Surface effects in nucleation and growth of smectic B crystals in thin samples

We present an experimental study of the surface effects (interactions with the container walls) during the nucleation and growth of smectic B crystals from the nematic in free growth and directional solidification of a mesogenic molecule ($C_4H_9-(C_6H_{10})_2CN$) called CCH4 in thin (of thickness in the 10 $\mu$m range) samples. We follow the dynamics of the system in real time with a polarizing microscope. The inner surfaces of the glass-plate samples are coated with polymeric films, either rubbed polyimid (PI) films or monooriented poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) films deposited by friction at high temperature. The orientation of the nematic and the smectic B is planar. In PI-coated samples, the orientation effect of SmB crystals is mediated by the nematic, whereas, in PTFE-coated samples, it results from a homoepitaxy phenomenon occurring for two degenerate orientations. A recrystallization phenomenon partly destroys the initial distribution of crystal orientations. In directional solidification of polycrystals in PTFE-coated samples, a particular dynamics of faceted grain boundary grooves is at the origin of a dynamical mechanism of grain selection. Surface effects also are responsible for the nucleation of misoriented terraces on facets and the generation of lattice defects in the solid.Comment: 15 pages, 24 figures, submitted to PR

Aggregate breakdown and dispersion of soil samples amended with sugarcane vinasse

Soil aggregation is a very complex issue related to important soil attributes and processes. The aggregate breakdown and dispersion of soil samples amended with sugarcane vinasse were evaluated using ultrasonic energy. Vinasse is an important byproduct of sugarcane industries, intensively applied to soils in Brazil as liquid fertilizer. Samples of two Oxisols and one Ultisol were used in this study. The physical and chemical characterization of soils was performed, and the 1 to 2 mm size aggregates (200 g) were packed in PVC columns (6.0 cm high and 4.0 cm internal diameter) and incubated with sugarcane vinasse under lab conditions for 1, 30 and 60 days. After incubation, aggregates were submitted to levels of ultrasonic energy, and the particle size distribution (53 to 2,000 µm, 2 to 53 µm, and < 2 µm fractions) was quantified. Mathematical equations were used to relate the mass of aggregates in each of these fractions to the applied ultrasonic energy, and parameters related to aggregate stability were then obtained. Soils showed an aggregate-hierarchy resulting in a stepwise breakdown under ultrasonic agitation. Considering this soil-aggregation hierarchy, vinasse contributed even in a short time to the bonding between and within 2 to 53 µm aggregates, mainly in the Oxisols. This may be related to organic compounds present in the vinasse, cementing soil particles. Potassium enrichment of soil samples did not contribute to soil dispersion

The Application of the Symmetry Properties of Optical Second Harmonic Generation to Studies of Interfaces and Gases

Optical second harmonic generation has proven to be a powerful tool for studying interfaces. The symmetry properties of the process allow for surface sensitivity not available with other optical methods. In this thesis, we take advantage of these symmetry properties SHG to study a variety of interesting systems not previously studied with this technique. We show that optical second harmonic generation is an effective surface probe with a submonolayer sensitivity for media without inversion symmetry. We demonstrate the technique at a gallium arsenide surface, exploiting the different symmetry properties of the bulk and surface of the crystal to isolate the surface contribution. We also demonstrate that optical second harmonic generation can be used to determine the anisotropic orientational distribution of a surface monolayer of molecules. We apply the technique to study homogeneously aligned liquid crystal cells. To further explore the LC-polymer interface, we used SHG to study the surface memory effect. The surface memory effect is the rendering of an isotropic interface anisotropic by putting it in contact with an anisotropic bulk. Last, we describe some preliminary measurements of a time-resolved spectroscopic study of the phenomenon of second harmonic generation in a gas. The construction of a 500 microjoule pulsed, tunable laser source is described

A model of discontinuous interest rate behavior, yield curves, and volatility

Interest rates, Yield curve, Levy process,

Abstraction for Stochastic Systems by Erlang’s Method of Stages

This paper proposes a novel abstraction technique based on Erlang’s method of stages for continuous-time Markov chains (CTMCs). As abstract models Erlang-k interval processes are proposed where state residence times are governed by Poisson processes and transition probabilities are specified by intervals. We provide a three-valued semantics of CSL (Continuous Stochastic Logic) for Erlang-k interval processes, and show that both affirmative and negative verification results are preserved by our abstraction. The feasibility of our technique is demonstrated by a quantitative analysis of an enzyme-catalyzed substrate conversion, a well-known case study from biochemistry

Bivariate Markov chain embeddable variables of polynomial type

Success runs, Run lengths, Markov chains, Consecutive-r-out-of-n: F system,