Finite separable metacyclic 2-groups

A finite separable metacyclic 2-group G can be written as the semidirect product of a cyclic group with another cyclic group. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for when all other split decompositions of G result in, up to isomorphism, this same semidirect product representation for G.     

Finite groups with all subgroups not contained in the Frattini subgroup permutable

Let G be a finite group. A subgroup H of G is a permutable subgroup of G if HK = KH for all subgroups K of G. It will be shown that if all subgroups not contained in the Frattini subgroup are permutable in a group G, then all subgroups are permutable in G.     

Membraneless, room-temperature, direct borohydride/cerium fuel cell with power density of over 0.25 W/cm2

The widespread adoption and deployment of fuel cells as an alternative energy technology have been hampered by a number of formidable technical challenges, including the cost and long-term stability of electrocatalyst and membrane materials. We present a microfluidic fuel cell that overcomes many of these obstacles while achieving power densities in excess of 250 mW/cm(2). The poisoning and sluggish reaction rate associated with CO-contaminated H(2) and methanol, respectively, are averted by employing the promising, high-energy density fuel borohydride. The high-overpotential reaction of oxygen gas at the cathode is supplanted by the high-voltage reduction of cerium ammonium nitrate. Expensive, ineffective membrane materials are replaced with laminar flow and a nonselective, porous convection barrier to separate the fuel and oxidant streams. The result is a Nafion-free, room-temperature fuel cell that has the highest power density per unit mass of Pt catalyst employed for a non-H(2) fuel cell, and exceeds the power density of a typical H(2) fuel cell by 50%.     

Operator algebras and a theorem of Dieudonne

LetA be aC*-algebra with second dualA″. Let (φ _n)(n=1,...) be a sequence in the dual ofA such that limφ _n(a) exists for eacha εA. In general, this does not imply that limφ _n(x) exists for eachx εA″. But if limφ _n(p) exists whenever p is the range projection of a positive self-adjoint element of the unit ball ofA, then it is shown that limφ _n(x) does exist for eachx inA″. This is a non-commutative generalisation of a celebrated theorem of Dieudonné. A new proof of Dieudonné’s theorem, for positive measures, is given here. The proof of the main result makes use of Dieudonné’s original theorem.     

Radial oscillations of neutron stars in strong magnetic fields

The eigen frequencies of radial pulsations of neutron stars are calculated in a strong magnetic field. At low densities we use the magnetic BPS equation of state (EOS) similar to that obtained by Lai and Shapiro while at high densities the EOS obtained from the relativistic nuclear mean field theory is taken and extended to include strong magnetic field. It is found that magnetized neutron stars support higher maximum mass whereas the effect of magnetic field on radial stability for observed neutron star masses is minimal.     

Finite groups with trivial Frattini subgroup

All groups considered are finite. A group has a trivial Frattini subgroup if and only if every nontrivial normal subgroup has a proper supplement.The property is normal subgroup closed, but neither subgroup nor quotient closed. It is subgroup closed if and only if the group is elementary, i.e. all Sylow subgroups are elementary abelian. If G is solvable, then G and all its quotients have trivial Frattini subgroup if and only if every normal subgroup of G has a complement. For a nilpotent group, every nontrivial normal subgroup has a supplement if and only if the group is elementary abelian. Consequently, the center of a group in which every normal subgroup has a supplement is an elementary abelian direct factor.