Interactive Compromise Programming

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a solution method for multiple objective linear programming (MOLP) problems. The method, called interactive compromise programming (ICP), offers a practical solution to MOLP problems by combining judgement with an automatic optimization technique in decision-making. This is realised by using the method of compromise programming and the method of a two-person zero-sum game in an iterative way. The method is illustrated by a numerical example.     

Combined Routeing and Scheduling for the Transportation of Containerized Cargo

A tractor-trailer problem, with full load, from the class of combined routeing and scheduling problems is described. Distinctive features of the problem are: movements must be carried out within certain time windows; subsets of movements are linked in the sense that they must be executed in a certain order; and different priorities are attached to different movements. A new bidirectional sequential constructive heuristic is developed for the solution of this problem. The method constructs routes and schedules for the available tractor fleet. The algorithm attempts to minimize the total time for all the movements by minimizing the time taken up by unproductive movements (so-called deadhead) and waiting time between movements. Some practical aspects of the implementation of the approach are discussed.     

The nonsymmetric pressure tensor in polyatomic fluids

Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics calculations are used to show that polyatomic fluids can support antisymmetric stress. In a homogeneous system where the time dependence of vorticity is a step function, it is shown that the rate at which intrinsic angular velocity approaches its steady-state value ( = 1/2 × u) is determined by the magnitude of the antisymmetric part of the pressure tensor.     

Refractive-index saturation-mediated multiple line emission in polymer thin-film distributed-feedback lasers

We report experimental and theoretical investigations of multiple laser-line emission in a distributed-feedback dye laser pumped by two coherent optical beams. We have used a Lloyd interferometer configuration with second- and third-order Bragg reflections to study the interaction between the two incident pumps in an organic thin film. We demonstrated theoretically that the number of laser emission lines can be interpreted with reference to the saturation effect in the refractive index.     

A DFT+U study of the catalytic activity of lanthanum nickelate

A density functional theory + Hubbard U (DFT+U) method is implemented to investigate the catalytic activity of lanthanum nickelate (LaNiO₃) for oxygen reduction reaction. Comparison of the surface energies of different LaNiO₃ surfaces shows that {001} surface has the lowest surface energy and hence maximum stability. Two possible terminations of the {001} surface namely LaO and NiO₂ are considered to carry out all our DFT calculations. Calculation of bond lengths of the atoms near the surface and adsorption energies for the reaction intermediates revealed that LaO terminated {001} surface is unstable for the process of OOH adsorption and hence not preferred for the oxygen reduction reaction. However, NiO₂ terminated {001} surface shows excellent catalytic activity for adsorption of all the reaction intermediates and hence is a favourable surface for reactions to occur. Superiority of the NiO₂ terminated {001} surface as catalyst over the LaO terminated one, is also confirmed from the total and partial density of states of the surfaces in presence of the adsorbates, which also shows that the desorption rate of the reaction intermediates is low in case of LaO terminated {001} surface compared to the NiO₂ terminated one.     

Perfect quantum excitation energy transport via single edge perturbation in a complete network

We consider quantum excitation energy transport (EET) in a network of two-state nodes in the Markovian approximation by employing the Lindblad formulation. We find that EET from an initial site, where the excitation is inserted to the sink, is generally inefficient due to the inhibition of transport by localization of the excitation wave packet in a symmetric, fully-connected network. We demonstrate that the EET efficiency can be significantly increased up to ≈100% by perturbing hopping transport between the initial node and the one connected directly to the sink, while the rate of energy transport is highest at a finite value of the hopping parameter. We also show that prohibiting hopping between the other nodes which are not directly linked to the sink does not improve the efficiency. We show that external dephasing noise in the network plays a constructive role for EET in the presence of localization in the network, while in the absence of localization it reduces the efficiency of EET. We also consider the influence of off-diagonal disorder in the hopping parameters of the network.     

Almost mobility edges and the existence of critical regions in one-dimensional quasiperiodic lattices

We study a one-dimensional quasiperiodic system described by the Aubry–André model in the small wave vector limit and demonstrate the existence of almost mobility edges and critical regions in the system. It is well known that the eigenstates of the Aubry–André model are either extended or localized depending on the strength of incommensurate potential V being less or bigger than a critical value V _c , and thus no mobility edge exists. However, it was shown in a recent work that for the system with V < V _c and the wave vector α of the incommensurate potential is small, there exist almost mobility edges at the energy E _c±, which separate the robustly delocalized states from “almost localized” states. We find that, besides E _c±, there exist additionally another energy edges E _c′±, at which abrupt change of inverse participation ratio (IPR) occurs. By using the IPR and carrying out multifractal analyses, we identify the existence of critical regions among |E _c±|?≤?|E|?≤?|E _c′±| with the mobility edges E _c± and E _c′± separating the critical region from the extended and localized regions, respectively. We also study the system with V > V _c , for which all eigenstates are localized states, but can be divided into extended, critical and localized states in their dual space by utilizing the self-duality property of the Aubry–André model.     

Advances in theoretical and experimental XAFS studies of thermodynamic properties,anharmonic effects and structural determination of fcc crystals

Thermodynamic properties, anharmonic effects and structural determination of fcc crystals have been studied based on the theoretical and experimental Debye–Waller factors presented in terms of cumulant expansion up to the third order, thermal expansion coefficient, X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectra and their Fourier transform magnitudes. The advances in these studies are performed by the further development of the anharmonic correlated Einstein model primary only for approximating three first XAFS cumulants into the method using that all the considered theoretical and experimental XAFS parameters have been provided based on only the calculated and measured second cumulants. The obtained cumulants describe the anharmonic effects in XAFS contributing to the accurate structural determination. Numerical results for Cu are found to be in good agreement with the experimental values extracted by using the present advanced method and with those obtained by the other measurements.     

Pinning down neutrino oscillation parameters in the 2–3 sector with a magnetised atmospheric neutrino detector: a new study

We determine the sensitivity to neutrino oscillation parameters from a study of atmospheric neutrinos in a magnetised detector such as the ICAL at the proposed India-based Neutrino Observatory. In such a detector, which can separately count \(\nu _\mu \) and \(\overline{\nu }_\mu \)-induced events, the relatively smaller (about 5%) uncertainties on the neutrino–antineutrino flux ratios translate to a constraint in the \(\chi ^2\) analysis that results in a significant improvement in the precision with which neutrino oscillation parameters such as \(\sin ^2\theta _{23}\) can be determined. Such an effect is unique to all magnetisable detectors and constitutes a great advantage in determining neutrino oscillation parameters using such detectors. Such a study has been performed for the first time here. Along with an increase in the kinematic range compared to earlier analyses, this results in sensitivities to oscillation parameters in the 2–3 sector that are comparable to or better than those from accelerator experiments where the fluxes are significantly higher. For example, the \(1\sigma \) precisions on \(\sin ^2\theta _{23}\) and \(|\Delta {m^2_{32(31)}}|\) achievable for 500 kton year exposure of ICAL are \({\sim }9\) and \({\sim }2.5\)%, respectively, for both normal and inverted hierarchies. The mass hierarchy sensitivity achievable with this combination when the true hierarchy is normal (inverted) for the same exposure is \(\Delta \chi ^2\approx 8.5\) (\(\Delta \chi ^2\approx 9.5\)).     

Thermodynamic implications of the gravitationally induced particle creation scenario

A rigorous thermodynamic analysis has been done as regards the apparent horizon of a spatially flat Friedmann–Lemaitre–Robertson–Walker universe for the gravitationally induced particle creation scenario with constant specific entropy and an arbitrary particle creation rate \(\Gamma \). Assuming a perfect fluid equation of state \(p=(\gamma -1)\rho \) with \(\frac{2}{3} \le \gamma \le 2\), the first law, the generalized second law (GSL), and thermodynamic equilibrium have been studied, and an expression for the total entropy (i.e., horizon entropy plus fluid entropy) has been obtained which does not contain \(\Gamma \) explicitly. Moreover, a lower bound for the fluid temperature \(T_f\) has also been found which is given by \(T_f \ge 8\left( \frac{\frac{3\gamma }{2}-1}{\frac{2}{\gamma }-1}\right) H^2\). It has been shown that the GSL is satisfied for \(\frac{\Gamma }{3H} \le 1\). Further, when \(\Gamma \) is constant, thermodynamic equilibrium is always possible for \(\frac{1}{2}<\frac{\Gamma }{3H} < 1\), while for \(\frac{\Gamma }{3H} \le \text {min}\left\{ \frac{1}{2},\frac{2\gamma -2}{3\gamma -2} \right\} \) and \(\frac{\Gamma }{3H} \ge 1\), equilibrium can never be attained. Thermodynamic arguments also lead us to believe that during the radiation phase, \(\Gamma \le H\). When \(\Gamma \) is not a constant, thermodynamic equilibrium holds if \(\ddot{H} \ge \frac{27}{4}\gamma ^2 H^3 \left( 1-\frac{\Gamma }{3H}\right) ^2\), however, such a condition is by no means necessary for the attainment of equilibrium.