Alumina contribution to CO oxidation: A TPR and IR study

The alumina contribution to CO oxidation in the absence of O₂ on metal oxide supported catalysts was investigated by CO TPR and in-situ FTIR and DRIFT studies up to 800 °C. These tests were performed on two Al₂O₃ supported catalysts (1 wt.% Pt/La/γ-Al₂O₃ and 8 wt.% Cu/γ-Al₂O₃) and on two corresponding alumina supports (5 wt.% La₂O₃ stabilised γ-Al₂O₃ and high mechanical resistant spherical γ-Al₂O₃ particles). The quantitative determination of CO consumption and CO₂ and H₂ formation on the alumina supports was in agreement with a WGS reaction occurring between surface OH and CO with a predominantly 2:1 stoichiometry. In the CO TPR of metal oxide supported catalysts, in addition to the reduction of the metal, a WGS reaction took place with enhanced kinetics. This enhancement was the result of a CO spillover phenomenon from the metal to alumina hydroxyls. This phenomenon significantly affected the evaluation of the reduction degree of the supported metal and could not be neglected in the subsequent calculations.     

Conductance of potassium halides near the temperature of maximum density of water

The conductances of dilute aqueous solutions of KCl, KBr, and KI have been measured over the temperature range 2 to 8°C and have been analyzed by the Fuoss-Hsia equation. The ionic Walden products at infinite dilution have been discussed in terms of local viscosity. The temperature dependence of these products suggest that near the temperature of maximum density of water, the structure-breaking ability of these ions changes in a regular way.     

The Higgs boson mass from precision electroweak data

We present a new global fit to precision electroweak data, including new low- and high-energy data and analyzing the radiative corrections arising from the minimal symmetry breaking sectors of the Standard Model (SM) and its supersymmetric extension (MSSM). It is shown that present data favor a Higgs mass of ${cal O}(M_Z)$: $$M_{H}=76 {+ 152 ?op -50}{? GeV}.$$ We confront our analysis with (meta) stability and perturbative bounds on the SM Higgs mass, and the theoretical upper bound on the MSSM Higgs mass. Present data do not discriminate significantly between the SM and MSSM Higgs mass ranges. We comment in passing on the sensitivity of the Higgs mass determination to the values of $←pha (M_Z)$ and ${←pha_s} (M_Z)$.     

Enthalpies of mixing of some nitriles aqueous solutions with dodecylsurfactants micellar solutions

The enthalpies of mixing of some n-nitriles (from acetonitrile to valeronitrile) aqueous solutions with dodecyltzimethylammonium bromide, sodium dodecylsulfate and dodecyltzimethylammonium oxide micellar solutions were determined. The measurements were performed by systematically changing the surfactant concentration at a given solute concentration. The experimental enthalpies were rationalized in terms of the standard enthalpy of transfer of solute from the aqueous to the micellar phase and of the distribution constant between the two phase. Information on the effect of the nature of the surfactant on the standard thermodynamic quantities of transfer(G _t ^o , H _t ^o , TS _t ^o ) is reported. The present data are compared to those previously reported for primary alcohols and the solubilizing properties shown by the different types of micelles are discussed.     

Some design limitations for large-aperture high-energy per pulse excimer lasers

Summary Some limitation problems for gas discharge excimer lasers, when scaled to a high pulsed energy output with high repetition rate are discussed. As an example, we present some experimental results obtained with an X-ray preionized (10×10×100) cm³ active volume, low-repetition-rate-operated gas discharge XeCl laser system. ENEA student. ENEA guest.     

北海市场地地震工程地质环境特征和地震设防区划

本文以地处南流江冲积成因为主的古滨海平原的地貌、松散沉积物及其工程地质特性、场地土、场地类别、场地周期等环境特点为基础, 对北海市进行了地震设防区划。将北海市划分为残丘区、台地区和阶地海滩区三个地质地貌单元和相应的三个地震设防分区, 每个地震设防区给出相应的地震影响系数。文中还对场地地震地质灾害进行了评估和预测。     

The Unexpected Influence of Precursor Conversion Rate in the Synthesis of III–V Quantum Dots

Control of quantum dot (QD) precursor chemistry has been expected to help improve the size control and uniformity of III–V QDs such as indium phosphide and indium arsenide. Indeed, experimental results for other QD systems are consistent with the theoretical prediction that the rate of precursor conversion is an important factor controlling QD size and size distribution. We synthesized and characterized the reactivity of a variety of group‐V precursors in order to determine if precursor chemistry could be used to improve the quality of III–V QDs. Despite slowing down precursor conversion rate by multiple orders of magnitude, the less reactive precursors do not yield the expected increase in size and improvement in size distribution. This result disproves the widely accepted explanation for the shortcoming of current III–V QD syntheses and points to the need for a new generalizable theoretical picture for the mechanism of QD formation and growth.     

Development and characterisation of an XeCl excimer laser-generated soft-X-ray plasma source and its applications

Summary A large-aperture, long-pulse XeCl excimer laser has been used to generate a soft-X-ray plasma source. Several laser optical configurations have been employed to optimise X-ray emission, including positive-branch unstable resonators and injection by seeding the gain region of the laser with a small commercial excimer laser, resulting in power densities in the range 10¹²–10¹⁴ W cm⁻². The characteristics of the plasma source for each different laser configuration and for different target materials are investigated. The most suitable source conditions (spectral energy distribution, time duration, etc.) for specific applications are discussed. Supported by the Royal Society, UK. Supported by INFM, Italy.     

An approach for obtaining the intensity of the radiation transmitted through a scatterer

Monte Carlo simulation was applied to the investigation of intensity of the radiation transmitted through a scatterer. Simulations consisted of a pencil beam of monoenergetic photons with energies from 50 keV to 10 meV incident on water, aluminium, iron, copper, tin and lead slabs. We determined the scattered radiation and the scatter fractions recorded in the detector plane. An empirical formula, which is a function of the physical parameters scatterer thickness, the linear attenuation coefficient, and the atomic number was obtained for intensity of radiation transmitted through a scatterer. This work was supported by the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) [TBAG-2032 (101T053)].     

Biosystem response to soft-X-rays irradiation: non-monotonic effects in the relevant biological parameters of yeast cells

Summary Soft-X-rays irradiation of yeast cells allows selective interference with different cellular structures. The monitoring of different physical parameters leads to substantial variations in the response to X-rays showing that monotonicity should not be taken for granted. Also at INFM (Istituto Nazionale di Fisica della Materia).