Thermal and dielectric behaviors of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) copolymers at the curie transition

The thermal and dielectric behaviors of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) copolymers near the ferroelectric-to-paraelectric phase transition are investigated for samples with 20, 25, 30, and 40 mol% trifluoroethylene (TrFE). The data suggest that the transition becomes continuous for a particular composition near 50 mol% TrFE. Experimental data are sensitive to thermal history (kinetics of crystallization, and kinetics and cycling over the structural transition). It is found that several anomalies are present at the structural change, and in particular the 30 mol% TrFE sample shows the most marked anomalies. These phenomena can be attributed to defects, but another possibility would be the existence of an intemediate supplementary phase. Both hypotheses are discussed.     

Volcanic monitoring for radon and chemical species in the soil and in spring water samples

Soil radon has been monitored at two fixed stations in the northern flank of Popocatepetl Volcano, a high risk volcano located 60 km SE from Mexico City. Water samples from three springs were also studied for radon as well as major and trace elements. Radon in the soil was recorded using track detectors. Radon in the water samples was evaluated using the liquid scintillation method and an Alphaguard. The major elements were determined through conventional chemical methods and trace elements using an ICP-MS equipment. Soil radon levels were low, indicating a moderate diffuse degassing through the flanks of the volcano. Groundwater radon had almost no relation with the eruptive stages. Water chemistry was stable in the reported time (2000–2002).     

Jet physics in ALICE

The strong suppression of high-p_T hadrons observed in heavy ion collisions at RHIC indicates the interaction of high energy partons with a dense colored medium prior to hadronization. We review the main results from the high-p_T hadron analysis at RHIC and what they tell us about the medium. We then concentrate on the new possibilities that the wider kinematic range at the LHC will offer and how they will help us to better characterize the medium produced in these collisions.     

RECONSTRUCTION OF BINARY RELATIONS FROM THEIR RESTRICTIONS OF CARDINALITY 2, 3, 4 and (n - 1) II

We shall prove here that any binary relation on a base E with cardinality n > 6 is reconstructible from its restrictions of cardinality 2, 3, 4 and (n - 1). This proof needs results of part I of this paper where we characterize any pair of relations R, R' which are 2-, 3- and 4-hypomorphic. As a corollary we obtain that any binary relation is (n - 4)-reconstructible (when n > 9).     

CO Oxidation on Cu/MgO-SiO2 Sol-Gel Derived Catalysts

Sol-gel Cu//MgOSiO₂ catalysts were prepared gelling tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), magnesium ethoxide and copper acetylacetonate at pH 3 and pH 9. The catalysts shown specific surface areas ca. 500 m²/g and 140 m²/g for pH 9 and pH 3 preparations respectively. Si(OH) and Si(OH)₂ hydroxy groups were observed by MAS-RMN spectroscopy in both preparations. CO₂-TPD and NH₃-TPD desorption thermograms showed that acid and basic sites were formed on the catalysts surface. It has been found that the catalysts having the highest density of basic sites were the catalysts showing the highest activity for the CO oxidation. It is proposed that the catalytic activity depends of the relative Cu⁼¹/Cu⁼² stability given by the support acidity.     

Polarographic determination of pilocarpine using the catalysed pre-wave of nickel(II)

On the basis of a detailed study of the pilocarpine-induced nickel(II) pre-wave using various polarographic techniques, an electrode process mechanism is proposed in which the formation of a catalytic complex between aquo-nickel(II) and veronalate-nickel(II) on the one hand and unprotonated pilocarpine adsorbed on the electrode surface on the other is followed by the reduction of nickel(II) in the complex and the release of the catalytic ligand. The pre-peak recorded by differential-pulse polarography in the system 1 × 10^?3 M Ni(II)-1 × 10^?2 M sodium veronal, nitric acid (pH 8.5) (with ionic strength maintained at 0.2 with sodium nitrate) can be used for quantitative determination of pilocarpine at concentrations in the range 2.5 × 10^?7-8 × 10^?6 M.     

Formation of dimers that contain unbridged W(IV)/W(IV) double bonds

A tungsten neopentylidene complex has been found to decompose to yield a heterochiral dimer that contains a W=W double bond and no bridging ligands. Decompositions of related bisalkoxide complexes also yield compounds that contain an "unsupported" W=W double bond, while a sample of [Mo(NAr)(CH2-t-Bu)(OC6F5)]2 has been found to be a homochiral species related to [W(NAr)(CH2-t-Bu)(OC6F5)]2.     

Emission studies of pyrene solutions

Emission spectra of pyrene in hexane have been obtained over a temperature range (from 130 to 260 K) that has not been explored before for concentrations ranging from 10^?4 mole/? to 2 × 10^?2 mole/?. A conventional and new approximation which does not depend on the experimental set-up response functions has been used for evaluating pyrene excimer association energy W_DM and other pyrene parameters. In both methods W_DM agrees quite satisfactorlly, at all concentrations used, with that reported in the literature and obtained by other techniques. However, both approximation fail to yield the right values of the rate parameters at concentrations ? 2 g/?. This set the upper limit of sample solubility to be at C = 2g/? for our range of temperature. Furthermore, the new approximation can probably be used at higher concentration (for higher range of temperature) and even may be used for other organic molecules. There was also no difference in the ratio of the excimer (I_D) to monomer (I_M) quantum yields when an intense laser beam was used as a source of excitation rather than a super-pressure Hg-lamp. This suggested that the concentrations we used might not be large enough. As a result, the laser beam would not create enough density of excited molecules to affect the ratio of I_D/I_M.