ZnO–SnO2 branch–stem nanowires based on a two-step process: Synthesis and sensing capability

ZnO–SnO₂ branch–stem nanostructures were realized on a basis of a two-step process. In step 1, SnO₂-stem nanowires were synthesized. In step 2, ZnO-branch nanowires were successfully grown on the SnO₂-stem nanowires through a simple evaporation technique. We have pre-deposited thin Au layers on the surface of SnO₂ nanowire stems and subsequently evaporated Zn powders on the nanowires. The ZnO branches, which sprouted from the SnO₂ stems, had diameters in a range of 30–35 nm. As-synthesized branches were of single crystalline hexagonal ZnO structures. Since the branch tips were comprised of Au-containing nanoparticles, the Au-catalyzed vapor–liquid–solid growth mechanism was more likely to control the growth process of the ZnO branches. To test a potential use of ZnO–SnO₂ branch–stem nanostructures in chemical gas sensors, their sensing performances with respect to NO₂ gas were investigated, showing the promising potential in chemical gas sensors.     

Unexpected reactivity of trifluoromethylated olefins with indole: a mechanistic investigation

Several trifluoromethylated compounds were reacted with indole sodium salt, leading to monofluorinated compounds. The unexpected products formation was rationalized by DFT calculations.     

Simulation of the ion beam-plasma interaction processes for point-like ions in doped DT plasmas

The purpose of this work is to study the interaction between an ion beam and a doped deuterium-tritium (DT) plasma in a fast ignition nuclear fusion context. In order to analyze the influence of the dopants in the interaction process, we present a physical model to carry out spatial-temporal simulations of the stopping of an ion beam interacting with a doped plasma target, the plasma heating processes, and the formation of the ignition regions. We perform a set of numerical experiments where different concentrations of dopants are added to a fully ionized DT plasma. These simulations allow us to characterize the increase in the stopping power and the maximum temperatures achieved with the presence of impurities, as well as the reduction of the heated and ignition regions. This reduction in the ignition region indicates difficulties for the formation of an efficient hot spot when there are dopants in the DT plasma.     

Life prediction of thermally cracked railway wheels: Growth estimation of cracks with arbitrary shape

A computer program for railway wheel life prediction has been developed incorporating an elastoplastic calculation of both the residual stress field induced by shoe-braking and the superposed alternating rolling contact stresses. The possibilities of unstable propagation of surface cracks, crack arrest, fatigue propagation through a complex stress field and crack detention on reaching the threshold value have been accounted for. An approximate method for crack growth prediction is used providing bounds for instantaneous crack front position and estimations of crack shape within short computing times. Some examples of application for an UIC R7 wheel are presented.     

Antiferromagnetic Resonance in GdB<Subscript>6</Subscript>

The electron spin resonance has been measured for the first time both in the paramagnetic phase of the metallic GdB₆ antiferromagnet (T_N = 15.5K) and in the antiferromagnetic state (T < T_N). In the paramagnetic phase below T* ~ 70 K, the material is found to exhibit a pronounced increase in the resonance linewidth and a shift in the g-factor, which is proportional to the linewidth Δg(T) ~ ΔH(T). Such behavior is not characteristic of antiferromagnetic metals and seems to be due to the effects related to displacements of Gd³⁺ ions from the centrosymmetric positions in the boron cage. The transition to the antiferromagnetic phase is accompanied by an abrupt change in the position of resonance (from μ₀H₀ ≈ 1.9 T to μ₀H₀ ≈ 3.9 T at ν = 60 GHz), after which a smooth evolution of the spectrum occurs, resulting eventually in the formation of the spectrum consisting of four resonance lines. The magnetic field dependence of the frequency of the resonant modes ω₀(H₀) obtained in the range of 28–69 GHz is well interpreted within the model of ESR in an antiferromagnet with the easy anisotropy axis ω/γ = (H ₀ ² +2H_AH_E)^1/2, where H_E is the exchange field and H_A is the anisotropy field. This provides an estimate for the anisotropy field, H_A ≈ 800 Oe. This value can result from the dipole?dipole interaction related to the mutual displacement of Gd³⁺ ions, which occurs at the antiferromagnetic transition.     

Fabrication of low OH loss holey fibers with varying air hole sizes and their optical properties

We experimentally investigate a flexible fabrication technique for low OH and transmission losses holey fibers with a Ge-doped core and air holes in a silica cladding region. Versatile holey fibers of different size, pitch, and shape of air holes were achieved by controlling the temperature and heating time of the holey fiber preform. In addition, we suppress the OH loss of less than ∼0.323 dB/km at 1383 nm. After fabricating holey fibers, we measure their optical properties including cut-off wavelength, mode field diameter, splicing loss, dispersion, bending loss, and polarization dependent loss based on the size of air holes. The total transmission loss was measured to be ∼0.226 dB/km at 1550 nm by improving the fabrication process. After fabricating optical patch cord based on holey fibers, we measured the long-term stability of the fabricated holey fiber by using the temperature cycling technique for 24 and obtained low power fluctuation of 0.2 dB. We achieve the high quality holey fiber with a low bending loss of ∼0.04 dB/turn under a bending radius of 2.5 mm at 1550 nm. We also obtain a tunable band rejection filter with a number of bending turns.     

A generalization of local divergence measures

In this paper we propose a generalization of the concept of the local property for divergence measures. These new measures will be called g-local divergence measures, and we study some of their properties. Once this family is defined, a characterization based on Ling’s theorem is given. From this result, we obtain the general form of g-local divergence measures as a function of the divergence in each element of the reference set; this study is divided in three parts according to the cardinality of the reference set: finite, infinite countable or non-countable. Finally, we study the problem of componible divergence measures as a dual concept of g-local divergence measures.     

Characterization off-vectors of families of convex sets inR d Part I: Necessity of Eckhoff’s conditions

LetK=K ₁,...,K_n be a family ofn convex sets inR ^d . For 0≦i<n denote byf _i the number of subfamilies ofK of sizei+1 with non-empty intersection. The vectorf(K) is called thef-vectors ofK. In 1973 Eckhoff proposed a characterization of the set off-vectors of finite families of convex sets inR ^d by a system of inequalities. Here we prove the necessity of Eckhoff's inequalities. The proof uses exterior algebra techniques. We introduce a notion of generalized homology groups for simplicial complexes. These groups play a crucial role in the proof, and may be of some independent interest.     

On nonoscillating integrals for computing inhomogeneous Airy functions

Integral representations are considered of solutions of the inhomogeneous Airy differential equation . The solutions of these equations are also known as Scorer functions. Certain functional relations for these functions are used to confine the discussion to one function and to a certain sector in the complex plane. By using steepest descent methods from asymptotics, the standard integral representations of the Scorer functions are modified in order to obtain nonoscillating integrals for complex values of . In this way stable representations for numerical evaluations of the functions are obtained. The methods are illustrated with numerical results.