Simplicial Gravity in Dimension Greater than Two

We consider two issues in the DT model of quantum gravity. First, it is shown that the triangulation space for D>3 is dominated by triangulations containing a single singular (D-3)-simplex composed of vertices with divergent dual volumes. Second we study the ergodicity of current simulation algorithms. Results from runs conducted close to the phase transition of the four-dimensional theory are shown. We see no strong indications of ergodicity br eaking in the simulation and our data support recent claims that the transition is most probably first order. Furthermore, we show that the critical properties of the system are determined by the dynamics of remnant singular vertices.Comment: Talk presented at LATTICE96(gravity

The Block Spin Renormalization Group Approach and Two-Dimensional Quantum Gravity

A block spin renormalization group approach is proposed for the dynamical triangulation formulation of two-dimensional quantum gravity. The idea is to update link flips on the block lattice in response to link flips on the original lattice. Just as the connectivity of the original lattice is meant to be a lattice representation of the metric, the block links are determined in such a way that the connectivity of the block lattice represents a block metric. As an illustration, this approach is applied to the Ising model coupled to two-dimensional quantum gravity. The correct critical coupling is reproduced, but the critical exponent is obscured by unusually large finite size effects.Comment: 10 page

Simplicial Gravity in Dimension Greater than Two

We consider two issues in the DT model of quantum gravity. First, it is shown that the triangulation space for D\u3e3 is dominated by triangulations containing a single singular (D-3)-simplex composed of vertices with divergent dual volumes. Second we study the ergodicity of current simulation algorithms. Results from runs conducted close to the phase transition of the four-dimensional theory are shown. We see no strong indications of ergodicity br eaking in the simulation and our data support recent claims that the transition is most probably first order. Furthermore, we show that the critical properties of the system are determined by the dynamics of remnant singular vertices

Baby Universes in 4d Dynamical Triangulation

We measure numerically the distribution of baby universes in the crumpled phase of the dynamical triangulation model of 4d quantum gravity. The relevance of the results to the issue of an exponential bound is discussed. The data are consistent with the existence of such a bound.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Singular Vertices and the Triangulation Space of the D-sphere

By a sequence of numerical experiments we demonstrate that generic triangulations of the $D-$sphere for $D>3$ contain one {\it singular} $(D-3)-$simplex. The mean number of elementary $D-$simplices sharing this simplex increases with the volume of the triangulation according to a simple power law. The lower dimension subsimplices associated with this $(D-3)-$simplex also show a singular behaviour. Possible consequences for the DT model of four-dimensional quantum gravity are discussed.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figure

Kinetics and mechanism of the reduction of NOx by H2 in oxygen - rich atmospheres on a Pt-Mo-Co / a-Al2O3 catalyst

The kinetics and the mechanism of the selective reduction of nitric oxides (NOx) by hydrogen is studied on a trimetallic Pt–Mo–Co/a-Al2O3 catalyst under oxidising conditions. This system is interesting in view of an exhaust gas control of power plants or lean-burn cars. It can be shown that the NO dissociation is the crucial step, dominating the overall reaction behaviour and that it depends on temperature and on the partial pressure of H2. With increasing temperatures the reaction reveals an autocatalytic behaviour resulting in bistability and hysteresis. At higher temperatures, where no bistability is found, the NO/H2 as well as the competing O2/H2 reaction occur only above a certain critical partial pressure of H2. The kinetics of the NO/H2/O2 reaction are established using a modified Langmuir–Hinshelwood model (T=142°C–160°C, yO2>4%) which takes into account the critical H2 partial pressure. The model describes the experimental data within ±15%. The determined activation energies are: 63 kJ/mol for the NOx consumption, 77 and 45 kJ/mol for the N2 and N2O formation, respectively, and 130 kJ/mol for the O2/H2 reaction. Adsorption enthalpies are determined to -59 kJ/mol for the adsorption of H2, -77 kJ/mol for the adsorption of NO and -97 kJ/mol for the adsorption of O2. An interesting feature of the reaction is the enhancement of the NO/H2 reaction by oxygen for low partial pressures of O2. This appears to be the first study where a promoting effect of oxygen for the NO/H2 reaction is found on a platinum supported catalyst

The Phase Diagram of Crystalline Surfaces

We report the status of a high-statistics Monte Carlo simulation of non-self-avoiding crystalline surfaces with extrinsic curvature on lattices of size up to $128^2$ nodes. We impose free boundary conditions. The free energy is a gaussian spring tethering potential together with a normal-normal bending energy. Particular emphasis is given to the behavior of the model in the cold phase where we measure the decay of the normal-normal correlation function.Comment: 9 pages latex (epsf), 4 EPS figures, uuencoded and compressed. Contribution to Lattice '9

In-situ drift spectroscopy in a continuous recycle reactor: a versatile tool for catalytic process research

Diffuse Reflectance IR Fourier-Transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy is an increasingly popular technique in catalysis research as it permits in situ observation of the reactor bed in powd. or granular form. However, DRIFTS in its conventional form suffers from temp.-gradient problems. One soln. is to couple the DRIFTS cell with a continuous recycle flow system. The value of such an arrangement is illustrated via studies of the kinetics and mechanism of CO2 methanation over Ru/TiO2 under transient and steady-state conditions. Metal-absorbed CO is identified as the main reaction intermediate through titrn. to CH4 in transient hydrogenation. The COad is probably supplied via rapid establishment of the reverse water gas shift equil.: H2 + CO2 -> COad + H2O involving adsorbed formate intermediate(s). [on SciFinder (R)

Ising-link Quantum Gravity

We define a simplified version of Regge quantum gravity where the link lengths can take on only two possible values, both always compatible with the triangle inequalities. This is therefore equivalent to a model of Ising spins living on the links of a regular lattice with somewhat complicated, yet local interactions. The measure corresponds to the natural sum over all 2^links configurations, and numerical simulations can be efficiently implemented by means of look-up tables. In three dimensions we find a peak in the ``curvature susceptibility'' which grows with increasing system size. However, the value of the corresponding critical exponent as well as the behavior of the curvature at the transition differ from that found by Hamber and Williams for the Regge theory with continuously varying link lengths.Comment: 11 page