Periodic Néel skyrmion transport

In this work, we have used the MuMax3 software to simulate devices consisting of a ferromagnetic thin film placed over a heavy metal thin film. The devices are two interconnected partial-disks where a Néel domain wall is formed in the disks junction. In our simulations we investigate devices with disk radius $r=50$ nm and different distance d between the disks centers (from $d=12$ nm to $d=2R=100$ nm). By applying strong sinusoidal external magnetic fields, we find a mechanism able to create, annihilate and even manipulate a skyrmion in each side of the device. This mechanism is discussed in terms of interactions between skyrmion and domain wall. The Néel domain wall formed in the center of the device interacts with the Néel skyrmion, leading to a process of transporting a skyrmion from one disk to the other periodically. Our results have relevance for potential applications in spintronics such as logical devices.     

Preparation of rhodium–phyllosilicate catalysts without leaching in liquid-phase 1-hexene hydrogenation

Rhodium catalysts have been prepared on palygorskite and montmorillonite (clay) supports by reduction with hydrogen (1 atmosphere) at room temperature of a cationic organometallic rhodium compound anchored to the support. The activity of these catalysts for the hydrogenation of liquid-phase 1-hexene remains constant with increase of prehydrogenation time and with re-use for several runs. No rhodium leaching is observed.     

Assessment of two‐equation turbulence modelling for high Reynolds number hydrofoil flows

This paper presents an evaluation of the capability of turbulence models available in the commercial CFD code FLUENT 6.0 for their application to hydrofoil turbulent boundary layer separation flow at high Reynolds numbers. Four widely applied two‐equation RANS turbulence models were assessed through comparison with experimental data at Reynolds numbers of 8.284×106 and 1.657×107. They were the standard k–εmodel, the realizable k–εmodel, the standard k–ωmodel and the shear‐stress‐transport (SST) k–ωmodel. It has found that the realizable k–εturbulence model used with enhanced wall functions and near‐wall modelling techniques, consistently provides superior performance in predicting the flow characteristics around the hydrofoil. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Novel dinitroxide mediating agent for stable free‐radical polymerization

A novel dinitroxide mediating agent that was suitable for stable free‐radical polymerization was synthesized and used in the block copolymerization of styrene and t‐butyl styrene. Quantitative yields of a novel dinitroxide based on 1,6‐hexamethylene diisocyanate and 4‐hydroxy‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinyloxy were obtained. Various experimental parameters, including the nitroxide‐to‐initiator molar ratio, were examined, and it was determined that the polymerization was most controlled under conditions similar to those of conventional 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinyloxy‐mediated stable free‐radical polymerization. Moreover, the dinitroxide mediator proved to be a viable route for the facile two‐step synthesis of triblock copolymers of styrene and t‐butyl styrene. However, the dinitroxide mediation process resulted in a higher than expected level of nitroxide decomposition, which resulted in polymers possessing a terminal alkoxyamine and an adjacent hydroxylamine rather than a preferred internal bisalkoxyamine. This decomposition resulted in the formation of diblock copolymer species during the triblock copolymer synthesis. Gel permeation chromatography was used to monitor the chain‐end decomposition kinetics, and the determined observed rate constant (5.89 × 10^?5 s^?1) for decomposition agreed well with previous studies for other dinitroxide mediating agents. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1547–1556, 2004     

Stable nonequilibrium probability densities and phase transitions for meanfield models in the thermodynamic limit

A nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation is derived to describe the cooperative behavior of general stochastic systems interacting via mean-field couplings, in the limit of an infinite number of such systems. Disordered systems are also considered. In the weak-noise limit; a general result yields the possibility of having bifurcations from stationary solutions of the nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation into stable time-dependent solutions. The latter are interpreted as non-equilibrium probability distributions (states), and the bifurcations to them as nonequilibrium phase transitions. In the thermodynamic limit, results for three models are given for illustrative purposes. A model of self-synchronization of nonlinear oscillators presents a Hopf bifurcation to a time-periodic probability density, which can be analyzed for any value of the noise. The effects of disorder are illustrated by a simplified version of the Sompolinsky-Zippelius model of spin-glasses. Finally, results for the Fukuyama-Lee-Fisher model of charge-density waves are given. A singular perturbation analysis shows that the depinning transition is a bifurcation problem modified by the disorder noise due to impurities. Far from the bifurcation point, the CDW is either pinned or free, obeying (to leading order) the Grüner-Zawadowki-Chaikin equation. Near the bifurcation, the disorder noise drastically modifies the pattern, giving a quenched average of the CDW current which is constant. Critical exponents are found to depend on the noise, and they are larger than Fisher's values for the two probability distributions considered.     

How to Build Robust Shared Control Systems

Previous researchers have designed shared control schemes with a view to minimising the likelihood that participants will conspire to perform an unauthorised act. But, human nature being what it is, systems inevitably fail; so shared control schemes should also be designed so that the police can identify conspirators after the fact. This requirement leads us to search for schemes with sparse access structures. We show how this can be done using ideas from coding theory. In particular, secret sharing schemes based on geometric codes whose dual [n,k,d] codes have d and n as their only nonzero weights are suitable. We determine their access structures and analyse their properties. We have found almost all of them, and established some relations among codes, designs and secret-sharing schemes.     

Diblock copolymers based on allyl methacrylate: Synthesis,characterization, and chemical modification

Different diblock copolymers constituted by one segment of a monomer supporting a reactive functional group, like allyl methacrylate (AMA), were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Bromo‐terminated polymers, like polystyrene (PS), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA) were employed as macroinitiators to form the other blocks. Copolymerizations were carried out using copper chloride with N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDETA) as the catalyst system in benzonitrile solution at 70 °C. At the early stage, the ATRP copolymerizations yielded well‐defined linear block copolymers. However, with the polymerization progress a change in the macromolecular architecture takes place due to the secondary reactions caused by the allylic groups, passing to a branched and/or star‐shaped structure until finally yielding gel at monomer conversion around 40% or higher. The block copolymers were characterized by means of size exclusion chromatography (SEC), ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In addition, one of these copolymers, specifically P(BA‐b‐AMA), was satisfactorily modified through osmylation reaction to obtain the subsequent amphiphilic diblock copolymer of P(BA‐b‐DHPMA), where DHPMA is 2,3‐dihydroxypropyl methacrylate; demonstrating the feasibility of side‐chain modification of the functional obtained copolymers. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 3538–3549, 2007