Gauge natural formulation of conformal gravity

We consider conformal gravity as a gauge natural theory. We study its conservation laws and superpotentials. We also consider the Mannheim and Kazanas spherically symmetric vacuum solution and discuss conserved quantities associated to conformal and diffeomorphism symmetries.     

Transport as a consequence of state-dependent diffusion

Overdamped particles subject to a drift in a force field with sinusoidal space dependence and also a sinusoidally modulated space-dependent diffusion, with the same period as the drift, experience a net driving force. The resulting current depends on the amplitude of the modulation of the diffusion and is a periodic function of the phase difference between the sinusoidal drift and the sinusoidal modulation of the diffusion. For small modulation amplitudes a particle subject to state-dependent noise behaves the same way as a particle subject to thermal noise but with a drift which, in addition to the sinusoidal term, contains a net force term [M. Büttiker,Z. Phys. B 68:161 (1987)]. A specific example of this behavior [N. G. van Kampen,IBM J. Res. Dev. 32:107 (1988); R. Landauer,J. Stat. Phys. 53:233 (1988).] is the motion of overdamped particles in a ring subject to a nonuniform temperature field. When the drift and the temperature, which are periodic with a period equal to the ring circumference, are not in phase a noise-induced circulating current results.This paper will appear in a forthcoming issue of theJournal of Statistical Physics.     

Effect of temperature on the luminescence processes of SrAl2O4:Eu

The UV excited and persistent luminescence properties as well as thermoluminescence (TL) of Eu²⁺ doped strontium aluminates, SrAl₂O₄:Eu²⁺ were studied at different temperatures. Two luminescence bands peaking at 445 and 520 nm were observed at 20 K but only the latter at 295 K. Both Sr-sites in the lattice are thus occupied by Eu²⁺ but at room temperature efficient energy transfer occurs between the two sites. The UV excited and persistent luminescence spectra were similar at 295 K but the excitation spectra were different. Thus the luminescent centre is the same in both phenomena but excitation processes are different. Two TL peaks were observed between 50 and 250 °C in the glow curve. Multiple traps were, however, observed by preheating and initial rise methods. With longer delay times only the high temperature TL peak was observed. The persistent luminescence is mainly due to slow fading of the low temperature TL peak but the step-wise feeding process from high temperature traps is also probable.     

Residual currents and corridor of flow in the Rio de la Plata

The Rio de la Plata is a large and shallow water body that discharges onto the Atlantic Ocean. The main driving forces for the river flow are the bathymetry, tides, the outflow from the Paraná and Uruguay rivers and the winds. A numerical model covering the entire river was set up with the objective of increasing our understanding of the hydrographical features and morphological dynamics in the Estuary. The simulations revealed a counter-clockwise residual circulation in the Samborombón Bay and an eastward net flow near the Uruguayan coast. The residual flow is forced by both the tides and the bathymetry. The residence time for the entire river ranges from 40 to 80 days. However, residence times above 120 days was found in the Samborombón Bay. Three corridors of flow have been identified.     

Critical currents in polycrystalline thin films of high-T c superconductors

Summary It is shown that the behaviour of the temperature dependence of the critical current in polycrystalline thin films of high-T _c superconductors depends crucially on the assumption made concerning the nature of the intergranular material. The usual assumption of a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (=SIS) ?sandwich? between each grain leads to a crossover fromI _c∼(1−T/T _c) toI _c∼(1−T/T _c)^3/2, for temperatures nearT _c (whereI _c is the critical current,T the absolute temperature, andT _c the superconducting transition temperature). Instead, for a superconductor-normal metal-superconductor (=SNS) sandwich the dependenceI _c∼(1−T/T _c)² is found for all temperatures. Consideration is given to the effect of self-magnetic field on the analysis. The comparison between expressions for continuous and granular systems is extended. Due to the relevance of its scientific content, this paper has been given priority by the Journal Direction.     

静磁场中的互作用能

讨论了在激发磁场的电流保持不变时和束缚磁荷作为磁场的不变时，两种情况下磁场的相互作用能。结果与静电场类似，两种情况的互作用能中都含有相互磁化，致使物体磁化状态改变作的功。     

Courants caractéristiques et analyse de SEREigen currents and RCS analysis

In this Note, we return to the theory of characteristic modes which was introduced 30 years ago for electromagnetic scattering problems. A simple mathematical framework is proposed and complete definitions are given. The potential interest of this theory in terms of Radar Cross Section (RCS) analysis is then discussed, especially in the low frequency case. Finally, a 3-D example is presented to illustrate the efficiency of this decomposition. To cite this article: Y. Morel et al., C. R. Mecanique 332 (2004).     

Study of thermal aging effect on space charge in poly(methyl methacrylate)

Charges evolution in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) samples under thermal aging effect has been studied by means of two complementary techniques, thermal step method (TSM) and thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC). For the first method, measurements reveal that injected charges, whose quantity is found depending on the number of applied temperature cycles, remain close to the surface sample. TSDC measurements have been carried out for different temperatures ranging from 25 °C to 140 °C. Three distinguishable dipolar relaxations (β₁, β₂ and α) have been highlighted. In the same way, the presence of polarization and injected charges has been confirmed. In support of electric characterization, X-ray reflectometry has been used. The obtained results equally emphasized the thermal aging effect on the material.     

Thermally stimulated current and DSC studies of the broadened glass transition in liquid crystalline polymers

The high sensitivity of the thermally stimulated current, thermal sampling (TS) method is emphasized in a study of the breadth of the glass transition in several liquid-crystalline polymers (LCPs). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was performed on all samples to further quantify the glass transition regions. For “random” copolyester LCPs with widely varying degrees of crystallinity, including highly amorphous samples, very broad glass tran-sition regions were observed. One semicrystalline alternating copolyester and a series of semicrystalline azomethine LCPs were studied as examples of structurally regular polymers. These exhibited relatively sharp glass transitions more comparable to ordinary isotropic amorphous or semicrystalline polymers. The broad glass transitions in the random copolyesters are attributed to structural heterogeneity of the chains. In one example of a moderate-crystallinity random copolyester LCP (Vectra), glass transitions ranging up to ca. 150°C in breadth were determined by the thermal sampling (TS) method and DSC. In other lower crystallinity copolyester LCPs, the main glass transition temperature as determined by DSC was comparable to that determined by TSC although cooperative relaxations of a minor fraction of the overall relaxing species were detected well below the main T_g, by the TS method and not by DSC. Rapid quenches from the isotropic melt to an isotropic glass were possible with one LCP. The anisotropic and isotropic glassy states for this LCP were found to have the same breadth of the glass transition as was determined by the TS method, although TSC and DSC show that T_g is shifted downward by ca. 15°C in the anisotropic glass as compared to the isotropic glass. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Influence of photogeneration centers on the intensity of a thermally stimulated current transport peak. Application to poly(N-vinylcarbazole)

The influence of coulomb centers (coulomb traps and photogeneration centers) on the intensity of a thermally stimulated current (TSC) transport peak is examined. We apply these concepts to account for the field dependent transport charge associated to the area under the TSC traces resulting from poly(N-vinylcarbazole).Dedicated to Professor Dr. F. H. Müller.