Optimizing a linear function over an integer efficient set

In this paper, a method for optimizing a linear function over the integer Pareto-optimal set without having to determine all integer efficient solutions is presented. The proposed algorithm is based on a simple selection technique that improves the linear objective value at each iteration. Two types of cuts are performed successively until the optimal value is obtained and the current truncated region contains no integer feasible solution.     

Adhesion measurement of thin films by a modified laser spallation technique: theoretical analysis and experimental investigation

Laser driven shocks can lead to a dynamic failure, called film spallation. Here, we use a modified laser spallation set-up to measure the dynamic adhesion of thin films and we propose a novel diagnostic technology. Based on correlation theory, new spallation criteria for characterizing the progressive damage at the interface between the film and the substrate are established, such as interface delamination, film spallation and film expulsion. With the help of the theory, the degree of damage and the dimension of damage (i.e. fracture), such as the minimum width of delamination radius, the thickness of the film etc., are estimated. Experiments are carried out on epoxy/stainless steel and epoxy/Al, and the experimental results show that their dynamic bonding strengths are about 25 MPa and 20 MPa, respectively. The detailed results, analyses and discussions are presented in this paper. Received: 6 February 2001 / Accepted: 3 December 2001 / Published online: 11 February 2002     

The structure and optical properties of SiC film on Si (111) substrate with a ZnO buffer layer by RF-magnetron sputtering technique

We have fabricated a multiply layer SiC/ZnO on Si substrates using the RF-magnetron sputtering technique with the targets of a single crystalline SiC and a polycrystalline ZnO. The as-deposited films were annealed in the temperature range of 600–1000 °C under nitrogen ambient. We have observed a strong ultraviolet (UV) emission (370 nm) from the as-deposited SiC/ZnO film and an intense violet emission (412 nm) from the film annealed at high temperature (1000 °C) under nitrogen ambient. The SiC film quality and the PL intensities are considered to be strongly dependent on the crystalline quality of the ZnO buffer layer. With the increase of the annealing temperature, the crystalline quality of the ZnO buffer layer is improved, resulting in the improvement of the SiC film quality and the increase of the PL intensities. The thin films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to provide the evidences of photoluminescence (PL). We suggest that the UV emission could be attributed to the nanocrystal silicon particles, that the 395 nm band is related to ZnO buffer layer and has a great relation to the crystalline quality of the ZnO film, and that the violet emission is associated with the emission luminescence from 6H-SiC, which bears on the SiC film quality. The obtained results are expected to have important applications in modern optoelectronic devices.     

Jensen’s Inequality for Backward Stochastic Differential Equations

Abstract Under the Lipschitz assumption and square integrable assumption on g, the author proves that Jensen’s inequality holds for backward stochastic differential equations with generator g if and only if g is independent of y, g(t, 0) ≡ 0 and g is super homogeneous with respect to z. This result generalizes the known results on Jensen’s inequality for g- expectation in [4, 7–9]. *Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.10325101) and the Science Foundation of China University of Mining and Technology.     

Microwave synthesis of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles used as a precursor of nanocomposites and ferrofluids

Methods to synthesize magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles and to modify the surface of particles are presented in the present investigation. Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles were prepared by the co-precipitation of Fe³⁺ and Fe²⁺, NH₃·H₂O was used as the precipitating agent to adjust the pH value, and the aging of Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles was accelerated by microwave (MW) irradiation. The obtained Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The average size of Fe₃O₄ crystallites was found to be around 8–9 nm. Thereafter, the surface of Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles was modified by stearic acid. The resultant sample was characterized by FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), XRD, lipophilic degree (LD) and sedimentation test. The FT-IR results indicated that a covalent bond was formed by chemical reaction between the hydroxyl groups on the surface of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles and carboxyl groups of stearic acid, which changed the polarity of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The dispersion of Fe₃O₄ in organic solvent was greatly improved. Effects of reaction time, reaction temperature and concentration of stearic acid on particle surface modification were investigated. In addition, Fe₃O₄/polystyrene (PS) nanocomposite was synthesized by adding surface modified Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles into styrene monomer, followed by the radical polymerization. The obtained nanocomposite was tested by thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and XRD. Results revealed that the thermal stability of PS was not significantly changed after adding Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. The Fe₃O₄ magnetic fluid was characterized using UV–vis spectrophotometer, Gouy magnetic balance and laser particle-size analyzer. The testing results showed that the magnetic fluid had excellent stability, and had susceptibility of 4.46×10⁻⁸ and saturated magnetization of 6.56 emu/g. In addition, the mean size d (0.99) of magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles in the fluid was 36.19 nm.     

Study on structure change of carbon nanotubes depending on different reaction gases

Aligned carbon nanotubes were grown by plasma-enhanced hot filament chemical vapor deposition using different reaction gases and they were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. It is found that the hollow carbon nanotubes were formed using methane and hydrogen as the reaction gases, but the bamboo-structured carbon nanotubes were grown when ammonia was added into the reaction gases, indicating that the structure of the aligned carbon nanotubes was changed depending on different reaction gases. On setting of diffusion of carbon, the effects of the nitrogenous gas on the structure change of carbon nanotubes are studied.     

On Romanoff's constant

In 1934, Romanoff proved that there are a positive proportion natural numbers which can be expressed as the sum of a prime and a power of 2. In this paper, a quantitative version of this theorem is given. We show that the proportion is larger than 0.0868 and for a positive proportion of odd integers the number of such representations is between 1 and 16.     

Multiplicity results for positive solutions of some semi-positone three-point boundary value problems

In this paper, some multiplicity results for positive solutions of some singular semi-positone three-point boundary value problem be obtained by using the fixed point index method.     

On integers of the forms k−2 and k2+1

In this paper we prove that if (r,12)?3, then the set of positive odd integers k such that k^r−2ⁿ has at least two distinct prime factors for all positive integers n contains an infinite arithmetic progression. The same result corresponding to k^r2ⁿ+1 is also true.