Composite fermion hofstadter problem: partially polarized density wave states in the nu = 2/5 fractional quantum hall effect

It is well known that the nu = 2/5 state is unpolarized at zero Zeeman energy, while it is fully polarized at large Zeeman energies. A novel state with a charge/spin density wave order for composite fermions is proposed to exist at intermediate values of the Zeeman coupling for nu = 2/5. This state has half the maximum possible polarization, and can be extended to other incompressible fractions. A Hartree-Fock calculation based on the new approach for all fractional quantum Hall states developed by R. Shankar and the author is used to demonstrate the stability of this state to single-particle excitations and to compute gaps. A very recent experiment shows direct evidence for this state.     

An Optimal Policy for Servicing Warranty

In this paper we study a policy for servicing items sold with warranty. We obtain the optimal policy to minimize the expected warranty cost per unit sold.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in C8 isomer aromatic feed: analysis by GC, GC/MS, and GC/FTIR techniques

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), apart from their carcinogenic and mutagenic nature, create many problems in the petrochemical industry due to their tendency toward carbonization. Compounds in C8 aromatic isomer feed are analyzed by means of sample concentration, followed by separation of individual compounds by gas chromatography on a stainless steel OV-101 phase capillary column and identification by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and gas chromatography/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Various compounds belonging to different classes (mainly monocyclic, dicyclic, and tricyclic aromatics), oxygenated aromatics, and aliphatic saturates are quantified in the concentrated hydrocarbon residue of C8 isomer feed. Both unsubstituted and alkyl substituted ring type compounds are present. Concentrations obtained for PAH compounds in the C8 isomer feed range from 0.2 to 0.42 micrograms/mL.     

Removal of Cu(II) and Zn(II) from industrial wastewater by acid-activated montmorillonite-illite type of clay

An acid-activated montmorillonite-illite type of clay collected from the Gulbarga region of Karnataka, India was examined for removing copper and zinc ions from industrial wastewater containing Cu(II), Zn(II) and minor amounts of Pb(II). Langmuir, Freundlich, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and competitive Langmuir (two competing ions) isotherms were fitted to experimental data and the goodness of their fit for adsorption was compared. The shapes of isotherms obtained indicated multilayer adsorption of Cu(II) and monolayer adsorption of Zn(II) on the acid-activated clay. Competitive adsorption was found to be significant due to the presence of Cu(II) in the wastewater.     

Quantitative evaluation of benzene, toluene, and xylene in the larvae of Drosophila melanogaster by solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for potential use in toxicological studies

A simple, rapid, and solvent-free method for quantitative determination of benzene, toluene, and Xylene in exposed Drosophila larvae was developed using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled to GC/MS. Larvae fed on standard Drosophila food mixed with benzene, toluene, and Xylene for 48 h were homogenized in Milli-Q water. Extraction of benzene, toluene, and Xylene was performed at 65 degrees C for 30 min on the SPME fiber (silica-fused). Subsequently, the fiber was desorbed in the GC injection port, followed by GC/MS analysis in the selected-ion monitoring mode. An external calibration curve was used for the quantification of benzene, toluene, and Xylene in the exposed organism. Recoveries were in the range of 78-82% (intraday) and 76-81% (interday) in larvae, and 91-96% (intraday) and 87-92% (interday) in the diet. LOD with an S/N of 3:1 and LOQ with an S/N of 10:1 were in the range of 0.01-0.023 and 0.034-0.077 microg/L, respectively. Percent RSD values for benzene, toluene, and Xylene were in the range of 0.50-0.81 (intraday) and 0.89-1.23 (interday) for retention time, and 2.16--3.85 (intraday) and 2.99-4.95 (interday) for peak concentration, showing good repeatability. This method was sensitive enough to quantitate benzene, toluene, and Xylene in small exposed organisms like Drosophila larvae. The SPME/GC/MS method developed may have wider applications in various in vivo toxicological studies.     

Synthesis of copper sulphide and copper nanoparticles with microemulsion method

The present work is focused on the synthesis of nanocopper and nanocopper sulphide metallic particles. The precise control of size and shape is best achievable with microemulsion technique, with in situ synthesis in microemulsion. The effect of most crucial operating parameter, water-to-surfactant molar ratio (w), on the product specification including size as well as size distribution and morphology were investigated. The variation of size was observed with variation in w for copper sulphide and copper. Product specifications were analyzed using transmission electron microscope imaging, dynamic light scattering with particle size analyzer and absorption spectra using UV-visible spectrophotometer. It was observed that bigger particles were achieved at higher water-to-surfactant ratio. From systematic study of effect of w on the size and size distribution of copper nanoparticles, the optimum value was chosen for preparation of in situ catalyst. As copper on alumina catalyst has wide catalytic applications of commercial importance, alumina was selected as support. A novel deposition method is developed successfully to deposit the copper nanoparticles from microemulsion on the support. Thus prepared catalyst was analyzed with UV-visible spectrophotometer and found to contain characteristic peak of copper at 655 nm, indicating proper copper deposition on support. XRD analysis of copper on alumina catalyst confirmed presence of metallic copper.     

A Neutral Four-Coordinate Mononuclear Cobalt(II) Complex with Biphenyl Appended N-Bidendate Ligand: Synthesis, Structure and Spectral Properties

Abstract  

A mononuclear cobalt(II) complex [Co(BP)(Cl₂)], 1 with a new N,N-bidentate ligand, BP ([N,N-(1,1′-biphenyl-2,2′-dimethylene)]-2-aminomethyl) pyridine) was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, UV–Vis, paramagnetic NMR, magnetic moment and single crystal XRD. The air and moisture stable Co(II) title complex is a 15 electron species which crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/n with cell dimensions a = 10.406(3), b = 12.873(4), c = 13.859(7) ?, β = 96.30(3)˚ and Z = 4. The cobalt atom has distorted tetrahedral (td) geometry with coordination provided by an amine and pyridyl nitrogen donors of BP and two terminal chloride ions. The packing is stabilized through C–H···π and van der Waals interactions.