Numerical solution of differential equations using Sinc method based on the interpolation of the highest derivatives

In general, we will use the numerical differentiation when dealing with the differential equations. Thus the differential equations can be transformed into algebraic equations and then we can get the numerical solutions. But as we all have known, the numerical differentiation process is very sensitive to even a small level of errors. In contrast it is expected that on average the numerical integration process is much less sensitive to errors. In this paper, based on the Sinc method we provide a new method using Sinc method incorporated with the double exponential transformation based on the interpolation of the highest derivatives (SIHD) for the differential equations. The error in the approximation of the solution is shown to converge at an exponential rate. The numerical results show that compared with the exiting results, our method is of high accuracy, of good convergence with little computational efforts. It is easy to treat nonhomogeneous mixed boundary condition for our method, which is unlike the traditional Sinc method.     

Solvothermal synthesis of TiO2: anatase nanocrystals and rutile nanofibres from TiCl4 in acetone

This work reports a new synthetic approach for single‐phase TiO₂ nanomaterials by solvothermal treatment of titanium tetrachloride in acetone at 80–110 °C. Small, uniform, and yet size‐tunable (5–10 nm) anatase titania nanocrystallites were obtained using a low concentration of TiCl₄ in acetone (i.e., at molar ratios of TiCl₄/acetone ≤ 1:15) in the temperature range of 80–110 °C, while rutile nanofibers were synthesized using a high concentration of TiCl₄ (e.g., TiCl₄/acetone = 1:10) at 110 °C. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

充分发挥物理学在建设创新型国家中的基础作用

胡锦涛主席在全国科技大会上提出的，坚持走中国特色自主创新道路，建设创新型国家的口号，正在激励全国各族人民为实现我国中长期发展目标而奋斗．如何理解、实践这个口号，把每个行业、每个领域建设成创新型子系统，从而使整个国家有效地向着创新型国家目标发展，是13亿中国人民共同的任务，是历史赋予当代炎黄子孙的使命。我们必须在深入学习、研究理解胡锦涛主席关于“坚持走中国特色的自主创新道路，为建设创新型国家而奋斗”重要讲话的基础上，对本专业领域的创新型发展提出奋斗目标，作出科学规划。为此，我们就此主题谈一些想法，以期引起物理学界和教育界的朋友们深入思考、研究。     

A side-coupled photonic crystal filter with sidelobe suppression

This paper presents the theoretical model and the optimization method to suppress the sidelobes of side-coupled photonic crystal filters. Numerical verification shows a good agreement between the theoretical method and the finite-difference time-domain simulation, but the theoretic method does not involve the time-consuming computation. The theoretical method also presents a better physical image for choosing the critical parameters, such as the quality factor, phase shift and the number of resonators. Based on the theoretical model, two optimization methods (chirp and cascading) are proposed to deeply suppress the sidelobes. They also show more flexibility in controlling the bandwidth and steepness of the roll-off in the filter. PACS 42.70.Qs     

Structure and mechanical properties of Al/AlN multilayer with different AlN layer thickness

Nanometer scale Al/AlN multilayers have been prepared by dc magnetron sputtering technique with a columnar target. A set of Al/AlN multilayers with the Al layer thickness of 2.9 nm and the AlN layer thickness variation from 1.13 to 6.81 nm were determined. Low angle X-ray diffraction (LAXRD) was used to analyze the layered structure of multilayers. The phase structure of the coatings was investigated with grazing angle XRD (GAXRD). Mechanical properties of these multilayers were thoroughly studied using a nanoindentation and ball-on-disk micro-tribometer. It was found that the multilayer hardness and reduced modulus showed no strong dependence on the AlN layer thickness. Al2.9 nm/AlN1.13 nm multilayer had more excellent tribological properties than single layers and other proportion multilayers with a lowest friction coefficient of 0.15. And the tribological properties of all the multilayers are superior to the AlN single layer.     

Slow positron beam study of corrosion-related defects in pure iron

Corrosion-related defects of pure iron were investigated by measuring Doppler broadening energy spectra (DBES) of positron annihilation and positron annihilation lifetime (PAL). Defect profiles of the S-parameter from DBES as a function of positron incident energy up to 30 keV (i.e. ∼1 μm depth) were analyzed. The DBES data show that S-parameter increases as a function of positron incident energy (mean depth) after corrosion, and the increase in the S-parameter is larger near the surface than in the bulk due to corrosion. Furthermore, information on defect size from PAL data as a function of positron incident energy up to 10 keV (i.e. ∼0.2 μm depth) was analyzed. In the two-state trapping model, the lifetime τ₂ = 500 ps is ascribed to annihilation of positrons in voids with a size of the order of nanometer. τ₁, which decreases with depth from the surface to the bulk, is ascribed to the annihilation of positrons in dislocations and three-dimensional vacancy clusters. The corroded samples show a significant increase in τ₁ and the intensity I₂, and near the surface the corroded iron introduces both voids and large-size three-dimensional vacancy clusters. The size of vacancy clusters decreases with depth.     

Viscometric properties of dilute polystyrene/dioctyl phthalate solutions

We report viscometric data collected in a Couette rheometry on dilute, single‐solvent polystyrene (PS)/dioctyl phthalate (DOP) solutions over a variety of polymer molecular weights (5.5 × 10⁵ ≤ M_w ≤ 3.0 × 10⁶ Da) and system temperatures (288 K ≤ T ≤ 318 K). In view of the essential viscometric features, the current data may be classified into three categories: The first concerns all the investigated solutions at low shear rates, where the solution properties are found to agree excellently with the Zimm model predictions. The second includes all sample solutions, except for high‐molecular‐weight PS samples (M_w ≥ 2.0 × 10⁶ Da), where excellent time–temperature superposition is observed for the steady‐state polymer viscosity at constant polymer molecular weights. No similar superposition applies at a constant temperature but varied polymer molecular weights, however. The third appears to be characteristic of dilute high‐molecular‐weight polymer solutions, for which the effects of temperature on the viscosity curve are further complicated at high shear rates. The implications concerning the relative importance of hydrodynamic interactions, segmental interactions, and chain extensibility with increasing polymer molecular weight, system temperature, and shear rate are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 787–794, 2006     

Photochemically generated carotenoid radicals on Nafion film and silica gel: an EPR and ENDOR study

Carotenoid cation radicals have been observed at 120 K, by EPR and proton ENDOR measurements, to be formed upon 77 K photolysis of thin films of Nafion or silica gel coated with the carotenoids, β-carotene and canthaxanthin. The powder ENDOR spectra consist of resolvable lines due to couplings larger than 2.8 MHz but smaller than 17 MHz assigned to the methyl protons of the carotenoid cation radical and to an -proton of the planar polyene chain.     

On invertible substitutions with two fixed points

Let ? be a primitive substitution on a two-letter alphabet {a,b} having two fixed points ξ_a and ξ_b. We show that the substitution ? is invertible if and only if one has ξ_a=abξ and ξ_b=baξ. To cite this article: Z.-X. Wen et al., C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 334 (2002) 727–731.