Energy loss measurements and electronic properties of thianthren

Summary The dielectric and electronic properties of thianthren (C₆H₄(S)₂H₄C₆) are determined by means of optical reflectivity, absorption measurements and reflection electron energy loss spectroscopy. The experimental results are interpreted on the basis of a Complete Neglect of Differential Overlap (CNDO) calculation used in three different parametrization schemes. Emphasis is laid on the discussion of the problems which generally affect the analysis of electron energy loss spectra, and a procedure to obtain the complex dielectric function from electron energy loss measurements performed in the reflection mode is suggested. Work partially supported by the MURST through the GNSM.     

HTSC grain boundary weak links employing high-quality ICM sputtered YBCO films

Summary Bicrystal grain boundary junctions of YBCO have been fabricated by using the Inverted Cylindrical Magnetron d.c. sputtering technique. The main characteristics of the junction behaviour are reported. Some aspects of the experimental results are discussed in the framework of existing models developed for describing weak-link structures. Paper presented at the ?VII Congresso SATT?, Torino, 4–7 October 1994.     

Electronic properties of thienodiazepine and benzodiazepine derivatives

Summary The structural and electronic characterization of thieno [3,4-b][1,4]-diazepine and 1,5-benzodiazepine systems was carried out by semi-empirical quantum-mechanical calculations. A number of electronic properties were computed and examined in order to study the structure-activity relationship. Theoretical data indicate that the electronic rather than structural properties appear primarily responsible for the variant degree of anticonvulsant activity exhibited by compounds 1–4.     

Comments on an experiment of resonant tunnelling between macroscopically distinct quantum levels

Summary In an important experiment performed on a SQUID system, Rouse, Han and Lukens report the first observation of resonant tunnelling between macroscopically distinct quantum levels. We support the experiment with the first theoretical approach for the phenomenon.     

Geometric properties of solutions of Hamilton-Jacobi equations

The method of moving parallel planes, previously used for elliptic and parabolic PDE, is adapted to study solutions of the Cauchy problem for Hamilton-Jacobi equations. This is possible in the framework of the theory of viscosity solutions, using the comparison theorem for such solutions as a kind of maximum principle. One of the main results states that if the initial data are nonnegative and compact supported, the Hamiltonian radial and the level sets expanding, then the level sets become asymptotically spherical as t → ∞, the convergence taking place in the Lipschitz norm.     

On the Pesin set of expansive geodesic flows in manifolds with no conjugate points

In this paper, we show that the Pesin set of an expansive geodesic flow in compact manifold with no conjugate points and bounded asymptote coincides a.e with an open and dense set of the unit tangent bundle. We also show that the set of hyperbolic periodic orbits is dense in the unit tangent bundle.     

Aspects of macroscopic quantum tunnelling in small Josephson junctions

Summary We study the effect of temperature on the lifetime of the resonant macroscopic quantum tunnelling voltage state. In view of experiments we consider a merit factor in order to balance between measuring extremely small signals of longer duration or larger signals of shorter duration.