Search for nu(e) from the sun at Super-Kamiokande-I

We present the results of a search for low energy nu(e) from the Sun using 1496 days of data from Super-Kamiokande-I. We observe no significant excess of events and set an upper limit for the conversion probability to nu(e) of the 8B solar neutrino. This conversion limit is 0.8% (90% C.L.) of the standard solar model's neutrino flux for total energy=8-20 MeV. We also set a flux limit for monochromatic nu(e) for E(nu(e))=10-17 MeV.     

Effects of Adsorbed Polyaniline on Redox Processes on As(2)O(3) Surfaces

Polyaniline deposited on As(2)O(3) surface resulted in a new material, which was characterized by infrared spectoscopy, thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and cyclic voltammetry. The mass percentage of polymer deposited on oxide surface is approximately 13%. The scanning electron microscopy images as well as the X-ray diffraction patterns provided conclusive evidence that the oxide surface is coated by the polymer. The cyclic voltammograms of the polyaniline adsorbed on As(2)O(3) surface showed that the adsorbate exerts remarkable effects on redox processes on this oxide. The pure oxide exhibited two oxidation/reduction peaks at 0.25/-0.06 and 0.47/-0.25 V attributed tentatively to the processes As(2)O(3)(s)+6H(+)+6e(-)=2As(s)+3H(2)O and As(s)+3H(+)+3e(-)=AsH(3)(g), respectively. The polyaniline-coated sample exhibited a better-defined voltammogram in which the first oxidation peak of the oxide had its intensity increased about four times. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Rhodium hydride formation in the presence of a bulky monophosphite ligand: a spectroscopic and solid-state investigation

A study has been carried out on rhodium catalyst preforming when modified with the bulky tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphite, P(Obtbp)(3). X-Ray crystal structure determinations of a tropolone-type precursor complex [Rh(TropBr(3))(CO){P(Obtbp)(3)}].P(Obtbp)(3).CH(3)COCH(3)(TropBr(3)= 3,5,7-tribromotropolonate) and the free P(Obtbp)(3) ligand are reported. Systematic in situ IR and NMR studies of the particular rhodium phosphite modified catalyst and its precursors have led to the identification of two distinct rhodium hydride species. A {(1)H,(31)P} HMBC NMR experiment afforded clarity on the (31)P NMR spectra observed under hydroformylation conditions. The species were identified as [HRh(CO)(3){P(Obtbp)(3)}] and [HRh(CO)(2){P(Obtbp)(3)}(2)]. Attention was also given to the rate of catalyst formation when starting from different rhodium precursors.     

C-H-pi interactions in 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetraphenylborate molten salt: solid and solution structures

The crystal structure of 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetraphenylborate molten salt (1) shows C-H-pi interactions between the hydrogens of the imidazolium cation and the phenyl rings of the tetraphenylborate anion. The imidazolium ring is surrounded by three tetraphenylborate anions that are connected with the same cation by C-H-pi (phenyl rings) interactions. The nearest inter-ion interaction is found between the N-CH-N proton of the cation and the B-phenyl centroid (2.349 A) with a nearly T-shaped geometry. The inter-ionic solution structure of 1 has been investigated by the detection of inter-ionic contacts in 1H NOESY NMR spectra between the protons of the cation and the anion. The 1H-NMR spectra of molten salt 1 is almost independent of its concentration in [D6]DMSO solution, the imidazolium proton chemical shifts are in the expected region and there are no observable NOE effects between the protons of the cation with those of the anion, indicating that 1 behaves in [D6]DMSO as a solvent-separated ion pair. In CDCl3 the 1H-NMR spectra of 1 are concentration dependent and all the imidazolium protons are shielded as compared with those observed in [D6]DMSO. Moreover, the 1H NOESY NMR spectra show all the peaks affected by the interaction between the protons of the imidazolium cation and those of the anion, indicating that in CDCl3 1 possesses a contact ion pair structure. The NCHN proton of the cation exhibits the greatest shielding (up to -4.5 ppm). an indication of the existence of C-H-pi interactions, even in solution. The calculated distance of this proton to the phenyl centroid is 2.3 A for a C-H -pi angle of 180 degrees. The apparent volumes for the cation and anion, calculated from the measured 13C-NMR relaxation times, increase from 38 and 140 A3 in [D6]DMSO to 360 and 600 A3 in CDCl3, respectively; this indicates the formation of floating aggregates of the type (1)(n) in CDCl3 via weak hydrogen bonds, with increasing concentration.     

Conditional inter-departure times from the M/G/s queue

We study the mean and the distribution of the time elapsing between two consecutive departures from the stationary M/G/s queue given the number of customers left behind by the first departure is equal to n. It is conjectured that if the failure rate of the service time distribution is increasing (decreasing), then (i) the limit of the mean conditional inter-departure time as n tends to infinity is less (greater) than the mean service time divided by the number of servers s, and (ii) the conditional inter-departure times are stochastically decreasing (increasing) in n for all n??s.     

Individual Module Maximum Power Point Tracking for Thermoelectric Generator Systems

In a thermoelectric generator (TEG) system the DC/DC converter is under the control of a maximum power point tracker which ensures that the TEG system outputs the maximum possible power to the load. However, if the conditions, e.g., temperature, health, etc., of the TEG modules are different, each TEG module will not produce its maximum power. If each TEG module is controlled individually, each TEG module can be operated at its maximum power point and the TEG system output power will therefore be higher. In this work a power converter based on noninverting buck–boost converters capable of handling four TEG modules is presented. It is shown that, when each module in the TEG system is operated under individual maximum power point tracking, the system output power for this specific application can be increased by up to 8.4% relative to the situation when the modules are connected in series and 16.7% relative to the situation when the modules are connected in parallel.     

Influence of doping the pump-chamber material in a flashlamp pumped Er:YAG laser

The influence of the conversion of pump light of wavelengths below 400 nm into pump light with a central wavelength of 500 nm in a Europium doped quartzglass pump chamber has been investigated. The results are compared to the ones from an undoped quartzglass. The measurements resulted in a reduction of the slope efficiency by a factor of two for the doped quartzglass compared to the undoped one. Furthermore, the pump-pulse lengths around 80 μs lead to a decrease in the slope efficiency compared to pump-pulse lengths above 100 μs.