Smooth crossing of wΛ=−1w_{\Lambda} = -1 line in a single scalar field model

Smooth double crossing of the phantom divide line $w_{\Lambda}=-1$ has been found possible with a single minimally coupled scalar field for the most simple form of generalized k-essence cosmological model, in the presence of background cold dark matter. Such crossing is a sufficiently late time transient phenomena and does not have any pathological behaviour.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

Glass transition in Ultrathin Polymer Films : A Thermal Expansion Study

Glass transition process gets affected in ultrathin films having thickness comparable to the size of the molecules. We observe systematic broadening of glass transition temperature (Tg) as the thickness of the polymer film reduces below the radius of gyration but the change in the average Tg was found to be very small. Existence of reversible negative and positive thermal expansion below and above Tg increased the sensitivity of our thickness measurements performed using energy dispersive x-ray reflectivity. A simple model of Tg variation as a function of depth expected from sliding motion could explain the results. We observe clear glass transition even for 4 nm polystyrene film that was predicted to be absent from ellipsometry measurements of thicker films.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Cooperative jumps and hop-back motion in supercooled liquids near the glass transition in binary colloids

Brownian Dynamics simulations on binary charged colloids have been performed to get a liquid to crystal (at volume fraction Φ = 0.2) or glass (Φ = 0.3) as the temperature is lowered. The subdiffusive and staircase behaviours of the mean-squared displacements as well as the behaviour of van-Hove self-correlation functions for the supercooled liquid with Φ = 0.3 indicate strongly cooperative particle motion. The van-Hove distinct correlations follow a factorization property predicted by the mode-coupling theory. Most interestingly, a few particles show an interconnected cooperative hop and subseqent hop-back motion very close to the glass transition

Coupling parameters and the form of the potential via Noether symmetry

We explore the conditions for the existence of Noether symmetries in the dynamics of FRW metric, non minimally coupled with a scalar field, in the most general situation, and with nonzero spatial curvature. When such symmetries are present we find general exact solution for the Einstein equations. We also show that non Noether symmetries can be found. Finally,we present an extension of the procedure to the Kantowski- Sachs metric which is particularly interesting in the case of degenerate Lagrangian.Comment: 13 pages, no figure

Noether symmetry in the higher order gravity theory

Noether symmetry for higher order gravity theory has been explored, with the introduction of an auxiliary variable which gives the only correct quantum desccription of the theory, as shown in a series of earlier papers. The application of Noether theorem in higher order theory of gravity turned out to be a powerful tool to find the solution of the field equations. A few such physically reasonable solutions like power law inflation are presented.Comment: 9 page

Biological similarity of enterotoxins of Vibrio cholerae serotypes other than type 1 to cholera toxin and Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin

Vibrio cholerae serotypes other than type 1, the so-called NAG vibrios, have been recognised as an important cause of diarrhoea. A few of them have been shown to produce an enterotoxin similar, immunologically and physiologically, to cholera toxin; and cholera toxin has been shown to be structurally, functionally and immunologically identical with Escherichia coli heat-labile toxin (LT). The present investigation has demonstrated biological similarities among cholera toxin, E. coli LT and enterotoxins produced by strains of V. cholerae of 59 serotypes other than 1, in the biological models, rabbit ileal loops and rabbit skin. Culture filtrates of almost all the strains were neutralised completely and all filtrates showed some neutralisation, in enterotoxic action and increase of permeability, by cholera antitoxin and E. coli LT antiserum. The partial neutralisation observed in a few strains was probably due to high concentrations of identical toxin rather than the presence of other toxic substances

Extraction of density profile for near perfect multilayers

A simple inversion scheme, based on Born approximation, to determine the electron density profile of near perfect multilayers from specular X-ray reflectivity data has been presented. This scheme is useful for semiconductor multilayers and other thin films, which are grown almost according to the designed parameters. We also indicate the possibility of separating out the contribution of interdiffusion and roughness in electron density profiles of interfaces by utilizing information obtained from the analysis of diffuse scattering data. The extracted compositional profile was used to calculate structural details of epitaxial films along the growth direction. Simulated and metal organic vapor phase epitaxy grown InP/InxGa1−xAs/InP quantum-well systems have been used to demonstrate this scheme

Erosion - Deposition in Hooghly Estuary

An attempt has been made to give an overall idea of erosion-deposition at theBalari-Haldia-Gangra reach of the Hooghly estuary in India. The sediment transport relationships developed by van Rijn and AcKers- White have been tried. Calculation of bed-load transport has beenmade based on'bed material sizes, flow conditions, depth and width of the channels, during 1993-97 Comparison of the results indicates the discrepancies between calculated and observed quantum of deposition/erosion to the extent of 0.6 to 0 :8 times in case ofvan Rijn ' sequation and 0.8 to 1.8 times incase of Ackers-White's model. Results sugges  that the Haldia-Balari channel is deteriorating due toaccumulation of sediment