Localized bifurcations and defect instabilities in the convection of a nematic liquid crystal

The stationary and the time-dependent homogeneous ordered states in convection may both become unstable against localized perturbations. Defects are then created and they may contribute to the disorganization of the homogeneous state. We present an experimental study of defects in some homogeneous stationary structures as well as in the traveling-wave states of convection of a nematic liquid crystal. We show that the core of the defects is a germ of the unstable state and it can become unstable under the external stress. Then, either fully homogeneous states with the symmetry of the core, or complex disordered states can develop from the local instability of defects in processes quite similar to displacive transitions in solids. Some of the main features are qualitatively similar to numerical simulations of an appropriate Landau-Ginzburg equation.     

Contact angle hysteresis of liquid drops as means to measure adhesive energy of zein on solid substrates

Adhesion of zein to solid substrates has been studied using surface energy profiles as indices and by adhesion mapping using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Different plasticizers like glycerol and sorbitol have been used to form mixed films with zein and properties of these films are studied using surface energy profiles. Comparison of the results from the different mixed samples with those from the pure zein films showed that force mapping could identify areas rich in protein. The adhesion maps produced were deconvoluted from sample topography and contrasted with the data obtained from contact angle measurements. A comparison of the two methods shows that the extent of contact angle hysteresis is indicative of both hydrophobicity of the surface as well as the force of adhesion. Mechanical properties and microstructure of zein films prepared by casting from solutions and using Langmuir-Blodgett film technique have been investigated. Pure zein seemed brittle and exhibited an essentially linear relationship between stress and strain. Films with plasticizer were tougher than these films. In general, mixed films showed better mechanical properties than pure films and had higher ultimate tensile strength and increased per cent elongation. Further, the mixed films of zein showed a higher force of adhesion compared to the pure films.     

New Plasmon Waveguides Composed of Twin Metal Wedges with a Nano Gap

We have numerically shown the existence of coupled wedge plasmons (CWPs) which propagates along a nano gap of a twin metal wedge. The CWPs are formed by wedge plasmons which can interact with each other. The dispersion relations of the wavenumber, propagation distance, and beam area of CWPs, are described and show that the characteristics of CWPs are similar to those of wedge plasmons and of gap plasmons. We also propose a new plasmon waveguide composed of twin metal wedges with a nano gap.     

低温等离子体对塑料表面处理——低温等离子体对高密度聚乙烯表面处理的ESR研究

本文研究了不同处理条件(处理功率、处理时间和处理压力)下等离子体气体(Ar、N₂、O₂和空气等)对高密度聚乙烯表面处理产生的自由基的ESR谱。我们观察到等离子体处理产生的自由基是相当稳定的,它的ESR信号强度随处理功率和处理时间增加而增加。但处理压力对它影响不大。我们证明了紫外线对高密度聚乙烯表面产生自由基作用随处理条件而变化。并初步解释了谱的超精细相互作用。     

纳米颗粒悬浮液池内泡状沸腾的实验研究

本文对纳米颗粒悬浮液在平壁面上池内沸腾进行了实验研究。实验用的纳米粒子为26 nm的铁粉和13 nm的三氧化二铝纳米粉末,基液为去离子水。分别配成体积浓度为0．1％, 1％和2％的悬浮液。实验结果表明,纳米悬浮颗粒对液体沸腾换热过程的影响会随着纳米颗粒性质,颗粒浓度及热流密度大小的不同而出现不同的效果;加入纳米颗粒后, 对基液沸腾换热的影响存在着两个相反的作用机制,它们分别为:纳米颗粒增强了液体内部的热量迁移能力(热物性的影响)和改变了加热面的表面结构特性(加热面特性的影响)。     

Electrical detection of nuclear spin echoes

We show, via a straightforward calculation, that it is feasible to detect nuclear spin echoes in a ferromagnetic thin film by electrical means. The detection scheme is based on the deflection of the electronic magnetization when the nuclear magnetization reforms during an echo. This deflection is observed as a time-dependent magnetoresistive signal.     

Ag纳米颗粒的光吸收和透射电镜研究

用硼氢化钠作还原剂,制备出两种相对稳定的含银纳米颗粒的水溶胶,用透射电镜（TEM）和光学吸收谱对这些颗粒进行了表征.当被还原的银离子较少时,所形成的银纳米颗粒较小,吸收峰呈现二极等离子体共振吸收峰.当被还原的银离子较多时,银纳米颗粒尺寸变大,并出现二极和四极共振吸收峰.在Ag纳米颗粒形成后,对其溶液稀释,发现其峰形保持不变,而峰位会出现红移,最大红移量可达到10 nm.透射电镜研究表明,低浓度溶胶中的Ag纳米颗粒尺寸较为均匀,平均直径12 nm.高浓度溶胶中的纳米颗粒尺寸呈双尺寸分布特点,少量颗粒直径小于14 nm,大部分颗粒直径大于20 nm.     

用力敏传感器测量乙醇水溶液的表面张力系数与浓度的关系

用硅压阻式力敏传感器测量了纯水、乙醇的表面张力系数，并测量了不同浓度的乙醇水溶液的表面张力系数，得到了乙醇水溶液的表面张力系数随浓度的变化曲线．     

Vassiliev invariants for braids on surfaces

We show that Vassiliev invariants separate braids on a closed oriented surface, and we exhibit a universal Vassiliev invariant for these braids in terms of chord diagrams labeled by elements of the fundamental group of the surface.

     

Novel radical‐responsive MRI contrast agent based on paramagnetic liposomes

A novel, radical responsive MRI contrast agent based on a gadolinium chelate conjugated to a liposome through a disulfide linker was synthesized, with the aim of pursuing the in vivo mapping of radicals. The liposome was prepared by incorporating a thiol‐activated phospholipid, which was subsequently reacted with a gadolinium chelate containing a free thiol group. The long reorientational motion of the supramolecular adduct endows the paramagnetic agent with a relaxivity significantly higher than that of the free complex. The disulfide bond represents a radical‐sensitive moiety and a large decrease in contrast efficacy (T₁ relaxivity) is shown upon its cleavage. A preliminary assessment of the system was made by means of in vitro gamma‐irradiation and thiol–disulfide bond exchange with dithiothreitol. Both methods showed a clear dose‐dependent decrease in T₁‐relaxivity. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.