Analysis of a model scheme incorporating reactant inhibition: Instability of homogeneous solution and formation of spatio–temporal structures

A model scheme incorporating reactant inhibition in the rate process has been analyzed with a view to study the instability of homogeneous solution due to diffusion. Conditions for the occurrence of Turing as well as phase instability are derived and show the existence of multiplicity in the parameter space. The Ginzburg-Landau equation for the system is developed and solved numerically in various regions of the parameter space. The simple model system shows the existence of very rich behavior including normal and inverted bifurcations in the super and subcritical regimes. The various results are analyzed and discussed. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Magnetostatic modulation of nonlinear refractive index and absorption in quantum wires

The magnetic-field dependence of the nonlinear differential refractive index Δnand absorption Δα in quantum wires—measured by non-degenerate pump and probe spectroscopy—is investigated theoretically. The nonlinearities arise from population saturation of the excitonic state under optical pumping and the formation of biexcitons (excitonic molecules). Both Δnand Δ α exhibit positive and negative peaks at certain pump and probe detuning frequencies associated with the formation of biexcitons and bleaching of excitons, respectively. The amplitude, lineshape and the frequency at which these peaks occur can be modulated by a magnetic field which opens up the possibility of realizing novel magneto-optical devices. Additionally, the magnetic field may allow us to realize a relatively large variation in the differential refractive index over a range of frequencies without significant accompanying absorption, thereby allowing the observation of optical bistability.     

A quasi random search technique for functional fitting of detector responses

The problem of nonlinear optimization is encountered while fitting the observed response of certain radiation detectors. In this paper the development of an optimizing technique based on quasi random search is described. The performance of this technique is compared with other existing methods of gradient search and linear Taylor differential correction technique in the case of fitting the photopeak responses of Nal(Tl) detectors. Our results are favourable especially when the observed data are associated with poor statistics.     

Some remarks on the dynamical origin of charge and space-time quantisation

It is argued here that the concept of dynamical origin of charge as formulated in a previous paper requires the quantisation of space-time. Indeed, in this scheme, it is pointed out that the quantisation of electric charge in unit ofe is a direct consequence of this space-time quantisation.     

Measurement of ultrasonic absorption in a gel by light diffraction and resonator methods

A new sample cell construction for a light diffraction method permits absolute measurements of the ultrasonic absorption coefficient for a strongly absorbing transparent gel. By means of this cell the absorption coefficient at 6.2 MHz has been measured as a function of the temperature in the gelling temperature range for a 25% (w/w) aqueous solution of the ABA polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene block copolymer PLURONIC^R F 127. The resonator method has been used under the same experimental conditions. The strongly absorbing gel causes overlapping of the resonance signals. A calibration based on resonance experiments compared with the absolute measurements yields a solution to that problem and thus makes the resonator method applicable to a strongly absorbing gel.     

The role of free carbon in the transport and magnetic properties of boron carbide

Boron carbide is a ceramic which has a wide field of application because of its mechanical and nuclear properties. This material is difficult to characterise due to the presence of different levels of disorder and inhomogeneities which are found in the usual available samples. The transport and magnetic properties of several samples of boron carbide have been measured from liquid helium to room temperature as a function of temperature and composition. We have attempted to attribute the different features of these properties to the different levels of disorder. The role of free carbon, in form of thin layers of graphite within the disordered semi-conducting matrix, was investigated in particular details, because it was either ignored or neglected by others. Free carbon is found to dominate the D.C. transport when its concentration is larger than 5%; while the principal features of the electron spin resonance (E.S.R.) line show a dominance of free carbon when the concentration is larger than 3.5%. Below these concentrations conductivities as well as spin relaxation rates do not depend very much on free carbon; neither these have been found to be correlated in a simple way to the stoichiometry: the disorder in the boron sublattice is probably responsible for the electronic properties in this range of concentrations.     

Modification of proteins with cyclodextrins prevents aggregation and surface adsorption and increases thermal stability

This work describes a general approach for preventing protein aggregation and surface adsorption by modifying proteins with β-cyclodextrins (βCD) via an efficient water-driven ligation. As compared to native unmodified proteins, the cyclodextrin-modified proteins (lysozyme and RNase A) exhibit significant reduction in aggregation, surface adsorption and increase in thermal stability. These results reveal a new chemistry for preventing protein aggregation and surface adsorption that is likely of different mechanisms than that by modifying proteins with poly(ethylene glycol).     

Ultrahigh-temperature regenerated gratings in boron-codoped germanosilicate optical fiber using 193 nm

Regenerated gratings seeded by type I gratings in boron-codoped germanosilicate optical fiber written with 193 nm are shown to withstand temperatures beyond 1000 degrees C.