Improved integer programming bounds using intersections of corner polyhedra

Consider the relaxation of an integer programming (IP) problem in which the feasible region is replaced by the intersection of the linear programming (LP) feasible region and the corner polyhedron for a particular LP basis. Recently a primal-dual ascent algorithm has been given for solving this relaxation. Given an optimal solution of this relaxation, we state criteria for selecting a new LP basis for which the associated relaxation is stronger. These criteria may be successively applied to obtain either an optimal IP solution or a lower bound on the cost of such a solution. Conditions are given for equality of the convex hull of feasible IP solutions and the intersection of all corner polyhedra.     

Statistics of inter-particle distances and angles in plasmas

Accurate treatment of the plasma density effects requires a detailed knowledge of the spatial distribution of individual ions around a test ion. In the present work, rigorous expressions are derived for the main 2- and 3-particle spatial distribution functions involving the nearest neighbor (NN) and the next-nearest neighbor (NNN) ions. These expressions, valid for both ideal and nonideal plasmas, present the distributions as functionals of the potentials U _NN and U _NNN at the nearest and next-nearest ion locations. All of the distribution functions except one are derived and discussed in the present work for the first time ever. For utilization of our results in practical calculations, we suggest semi-empirical expressions for U _NN and U _NNN in the ion-ion coupling parameter range 0 ?Γ < 1. In order to test the accuracy of our expressions for U _NN and U _NNN we conduct Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. The simulations utilize the pure Coulomb particle-particle interaction potentials, regularized at close range to avoid classical Coulomb collapse, and are free from the assumptions made to find U _NN and U _NNN. Thus, the results of the MD simulations provide an independent test of our theoretical results. Excellent agreement has been found between the results of the theory and of the MD simulations. Finally, we outline the implications of the present findings on the problem of tunneling and charge exchange in dense plasmas. Received 27 October 2000 and Received in final form 30 January 2001     

Experimental study of a plasma-filled backward wave oscillator

Experimental studies of a plasma-filled X-band backward-wave oscillator (BWO) are presented. Depending on the background gas pressure, microwave frequency upshifts of up to 1 GHz appeared along with an enhancement by a factor of 7 in the total microwave power emission. The bandwidth of the microwave emission increased from ⩽0.5 GHz to 2 GHz when the BWO was working at the RF power enhancement pressure region. The RF power enhancement appeared over a much wider pressure range in a high beam current case (10-100 mT for 3 kA) than in a lower beam case (80-115 mT for 1.6 kA). The plasma-filled BWO has higher power output than the vacuum BWO over a broader region of magnetic guide field strength. Trivelpiece-Gould modes (T-G modes) are observed with frequencies up to the background plasma frequency in a plasma-filled BWO. Mode competition between the T-G modes and the X-band Tm₀₁ mode prevailed when the background plasma density was below 6×10¹¹ cm^-3 . At a critical background plasma density of ≃8×10¹¹ cm^-3 power enhancement appeared in both X-band and the T-G modes. Power enhancement of the S-band in this mode collaboration region reached up to 8 dB. Electric fields measured by the Stark-effect method were as high as 34 kV/cm while the BWO power level was 80 MW. These electric fields lasted throughout the high-power microwave pulse     

Two-dimensional ising models with competing interaction—a Monte Carlo study

Two-dimensional Ising models on a square lattice with competing interactions along one axis or both axes are studied primarily by the Monte Carlo method. Several commensurate-incommensurate transitions are found. Dislocation-like configurations are identified near the sinusoidal — paramagnetic transition in accordance with the idea that the transition might be of Kosterlitz-Thouless, XY-like character.     

Mode conversion and round-trip gain of ultrasonic flux in n-GaAs

Round-trip acoustoelectric gain has been observed in n-GaAs filaments oriented along the [110] axis. The special conditions required for this effect are obtained through partial conversion upon reflection of active transverse to non-active longitudinal waves. Experiments in which the relative contributions of the two reflected modes to round-trip gain is varied are described.     

Surface-enhanced emission from single semiconductor nanocrystals

The fluorescence behavior of single CdSe(ZnS) core-shell nanocrystal (NC) quantum dots is dramatically affected by electromagnetic interactions with a rough metal film. Observed changes include a fivefold increase in the observed fluorescence intensity of single NCs, a striking reduction in their fluorescence blinking behavior, complete conversion of the emission polarization to linear, and single NC exciton lifetimes that are >10(3) times faster. The enhanced excited state decay process for NCs coupled to rough metal substrates effectively competes with the Auger relaxation process, allowing us to observe both charged and neutral exciton emission from these NC quantum dots.     

The n-width of the unit ball of H

Let E be a compact subset of the open unit disc Δ and let H^q be the Hardy space of analytic functions f on Δ for which stf¦^q has a harmonic majorant. We determine the value of the Kolmogorov, Gel'fand, and linear n-widths in L^p(E, μ) of the restriction to E of the unit ball of H^q when p q or when 1 q < p < ∞ and E is “small”.