Comment: “On the computation of molecular auxiliary functions<Emphasis Type="Italic">A</Emphasis><Subscript>n</Subscript>and<Emphasis Type="Italic">B</Emphasis><Subscript>n</Subscript>”

Guseinov, Mamedov, Kara and Orbay (Pramana - J. Phys. 56, 691 (2001)) propose methods for evaluating the molecular auxiliary functionsA _n(p) andB _n(pt) for the range 17 ≤n ≤ 60 and 25 ≤pt ≤ 60. However, their procedure forA _n(p) is not new, and that forB _n(pt) is less efficient for their target range than another well-known method. Their approach does have merit for smaller non-zero values ofpt. Two minor errors in table 1 of their paper are also identified.     

Microwave-assisted acylation of 7-amino-5-aryl-6-cyanopyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines

A microwave-assisted method is described for monoacylating 7-amino-5-aryl-6-cyanopyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines using excess acid chlorides in pyridine. A diacylated intermediate is effectively deacylated to the product amide by a macroporous-Tris resin. A small library of 17 amides was prepared to validate the method. The integration of commercial microwave technology into the ArQule chemistry platform is also discussed.     

Focused ion beam preparation of samples for X‐ray nanotomography

The preparation of hard material samples with the necessary size and shape is critical to successful material analysis. X‐ray nanotomography requires that samples are sufficiently thin for X‐rays to pass through the sample during rotation for tomography. One method for producing samples that fit the criteria for X‐ray nanotomography is focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy (FIB/SEM) which uses a focused beam of ions to selectively mill around a region of interest and then utilizes a micromanipulator to remove the milled‐out sample from the bulk material and mount it on a sample holder. In this article the process for preparing X‐ray nanotomography samples in multiple shapes and sizes is discussed. Additionally, solid‐oxide fuel cell anode samples prepared through the FIB/SEM technique underwent volume‐independence studies for multiple properties such as volume fraction, average particle size, tortuosity and contiguity to observe the characteristics of FIB/SEM samples in X‐ray nanotomography.     

Measurements of the cross section for e(+)e(-) --> hadrons at center-of-mass energies from 2 to 5 GeV

We report values of R = sigma(e(+)e(-)-->hadrons)/sigma(e(+)e(-)-->mu(+)mu(-)) for 85 center-of-mass energies between 2 and 5 GeV measured with the upgraded Beijing Spectrometer at the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider.     

Dynamic response of converse magnetoelectric effect in a PMN-PT-based multiferroic heterostructure

A multiferroic heterostructure, consisting of a 25 μm thick Metglas® ribbon affixed to a lead magnesium niobate–lead titanate (PMN-PT) crystal, was systemically studied to investigate the time response of converse magnetoelectric coupling under the application of electric fields at low frequencies (0.05<f<10 Hz). This multiferroic heterostructure exhibits a considerably strong converse magnetoelectric effect, CME=?80%, where CME=[M(E)?M(0)]/M(0), and a converse ME coupling constant, A=22.5 Oe-cm/kV, at frequencies below 1 Hz and near saturation electric polarization. A switching time (t _s), representing the response time of the CME coupling, is measured to be 0.6 seconds for this heterostructure under the application of instantaneous electric fields. The switching time results in significant influences on the magnetoelectric effect especially at frequencies higher than 2 Hz. The dynamic response of CME coupling is predominantly determined by ferroelectric relaxation within the PMN-PT crystal, as opposed to the magnetic relaxation of the Metglas® ribbon. A model was used to describe the dynamic behavior of CME coupling in disordered systems such as PMN-PT.     

The generic condition is generic

We consider the generic condition for vectors—both null and non-null—at a fixed pointp of a spacetime, and ask just how generic this condition is. In a general spacetime, if the curvature is not zero at the pointp, then the generic condition is found to be generic in the mathematical sense that it holds on an open dense set of vectors atp; more specifically, if there are as many as five non-null vectors in general position atp which fail to satisfy the generic condition, then the curvature vanishes atp. If the Riemann tensor is restricted to special forms, then stronger statements hold: An Einstein spacetime with three linearly independent nongeneric timelike vectors atp is flat atp. A Petrov type D spacetime may not have any nongeneric timelike vectors except possibly those lying in the plane of the two principal null directions; if any of the non-null vectors in such a plane are nongeneric, then so are all the vectors of that plane, as well as the plane orthogonal to it.     

A tangent-plane marker-particle method for the computation of three-dimensional solid surfaces evolving by surface diffusion on a substrate

We introduce a marker-particle method for the computation of three-dimensional solid surface morphologies evolving by surface diffusion. The method does not use gridding of surfaces or numerical differentiation, and applies to surfaces with finite slopes and overhangs. We demonstrate the method by computing the evolution of perturbed cylindrical wires on a substrate. We show that computed growth rates at early times agree with those predicted by the linear stability analysis. Furthermore, when the marker particles are redistributed periodically to maintain even spacing, the method can follow breakup of the wire.     

Low-energy supersymmetry and the Tevatron bottom-quark cross section

A long-standing discrepancy between the bottom-quark production cross section and predictions of perturbative quantum chromodynamics is addressed. We show that pair production of light gluinos, of mass 12 to 16 GeV, with two-body decays into bottom quarks and light bottom squarks, yields a bottom-quark production rate in agreement with hadron collider data. We examine constraints on this scenario from low-energy data and make predictions that may be tested at the next run of the Fermilab Tevatron collider.     

Optical frequency conversion by a rotating molecular wave plate

We demonstrate efficient four-wave mixing in low-pressure molecular deuterium without the need for phase matching. We use two laser fields with opposite circular polarizations to produce a strong excitation of a rovibrational transition at a frequency of 3167 cm(-1) . The coherent molecular motion, in turn, modulates a third laser field (also circularly polarized) and results in highly efficient single-sideband conversion.