Fisher information analysis of volcano-related advanced, very-high-resolution radiometer (AVHRR) thermal products time series

The Fisher information measure (FIM) analysis, a powerful tool to investigate complex and nonstationary signals, was performed on a long time series (1995-2005) of advanced very-high-resolution radiometer (AVHRR) satellite thermal data, recorded over Mt. Etna (southern Italy) volcanic area. The time evolution of FIM calculated for the signal reveals a significant pattern associated with the Etna volcanic activity.     

Analysis of Frequency Selective Surfaces at Millimeter Wave Band Using the Hertz Vector Potential Method

In this work, the Hertz vector potential method was used to obtain the dyadic Greens function components for frequency selective surfaces (FSS) on an anisotropic layer. The considered structures are composed by periodic arrays of conducting crossed dipole and rectangular patch elements. Results of reflected power were obtained by using the moment method. Curves for the reflected power versus frequency are presented as function of the structural parameters, assuming x, y, and z orientation for the optical axis in the anisotropic substrate.     

Apparent molar volumes of alkaline earth hexacyanocobaltates (III) in aqueous solution at 25°C

The apparent molar volumes of Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba hexacyanocobaltates (III) have been determined from 1×10⁴ to 0.2M (mol-dm^–3), using both vibrating tube densimeter and dilatometric methods. The semiempirical Pitzer equation has been used to reproduce the experimental data. Positive deviations from the Debye-Hueckel limiting law (DHLL) have been observed at C<0.01M and are compared with the predictions of two other electrostatic approaches, the DHLL+B₂ approximation of the Mayer theory and the numerical integration of the exponential Poisson-Boltzmann equation. A least squares procedure has been used to obtain the best fit parameters, including the apparent molar volume at infinite dilution.     

Optical properties of dibenzo[d,d']thieno[3,2-b;4,5-b']dithiophene monocrystals: the effect of intermolecular interactions

The polarized UV-visible absorption spectra of dibenzo[d,d']thieno[3,2-b;4,5-b']dithiophene single crystals are reported and interpreted to definitively attribute the observed bands and their polarizations. The results provide information on the intermolecular interactions and on the aggregation in the condensed phase, which can be of either herringbone- or H-type, depending on the electronic transition taken into considerations, with consequences on the order and polarization of the absorption bands. A relatively easy method is also discussed to obtain information on the structural/morphological properties of different types of samples, including thin films, which have been recently proposed for high-performance organic film-effect transistors for their high ionization potential and photostability.     

Flame surface modification of polyethylene sheets

High density polyethylene sheets 2 mm thick were flame treated to modify the surface properties. Sheets treated using a flame with air to gas (methane) ratio ∼ 10:1 at different distances between the inner cone tip of the flame and the polymer surface were investigated. Grafting of selected monomers as maleic anhydride, acrylamide and glycidyl methacrylate was attempted by flame treatment of sheets covered with a monomer layer. Good grafting results were obtained with acrylamide and maleic anhydride. The surface temperature-time dependence during the flame treatment was measured with a high resolution thermocouple. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) allowed evidencing a modified thickness of about 120 μ. The chemical surface modification was studied by X ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFT). The hydroxyl, carbonyl and carboxyl content was measured after derivatization with reagents containing an elemental tag to facilitate XPS analysis of surface functional groups. In comparison to the untreated polyethylene, wetting tension and contact angle of the flamed materials showed a strong variation. This variation was almost independent of the distance between the flame and the polymer surface. Adhesion between treated polyethylene and a polyurethane adhesive was determined using T-peel test measurements. High adhesion levels were found with flame treated polyethylene at 5 mm distance. XPS results indicate that when adhesion is high, the hydroxyl is in excess compared to the other measured functions, i.e. carbonyl and carboxyl species.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of semirigid polymers

The chain rigidity of poly(p-hydroxybenzoate) was estimated through the theoretical evaluation of its persistence length (L_p). A non-Brownian molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of an isolated chain with 20 monomeric units was performed. The sampled conformational population was analyzed and the orientational correlation function between monomeric units along the chain was calculated. An algorithm based on the worm-like chain model was applied to evaluate the persistence length. The results were compared with those obtained from equilibrium models like the freely-rotating-chain and the rotational-matrix method with fluctuations. Equilibrium models give different results depending on the degree of accuracy used in describing the monomeric unit. The inclusion of thermal fluctuations is crucial to obtain realistic results. These coincide with those given by MD simulation when only nearest-neighbour orientational correlations are taken into account: inclusion of higher-order correlation terms leads to lower values of the persistence length. The origin of this discrepancy was investigated. The MD simulation results are characterized by an overrepresentation of conformations with a short end-to-end distance resulting from an anomalous energy concentration in the first bending mode of the chain. In analogy with previous simulation results from systems characterized by a week coupling amoung their degrees of freedom, failure in the energy equipartition is proposed as a likely explanation of the anomalous dynamical behaviour.