Loss without recovery of Gibbsianness during diffusion of continuous spins

We consider a specific continuous-spin Gibbs distribution μ_t=0 for a double-well potential that allows for ferromagnetic ordering. We study the time-evolution of this initial measure under independent diffusions. For `high temperature' initial measures we prove that the time-evoved measure μ<sub>t</sub> is Gibbsian for all t. For `low temperature' initial measures we prove that μ_t stays Gibbsian for small enough times t, but loses its Gibbsian character for large enough t. In contrast to the analogous situation for discrete-spin Gibbs measures, there is no recovery of the Gibbs property for large t in the presence of a non-vanishing external magnetic field. All of our results hold for any dimension d≥2. This example suggests more generally that time-evolved continuous-spin models tend to be non-Gibbsian more easily than their discrete-spin counterparts. Research carried out at EURANDOM and supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft     

Self-organized ZnAl2O4 nanostructures grown on -sapphire

Self-organized ZnAl₂O₄ nanostructures with the appearance (in SEM) of high aspect ratio horizontal nanowires are grown on uncatalysed c-sapphire by vapour phase transport. The nanostructures grow as three equivalent crystallographic variants on c-sapphire. Raman and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy confirm that the nanostructures are not ZnO and TEM shows that they are the cubic spinel, zinc aluminate, ZnAl₂O₄, formed by the reaction of Zn and O with the sapphire substrate.     

Physical aging of a polyetherimide: Creep and DSC measurements

Creep and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements have been used to study the physical aging behavior of a polyetherimide. Isothermal aging temperatures ranged from 160°C to T_g with aging times ranging from 10 min to 8 days. The only measurable effect of physical aging on the short-time creep curves is a shift of the creep compliance to longer times. Andrade plots of the compliance versus the cube root of time are linear at short times with the slope β decreasing with increasing aging time to a constant value once equilibrium is reached. Log β³ is related directly to the degree to which the creep curves shift to longer times with physical aging, and is used in this work as a measure of physical aging. A reduced curve of log β³ versus log aging time is obtained for the aging temperatures investigated by appropriate vertical and horizontal shifts. The enthalpy change during aging increases linearly with the logarithm of the aging time, t_a, leveling off at equilibrium at values which increase with decreasing aging temperature. Hence, both nonequilibrium and equilibrium temperature shift factors can be calculated from the DSC data. Good agreement is observed between the equilibrium temperature shift factors obtained from the creep and DSC data. The temperature dependence of the nonequilibrium temperature shift factors is found to be an order of magnitude smaller than that of the equilibrium shift factors. The time scales to reach equilibrium for enthalpy and for mechanical measurements are found to be the same within experimental error. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Cyclic Markov equilibria in stochastic games

We examine a three-person stochastic game where the only existing equilibria consist of cyclic Markov strategies. Unlike in two-person games of a similar type, stationary ε-equilibria (ε > 0) do not exist for this game. Besides we characterize the set of feasible equilibrium rewards.     

The effect of crystallinity on chain mobility and free volume in the amorphous regions of a miscible polycarbonate/polyester blend

Homopolymers and blends of polycarbonate/ThermX have been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, density measurements, and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. The study focuses on the chain mobility and free volume in the amorphous miscible regions of the blends and how this mobility and free volume are affected by increasing crystallinity. It is proposed that judicious annealing, which results in increasing crystallinity (while avoiding ageing or transesterification), induces a constraint on the amorphous region leading to an increase in T_g and coalescence of free volume sites. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Bounds on the cardinalities of families of nearly neighborly quadrilaterals

We show nearly neighborly families of nine quadrilaterals and conjecture that this is the maximum. Using techniques developed by J. Zaks for nearly neighborly tetrahedra, we show that a nearly neighborly family of quadrilaterals has at most 14 members. A nearly neighborly family of quadrilaterals is said to share a base line if all nearly neighborly quadrilaterals lie on the same side of the line and the line contains a side of each. These families form an important special case. We show that there are 35 inequivalent examples of nearly neighborly families of four quadrilaterals on a base line, but that it is impossible to have a family of five nearly neighborly quadrilaterals on a base line.This work was supported in part by the University of Illinois Research Board, UIUC, Urbana, IL.     

Europium-151 Mössbauer spectroscopic and XANES investigation of europium-exchanged Y-zeolite

Eu³⁺ in ca. 10 wt% europium-exchanged Y-zeolite is partially reduced by treatment in hydrogen at 600°C to Eu²⁺. The reduction of Eu³⁺ is more readily achieved in Y-zeolite than in europium(III) oxide. The discrepancy in the extent of reduction as revealed by¹⁵¹Eu Mössbauer spectroscopy and near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XANES) is associated with any difference in the recoil free fractions of Eu²⁺ and Eu³⁺ which may exist at 298 K and the enhanced sensitivity of the XANES to changes in the europium oxidation state.