An improved boundary element method for the charge density of a thin electrified plate in ℝ3

A weakly singular integral equation of the first kind on a plane surface piece Γ is solved approximately via the Galerkin method. The determination of the solution of this integral equation (with the single-layer potential) is a classical problem in physics, since its solution represents the charge density of a thin, electrified plate Γ loaded with some given potential. Using piecewise constant or piecewise bilinear boundary elements we derive asymptotic estimates for the Galerkin error in the energy norm and analyse the effect of graded meshes. Estimates in lower order Sobolev norms are obtained via the Aubin–Nitsche trick. We describe in detail the numerical implementation of the Galerkin method with both piecewise-constant and piecewise-linear boundary elements. Numerical experiments show experimental rates of convergence that confirm our theoretical, asymptotic results.     

The MIS structure of selenium diodes

It is shown that a selenium diode biased in the reverse direction is characterized by several features special to MIS structures. The effect of ionic processes in the MIS structure on the volt-amp characteristics is studied.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 11, pp. 7–11, November, 1973.     

The role of the nano-environment of supported gold catalysts in the activity control. Modification of Au/Al2O3 catalysts by redox-type metal oxides

Au/Al₂O₃ catalysts were modified by different redox metal oxides, such as FeO_x, MnO_x and CoO_x, resulting in a pronounced activity increase in CO oxidation.     

Light-driven synthesis of hollow platinum nanospheres

Hollow platinum nanospheres that are porous and have uniform shell thickness are prepared by templating platinum growth on polystyrene beads with an adsorbed porphyrin photocatalyst irradiated by visible light.     

Molecular dynamics extended for fluctuating networks: Application to water

Molecular simulation models are increasingly important tools in efforts to understand the role that water plays in biochemical processes. However, existing models of water have limited capacity to deal with the characteristics of hydrogen bond networks. This article proposes a new fluctuating network (FN) algorithm as an extension of the standard molecular dynamics algorithm. The new algorithm allows for the simulation of a molecular system based on an underlying network, such as the hydrogen bond network in water. This algorithm distinguishes strong from weak network connections, applying a potential that best describes the specific connection behavior. We model liquid water with this new technique using a single‐site, isotropic, short‐range potential. We successfully reproduce liquid water's signature molecular spacing (as represented by the radial distribution function) and characterize its dynamic properties including the exponential hydrogen bond lifetime distribution, diffusion rate, and average hydrogen bonds per molecule. The FN algorithm allows exploration of the behavior of networked systems where explicit coordination limits are required. As such it could also be used to model covalent interactions, reaction dynamics, and applied to simulation of cellular networks. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Binomial Cycle Bases on Koszul Homology Modules

Let I be a principal p-Borel ideal of the polynomial ring S in variables x over a field. Then the Koszul homology module H ₃(x;S/I) has binomial cycle bases.     

Quasiperiodic spectra and orthogonality for iterated function system measures

We extend classical basis constructions from Fourier analysis to attractors for affine iterated function systems (IFSs). This is of interest since these attractors have fractal features, e.g., measures with fractal scaling dimension. Moreover, the spectrum is then typically quasi-periodic, but non-periodic, i.e., the spectrum is a “small perturbation” of a lattice. Due to earlier research on IFSs, there are known results on certain classes of spectral duality-pairs, also called spectral pairs or spectral measures. It is known that some duality pairs are associated with complex Hadamard matrices. However, not all IFSs X admit spectral duality. When X is given, we identify geometric conditions on X for the existence of a Fourier spectrum, serving as the second part in a spectral pair. We show how these spectral pairs compose, and we characterize the decompositions in terms of atoms. The decompositions refer to tensor product factorizations for associated complex Hadamard matrices. Research supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation DMS-0704191.