Site evaluation for laser satellite-tracking stations

Twenty-six locations for potential laser satellite-tracking stations, four of them actually already occupied in this role, are reviewed in terms of their known local and regional geology and geophysics. The sites are also considered briefly in terms of weather and operational factors. Fifteen of the sites qualify as suitable for a stable station whose motions are likely to reflect only gross plate motion. The others, including two of the present laser station sites (Arequipa and Athens), fail to qualify unless extra monitoring schemes can be included, such as precise geodetic surveying of ground deformation

Bose-Einstein condensation in linear sigma model at Hartree and large N approximation

The BEC of charged pions is investigated in the framework of O(4) linear sigma model. By using Cornwall-Jackiw-Tomboulis formalism, we have derived the gap equations for the effective masses of the mesons at finite temperature and finite isospin density. The BEC is discussed in chiral limit and non-chiral limit at Hartree approximation and also at large N approximation.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figure

Simultaneous reactive dyeing and surface modification of polyamide fabric with TiO₂ precursor finish using a one-step hydrothermal process

In this article, the approach of dyeing polyamide (PA) fabric by using C.I. Reactive Blue 19 dye and simultaneously modifying it with titanium dioxide precursor under hydrothermal conditions is developed. The anthraquinone-based Reactive Blue 19 dye, which is more resistant to biodegradation owing to its fused aromatic structure compared to an azo-based one, is utilized as a model compound in this research to demonstrate the photodegradation effect of TiO₂ on reactive dyes. It is shown that a layer of TiO₂ nanoparticles is homogeneously coated on fiber surfaces and their particle sizes are smaller than those remaining in the residual dyeing liquors. The crystallinity and optical properties of the resultant PA fabrics are changed due to this hydrothermal dyeing process. In comparison with the dyed-only PA fabrics, the PA fabrics dyed and simultaneously modified with anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles exhibit better color fastness against artificial light (xenon) while maintain similar grades of color fastness against washing with soap, wet scrubbing, dry cleaning as well as dry/wet rubbing. While changes in tensile strength, elongation and water absorbency of the resultant PA fabrics were not found, the addition of tetrabutyl titanate in the dyeing liquor is proved to facilitate the reaction of reactive dye with PA fabric and the resultant PA fabric shade. More interestingly, it is noticed that the residual dyeing liquor can be photodegraded after 50 mins of either UV or visible light irradiation, and the dyeing wastewater can thus be released in an eco-friendly manner to the environment

Gravitational Lenses With More Than Four Images: I. Classification of Caustics

We study the problem of gravitational lensing by an isothermal elliptical density galaxy in the presence of a tidal perturbation. When the perturbation is fairly strong and oriented near the galaxy's minor axis, the lens can produce image configurations with six or even eight highly magnified images lying approximately on a circle. We classify the caustic structures in the model and identify the range of models that can produce such lenses. Sextuple and octuple lenses are likely to be rare because they require special lens configurations, but a full calculation of the likelihood will have to include both the existence of lenses with multiple lens galaxies and the strong magnification bias that affects sextuple and octuple lenses. At optical wavelengths these lenses would probably appear as partial or complete Einstein rings, but at radio wavelengths the individual images could probably be resolved.Comment: 30 pages, including 12 postscript figures; accepted for publication in Ap

Fabrication of magnetized polyester fabric grafted with β-cyclodextrin for controlled release of menthol

The technology of producing a magnetized polyester fabric for controlled and accelerated release of menthol in potential biomedical applications is reported in this paper. The magnetized polyester fabric is prepared in a facile hydrothermal process and subsequently modified with aminopropyltriethoxysilane, grafted with carboxylated β-cyclodextrin, and loaded with menthol under hydrothermal conditions. The microstructure, thermal and magnetic properties of both carboxylated β-cyclodextrins and magnetized polyester fabrics grafted with β-cyclodextrins are characterized by using field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy techniques. It is evident that the carboxylated β-cyclodextrin is synthesized and successfully grafted on the surface of the modified magnetic polyester fabric. Both hyperthermia effect and controlled release behavior of the magnetized polyester fabric loaded with menthol are measured under high-frequency alternating current magnetic fields. It is found that the menthol included in β-cyclodextrin could be released in a controlled and accelerated way under external alternating current magnetic fields

Photocatalytic Activities of PET Filaments Deposited with N-Doped TiO2 Nanoparticles Sensitized with Disperse Blue Dyes

In this study, the enhanced photocatalytic activities of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) filaments deposited with N-doped Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles sensitized with water insoluble disperse blue SE–2R dye were investigated. The PET filaments were loaded with two types of N-doped TiO2 nanoparticles, one with and the other without being sensitized with disperse blue SE–2R dye, in one-pot hydrothermal process respectively. The differences in photocatalytic activities between the N-doped TiO2 and the dye-sensitized N-doped TiO2 nanoparticles when exposed to both UV rays and visible lights were analyzed and compared by using their photodegradations of methylene blue (MB) dye. It was demonstrated that the disperse blue dye facilitated the electron–hole separation in N-doped TiO2 nanoparticles faster under UV irradiation than that under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the PET filaments loaded with dye-sensitized N-doped TiO2 nanoparticles exposure to UV irradiation, in comparison with that under visible light irradiation, was attributed to both improved light absorption capacity and high separation efficiency of photo-generated electron–hole pairs. Furthermore, the conduction band and band gap of the PET filaments deposited with N-doped TiO2 nanoparticles sensitized with disperse blue SE–2R dye were influenced by the wavelength of light sources, while its valence band was not affected. The PET filaments deposited with dye-sensitized N-doped TiO2 nanoparticles have a potential application to degrade organic pollutants

Enhanced Photocatalytic Properties of PET Filaments Coated with Ag-N Co-Doped TiO2 Nanoparticles Sensitized with Disperse Blue Dyes

In this study, the effects of disperse blue dye-sensitization on the photocatalytic properties of the Ag-N co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles loaded on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) filaments are investigated under visible light irradiation. The microstructure and photocatalytic properties of the as-synthesized TiO2 nanocomposites, as well as the as-prepared PET filaments, are systematically characterized. The photocatalytic performance of the PET filaments coated with the Ag-N co-doped TiO2 nanoparticles sensitized with disperse blue dyes is evaluated via its capacity of photo-degrading methyl orange (MO) dyes under visible light irradiation. It is found that the holes are the predominant reactive radical species and the hydroxyl and superoxide radicals play a subordinate role in the photocatalytic reaction process. The reaction rate constant of the photocatalytic composite filaments is nearly 4.0 times higher than that of the PET filaments loaded solely with TiO2 nanoparticles. The resultant photocatalytic composite filaments are evident to be capable of repeatedly photo-degrading MO dyes without losing its photocatalytic activity significantly