The push-out region of an immersed manifold

We consider immersions: and construct a subspace of which corresponds to a set of embedded manifolds which are either parallel to f, tubes around f or, in general, partial tubes around f. This space is invariant under the action of the normal holonomy group, We investigate the case where is non-trivial and obtain some results on the number of connected components of . Received 24 March 2000.     

Nielsen realization for 3-manifolds containing two-sided projective planes

For compact irreducible sufficiently large 3-manifolds containing 2-sided projective planes, we consider the following Realization Problem: Given a finite subgroup of the outer automorphism group of the fundamental group, is there a finite group of homeomorphisms, which induces this subgroup? Received: 16 November 1999; in final form: 18 January 2001 / Published online: 8 November 2002     

Rank-perfect and" weakly rank-perfect graphs

An edge e of a perfect graph G is critical if G−e is imperfect. We would like to decide whether G−e is still “almost perfect” or already “very imperfect”. Via relaxations of the stable set polytope of a graph, we define two superclasses of perfect graphs: rank-perfect and weakly rank-perfect graphs. Membership in those two classes indicates how far an imperfect graph is away from being perfect. We study the cases, when a critical edge is removed from the line graph of a bipartite graph or from the complement of such a graph.     

Stable multi-sets

In this paper we introduce a generalization of stable sets: stable multi-sets. A stable multi-set is an assignment of integers to the vertices of a graph, such that specified bounds on vertices and edges are not exceeded. In case all vertex and edge bounds equal one, stable multi-sets are equivalent to stable sets.  For the stable multi-set problem, we derive reduction rules and study the associated polytope. We state necessary and sufficient conditions for the extreme points of the linear relaxation to be integer. These conditions generalize the conditions for the stable set polytope. Moreover, the classes of odd cycle and clique inequalities for stable sets are generalized to stable multi-sets and conditions for them to be facet defining are determined.  The study of stable multi-sets is initiated by optimization problems in the field of telecommunication networks. Stable multi-sets emerge as an important substructure in the design of optical networks. Received: February 14, 2001/Revised version: September 7, 2001     

On a bifurcation governed by hysteresis nonlinearity

We consider autonomous systems with a nonlinear part depending on a parameter and study Hopf bifurcations at infinity. The nonlinear part consists of the nonlinear functional term and the Prandtl--Ishlinskii hysteresis term. The linear part of the system has a special form such that the close-loop system can be considered as a hysteresis perturbation of a quasilinear Hamiltonian system. The Hamiltonian system has a continuum of arbitrarily large cycles for each value of the parameter. We present sufficient conditions for the existence of bifurcation points for the non-Hamiltonian system with hysteresis. These bifurcation points are determined by simple characteristics of the hysteresis nonlinearity.     

Luminescent properties of Ce in MSO4 (M: Ca, Sr and Ba) and the effect of Na co-doping

The optical properties of Ce³⁺ in CaSO₄, SrSO₄ and BaSO₄ are reported. The Ce³⁺ ion shows 4f⁰5d¹→²F_5/2,²F_7/2 luminescence in all three sulphates. Co-doping with Na⁺ does not change the local surrounding of the Ce³⁺ ion, but enhances the amount of Ce³⁺ ions built in. Under optical excitation, besides the typical Ce³⁺ doublet emission in the ultraviolet spectral region, band emission around 445 nm was observed. This band emission was not assigned to emission from a Ce³⁺ centre, but to emission from an impurity-trapped exciton. Under X-ray excitation, both Ce³⁺ emission and an emission band around 380 nm was observed. This band was assigned to emission from a self-trapped exciton.     

Fundamental processes in long air gap discharges

The development of atmospheric lightning is initiated and sustained by the formation in virgin air of ‘streamer corona’ and ‘leader’ discharges, very similar to those observed in laboratory long sparks. Therefore, the experimental and theoretical investigations of these laboratory discharges have become of large interest to improve the physical knowledge of the lightning process and to develop self-consistent models that could be applied to new protection concepts.In the present paper the fundamental processes of the subsequent phases of long air gap discharges are analyzed, from the first corona inception and development to the leader channel formation and propagation. For all these processes simulations models are discussed that have been essentially derived and simplified by the authors, in order to develop sequential time-dependent simulation of the laboratory breakdown, with both positive and negative voltages. The possibility of extending these models to the case of natural lightning is discussed in the companion paper, presented in this same volume. To cite this article: I. Gallimberti et al., C. R. Physique 3 (2002) 1335–1359.     

Rehabilitation of the Gauss-Jordan algorithm

Summary In this paper a Gauss-Jordan algorithm with column interchanges is presented and analysed. We show that, in contrast with Gaussian elimination, the Gauss-Jordan algorithm has essentially differing properties when using column interchanges instead of row interchanges for improving the numerical stability. For solutions obtained by Gauss-Jordan with column interchanges, a more satisfactory bound for the residual norm can be given. The analysis gives theoretical evidence that the algorithm yields numerical solutions as good as those obtained by Gaussian elimination and that, in most practical situations, the residuals are equally small. This is confirmed by numerical experiments. Moreover, timing experiments on a Cyber 205 vector computer show that the algorithm presented has good vectorisation properties.     

Three New Polyoxygenated Steroids from Two Species of the South China Sea Gorgonian Muricella flexuosa and Menella verrucosa Brundin

Three new polyoxygenated steroids, muricesteroid ( 1 ), and menellsteroids A ( 2 ) and B ( 3 ), were isolated from two species of the South China Sea gorgonian Muricella flexuosa and Menella verrucosa Brundin , respectively. The structures of these new compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis, chemical methods and comparison with known related compounds.     

Asymmetric synthesis of homo-apioneplanocin A from d-ribose

Homo-apioneplanocin A was efficiently synthesized via stereoselective hydroxymethylation, regio- and chemoselective hydroboration, and chemoselective oxidation as key steps from d-ribose.