Current distribution on a three-dimensional,bond-diluted,random-resistor network at the percolation threshold

Current and logarithm-current distributions on a three-dimensional random-bond percolation cubic network were studied at the percolation threshold by computer simulations. Predictions of a hierarchical model that combine fractal structure and randomness agree with our numerical simulations. In the thermodynamic limit the logarithm-current distribution exhibits ann(ln(i))i ^1/3 dependence below some characteristic currenti _c. This distribution may scale with lni/lnL, but the data are insufficient to make this a definite conclusion. Due to the small range of lnL considered, a study of the moments does not reveal this behavior and a study of the distribution itself is required.     

Stabilizing an uncertain production system

Consider a production system that consists ofm machines each of which can produce parts ofn types. When machinek is used, it produces a part of typei with probabilityp _ki . Requests arrive for parts, one at a time. With probability _i an arriving request is for a part of typei. The requests must be served without waiting. Thus, if a requested part is not available, it must be produced. We find necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a strategy (a choice of the machines to be used) which makes the inventory of parts stable and we provide such a strategy.Two variations of this model are also considered: the case of batch arrivals of requests, and that of a system where the requests can be queued.     

Prophet inequalities for parallel processes

Generalizations of prophet inequalities for single sequences are obtained for optimal stopping of several parallel sequences of independent random variables. For example, if {X_{i, j}, 1 ≤ i ≤ n, 1 ≤ j < ∞} are independent non-negative random variables, then

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and this bound is best possible. Applications are made to comparisons of the optimal expected returns of various alternative methods of stopping of parallel processes.     

The projection operator approach to the Fokker-Planck equation. II. Dichotomic and nonlinear Gaussian noise

Two models for the Freedericksz transition in a fluctuating magnetic field are considered: one is based on a dichotomic and the other on a nonlinear Gaussian noise. Both noises are characterized by a finite correlation time. It is shown that the linear response assumption leading to the best Fokker-Planck approximation in the dichotomic and nonlinear Gaussian cases can be trusted only up to the order ¹ and ⁰, respectively. The role of the corrections to the linear response approximation is discussed and it is shown how to replace the non-Fokker-Planck terms stemming from these corrections with equivalent terms of standard type. This technique is shown to produce perfect agreement with the exact analytical results (dichotomic noise) and to satisfactorily fit the results of analog simulation (nonlinear Gaussian noise).     

The projection approach to the Fokker-Planck equation. I. Colored Gaussian noise

It is shown that the Fokker-Planck operator can be derived via a projection-perturbation approach, using the repartition of a more detailed operator into a perturbation ₁ and an unperturbed part ₀. The standard Fokker-Planck structure is recovered at the second order in ₁, whereas the perturbation terms of higher order are shown to provoke the breakdown of this structure. To get rid of these higher order terms, a key approximation, local linearization (LL), is made. In general, to evaluate at the second order in ₁ the exact expression of the diffusion coefficient which simulates the influence of a Gaussian noise with a finite correlation time, a resummation up to infinite order in must be carried out, leading to what other authors call the best Fokker-Planck approximation (BFPA). It is shown that, due to the role of terms of higher order in ₁, the BFPA leads to predictions on the equilibrium distributions that are reliable only up to the first order in t. The LL, on the contrary, in addition to making the influence of terms of higher order in ₁ vanish, results in a simple analytical expression for the term of second order that is formally coincident with the complete resummation over all the orders in t provided by the Fox theory. The corresponding diffusion coefficient in turn is shown to lead in the limiting case to exact results for the steady-state distributions. Therefore, over the whole range 0 the LL turns out to be an approximation much more accurate than the global linearization proposed by other authors for the same purpose of making the terms of higher order in ₁ vanish. In the short- region the LL leads to results virtually coincident with those of the BFPA. In the large- region the LL is a more accurate approximation than the BFPA itself. These theoretical arguments are supported by the results of both analog and digital simulation.     

The Smoluchowski limit for a simple mechanical model

We consider a vertical stick constantly accelerated along thex-axis by a forceF and which elastically collides with point particles of the same mass (atoms). The atoms are initially Poisson distributed and are allowed to have four velocities only. It is shown that under suitable scaling of the system the displacementQ(t) of the stick satisfies a nontrivial CLT:Q(t)=vFt+D ^1/2 W(t) (Smoluchowski equation), where the values ofv andD depend on the fact that one atom may collide several times.     

Product or sum: comparative tests of Voigt,and product or sum of Gaussian and Lorentzian functions in the fitting of synthetic Voigt‐based X‐ray photoelectron spectra

A comparative study for the fitting of X‐ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) using different model functions is presented. Synthetically generated test spectra using Gaussian/Lorentzian convolution and a real measured spectrum are fitted with the three commonly used models: product, sum and Gaussian/Lorentzian convolution functions. In these limited tests, it was found that the sum function is superior to the product function, particularly for low‐noise spectra. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structure, Stability and Vibrational Spectra of LaC_5~n(n=-1,0,+1) Clusters

用密度泛含方法研究了ＬａＣ５ｎ（ｎ＝－１，０，＋１）分子簇的结构和稳定性及振动光谱，对这个六原子体系提出了三种可能构型，点群结构为Ｃ２ｖ对称性．第一个构型为Ｌａ接在弯曲的Ｃ５链上，第二个是Ｌａ通过二个键与Ｃ５环相连第三个是Ｌａ通过一个键与Ｃ５环相连；结果表明，第一个构型即当Ｌａ接在弯曲的Ｃ５链上时能量最低．振动光谱分析指出，当ｎ＝－１时，第二个构型为局域极小值；当ｎ＝＋１时，第一个和第二个构型为局域极小值；对ｎ＝０，局域极小值没有找到．