New data on the ternary fission of 252Cf from the Gammasphere facility

Ternary fission of ²⁵²Cf was studied at Gammasphere using eight ΔE×E particle telescopes. Helium, beryllium, boron, and carbon light charged particles (LCPs) emitted with kinetic energy more than 9, 21, 26, and 32 MeV, respectively, were identified. The 3368-keV γ transition from the first 2⁺ excited state in ¹⁰Be was found and the population probability ratio N(2⁺)/N(0⁺) = 0.160 ± 0.025 was estimated. No evidence was found for 3368-keV γ rays emitted from a triple molecular state. For the first time, charge distributions are obtained for ternary fission fragments emitted with helium, beryllium, and carbon LCPs.     

Correlation between Al2O3 particles and interface of Al-Al2O3 coatings by cold spray

Al-Al₂O₃ composite coatings with different Al₂O₃ particle shapes were prepared on Si and Al substrate by cold spray. The powder compositions of metal (Al) and ceramic (Al₂O₃) having different sizes and agglomerations were varied into ratios of 10:1 wt% and 1:1 wt%. Al₂O₃ particles were successfully incorporated into the soft metal matrix of Al. It was found that crater formation between the coatings and substrate, which is typical characteristic signature of cold spray could be affected by initial starting Al₂O₃ particles. In addition, when the large hard particles of fused Al₂O₃ were employed, the deep and big craters were generated at the interface between coatings and hard substrates. In the case of pure soft metal coating such as Al on hard substrate, it is very hard to get proper adhesion due to lack of crater formation. Therefore, the composite coating would have certain advantages.     

Bending loss measurement using a fiber cavity ringdown scheme

A novel sensitive technique for the determination of losses in fiber cavities is presented. The method is based on the cavity ringdown scheme implemented in silica-based single-mode fibers. Bending losses of fiber cavities of different lengths have been measured showing all an oscillating behavior with respect to the curvature radius of the fiber as predicted by a theoretical model. The best minimum detectable absorbance per cavity pass achieved by this new method is 1.72×10⁻³ dB within a 10 m-long cavity. This limit suffices well for an accurate determination of optical bending losses even in bend-insensitive fibers. Furthermore, the comparison of the measured bending losses with a theoretical model allows the extraction of different fiber parameters. Good agreement has been found between the experimentally derived parameters and literature data.     

New estimates for the Laplacian,the div–curl,and related Hodge systems

We establish new estimates for the Laplacian, the div–curl system, and more general Hodge systems in arbitrary dimension, with an application to minimizers of the Ginzburg–Landau energy. To cite this article: J. Bourgain, H. Brezis, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 338 (2004).     

Synthesis and structure of unsymmetrical cross-conjugated dienones with thienyl substituents

By condensation of thiophenecarbaldehyde and m-nitrobenzaldehyde with furyl-, thienylmethylenecyclohexanones in basic medium 2-(het)arylmethylene-6-thienylmethylenecyclohexanones were prepared. Under the conditions of acid catalysis analogously built dienones were synthesized containing 5-nitrothiophene fragment. Based on the data of IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy their E,E-configuration was established.     

Second Dissociation Constant of Bis-[(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]acetic Acid (BICINE) and pH of Its Buffer Solutions from 5 to 55 °C

The values of the second dissociation constant, K ₂, and related thermodynamic quantities of the ampholyte bis[(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]acetic acid (BICINE) have been determined at temperatures from 5 to 55 ^∘C. The pH values of six equimolal buffer solutions, and four buffer solutions having ionic strengths (I = 0.16 mol⋅kg⁻¹) similar to those in blood plasma, have been evaluated at 12 temperatures from 5 to 55 ^∘C using the Bates–Guggenheim convention. The liquid junction potentials (E _j ) between the buffer solutions of BICINE and saturated KCl solution of the calomel electrode at 25 and 37 ^∘C have been estimated by measurement with a flowing junction cell. These values of E _j have been used to ascertain the operational pH values at 25 and 37 ^∘C. The pK ₂ values at 25 and 37 ^∘C are 8.333 and 8.156, respectively. The thermodynamic quantities associated with the second acid dissociation have been calculated from the values of pK ₂ as a function of temperature. The zwitterionic buffer BICINE was shown to be useful as a pH standard in the region close to that of blood serum.     

Optimization for pattern classification using biased random search techniques

We demonstrate how optimization problems arise in the field of pattern classification, in particular in using piecewise-linear classification and classification based on an optimal linear separator. We motivate the need in this area for a general purpose optimization approach. We discuss ALOPEX, a biased random search approach, from the point of view of this need. While ALOPEX itself failed to fulfil our need, a newly-introduced generalization of it (iterated ALOPEX) was found to be appropriate for the optimization problems of our particular concern. We conclude the paper with a brief critical evaluation of this approach as compared to our original aims.     

Un théorème de type Beurling–Lax dans la boule unitéA Beurling–Lax type theorem in the unit ball

We prove a Beurling–Lax theorem for a family of reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces of functions analytic in an open subset of the unit ball containing the origin. The spaces under consideration are characterized by functions called Schur multipliers. Using the theory of linear relations in Pontryagin spaces we also give coisometric realizations of Schur multipliers. To cite this article: D. Alpay et al., C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 334 (2002) 349–354.     

Luminescence of self-trapped excitons in calcium fluoride under pulsed electron irradiation

Time-resolved pulsed spectroscopy was used to measure the luminescence spectra of calcium fluoride. Characteristic features of the luminescence of self-trapped excitons are discussed. It is shown that various configurations of self-trapped excitons incorporating hole nuclei of a more complex structure, may be formed in CaF₂ crystals. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1226–1227 (July 1998)     

Spectral mapping theorems for exponentially bounded c-semigroups in Banach spaces

LetZ be a generator of an exponentially boundedC-semigroup {S _t } _t≥0 in a Banach space and letT _t =C ⁻¹ S _t . We show that the spectral mapping theorems such as exp(tσ(Z)) ⊂ σ(T _t ) and exp(tσ _p (Z)) ⊂ tσ _p (T _t ) ⊂ exp(tσ _p (Z)) ⋃ {0} for everyt≥0 hold. The present studies were supported by the Basic Science Research Institute Program, Ministry of Education, 1987.