Chain length effect on dynamical structure of poly (vinyl pyrrolidone)-polar solvent mixtures in dilute solution of dioxane studied by microwave dielectric relaxation measurement

Dielectric relaxation study of the binary mixtures of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) (Mw=24000, 40000 and 360000 g mol⁻¹) with ethyl alcohol (EA) and poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEGs) (Mw=200 and 400 g mol⁻¹) in dilute solutions of dioxane were carried out at 10.1 GHz and 35°C. The relaxation time of PVP-EA mixtures was interpreted by the consideration of a wait-and-switch model in the local structure of self-associated ethyl alcohol molecules and also the PVP chain length as a geometric constraint for the reorientational motion of ethyl alcohol molecules. The formation of complexes and effect of PVP chain length on the molecular dynamics, chain flexibility and stretching of PEG molecules in PVP-PEG mixtures were explored from the comparative values of dielectric relaxation time. Further, relaxation time values in dioxane and benzene solvent confirm the viscosity independent molecular dynamics in PVP-EA mixtures but the values vary significantly with the non-polar solvent environment.     

An experiment with arithmetic precision in linear algebra computations

Several techniques for experimental determination of floating point precision in practical computations are examined, and applied to linear algebra algorithms. These techniques are simple enough to be directly applicable to existing production codes, requiring a very limited amount of software on many machines, and yet they yield interesting information on the numerical precision of a computation. Our choice of linear algebra algorithms includes a direct solver (namely the MA32 program from the Harwell Library) and several variants of preconditioned conjugate gradients (the methods DIAG, INV, MINV and POL of Reference 1). The results may be of interest as method selection criteria, and thus complement Mflop performance data available from several sources.     

Characteristics of soft magnetic composite material under rotating magnetic fluxes

This paper reports the measurement of magnetic properties of the soft magnetic composite material SOMALOY^TM 500 in a square sample under different patterns of flux density with 2D magnetic excitations. The test system, principle of measurement, magnetic power loss calculation, and methods of correction for misalignment of H surface sensing coils are presented. The experimental results show that although nominally isotropic, the SOMALOY^TM 500 sample exhibits some anisotropy. The results are useful in the design and performance analysis of rotating electrical machines.     

Exciton reflectivity of GaAs/Ga1−x Al x As multiple quantum wells

Summary The normal incidence reflectivity spectrum of excitons in GaAs/Ga_1−x Al _x As multiple quantum wells is calculated within the local response approximation. It is shown that the reflectivity lineshape strongly depends on the sample geometry. Using realistic parameters of a multiple quantum well structure, we obtain an excellent fit of the experimental reflectivity curve, thus giving exciton energies, oscillator strengths and exciton broadening parameters.

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Riassunto Lo spettro di riflettività ad incidenza normale degli eccitoni nei pozzi quantistici multipli di GaAs/Ga_1−x Al _x As è calcolato nell’ambito dell’approssimazione locale. Si mostra con la forma della linea di riflettività dipende in gran misura dalla forma geometrica del campione. Usando parametri realistici di una struttura a pozzi quantistici multipli, si ottiene un’ottima approssimazione della curva di riflettività sperimentale, che fornisce così energie eccitoniche, forze dell’oscillatore e parameri di ampliamento eccitonico.

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Резюме В рамках приближения линейного отклика вычисляется спекрт отражательной способности экситонов при нормальном падении для множественных квантовых ям в GaAs/Ga_1−x Al _x As. Показывается, что форма линии отражательной способности сильно зависит от геометрии образца. Используя реалистические параметры структуры множественных квантовых ям, мы получаем хорошее соответствие с экспериментальной кривой для отражательной способности. Получаются энергии экситонов, силы осцилляторов и парам⪟тры экситонного уширения.

     

On the concentration and determination of plutonium in natural waters by adsorption on MnO2 filters

A new method of analysis of the efficiency of four filters of MnO₂ in series which takes into account the reactions induced in plutonium by the sorbent is described. The system of differential equations describing the behaviour of plutonium in water as it passes through the filters is solved and the parameters of the filters are determined for a best fitting of the solutions corresponding to the experimental uncertainties. The method is checked by numerical simulation and then applied to water solutions with a known plutonium concentration and to some experimental results given by other authors. In all occassions the results are consistent with the possibility of determining the contents of plutonium in sea and continental waters with uncertainties of the order of 10%.     

The first <Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis><Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis></Superscript>-cohomology of some groups with one end

Let p be a real number greater than one. In this paper we study the vanishing and nonvanishing of the first L ^p -cohomology space of some groups that have one end. We also make a connection between the first L ^p -cohomolgy space and the Floyd boundary of the Cayley graph of a group. We apply the result about Floyd boundaries to show that there exists a real number p such that the first L ^p -cohomology space of a nonelementary hyperbolic group does not vanish. Received: 4 August 2006 Revised: 2 November 2006