Asymptotic Analysis of the Current-Voltage Curve of a pnpn Semiconductor Device

We consider the one-dimensional steady-state semiconductor deviceequations modelling a pnpn device. There are two relevant scalingsof the equations corresponding to small and large applied voltages.In both scalings, the semiconductor equations can be consideredas singularly perturbed. It turns out that the small-voltagescaling breaks down for current values between two saturationcurrents. In that interval, the large-voltage scaling has tobe employed. For both scalings, we derive the first-order termsof an asymptotic expansion and show that the reduced problemhas a solution. An example verifies that the current-voltagecurves obtained have the expected qualitative structure.     

A high resolving power multiple reflection matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer

Two electrostatic mirrors, mounted symmetrically on the same optical axis facing each other, are used to increase the time-of-flight of molecular ions produced in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI). The mirrors, which are used in the non-compensating mode, are located between a MALDI ion source and a stop detector. The source is operated at 10.5 kV acceleration voltage using the delayed extraction technique. The high voltage for the mirror arrangement is switched on after the desorption event when the molecular ions have drifted into the region between the mirrors. The ions are trapped by successive reflections of the opposite electrostatic fields in the mirrors until the electric fields are switched off. The number of reflections depends on the speed of the ions when they enter the mirror trap and the ontime of the mirrors. When the electric fields are removed during the motion of the ions towards the stop detector, the ions penetrate the grids of the mirror and reach that detector. The extension of the flight path due to the number of reflections is used to increase the resolving power in time-of-flight spectra. Values of 55,000 for substance-P (MW 1346.7) and 31,000 for bovine insulin (MW 5734) were obtained for single laser shot spectra.     

Stage effects of negative emotion on spatial and verbal working memory

Background  

The effects of negative emotion on different processing periods in spatial and verbal working memory (WM) and the possible brain mechanism of the interaction between negative emotion and WM were explored using a high-time resolution event-related potential (ERP) technique and time-locked delayed matching-to-sample task (DMST).     

Rare earth element (REE) in surface mangrove sediment by instrumental neutron activation analysis

A study is carried out on the concentrations of rare earth element (REE) elements present in surface mangrove sediments from 10 locations throughout west coast Malaysia. In carrying out the analysis, the best and most convenient method being the instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Samples were obtained, dried, crushed to powdery form and samples prepared for INAA. All the samples for analysis were weighted approximately 150 mg for short irradiation and 200 mg for long irradiation time. As calibration and quality control procedures, blank samples, standard reference material SL-1 were then irradiated with thermal neutron flux of 4 × 10¹² cm^?2 s^?1 at the MINT TRIGA Mark II research reactor which operated at 750 kW by using a pneumatic transport facility. The REE elements of surface sediment samples in this study are Dy, Sm, Eu,Yb, Lu, Tb, La and Ce. It was found that the level of concentrations of all the REE elements varies in the range (0.35–117.4 mg/kg). The geochemical behavior of REEs in surface sediments and normalized pattern (chondrite and shale) has been studied. The degree of sediments contaminations were computed using an enrichment factor. The results showed that the enrichment factor varied in the range (0.75–6.75).     

A constant-momentum/energy-selector time-of-flight mass spectrometer

A matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer has been built with an ion source that can be operated in either constant-energy or constant-momentum acceleration modes. A decreasing electric field distribution in the ion-accelerating region makes it possible to direct ions onto a space-focal plane in either modes of operation. Ions produced in the constant-momentum mode have velocities and, thus, flight times that are linearly dependent on mass and kinetic energies that are inversely dependent on mass. The linear mass dispersion doubles mass resolving power of ions accelerated with space-focusing conditions in constant-momentum mode. The mass-dependent kinetic energy is exploited to disperse ions according to mass in a simple kinetic energy filter constructed from two closely spaced, oblique ion reflectors. Focusing velocity of ions of the same mass can substantially improve ion selection for subsequent post source decay or tandem time-of-flight analyses.     

Are nuclei withN∼43 deformed?

The level schemes of⁷⁵Se and⁷⁹Kr have been established through gamma ray and conversion electron spectroscopy following⁷⁵As (p, nγ ^?e) and⁷⁹Br (p, nγe^?) reactions. The data on these nuclei and the nuclei in the neighbourhood of this mass region are discussed and evidence is presented to show that the nuclei withN～43 are deformed.     

Experimental observations of redistributed energy in wave interference

Attempts to explain the redistribution of energy in interference has been done from time to time, under two of the most accepted theories, wave and quantum; however its mechanism still lacks clear interpretation. In this study, a new experiment has been designed and conducted to observe the redistributed energy in wave interference. Experimental observations on the redistributed energy that occurs in two interfering coherent waves are presented. Re-distributed energy at a certain region, (single bright fringe) in space due to interference of two waves was isolated at a plane and measured at a distant plane away from the isolated plane. The measured energy distribution of the isolated interference pattern was compared with the resultant calculated from the two individual interfering components based on wave theory. The calculated resultant due to the two individual components does not tally with the experimental observed pattern. Hence, the outcome of this experiment is in disagreement with the expected predictions as per the wave theory.     

ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AND THE CONTRIBUTION OF BIODIVERSITY TO ECOSYSTEM ADAPTATION

Abstract This paper develops a measure of the contribution of biodiversity in enhancing ecosystem performance that is subject to environmental fluctuation. The analysis draws from an ecological model that relates high phenotypic variance with lower short‐term productivity (due to the presence of suboptimal species) and higher long‐term productivity (due to better ability to respond to environmental fluctuations). This feature, which is a notable extension to existing economic‐ecological models of biodiversity, enables assessment of the interactions between diversity and a range of environmental fluctuations to highlight that biodiversity could be rendered economically disadvantageous when environmental fluctuation is insufficient. The resulting economic‐ecological model generates discounted present value of harvests for an ecosystem with diverse set of species. This value is compared with the harvest value of a similar economic‐ecological model with no diversity and that of an ecosystem where the dynamics of phenotypes in response to environmental fluctuations is disregarded. The results show that diversity positively contributes to the performance of ecosystems subject to sufficiently large environmental fluctuation. In addition, neglecting an ecosystem's increasing ability to adapt to match environmental conditions is also shown to be more costly than having no diversity in an otherwise identical ecosystem.     

Visualization of propagation of boundary diffraction wave

Experimental evidence of the existence of the boundary diffraction wave is presented. The secondary wave occurring at the boundary of a sharp knife edge, interacts with each other while crosses the primary wave. This interaction and its path have been experimentally observed and recorded using a CCD sensor array. The observed diffraction profile of the composite wave has been discussed and briefly compared with the existing model of diffraction.