Photodegradation of a herbicide derivative, 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid in aqueous suspensions of titanium dioxide

The photocatalytic degradation of a herbicide derivative, 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D, 1), has been investigated in aqueous suspensions of titanium dioxide. The degradation was studied by monitoring the change in substrate concentration employing UV spectroscopic analysis and decrease in Total Organic Carbon (TOC) content as a function of irradiation time in the presence of UV light source. The degradation kinetics was investigated under a variety of conditions, such as different types of TiO₂, pH, catalyst and substrate concentrations. Higher photonic efficiencies were observed with Degussa P25 as compared with other photocatalysts. The degradation products were analysed by GC-MS and probable pathways for the formation of different products were proposed.     

Degree-regular triangulations of torus and Klein bottle

A triangulation of a connected closed surface is called weakly regular if the action of its automorphism group on its vertices is transitive. A triangulation of a connected closed surface is called degree-regular if each of its vertices have the same degree. Clearly, a weakly regular triangulation is degree-regular. In [8], Lutz has classified all the weakly regular triangulations on at most 15 vertices. In [5], Datta and Nilakantan have classified all the degree-regular triangulations of closed surfaces on at most 11 vertices. In this article, we have proved that any degree-regular triangulation of the torus is weakly regular. We have shown that there exists ann-vertex degree-regular triangulation of the Klein bottle if and only if n is a composite number ≥ 9. We have constructed two distinctn-vertex weakly regular triangulations of the torus for eachn ≥ 12 and a (4m + 2)-vertex weakly regular triangulation of the Klein bottle for eachm ≥ 2. For 12 ≤n ≤ 15, we have classified all then-vertex degree-regular triangulations of the torus and the Klein bottle. There are exactly 19 such triangulations, 12 of which are triangulations of the torus and remaining 7 are triangulations of the Klein bottle. Among the last 7, only one is weakly regular.     

Critical Behavior of Two Interacting Linear Polymer Chains in a Good Solvent

A model of two interacting (chemically different) linear polymer chains is solved exactly using the real-space renormalization group transformation on a family of Sierpinski gasket type fractals and on a truncated 4-simplex lattice. The members of the family of the Sierpinski gasket-type fractals are characterized by an integer scale factorb which runs from 2 to ∞. The Hausdorff dimensiond _F of these fractals tends to 2 from below asb → ∞. We calculate the contact exponenty for the transition from the State of segregation to a State in which the two chains are entangled forb = 2-5. Using arguments based on the finite-size scaling theory, we show that forb→∞, y = 2 - v(b) d _F, wherev is the end-toend distance exponent of a chain. For a truncated 4-simplex lattice it is shown that the system of two chains either remains in a State in which these chains are intermingled in such a way that they cannot be told apart, in the sense that the chemical difference between the polymer chains completely drop out of the thermodynamics of the system, or in a State in which they are either zipped or entangled. We show the region of existence of these different phases separated by tricritical lines. The value of the contact exponenty is calculated at the tricritical points.     

Total electron scattering cross sections for carbon dioxide at low electron energies

Absolute total electron scattering cross sections for carbon dioxide have been measured at low electron energies using a photoelectron source. The measurements have been carried out at 27 electron energies varying from 0.91–9.14 eV with an accuracy of ±3%. The cross sections obtained in the present experiment have been compared with other measurements and theoretical computations.     

Field optimized initial state based control of photodissociation

A new scheme for controlling photodissociation through preparation of a variationally optimized linear superposition of field free vibrational eigenstates is applied for selective control of IBr and HI dissociation. The dependence of photodissociation on various field parameters and initial conditions is examined to investigate the mechanistic basis of selective control. The parametric equations of motion approach for determining vibrational dynamics as a function of field parameters without having to solve the time dependent Schrödinger equation explicitly for each field parameter separately is outlined and its use to identify field characteristics which will provide the requisite population mix represented by the optimal linear superposition of vibrational states is advocated.     

Preparation of MgB<Subscript>2</Subscript>/Fe superconductor wire by electrical self-heating

MgB₂/Fe wires were prepared by electrical self-heating of in situ powder-in-tube wires for the first time at ambient conditions. Characterization of the wires processed at 750 °C, 800 °C and 850 °C for 15 min by XRD, SEM, ϱ–T, susceptibility and J_C measurements shows that the MgB₂ formed is of high quality particularly with respect to phase purity and transport J_C. The method considerably reduces the overall energy consumption vis-à-vis the production cost, simplifies the complexity of the fabrication procedure and is promising for manufacture of high-quality MgB₂ superconducting wires. PACS 74.70.Ad; 74.62.Bf; 74.25.Fy; 74.25.Ha; 81.20.Hy     

Induced focusing and conversion of a Gaussian beam into an elliptic Gaussian beam

We have presented an investigation of the induced focusing in Kerr media of two laser beams, the pump beam and the probe beam, which could be either Gaussian or elliptic Gaussian or a combination of the two. We have used variational formalism to derive relevant beam-width equations. Among several important findings, the finding that a very week probe beam can be guided and focused when power of both beams are well below their individual threshold for self-focusing, is a noteworthy one. It has been found that induced focusing is not possible for laser beams of any wavelength and beam radius. In case both beams are elliptic Gaussian, we have shown that when power of both beams is above a certain threshold value then the effective radius of both beams collapses and collapse distance depends on power. Moreover, it has been found that induced focusing can be employed to convert a circular Gaussian beam into an elliptic Gaussian beam.     

Influence of exciton-exciton interaction with spin paired charge carriers and exciton-lattice interaction on the surface properties of crystalline solids

Applying tight-binding approximation and spin pairing of like charge carriers in a pair of excitons created in a lattice, the possibility of forming a bound exciton-exciton state is studied. It is found that, provided there exists strong exciton-lattice interaction, such a bound state may be formed and its energy may lie within the valence band deforming the material into a crystalline solid with no energy gap. Lowering of the energy is calculated in naphthalene and anthracene crystals where some experimental results are known. The excess energy released after the formation of such bound state can be adequate, depending on the material, to desorb neutral atoms or eject of electrons from surfaces.