valid a treatment in terms of a Boltzmann-like distribution of energy. The results of analog simulation show that at certain values of the excitation frequency a superimposition of a coherent and an incoherent state may appear thereby opening the way to a more exhaustive theoretical treatment of this problem.     

Spectral heterogeneity of oxygen-deficient centers in Ge-doped silica

We report an experimental investigation of the emission spectra of a 1000 mol ppm sol–gel Ge-doped silica by fine tuning the excitation energy in the ultraviolet (UV) range, around 5 eV, and in the vacuum-UV range, around 7.3 eV, at room temperature and at 10 K. The sample is characterized by a blue (centered at 3.2 eV) and an UV (centered at 4.3 eV) bands. We have found that the ratio between the area of the blue and the UV bands depends on the temperature and on the excitation energy in both the vacuum-UV and the UV range. At both temperatures the spectral features of the blue and the UV bands are weakly affected when the excitation is varied in the vacuum-UV. At variance, under UV excitation the peaks of the bands are shifted and also their widths are changed. These results are interpreted in terms of distinct excitation channels of the luminescence that are influenced in a different way by the structural inhomogeneity of point defects.     

Asymmetric angular distributions in two-frequency multiphoton ionization of hydrogen atoms

Summary We report on calculated angular distributions of electrons produced in the ionization of hydrogen atoms by a linearly polarized soft X-ray and a circularly polarized laser light, with both the electric fields vibrating on the same plane. Their shape exhibits asymmetries which are similar to those observed in multiphoton ionization of noble gases by singlefrequency elliptically polarized light. An explanation of these asymmetries is given in terms of lowering of symmetry caused by the simultaneous action of the two fields during the ionization of the atom. The case at hand is another example which allows a useful insight into a new class of physical situations which deserve to be further explored both experimentally and theoretically.

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Riassunto In questo lavoro si calcolano le distribuzioni angolari di elettroni prodotti nella ionizzazione di atomi di idrogeno da raggi X molli e da luce laser polarizzata circolarmente, i cui campi elettrici vibrano nello stesso punto piano. La loro forma mostra asimmetrie che sono simili a quelle osservate nella ionizzazione multifotonica di gas nobili prodotta da un laser polarizzato ellitticamente. La spiegazione di questa asimmetria è data in termini di riduzione di simmetria causata dalla simultanea azione dei due campi durante la ionizzazione dell'atomo. Il presente caso è un esempio di una nuova calsse di situazioni fisiche che meritano di essere esplorate sia sperimentalmente che teoricamente.

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Резюме Приводятся вычисленные угловые распределения электронов, образованных при ионизации водорода линейно поляризованным мягким рентгеновским излучением и диркулярно поляризованным лазерным излучением, причем оба электрических поля колеблются в той же плоскости. Форма распределения обнаруживает асимметрии, которые аналогичны асимметриям, обнаруженным при многофотонной ионизации инертных газов под действием монохроматического эллиптически поляризованного света. Предлагается объяяснение этих асимметрий в терминах понижения симметрии вследствие одновременного действия двух полей во время ионизации атома. Рассматривается другой пример, который позволяет правильно понять новый класс физических ситуаций, которые заслуживают дальнейшего теоретического и эксрериментального исследований.