Photoluminescence of liquid-crystal azo derivatives in nanopores

Optics and Spectroscopy - The fluorescence of the nematic liquid crystal n-butyl-n′-methoxyazoxybenzene (BMAOB) in the form of a layer and in porous glasses with pores of different diameter...     

Martensite Transformation in Nanoparticles and Nanomaterials

Journal of Nanoparticle Research - It was shown that the thermoelastic martensite transformation B2 ? B19 inside nanoparticles surrounded by amorphous matrix in Ni–Ti–Cu alloys as...     

Optimal Control of Distributions

The article develops the principles of optimal control theory for probability distributions on the configuration space of a controlled dynamical system. Necessary conditions of optimality are derived in the form of the Pontryagin principle for various classes of problems. Analytical representations in the space of distributions and observables are considered. Special modes are examined. The relationship between distribution control theory and nonlocal optimization problems is demonstrated.     

Lubin–Tate Formal Groups over the Ring of Integers of a Multidimensional Local Field

Some isomorphism criteria for Lubin–Tate formal groups over the ring of integers of a multidimensional local field are given. Bibliography: 4 titles.     

Embedding of Nonprimary Subgroups in the Symmetric Group S 9

The nonprimary subgroups of the symmetric group S ₉ are investigated. Embedding properties of these subgroups are listed in a table. Properties such as abnormality, pronormality, paranormality, weak normality, etc. were checked with the help of a computer. Algorithms and codes of the first author were used for this purpose. The research leans upon the technique of Burnside marks, as well as upon pertinent information on the table of marks of S ₉ from the computer algebra package GAP. The subgroups were investigated up to conjugacy; the total number of conjugacy classes of nonprimary subgroups of S ₉ is 432. Some subgroups were additionally checked by other programs based on the double coset method. Bibliography: 24 titles.     

On the Sum of Roots of a Closed Set

An invariant of a closed set that is equal to the sum of roots is introduced. For a closed subset in a root system, we describe symmetric and special parts and its stabilizer in the Weyl group by means of the sum of roots. We determine associated bases with respect to which the closed set has the simplest form. All possible values of the root sum are found. Bibliography: 9 titles.     

Viscoelastic properties of nanostructured natural rubber/polystyrene interpenetrating polymer networks

The effects of the blend ratio and initiating system on the viscoelastic properties of nanostructured natural rubber/polystyrene‐based interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) were investigated in the temperature range of ?80 to 150 °C. The studies were carried out at different frequencies (100, 50, 10, 1, and 0.1 Hz), and their effects on the damping and storage and loss moduli were analyzed. In all cases, tan δ and the storage and loss moduli showed two distinct transitions corresponding to natural rubber and polystyrene phases, which indicated that the system was not miscible on the molecular level. However, a slight inward shift was observed in the IPNs, with respect to the glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) of the virgin polymers, showing a certain degree of miscibility or intermixing between the two phases. When the frequency increased from 0.1 to 100 Hz, the T_g values showed a positive shift in all cases. In a comparison of the three initiating systems (dicumyl peroxide, benzoyl peroxide, and azobisisobutyronitrile), the dicumyl peroxide system showed the highest modulus. The morphology of the IPNs was analyzed with transmission electron microscopy. The micrographs indicated that the system was nanostructured. An attempt was made to relate the viscoelastic behavior to the morphology of the IPNs. Various models, such as the series, parallel, Halpin–Tsai, Kerner, Coran, Takayanagi, and Davies models, were used to model the viscoelastic data. The area under the linear loss modulus curve was larger than that obtained by group contribution analysis; this showed that the damping was influenced by the phase morphology, dual‐phase continuity, and crosslinking of the phases. Finally, the homogeneity of the system was further evaluated with Cole–Cole analysis. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1680–1696, 2003     

Epoxy based coatings on glass: strengthening mechanisms

Glass may be strengthened by epoxy coatings although the strengthening mechanisms remain unclear. Possible strengthening mechanisms are reviewed and are used to analyse strength data for both a solvent based and a water based coating system. The coatings either fill (solvent based coatings), or partially fill (water based coatings) surface cracks and it is shown that closure stresses arising from the thermal expansion mismatch of the coating within these cracks can account for the observed degrees of strengthening. It is also demonstrated that other suggested mechanisms such as flaw healing cannot fully account for the observed degree of strengthening.