The use of differential photocalorimetry to measure the oxidation induction time of isotatic polypropylene

The widespread use of polymeric materials in many applications requires polymers which are weather resistant. The aim of this study is to examine the usefulness of oxidation induction time (OIT) measurements by differential photocalorimetry (DPC) as a tool for evaluating the ultraviolet (UV) stability of isotatic polypropylene (PPi). DPC was used to measure OIT in PPi formulations containing different concentrations of light and thermal stabilizers. The OIT was measured with and without UV light incidence and the results were compared with the appearance of cracks seen with an optical microscopy, after aging in a Weather-Ometer. The measures of OIT with UV light showed values 25-60% smaller than the values of OIT without light, for different formulations. In this paper, these OIT results will be discussed. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.23446146

Use of oxidation onset temperature measurements for evaluating the oxidative degradation of isotatic polypropylene

The widespread use of polymeric materials in many applications requires polymers that are weather resistant. The aim of this study is to examine the usefulness of oxidation onset temperature measurements as a tool for evaluating oxidative degradation of isotatic polypropylene. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to measure the oxidation onset temperature in formulations of isotatic polypropylene containing different concentrations of light and thermal stabilizers after aging in a Weather-Ometer. Oxidation onset temperature gave better results than oxidation induction time for evaluating the degradation of isotatic polypropylene during aging in a Weather-Ometer. However, both tests showed a poor correlation with the appearance of cracks seen by optical microscopy.121111

Electroweak parameters of the z0 resonance and the standard model

Contains fulltext : 124399.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

The reaction e+ e- ---> gamma gamma (gamma) at Z0 energies

The total and differential cross-sections for the reaction e+e- → γγ(γ) are measured at centre of mass energies around 91 GeV using an integrated luminosity of 4.7 pb-1. The aggreement with QED prediction is good. Consequently there is no evidence for non-standard channels which would have the same experimental signature. The lower limits on the QED cuttoff parameters are Λ+ > 113 GeV and Λ- > 95 GeV. An upper limit on the effective coupling between a possible excited electron and the gamma is derived. At 95% confidence level the branching ratios for Z0 decay into π0γ, ηψ and γγγ are below 1.5 × 10-4, 2.8 × 10-4 and 1.4 × 10-4 respectively.0info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

STUDY OF ORIENTATION OF 3-JET EVENTS IN Z(0) HADRONIC DECAYS USING THE DELPHI DETECTOR

The study of the orientation of three-jet events from e+ e- –> Z0 –> multi-hadrons is presented, in particular the polar angle distributions of the thrust axis and of the normal to the three-jet plane, and the azimuthal correlations between the hadron plane and the one defined by the beam and thrust axes. The data are compared with results at lower energy and with QCD predictions. Good agreement with QCD predictions is observed. The scalar gluon theory is excluded by the data

A MEASUREMENT OF THE LIFETIME OF THE TAU-LEPTON

The lifetime of the tau lepton has been measured by two independent methods using a silicon microvertex detector installed in the DELPHI detector. The signed impact parameter distribution of the one prong decays yielded a lifetime of tau-tau = 321 +/- 36 (stat.) +/- 16 (syst.) fs, while the decay length distribution of three prong decays gave the result tau-tau = 310 +/- 31 (stat. ) +/- 9 (syst.) fs. The final value of the combined result was tau-tau = 314 +/- 25 fs. The ratio of the Fermi coupling constant from tau decay relative to that from muon decay was found to be 0.95 +/- 0.04, compatible with the hypothesis of lepton universality

THE REACTION E+E--] GAMMA-GAMMA(GAMMA) AT Z0 ENERGIES

The total and differential cross-sections for the reaction e+e- –> gamma-gamma(gamma) are measured at centre of mass energies around 91 GeV using an integrated luminosity of 4.7 pb-1. The agreement with the QED prediction is good. Consequently there is no evidence for non-standard channels which would have the same experimental signature. The lower limits on the QED cutoff parameters are LAMBDA+ > 113 GeV and LAMBDA- > 95 GeV. An upper limit on the effective coupling between a possible excited electron and the gamma is derived. At 95% confidence level the branching ratios for Z0 decay into pi-0-gamma, eta-gamma and gamma-gamma-gamma are below 1.5 x 10(-4), 2.8 x 10(-4) and 1.4 x 10(-4) respectively

DETERMINATION OF Z0 RESONANCE PARAMETERS AND COUPLINGS FROM ITS HADRONIC AND LEPTONIC DECAYS

From measurements of the cross sections for e+ e - –> hadrons and the cross sections and forward-backward charge-asymmetries for e+ e- –> e+ e-, mu+ mu- and tau+ tau- at several centre-of-mass energies around the Z0 pole with the DELPHI apparatus, using approximately 150000 hadronic and leptonic events from 1989 and 1990, one determines the following Z0 parameters: the mass and total width M(Z) = 91.177 +/- 0.022 GeV, GAMMA(Z) = 2.465 +/- 0.020 GeV, the hadronic and leptonic partial widths GAMMA(h) = 1.726 +/- 0.019 GeV, GAMMA(t) = 83.4 +/- 0.8 MeV, the invisible width GAMMA(inv) = 488 +/- 17 MeV, the ratio of hadronic over leptonic partial widths R(Z)z = 20.70 +/- 0.29 and the Born level hadronic peak cross section sigma-0 = 41.84 +/- 0.45 nb. A flavour-independent measurement of the leptonic cross section gives very consistent results to those presented above (GAMMA(t) = 83.7 +/- 0.8 MeV). From these results the number of light neutrino species is determined to be N(nu) = 2.94 +/0. 10. The individual leptonic widths obtained are: GAMMA(e) = 82.4 +/- 1.2 MeV, GAMMA(mu) = 86.9 +/- 2.1 MeV and GAMMA(tau) = 82.7 +/- 2.4 MeV. Assuming universality, the squared vector and axial-vector couplings of the Z0 to charged leptons are: VBAR(t)2 = 0.0003 +/- 0.0010 and ABAR(l)2 = 0.2508 +/- 0.0027. These values correspond to the electroweak parameters: rho(eff) = 1.003 +/- 0.011 and sin2-theta(W)eff = 0.241 +/- 0.009. Within the Minimal Standard Model (MSM), the results can be expressed in terms of a single parameter: sin2-theta(W)MSBAR = 0.2338 +/- 0.0027. All these values are in good agreement with the predictions of the MSM. Fits yield 43 < m(top) < 215 GeV at the 95% level. Finally, the measured values of GAMMA(Z) and GAMMA(inv), are used to derive lower mass bounds for possible new particles