Simulation model for shapiro time delay and light deflection experiments

The time delay experiment proposed by I.I. Shapiro in 1964 and conducted in the seventies was the most precise experiment of general relativity until that time. Further experimentation has improved the accuracy level of both the time delay and the light deflection experiments. A simulation model is proposed that involves only a simple mass and time transformation factor involving velocity of light. The light deflection and the time delay experiments are numerically simulated using this model that does not use the general relativistic equations. The computed values presented in this paper compare well with recent levels of accuracy of their respective experimental results.     

Preparation of highly crystalline blue emitting MVO4:Tm (M=Gd, Y) spherical nanoparticles: Effects of activator concentration and annealing temperature on luminescence, lifetime and quantum yield

Highly crystalline spherical nanoparticles of MVO₄:Tm³⁺ (M=Gd, Y) having a size of 20–45 nm were prepared using ethylene glycol as both capping agent and reaction medium. X-ray diffraction study shows linear decrease in the unit cell volume with an increase in Tm³⁺ concentrations in MVO₄ (M=Gd, Y; Tm³⁺=0, 2, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 at%), indicative of quantitative substitution of Gd³⁺/Y³⁺ lattice sites by Tm³⁺ ions in MVO₄. Blue light emission at 475 nm is observed after excitation at 310 nm due to energy transfer from VO₄³⁻ absorption band to Tm³⁺. Emission intensity and average decay lifetime increase with an increase in heat treatment from 500 to 900 °C. This has been attributed to an extent of reduction in non-radiative process arising from surface. The emission intensity of Tm³⁺ in GdVO₄ host is higher than that in YVO₄ and thus the former host is better. Quantum yield increases with increase in heat-treatment temperature. This material will be the alternative blue light emitter.     

Mössbauer and magnetic studies on nanocrystalline NiFe2O4 particles prepared by ethylene glycol route

NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles have been synthesized by co-precipitation method at 145°C in N₂ atmosphere using ethylene glycol as solvent and capping agent. This gives the promising synthesis route for nanoparticles at low temperature. The as-synthesized NiFe₂O₄ is subsequently heated at 400°C, 500°C, 700°C and 800°C. Crystallite size increases with the heat treatment temperature. The heat treatment temperature has direct effect on the electron paramagnetic resonance and intrinsic magnetic properties. The room temperature Mössbauer spectrum of the 800°C heated sample shows the two sextets pattern indicating that the sample is ferrimagnetic and Fe^3?+? ions occupy both tetrahedral and octahedral sites of spinel structure.     

Structural and photoluminescence properties of terbium-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles

We present in this paper a study of the structural and photoluminescence （PL） properties of terbium （Tb） doped zinc oxide （ZnO） nanoparticles synthesized by a simple low temperature chemical precipitation method, using zinc acetate and terbium nitrate in an isopropanol medium with diethanolamine （DEA） as the capping agent at 60 ℃. The as-prepared samples were heat treated and the PL of the annealed samples were studied. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized with X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The XRD patterns show the pattern of typical ZnO nanoparticles and correspond with the standard XRD pattern given by JCPDS card No. 36-1451, showing the hexagonal phase structure. The PL intensity was enhanced due to Tb^3＋ doping, and it decreased at higher concentrations of Tb^3＋ doping after reaching a certain optimum concentration. The PL spectra of Tb^3＋ doped samples exhibited blue, bluish green, and green emissions at 460 nm （5^D3 - 7^F3）, 484 nm （5^D4 - 7^F6）, and 530 nm （5^D4 - 7^F5）, respectively, which were more intense than the emissions for the undoped ZnO sample. Based on the results, an energy level schematic diagram was proposed to explain the possible electron transition processes.     

Luminescence properties of Tb(3+)-doped CaMoO(4) nanoparticles: annealing effect, polar medium dispersible, polymer film and core-shell formation

Tb(3+)-doped CaMoO(4) (Tb(3+) = 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20 atom%) core and core-shell nanoparticles have been prepared by urea hydrolysis in ethylene glycol (EG) as capping agent as well as reaction medium at low temperature ～150 °C. As-prepared samples were annealed at 500 and 900 °C for 4 h to eliminate unwanted hydrocarbons and/or H(2)O present in the sample and to improve crystallinity. The synthesised nanophosphors show tetragonal phase structure. The crystallite size of as-prepared sample is found to be ～18 nm. The luminescence intensity of the (5)D(4) → (7)F(5) transition at 547 nm of Tb(3+) is much higher than that of the (5)D(4) → (7)F(6) transition at 492 nm. 900 °C annealed samples show the highest luminescence intensity. The intensity ratio R (I[(5)D(4) → (7)F(6)]/I[(5)D(4) → (7)F(5)]) lies between 0.3-0.6 for as-prepared, 500 and 900 °C annealed samples. The luminescence decay of (5)D(4) level under 355 nm excitation shows biexponential behaviour indicating availability of Tb(3+) ions on surface and core regions of particle; whereas, contribution of Mo-O charge transfer to lifetime is obtained under 250 nm excitation. The CIE coordinates of as-prepared, 500 and 900 °C annealed 5 atom% Tb(3+)-doped CaMoO(4) samples under 250 nm excitation are (0.28, 0.32), (0.22, 0.28) and (0.25, 0.52), respectively. The dispersed particles in polar medium and its polymer film show green light emission. The luminescence intensity is improved significantly after core-shell formation due to extent of decrease of non-radiative rates arising from surface dangling bonds and capping agent. Quantum yields of as-prepared samples of 1, 5 and 7 atom% Tb(3+)-doped CaMoO(4) samples are found to be 10, 3 and 2, respectively.     

Schur complement preconditioners for anisotropic problems

We present two new variants of Schur complement domain decompositionpreconditioners suitable for 2D anisotropic problems. Thesevariants are based on adaptations of the probing idea, describedby Chan et al (1992 Fifth Int. Symp. on Domain DecompositionMethods for Partial Differential Equations, Philadelphia: SIAM,pp 236-249), used in conjunction with a coarse grid approximationas introduced by Bramble et al (1986 Math. Comput. 47, 103-134).The new methods are specifically designed for situations wherethe coupling between neighbouring interfaces is stronger thanthe coupling within an interface. Taking into account this strongcoupling, one variant uses a multicolour probing technique toavoid distortion in the probe approximations that appear whenusing the method proposed by Chan et al. The second techniqueuses additional probe matrices to approximate not only the couplingwithin the interfaces but also the coupling between interfacepoints across the subdomains. This latter procedure looks somewhatlike an alternating line relaxation method for anisotropic problems,see Brandt (1977 Math. Comput.. 31, 333-390). To assess therelevance of the new preconditioners, we compare their numericalbehaviour with well known robust preconditioners such as thebalanced Neumann-Neumann method proposed by Mandel (1993 Commun.Numer. Methods Eng.. 9, 233-241).     

评《马氏决策过程》

（《马氏决策过程》,侯振挺、郭先平著,长沙,湖南科技出版社,1997,中文版,386页,定价：28元）马尔可夫决策过程是概率论的运筹学的理论研究和实际应用中极其重要的领域之一．随着中国和国际上对马尔可夫决策过程（MarkovDecisionProcesses,简记为MDP）研究的新进展,许     

Disappearance and recovery of luminescence in Bi3+, Eu3+ codoped YPO4 nanoparticles due to the presence of water molecules up to 800 °C

YPO(4) nanoparticles codoped with Eu(3+) (5 at. %) and Bi(3+) (2-10 at. %) have been synthesized by a simple coprecipitation method using a polyethylene glycol-glycerol mixture, which acts as capping agent. It has been found that the incorporation of Bi(3+) ions into the YPO(4):Eu(3+) lattice induces a phase transformation from tetragonal to hexagonal, and also a significant decrease in Eu(3+) luminescence intensity was observed. This is related to the association of the water molecules in the hexagonal phase of YPO(4) in which the nonradiative process from the surrounding water molecules around Eu(3+) is dominating over the radiative process. On annealing above 800 °C, luminescence intensity recovers due to significant removal of water. 900 °C annealed Bi(3+) codoped YPO(4):Eu(3+) shows enhanced luminescence (2-3 times) as compared to that of YPO(4):Eu(3+). When sample was prepared in D(2)O (instead of H(2)O), 4-fold enhancement in luminescence was observed, suggesting the extent of reduction of multiphonon relaxation in D(2)O. This study illustrates the stability of water molecules even at a very high temperature up to 800 °C in Eu(3+) and Bi(3+) codoped YPO(4) nanoparticles.     

Simulation model for anomalous precession of the perihelion of mercury's orbit

The ‘anomalous perihelion precession’ of Mercury, announced by Le Verrier in 1859, was a highly controversial topic for more than half a century and invoked many alternative theories until 1916, when Einstein presented his theory of general relativity as an alternative theory of gravitation and showed perihelion precession to be one of its potential manifestations. As perihelion precession was a directly derived result of the full General Theory and not just the Equivalence Principle, Einstein viewed it as the most critical test of his theory. This paper presents the computed value of the anomalous perihelion precession of Mercury's orbit using a new relativistic simulation model that employs a simple transformation factor for mass and time, proposed in an earlier paper. This computed value compares well with the prediction of general relativity and is, also, in complete agreement with the observed value within its range of uncertainty. No general relativistic equations have been used for computing the results presented in this paper.     

Luminescence properties of Eu3+ doped CaMoO4 nanoparticles

When Eu(3+) ions occupy Ca(2+) sites of CaMoO(4), which has a body centered tetragonal structure with inversion symmetry, only the magnetic dipole transition ((5)D(0)→(7)F(1)) should be allowed according to Judd-Ofelt theory. Even if there are a few distortions in the Eu(3+) environment, its intensity should be more than that of the electric dipole transition ((5)D(0)→(7)F(2)). We report here the opposite effect experimentally and ascribe this to the polarizability effect of the MoO(4) tetrahedron, which is neighboring to EuO(8) (symmetric environment). The contribution of the energy transfer process from the Mo-O charge transfer band to Eu(3+) and the role of Eu(3+) over the surface of the particle could be distinguished when luminescence decay processes were measured at two different excitations (250 and 398 nm). Further, the luminescence intensities and lifetimes increase significantly with increasing heat-treatment temperature of the doped samples. This is attributed to the reduction of H(2)O from the surface of the particles and a non-radiative process after heat treatment.