Effect of maltodextrins on the surface activity of small-molecule surfactants

We report on the effect of commercially important polysaccharides (maltodextrins with variable dextrose equivalent (Paselli SA-2, MD-6 and MD-10) on the surface activity at the air–water interface of small-molecule surfactants (sms), possessing different hydrophobic–lipophilic balance ((SSL (Na⁺), the main component is a sodium salt of stearol–lactoyl lactic acid, and PGE (080), polyglycerol ester of C18 fatty acid), and widely used in food products. A marked change of the surface activity of sms was found in the presence of maltodextrins by tensiometry. The combined data of laser multiangle light scattering and mixing calorimetry have suggested that this result is governed by specific complex formation between maltodextrins and sms in aqueous medium. Measurements have been made of the molar mass, the second virial coefficient and the enthalpy of intermolecular interactions in aqueous solutions. The implication of a degree of polymerization of maltodextrins in this phenomenon was shown. The interrelation between the molecular parameters of the formed complexes and their surface activity at the air–water interface has been revealed and discussed.     

Torsional vibration of multi-step non-uniform rods with various concentrated elements

An analytical approach and exact solutions for the torsional vibration of a multi-step non-uniform rod carrying an arbitrary number of concentrated elements such as rigid disks and with classical or non-classical boundary conditions is presented. The exact solutions for the free torsional vibration of non-uniform rods whose variations of cross-section are described by exponential functions and power functions are obtained. Then, the exact solutions for more general cases, non-uniform rods with arbitrary cross-section, are derived for the first time. In order to simplify the analysis for the title problem, the fundamental solutions and recurrence formulas are developed. The advantage of the proposed method is that the resulting frequency equation for torsional vibration of multi-step non-uniform rods with arbitrary number of concentrated elements can be conveniently determined from a homogeneous algebraic equation. As a consequence, the computational time required by the proposed method can be reduced significantly as compared with previously developed analytical procedures. A numerical example shows that the results obtained from the proposed method are in good agreement with those determined from the finite element method (FEM), but the proposed method takes less computational time than FEM, illustrating the present methods are efficient, convenient and accurate.     

Impacts of structural-acoustic coupling on the performance of energy density-based active sound transmission control

This paper investigates numerically the performance of the active sound transmission control into a rectangular cavity through a flexible panel under the energy density-based error-sensing algorithm. Full coupling between the sound transmitting panel and the enclosed space is considered. A pure vibration actuator, a pure acoustic source and a combined control source system are used as the secondary control source in the active control and their performances are studied. Formulae for the coupled eigenfrequencies of the cavity and the flexible panel are also derived. The strength of the structural-acoustic coupling, the ratio between the first eigenfrequencies of the cavity and the panel and the difference between the excitation frequency and the coupled eigenfrequencies, especially the latter, are found to have crucial impacts on the performance of the active control regardless the type of control source used.     

Generation of angular momentum of fission fragments in a cluster model

Based on the dinuclear system concept, the role of bending vibrations in creation of the angular momentum of primary fission fragments is investigated. For ²⁵²Cf spontaneous fission, the angular momenta of the fragments are calculated as a function of the neutron multiplicity and compared with available experimental data. Different cluster compositions of the ²⁵²Cf fission modes at the scission point are considered.     

Photon-induced reactions

An overview over the experimental research programs with photon beams is given with the focus on the electromagnetic excitation of the nucleon and the subsequent decay via mesons. Photoproduction of mesons on the free proton and on nucleons embedded in nuclei up to 1 GeV incident-photon energy are discussed.Received: 30 September 2002, Published online: 22 October 2003PACS: 13.60.Le Meson production - 13.60.Rj Baryon production - 14.20.Gk Baryon resonances with S = 0 - 25.20.Lj Photoproduction reactions     

Phase Diagrams of Polytype Transformations in Close-Packed Crystals Including Metastable States

The paper offers a method for calculating phase diagrams of polytype transformations in close-packed crystals based on the generalized axial Ising's model of finite dimensions at non-zero temperatures. Using the Metropolis algorithm, the behavior of systems with polytype transitions is studied under the conditions of changing external shear stress and temperature. The longest polytype period considered here is taken to be 30 close-packed planes.     

Integral Equation Method in Electromagnetic-Sounding Inverse Problems

The use of the integral equation method in electromagnetic-sounding inverse problems is considered. Several approaches to the solution of these inverse problems are proposed.     

Investigation and modelling of damping in a plate with a bonded porous layer

Behavior of a poro-elastic material bonded onto a vibrating plate is investigated in the low-frequency range. From the analysis of dissipation mechanisms, a model accounting for damping added by the porous layer on the plate is derived. This analysis is based on a 3-D finite element formulation including poro-elastic elements based on Biot displacement theory. First, dissipated powers related to thermal, viscous and viscoelastic dissipation are explicited. Then a generic configuration (simply-supported aluminium plate with a bonded porous layer and mechanical excitation) is studied. Thermal dissipation is found negligible. Viscous dissipation can be optimized as a function of airflow resistivity. It can be the major phenomenon within soft materials, but for most foams viscoelastic dissipation is dominant. Consequently an equivalent plate model is proposed. It includes shear in the porous layer and only viscoelasticity of the skeleton. Excellent agreement is found with the full numerical model.