Characterization of low molecular weight hydrocarbon oligomers by laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry using a solvent-free sample preparation method.

A new solvent-free sample preparation method using silver trifluoroacetate (AgTFA) was developed for the analysis of low molecular weight paraffins and microcrystalline waxes by laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LDI-TOFMS). Experiments show that spectral quality can be enhanced by dispersing AgTFA directly in liquid paraffins without the use of additional solvents. This preparation mixture is applied directly to the MALDI probe. Solid waxes could be examined by melting prior to analysis. The method also provides sufficiently reproducible spectra that peak area ratios between mono- and bicyclic alkane peaks indicated variations in the cycloalkane content of paraffin samples. Dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons observed during the desorption/ionization process was studied by analysis of alkane standards.     

Design of neutral, mono- or di-cationic water-soluble trihydrazidophosphoradamantanes

The versatile behavior of a trihydrazidophosphoradamantane allowing the synthesis of a variety of neutral, mono- or di-cationic water-soluble molecules of potential interest for biphasic catalysis is reported.     

On the geometry of infinite cyclic subgroups

In this paper we construct an example of a word metric on an infinite cyclic subgroup. This example shows that subexponential distortion does not obstruct non-trivial growth of connected radii. This answers a question of Gromov [6]. The constructed metric has other pathological properies. Specifically, its asymptotic cone depends on the choice of ultrafilter and scaling sequence. The work has been partially supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation.     

An organometallic RhIII complex with a distorted octahedral structure: (acetonitrile‐κN)dimethyl(1,4,7‐trimethyl‐1,4,7‐triazacyclononane‐κ3N,N′,N′′)rhodium(III) tetraphenylborate

In the title compound, [Rh(CH₃)₂(C₂H₃N)(C₉H₂₁N₃)](C₂₄H₂₀B), the geometry around the Rh^III centre is distorted octahedral, with elongated Rh—N bonds trans to the metal‐bonded methyl groups. The metal‐containing cations are located in channels formed by an anionic supramolecular mesh, in which aromatic π–π interactions between anionic [B(Ph)₄]^? units play a major role.     

IFS attractors and Cantor sets

We build a metric space which is homeomorphic to a Cantor set but cannot be realized as the attractor of an iterated function system. We give also an example of a Cantor set K in R³ such that every homeomorphism f of R³ which preserves K coincides with the identity on K.     

Explicit limits for nonperiodic homogenization and reduction of dimensionLimites explicites pour l'homogénéisation non-périodique et la réduction de dimension

The aim of this Note is to give explicit limit expressions, for diffusion equations involving a small parameter ε, describing both nonperiodic homogenization and reduction of dimension. We consider two kinds of reduction of dimension: the case of plates and the case of thin cylinders. In particular, we give the limit diffusion equation for stratified plates. This is completely explicit and requires no special assumption, except stratification. In the case of thin cylinders, the formulae are less explicit, but we also indicate some simple applications to fibered materials. To cite this article: B. Gustafsson, J. Mossino, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 334 (2002) 977–982.     

Integral Inequalities and Global Solutions of Semilinear Evolution Equations

A criterion for the nonexplosion of solutions to semilinear evolution equations on Banach spaces is proved. The result is obtained by applying a modification of the Bihari type inequality to the case of a weakly singular nonlinear integral inequality.     

Fundamental processes in long air gap discharges

The development of atmospheric lightning is initiated and sustained by the formation in virgin air of ‘streamer corona’ and ‘leader’ discharges, very similar to those observed in laboratory long sparks. Therefore, the experimental and theoretical investigations of these laboratory discharges have become of large interest to improve the physical knowledge of the lightning process and to develop self-consistent models that could be applied to new protection concepts.In the present paper the fundamental processes of the subsequent phases of long air gap discharges are analyzed, from the first corona inception and development to the leader channel formation and propagation. For all these processes simulations models are discussed that have been essentially derived and simplified by the authors, in order to develop sequential time-dependent simulation of the laboratory breakdown, with both positive and negative voltages. The possibility of extending these models to the case of natural lightning is discussed in the companion paper, presented in this same volume. To cite this article: I. Gallimberti et al., C. R. Physique 3 (2002) 1335–1359.