Near-infrared laser photoacoustic detection of methane: the impact of molecular relaxation

A photoacoustic sensor has been developed for trace-gas monitoring using a near-infrared semiconductor laser emitting in the 2ν₃ band of methane at 1.65 μm. The apparatus was designed for on-line process control in the manufacturing of the novel low-water-peak fibres developed for optical telecommunications. The importance of collisional relaxation processes in the generation of the photoacoustic signal is reported in the particular case of CH₄ detection in dry O₂ and O₂–N₂ mixtures. The negative influence of these effects results in a strongly reduced and phase-shifted photoacoustic signal, induced by a fast resonant coupling between the vibrational states of methane and oxygen, associated with the slow relaxation of the excited oxygen molecules. An unusual parabolic response of the sensor with respect to the methane concentration has been observed and is discussed. Finally, the beneficial effect of several species, including water vapour and helium, acting as a catalyst to hasten the relaxation of the CH₄–O₂ system, is demonstrated. PACS 42.62.Fi; 33.20.Ea; 34.50.Ez     

Variational perturbation theory. Anharmonic oscillator

A nonperturbative method is suggested for calculating functional integrals. Its efficiency is demonstrated for the quantum-mechanical anharmonic oscillator. A quantity we are interested in is represented by a series, a finite number of terms of which describes not only the region of small coupling constants but well reproduces the strong coupling limit. The method is formulated only in terms of the Gaussian functional quadratures and diagrams are used of the conventional perturbation theory.     

Synthesis of dimethylditritiogermane Me<Subscript>2</Subscript>GeT<Subscript>2</Subscript>

A microsynthetic procedure for preparing tritium-labeled alkyl-substituted germanes is developed. The resulting dimethylditritiogermane can be used as a source of dimethylgermylium ions. The synthesis was performed by the reduction of dibromodimethylgermane with lithium tritide in presence of AlBr₃.     

Phase transitions of liquid crystalline cyanoethyl cellulose solutions under static conditions and in shear field

Phase transitions in the systems cyanoethyl cellulose-DMF, cyanoethyl cellulose-DMAA, and cyanoethyl cellulose-(trifluoroacetic acid + methylene chloride) were studied by means of the cloud-point and polarization microscopy techniques, as well as with a photoelectric polarization unit and a modified plasticorder. It was shown that the LC phase appears at higher concentrations and lower temperatures as the polarity of solvent molecules increases. The shear deformation of cyanoethyl cellulose solutions in DMF and DMAA results in the expansion of the temperature-concentration region of existence of the LC phase. The effect of shear field on phase transitions in cyanoethyl cellulose solutions is nonmonotonic in character.     

Descriptive Complexity and Reflective Properties of Combinatorial Configurations

We study the Ramsey theoretic properties of combinatorial configurationswhich are generated by infinite binary strings which are randomin the sense of Kolmogorov-Chaitin.     

Isomer effects on transport properties of polyesters based on bisphenol-A

Pure gas sorption and transport properties of polyesters based on bisphenol-A and both pure isophthalic and pure terephthalic acid chloride were obtained for He, N₂, O₂, CH₄, and CO₂ at 35°C. The polymers were synthesized in our laboratory and amorphous films were prepared with a specialized solvent casting procedure. The polymer containing m-phenylene groups shows higher permselectivity for most of the gas pairs. The ideal selectivity of O₂/N₂ was increased by 33% when p-phenylene units were replaced by m-phenylene ones. On the other hand, the polyester containing only p-phenylene groups, shows higher permeability to all the gases studied. The polymer based on pure terephthalic acid chloride has a 75% higher oxygen permeability and a 1.1-fold higher carbon dioxide permeability than the isophthalic acid derivative. The polyester containing meta-phenylene units has lower T_g, higher permselectivity, lower permeability, lower fractional free volume (FFV), and lower d-spacing. The values of FFV, and lower d-spacing. The values of FFV and d-spacing were only slightly different between the two isomers. Moreover, for the sub-T_gγ transition the maximum in tan δ occured at essentially the same temperature (?55°C). The polymer with a higher concentration of p-phenylene units shows somewhat larger area under the γ-peak, indicating slightly more sub-T_g motion. The Distribution of FFV is considered to be the determining factor for the differences in transport properties observed. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Particular cases of resonant tunneling in multibarrier quantum structures

An investigation was made of the resonance conditions in systems of one-dimensional potential barriers of a general kind. The types of systems are identified and the conditions determined which are necessary for observing a broad resonance in which the first three derivatives of the energy transmission coefficient are equal to zero. The conditions are found for observing an isolated resonance with complete transparency on a background of resonances with incomplete transparency.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 8, pp. 49–53, August, 1993.     

Magnetic and petrochemical properties of rocks from the Red Sea rift zone

The magnetic and petrochemical properties of basalts dredged from the rift zone at the southern part of the Red Sea at approximately 18° N are studied. The conditions of their formation and evolution are elucidated. The formation of basalts is found to occur in two stages differing in their magma supply rates and redox conditions. Special features of magnetic behavior and the anomalous geomagnetic field in the region were used to determine the sites where the rocks had experienced strong thermodynamic effects (tectonic strain, deformation, heating, etc.). The conditions in which natural remanent magnetization of the basalts was formed are estimated.