Plasma-driven inflation

The possibility of inflation without any genuine scalar is discussed. It is suggested that drops of primordial plasma may drive inflation. The model, although naive, is consistent with observational data.     

BRST cohomology of the super-Virasoro Algebras

We study the superextension of the semi-infinite cohomology theory of the Virasoro Algebra. In particular, we examine the BRST complex with coefficients in the Fock Space of the RNS superstring. We prove a theorem of vanishing cohomology, and establish the unitary equivalence between a positive definite transversal space, a physical subspace and the zeroth cohomology group. The cohomology of a subcomplex is identified as the covariant equivalent of the well-known GSO subspace. An exceptional case to the vanishing theorem is discussed.Supported by NSF Grant DMS-8703581     

An explosion point space without the fixed point property

In 1988 A. Gutek proved that there exist one-point connectifications of hereditarily disconnected spaces that do not have the fixed point property. We improve on this result by constructing a one-point connectification of a totally disconnected space without the fixed point property.     

Effective synthesis of ortho-substituted triphenol amines via reductive amination

An efficient synthesis of ortho-substituted triphenolamines via reductive amination is reported. This approach allows access to this increasingly important class of ligands in a structurally systematic way using either commercially or easily synthesizable building blocks.     

Detection of hepatocarcinoma in rats by integration of the fluorescence spectrum: Experimental model

The incorporation of spectroscopic techniques into diagnostic procedures may greatly improve the chances for precise diagnostics. One promising technique is fluorescence spectroscopy, which has recently been used to detect many different types of diseases. In this work, we use laser-induced tissue fluorescence to detect hepatocarcinoma in rats using excitation light at wavelengths of 443 and 532 nm. Hepatocarcinoma was induced chemically in Wistar rats. The collected fluorescence spectrum ranges from the excitation wavelength up to 850 nm. A mathematical procedure carried out on the spectrum determines a figure of merit value, which allows the detection of hepatocarcinoma. The figure of merit involves a procedure which evaluates the ratio between the backscattered excitation wavelength and the broad emission fluorescence band. We demonstrate that a normalization allowed by integration of the fluorescence spectra is a simple operation that may allow the detection of hepatocarcinoma.     

Relative embeddings of discs into convex domains

Dedicated to the memory of my father     

Structure of minimizers in linear-quadratic Bolza problems of optimal control

In this paper, we study intersections of extremals in a linear-quadratic Bolza problem of optimal control. The structure of the inter-sections is described. We show that this structure implies the semipositive definiteness of the quadratic cost functional. In addition, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of minimizers.     

High pressure mössbauer studies of magnetic actinide systems

Due to the wider radial extent of 5f electrons when compared to their 4f counterparts, intermetallics of the light actinides show a broad spectrum of magnetic properties ranging from the localized magnetism of the lanthanides to the itinerant magnetism often found in transition metal compounds. One parameter which strongly influences the magnetic character of the compound is the actinide-actinide separation which can experimentally be varied by the application of high pressure. The question of 5f electron delocalization will be reviewed with respect to Moesshauer high pressure data on NpCo₂si₂, NpAl₂, NpOs₂ and new results will be presented of NpAs. The connection of hyperfine parameters with results of X-ray diffraction studies will be discussed.Work supported by the Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie, Federal Republic of Germany     

The high-T c superconductor Sr0.2Lai1.8CuO4: A direct and inverse-photoemission study

We have measured ultraviolet and inverse-photoemission spectra of the novel superconductor Sr₀₂La_1.8CuO₄. Our results compare favorably with recent band-structure calculations for La₂CuO₄.A full account of this work will be published elsewhere [1]