Hollow and Threadlike Nanostructures of Boron Carbide

An original low-temperature method is proposed for the synthesis of boron carbide from simple materials. It made it possible to obtain a powdered product in the form of hollow and threadlike nanostructures. The boron carbide nanotubes are shorter than bundles of nanotubes. The boron carbide nanostructures are grown from vapor-phase reagents at a high-temperature nanocenter, the enhanced reactivity of which is maintained as a result of the exothermic effect of the reaction.     

Halves of a real Enriques surface

The real partE _ℝ of a real Enriques surfaceE admits a natural decomposition in two halves,E _ℝ=E _ℝ ⁽¹⁾ ∪E _ℝ ⁽²⁾ , each half being a union of components ofE _ℝ. We classify the triads (E _ℝ;E _ℝ ⁽¹⁾ ,E _ℝ ⁽²⁾ ) up to homeomorphism. Most results extend to surfaces of more general nature than Enriques surfaces. We use and study in details the properties of Kalinin's filtration in the homology of the fixed point set of an involution, which is a convenient tool not widely known in topology of real algebraic varieties.     

Kinetics of heterogeneous recombination of hydrogen atoms on solid surfaces

Heterogeneous recombination rates of hydrogen atoms on solid surfaces were measured for the first time. An anomalous form of these curves testifies that the reaction on surfaces of metals, semiconductors and dielectrics follows a universal mechanism with participation of preadsorbed atoms.     

Multiplicities in84Kr interactions in emulsion at 800–950 MeV/nucleon

Inelastic interactions induced by⁸⁴Kr nuclei at 800–950 MeV/nucleon have been studied using a high angular resolution emulsion detector. Data on multiplicities of the produced particles, projectile and target fragments are shown. Comparisons with cascade calculations have been performed.We thank to Swedish Research Council for Natural Sciences for the financial support. Scanning and measurements performed by E.G. Broomé and V. Kopljar are acknowledged.     

Model of the catalytic reaction 2H<Subscript>2</Subscript> + O<Subscript>2</Subscript> → H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O with the participation of molecules in a precursor state

The absence of experimental evidence for the occurrence of the catalytic reaction 2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O on platinum in accordance with the Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism was established. It was found that the heterogeneous process can be described more adequately and its nature can be better understood with consideration for chemical transformations involving molecules in a precursor state in a model of the above reaction. The inverse kinetic problem was solved. It was found that the model in which an unambiguously specified set of rate constants for the elementary steps of the reaction was used provided an opportunity to describe experimental data obtained by various authors concerning the oxidation of hydrogen on platinum over the detonating gas pressure range 10^?3-10⁵ Pa. The signs of the occurrence of heterogeneous reactions by an adsorption mechanism were found.     

Low-Temperature Reactions between Vaporizing Silicon and Carbon

A new model is proposed for reactions between solids assuming formation of product in the gas phase (pores) due to the reaction of vaporizing reagents. Experimental results are given for the first time, which convincingly show that the reaction between solid-phase silicon and carbon below 1050 °C to give thread-like silicon carbide occurs due to rapidly vaporizing silicon and carbon atoms.     

Imaging of small molecules in tissue sections with a new intermediate-pressure MALDI linear ion trap mass spectrometer

We describe a new intermediate-pressure MALDI linear ion trap mass spectrometer and its capabilities for imaging mass spectrometry. The instrument design is described and is characterized in terms of four performance issues (1) MALDI performance at intermediate pressure; (2) analysis of samples on non-conductive and conductive glass slides; (3) critical importance of tandem mass spectrometry (both MS² and MS³) for identification of analyte species and imaging of isobaric species; (4) capability for repeated analysis of the same tissue section. Application of the new instrument to imaging phospholipids in rat brain sections is described in detail.