Open Problems

Periodica Mathematica Hungarica -     

Study of the gas-phase parameters affecting the silicon-oxide film deposition induced by an ArF laser

A study of the gas-phase parameters involved in ArF laser induced chemical vapour deposition of silicon-oxide thin films is presented. A complete set of experiments has been performed showing the influence of the concentration of the precursor gases, N₂O and SiH₄, and their influence on total and partial pressures on film growth and properties. In this paper we demonstrate the ability of this LCVD method to deposit silicon oxide films of different compositions and densities by appropriate control of gas composition and total pressure. Moreover, a material specific calibration plot comprising data obtained using different preparation techniques is presented, allowing determination of the stoichiometry of SiO _x films by using FTIR spectroscopy independently of the deposition method. For the range of processing conditions examined, the experimental results suggest that chemical processes governing deposition take place mainly in the gas phase.     

A Bicriterial Optimization Problem of Antenna Design

In this paper we consider a special optimization problem withtwo objectives which arises in antenna theory. It is shown that thisabstract bicriterial optimization problem has at least one solution.Discretized versions of this problem are also discussed, and therelationships between these finite dimensional problems and the infinitedimensional problem are investigated. Moreover, we presentnumerical results for special parameters using a multiobjectiveoptimization method.     

Laser systems specialized for laser spectroscopy at storage rings

Laser spectroscopy at storage rings often suffers from a limited resolution due to Doppler-broadened resonances. Broadening is caused by the velocity spread of the ions stored in the beam. In the following, the present status of our work on laser systems specialized on the specific needs of laser spectroscopy at storage rings is reported. Two pulsed laser systems were developed. One is a dye laser whose spectral bandwidth can be switched by inserting different Littrow-prisms into the resonator. An increase in bandwidth up to a factor of 45 was achieved. This laser was used for fast qualitative scans and high resolution measurements. The other laser system is a Nd : YAG laser pumped optical parametric oscillator. It is a tunable laser system covering the spectral range from 410 to 4000 nm. Furthermore, a continuous wave laser with a frequency shifted feedback cavity is described. It shows broadband emission with an adjustable bandwidth of up to 4.5 GHz. This laser can be advantageous for laser cooling of ion beams. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Detailed nuclear structure studies far from stability

State-of-the-art spectroscopy of nuclei far from stability has achieved an extraordinary level of sophistication and detail in the last ten years. In principle, if a state can be populated, it can be characterized by its energy, spin, parity, and major decay paths. Sometimes its lifetime can be measured. In practice, one is confronted with enormous complexity. To convert raw spectroscopic data into nuclear structure data involves a complex process of disentangling gamma rays and conversion electrons into decay schemes. Specifically, coincidence techniques, especially coincidence intensities, play a crucial role in this process. Recent examples and methods from work done at UNISOR are presented.     

Extraordinary optical transmission through metal-coated colloidal monolayers

Extraordinary optical transmission through metal-coated close-packed monolayers has been observed. The monolayers consist of silica (a-SiO₂) or polystyrene microspheres that form two-dimensional close-packed lattices by self-assembly. Metal layers of Ag, Au and Ni with different thicknesses (larger than the skin depth) were evaporated onto such lattices by means of standard techniques. The optical transmission spectra investigated between 300 and 2500 nm show pronounced peaks that scale with the diameter and the optical properties of the composite slabs. The enhanced transmission observed is most likely mediated via plasmons. PACS 78.66.-w; 81.16.Dn; 82.70.Dd     

Determination of platinum and biologically important trace elements in structure-activity relationship studies on platinum-containing anti-cancer drugs. Special procedures for removing32P as well as for the estimation of99 Mo and199Au

As part of an examination of the cytostatic effects of 1,2-diarylethylenediamine-platinum(II)-complexes the contents of platinum and biologically essential trace elements of tumour tissue and different organs were determined. The activation analysis procedure — separation of³²P, isolation of¹⁹⁹Au and⁹⁹Mo — is described. In the course of a pharmakokinetical experiment with tumourbearing rats (DMBA induced hormone-dependent tumours) the desired enrichment of the administered drug in the tumour tissue was found. Changes of the trace element level of tumour tissue were found for hormone-dependent MXT-mammary tumours on mice.     

Moderate Deviations for Longest Increasing Subsequences: The Lower Tail

We derive a moderate deviation principle for the lower tail probabilities of the length of a longest increasing subsequence in a random permutation. It refers to the regime between the lower tail large deviation regime and the central limit regime. The present article together with the upper tail moderate deviation principle in Ref. 12 yields a complete picture for the whole moderate deviation regime. Other than in Ref. 12, we can directly apply estimates by Baik, Deift, and Johansson, who obtained a (non-standard) Central Limit Theorem for the same quantity.