Depth-profiling of organic layers on microparticles with SNMS

Summary Previous work on the quantification and localization of organically bound elements with plasma-based SNMS for the characterization of microparticles has been continued. Relative detection factors for 10 elements have been determined. Except for lead and bromine a principle proportionality to atomic ionization probabilities is shown. A moderate matrix dependence of less than 40% variation was found even when inorganic and organic materials are included. For depth calibration, erosion rates of organic materials were determined from the time interval necessary to sputter through planar single-layers and Langmuir-Blodgett multi-layer systems with known thickness, as well as from gravimetric powder measurements. Depth propagation rates were 0.7 nm·sec^–1 for polymers and 2.3 nm·sec^–1 for aromatic compounds, when 400 eV argon ion bombardment with 0.7 mA·cm^–2 was used. A depth resolution of 30 nm has been obtained. Model particles of 5 m size have been coated with fluoranthene. Inspection with SNMS revealed an incomplete coating covering only 20% of the microparticle surface with an average thickness of the partial coating of 300 nm. Subsequent characterization using laser-induced fluorimetry confirmed the amount of fluoranthene coating measured by SNMS.     

The critical exponent of degenerate parabolic systems

The Cauchy problemu _t=u +v ^p ,v _t =v +u ^q is studied, wherex R ^N , 0 <t < and ,,p andq, are positive exponents. It is proved that ifp,q 1 and 1 <pq < 1 + 2 max(p + ,q + )/n then every nontrivial non-negative solution is not global in time; whereaspq > 1 + 2 max(p + , q + )/n then there exist both positive global solutions and non-global solutions. In addition, the decaying in time of solutions tou _t,=u inR ⁿ × (0, ), an equation which occurs naturally in our study of above systems, is studied and solutions with the fastest decaying in time are constructed.     

The generation and classification of tile-k-transitive tilings of the Euclidean plane,the sphere and the hyperbolic plane

Algorithms based on the theory of Delaney-Dress symbols are discussed that can be used to recursively produce all possible equivariant types of tile-k-transitive tilings of the Euclidean plane, the sphere and the hyperbolic plane, for any (reasonable)k. A number of results can be obtained using computer implementations of the algorithms.     

Reaction-diffusion model for combustion with fuel consumption: II. Robin boundary conditions

A model, derived in a previous paper, for the reaction betweena gaseous oxidant and a solid porous fuel is analysed furtherfor general Robin boundary conditions. Numerical solutions areobtained and the effects of varying the dimensionless parameters,particularly the Frank-Kamenetskii parameter and the Lewisnumber L, are discussed in detail and compared with resultsobtained previously when Dirichlet boundary conditions are applied.Analytic solutions are obtained for the small-time developmentand for large values of . This latter solution shows the existenceof a propagating reaction-diffusion burning wave, and has featureswhich are qualitatively different to those derived earlier.     

Exotic differentiable structures and general relativity

We review recent developments in differential topology with special concern for their possible significance to physical theories, especially general relativity. In particular we are concerned here with the discovery of the existence of non-standard (fake or exotic) differentiable structures on topologically simple manifolds such asS ⁷, ⁴ andS ³ X ¹. Because of the technical difficulties involved in the smooth case, we begin with an easily understood toy example looking at the role which the choice of complex structures plays in the formulation of two-dimensional vacuum electrostatics. We then briefly review the mathematical formalisms involved with differentiable structures on topological manifolds, diffeomorphisms and their significance for physics. We summarize the important work of Milnor, Freedman, Donaldson, and others in developing exotic differentiable structures on well known topological manifolds. Finally, we discuss some of the geometric implications of these results and propose some conjectures on possible physical implications of these new manifolds which have never before been considered as physical models.     

An algebraic approach to the planar coloring problem

We point out a general relationship between the planar coloring problem withQ colors and the Temperley-Lieb algebra with parameter . This allows us to give a complete algebraic reformulation of the four color result, and to give algebraic interpretations of various other aspects of planar colorings.Work supported in part by NSF Grant #DMS-882602, the program for Mathematics and Molecular Biology, UC Berkeley, and a visiting fellowship of the Japan Society for the promotion of science at Kyoto University, Kyoto, JapanWork supported in part by DOE Contact #DE-AC02-76ERO3075 and by a Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering     

Substituent effects in the fragmentation reactions of acetanilides and phenyl acetates

The mass spectra of a group of m- and p-substituted acetanilides were measured to determine the effect of the substituents, if any, on the rate of C₂H₂O expulsion (rearrangement) vs. the rate of [CH₃CO]⁺ formation (simple cleavage). Our results agree with observations of others in that substituents which raise the ionization potential of the aromatic ring appear to localize, on the average, less charge density on this locus, and conversely. The atomic composition of the substituent, however, irrespective of its position, seems to determine the relative rates of the competing reaction. Although in several cases Z_m/Z_p values were close to unity, rearrangement of isomeric molecular ions to a common species is shown not to occur.