Design of the cold atom PHARAO space clock and initial test results

In this paper we describe the cold atom clock PHARAO, designed for microgravity operation. All elements of the PHARAO engineering model have been manufactured and delivered to CNES, the French space agency. We present the clock design, its main characteristics, and initial science operation. PHARAO is one of the main components of the Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space payload that is scheduled to fly on board the International Space Station in 2010. PACS 07.87.+v; 06.30.Ft; 95.55.Sh; 32.80.Pj     

Convergence in probability for perturbed stochastic integral equations

Summary In this work, one considers two stochastic integral equations indexed by some parameter and one studies the contiguity of their solutions when the parameter converges to some ₀. Two types of behaviour are described; they lead to the notion of regular and singular perturbations. The method which is used also enables a study of the rate of convergence. Applications to time discretization of equations are given.     

Transposition des oxirannes-ethanols par l'intermediaire d'alcoxyetains. Influence de la configuration de l'oxiranne

The transposition of oxirane-ethanols, through alkoxytin compounds, into oxetane-2-methanols and/or oxolan-3-ols (tetrahydrofuran-3-ols) is dependent upon the oxirane configuration. Cis configuration is more suitable for the formation of the smallest ring. Steric hindrance is not sufficient enough to explain the results.     

POLARIZED OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF PHYCOBILISOMES FROM Anabaena, Nostoc and Synechococcus

Polarized absorption, photoacoustic, fluorescence excitation and fluorescence emission spectra of phycobilisomes were measured when embedded in polyvinyl alcohol films. The phycobilisomes were isolated from the following organisms: Anabaena cylindrica, Nostoc punctiforma and Synechococcus elongatus. The ratio of photoacoustic spectra to absorption was taken as a measure of thermal dissipation of excitation energy. The isotropic samples and those oriented by the film stretching were investigated. The stretching of the sample strongly influences the efficiency of excitation energy transfer occurring among biliproteins in phycobilisomes, as is seen from the dramatic changes in the fluorescence and thermal dissipation spectra. The effect of stretching the film depends on the shape of phycobilisomes and on the strength of interactions between biliproteins in phycobilisomes.     

Zur Theorie der harmonischen Differentialformen

Generalizing harmonic differential forms (rot =0, div =0 in M, M being a smooth riemannian manifold with boundary) of first and second kind (=0 and *=0 on M resp.) within the framework of Hilbert space notation, it is possible to extend the meaning of the boundary conditions to non-smooth boundaries. It turns out that in this case the classical result is still valid for certain open subregions G of M: The dimension of the space of harmonic differential forms of second kind is given by the q-th Betti number of G; *-duality leads to the respective result for harmonic differential forms of first kind.     

Gelatin‐Alginate Gels and Their Enzymatic Modifications: Controlling the Delivery of Small Molecules

The release of molecules entrapped within biogels is dictated by diffusion laws. Innovative biogel architectures are conceived and tested to control small molecule delivery from gelatin gels. The ionic interactions modulate the release of small molecules. Alginate is then added to gelatin gels and further hydrolyzed; the influence of viscosity is discussed. Next, various mixed gels are compared, such as a gelatin‐alginate IPN and the original architecture of an alginate gel entrapped in a gelatin gel with or without a polysaccharidase. The relative influence of ionic interactions and diffusional constraints on the delivery of small charged molecules is explored, and a solution for controlling diffusion is proposed for any situation.

     

Specific fibre composition and metabolism of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">rectus abdominis</Emphasis> muscle of bovine Charolais cattle

Background  

An important variability of contractile and metabolic properties between muscles has been highlighted. In the literature, the majority of studies on beef sensorial quality concerns M. longissimus thoracis. M. rectus abdominis (RA) is easy to sample without huge carcass depreciation and may appear as an alternative to M. longissimus thoracis for fast and routine physicochemical analysis. It was considered interesting to assess the muscle fibres of M. rectus abdominis in comparison with M. longissimus thoracis (LT) and M. triceps brachii (TB) on the basis of metabolic and contractile properties, area and myosin heavy chain isoforms (MyHC) proportions. Immuno-histochemical, histochemical, histological and enzymological techniques were used. This research concerned two populations of Charolais cattle: RA was compared to TB in a population of 19 steers while RA was compared to LT in a population of 153 heifers.     

Evolutionary Pareto distributions

We consider here i.i.d. variables which are distributed according to a Pareto up to some point x₁ and a Pareto (with a different parameter) after this point. This model constitutes an approximation for estimating extreme tail probabilities, especially for financial or insurance data. We estimate the parameters by maximizing the likelihood of the sample, and investigate the rates of convergence and the asymptotic laws. We find here a problem which is very close to the change point question from the point of view of limits of experiments. Especially, the rates of convergence and the limiting law obtained here are the same as in a change point framework. Simulations are giving an illustration of the quality of the procedure.     

Oxoacidity reactions in molten LiCl+KCl eutectic (at 470°C): Potentiometric study of the equilibria of exchange of O2− between Al(III) systems and carbonate and water systems

The reactions between aluminium chloride and oxide anion were studied in molten LiCl+KCl eutectic at 470°C. For that purpose, a pO^2? indicator electrode made with a membrane in yttria-stabilized zirconia has been used and tested by means of a carbonate ion whose dissociation constant, 10^?2.15 atm, was determined. Then, the electrode has allowed us to obtain the formation constant of AlO⁺ (solvated by Cl^?) and the solubility product of Al₂O₃ (S): 10^10.7 and 10^?27.4, respectively (molality scale). The equilibrium constant of the following system: 2HCl (g)+O^2? agH₂O (g)+2Cl^? has also been determined: 10^?9.93 atm mol kg^?1. The conditional solubility of alumina in LiCl+KCl melt is discussed.     

Zur lösungstheorie der zeitunabhängigen Maxwell-schen gleichungen mit der randbedingung n·b=n·d=0 in anisotropen,inhomogenen medien

A contribution to the theory of Maxwell's equation in the time-independent case with the boundary condition n·B=n·D=0 (n outer normal) for the interior and exterior problem of a bounded domain GR³ is given by means of Hilbert space methods. The problem is reduced to one with the boundary condition (in classical notation) n·curl E=n·curl H=0, which permits partial integration of the curl-operator. Carrying the existence and uniqueness theorems which are available in this case back to the original boundary value problem we get corresponding results.