The Cosmological Gene Project: cluster analysis of the atmospheric fluctuations on arcmin-scale imaging of the Cosmic Microwave Background

We discuss some aspects of the Cosmological Gene Project started at the Special Astrophysical Observatory (Russia) in 1999. The goal of the project is to measure the anisotropy and polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and investigation of atmospheric fluctuations and foreground on arcmin-scales using the radio-telescope RATAN-600. We develop the cluster analysis of one-dimensional random fields for the application to the RATAN-600 scans. We analyze the specific properties of peak clusterisation in the RATAN-600 scans which to separate the primordial CMB signal from noise.Comment: Submitted to Astronomy & Astrophysic

Universality in the distribution of caustics in the expanding Universe

We numerically investigate the long--time evolution of density perturbations after the first appearance of caustics in an expanding cosmological model with one--dimensional `single--wave' initial conditions. Focussing on the time--intervals of caustic appearances and the spatial distribution of caustics at subsequent times, we find that the time--intervals of caustic appearances approach a constant, i.e., their time--subsequent ratio converges to 1; it is also found that the spatial distribution of caustics at a given time features some universality rules, e.g., the ratio between the position of the nearest caustic from the center and that of the second nearest caustic from the center approaches a constant. Furthermore we find some rules for the mass distribution for each caustic. Using these universality constants we are in the position to predict the spatial distribution of caustics at an arbitrary time in order to give an estimate for the power spectral index in the fully--developed non--dissipative turbulent (`virialized') regime.Comment: 23 pages, 19 figure

Smart windows: cation internal and anion external activation for electrochromic films of nickel hydroxide

Two methods - internal and external - were used for improving the electrochemical activity and electrochromic properties of Ni(OH)2 films. In the case of internal activation, Al3+ ions were added to the electrolyte composition during the electrochemical precipitation process. In the case of external activation, [Fe(CN)6]4− ions were used in the electrolyte during the cycling process. In all the experiments there were used Ni(OH)2 films synthesized by the electrochemical template method with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) addition to the electrolyte composition. It was shown that the addition of [Fe(CN)6]4− ions into the electrolyte for cycling leads to significant improvement of electrochemical and electrochromic (colorization-bleaching) properties. At the same time, the addition of Al3+ ions into the electrolyte for Ni(OH)2 films precipitation leads to drastic worsening of their properties. Also, possible mechanisms of Al3+ and [Fe(CN)6]4− ions influence were considered in this work

Blue spectra and induced formation of primordial black holes

We investigate the statistical properties of primordial black hole (PBH) formation in the very early Universe. We show that the high level of inhomogeneity of the early Universe leads to the formation of the first generation PBHs. %The existence of these PBHs This causes later the appearance of a dust-like phase of the cosmological expansion. We discuss here a new mechanism for the second generation of PBH formation during the dust-like phase. This mechanism is based on the coagulation process. We demonstrate that the blue power spectrum of initial adiabatic perturbations after inflation leads to overproduction of primordial black holes with $10^9$g$\le M\le10^{15}$g if the power index is $n\ge1.2$.Comment: 16 pages, 2 figure

Inflation: flow, fixed points and observables to arbitrary order in slow roll

I generalize the inflationary flow equations of Hoffman and Turner to arbitrary order in slow roll. This makes it possible to study the predictions of slow roll inflation in the full observable parameter space of tensor/scalar ratio $r$, spectral index $n$, and running $d n / d \ln k$. It also becomes possible to identify exact fixed points in the parameter flow. I numerically evaluate the flow equations to fifth order in slow roll for a set of randomly chosen initial conditions and find that the models cluster strongly in the observable parameter space, indicating a ``generic'' set of predictions for slow roll inflation. I comment briefly on the the interesting proposed correspondence between flow in inflationary parameter space and renormalization group flow in a boundary conformal field theory.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures. LaTeX. V4: Fixed important error in numerical constant in the second-order slow roll expressions for the observables r, n, and dn/dlog(k). See footnote after Eq. (48). New figures, minor changes to conclusions. Supersedes version published in Phys. Rev.

Sensory Communication

Contains table of contents for Section 2, an introduction and reports on twelve research projects.National Institutes of Health Grant 5 R01 DC00117National Institutes of Health Contract 2 P01 DC00361National Institutes of Health Grant 5 R01 DC00126National Institutes of Health Grant R01-DC00270U.S. Air Force - Office of Scientific Research Contract AFOSR-90-0200National Institutes of Health Grant R29-DC00625U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research Grant N00014-88-K-0604U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research Grant N00014-91-J-1454U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research Grant N00014-92-J-1814U.S. Navy - Naval Training Systems Center Contract N61339-93-M-1213U.S. Navy - Naval Training Systems Center Contract N61339-93-C-0055U.S. Navy - Naval Training Systems Center Contract N61339-93-C-0083U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research Grant N00014-92-J-4005U.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research Grant N00014-93-1-119

Influence of Temperature on the Characteristics of Ni(II), Ti(IV) Layered Double Hydroxides Synthesised by Different Methods

The influence of temperature on the characteristics of Ni(II)–Ti(IV) LDH was investigated in the work.Ni(II)–Ti(IV) layered double hydroxides were synthesized from a solution of Ni2+ and Ti4+ with the cationic ratio of Ni2+/Ti4+=5 by using three coprecipitation techniques: titration, coprecipitation at high supersaturation and homogeneous coprecipitation. The prepared samples were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).By means of XRD, it was revealed that all samples prepared using titration and coprecipitation at high supersaturation at 65 and 20 oC correspond to Ni-Ti LDH structure. Elevated temperature during sample preparation using titration and coprecipitation at high supersaturation did not have a significant effect on phase composition, but affected the crystallinity. According to XRD results, the sample prepared using homogeneous coprecipitation at 70 oC had a significant content of b-Ni(OH)2. Increasing the synthesis temperature to 80 oC has led to the almost complete disappearance of b-Ni(OH)2 reflections.By means of TGA and DSC, it was found that titration method leads to formation of samples with higher thermal stability than those prepared by high supersaturation. Elevated temperature and hydrothermal treatment leads to higher thermal stability of the samples. Samples prepared by homogeneous coprecipitation show complicated behavior during thermal decomposition, confirming the presence of cyanate ions in the interlayer gallery