High performance Pd/beta catalyst for the production of gasoline-range iso-paraffins via a modified Fischer–Tropsch reaction

The direct synthesis of gasoline-range iso-paraffins from synthesis gas (CO + H₂, syngas) via a modified Fischer–Tropsch (FT) reaction was intensively studied under a wide range of reaction conditions by the combination of Co/SiO₂ and Pd/beta in a consecutive dual reactor system. Results indicate that high selectivity of gasoline-range iso-paraffins (iso-paraffins relative to C₄+ hydrocarbons was about 80%) could be achieved with the presence of Pd/beta catalyst in the lower reactor. Moreover, the performance of the Pd/beta catalyst for the titled reaction and the product composition can be significantly regulated by independently changing the reaction conditions such as catalyst amount, reaction temperature, and hydrogen partial pressure in the lower reactor. It was found that the Pd/beta catalyst used in this work was very active and stable even at a reaction temperature as low as 503 K. With the increase of hydrogen partial pressure in the lower reactor, the long-term stability of the Pd/beta catalyst was significantly enhanced.     

Magnetic probe array with high sensitivity for fluctuating field

A magnetic probe array is constructed to measure precisely the spatial structure of a small fluctuating field included in a strong confinement field that varies with time. To exclude the effect of the confinement field, the magnetic probes consisting of figure-eight-wound coils are prepared. The spatial structure of the fluctuating field is obtained from a Fourier analysis of the probe signal. It is found that the probe array is more sensitive to the fluctuating field with a high mode number than that with a low mode number. An experimental demonstration of the present method is attempted using a field-reversed configuration plasma, where the fluctuating field with 0.1% of the confinement field is successfully detected.     

Novel photoactive aggregates of rhodamine 6G: dequenched and quasi-stable aggregates induced by a dewetting process

Self-organized rhodamine 6G particles prepared by wetting/dewetting process of an ethanol solution on a hydrophilic glass surface exhibits fluorescence without quenching, showing a sharp linewidth of 2nm with a large redshift, which indicates an existence of dye aggregates, similar to J-aggregates, inside the particle. Polarized evanescent field excitation showed that the dye molecule's transition moment along the pi-conjugation was oriented unidirectionally within particles and parallel to the substrate surface. This deduced dye orientation showed correlation between adjacent, but separated, particles and pointed roughly 45 degrees off the dewetting direction. In contrast, the particles of another pi-conjugated NK1420 dye, J-aggregates of which grows easily from an oversaturated solution, showed dye orientation along the dewetting direction preferably, still indicating the effect of self-organization, however based on a different mechanism. An annealing procedure revealed that both aggregates are in quasi-stable states, which is consistent with the rapidness of the dewetting process that may lead to crystallization in nonequilibrium.     

Development of ultra-stable Ni catalysts for CO2 reforming of methane

Carbon deposition behavior in CO₂ reforming of methane, methane decomposition, and CO disproportionation on nickel-magnesia solid solution was investigated by means of thermogravimetric analysis and temperature programmed reaction of deposited carbon with carbon dioxide. It was found that rapid oxidation of CH_x on Ni surface by oxygen species from CO₂ through dissociation at metal-support interface is a key step for the inhibition of carbon formation.     

Eu-doped LiF-SrF2 eutectic scintillators for neutron detection

Eu²⁺ 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.2% activated LiF-SrF₂ eutectic scintillators were prepared by the Bridgman method using ⁶Li enriched (95%) raw material. The α-ray-induced radio luminescence spectra showed intense emission peak at 430 nm due to an emission from Eu²⁺ 5d-4f transition in the Eu:SrF₂ layers. When excited by ²⁵²Cf neutrons, all the samples exhibited almost the same light yields of 5000-7000 ph/n with a typical decay times of several hundreds ns.     

Current dependence of performance of TES microcalorimeters and characteristics of excess noise

We are developing transition edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeter arrays for future Japanese astronomy missions. Although 6.6 eV energy resolution for 5.9 keV and 74 μs decay time are achieved, our energy resolution was limited by the excess noise of unknown origin. The dominant noise showed 1/R dependence and it only appeared when the current through the TES, I, is larger than 10 μA. This is explained if we assume a constant voltage noise source with a level of 2(4kT_CR_n)^1/2. We also investigated the influence of I on the TES performance and found the TES sensitivity is reduced when the ratio of current to the critical current I/I_C is large. It can explain the reduction of observed when operated without a magnetic shield. We also found a strong correlation between I_C and or the baseline width. Thus, we conclude that I_C is an essential parameter for the TES performance.     

Fritless packed columns for capillary electrochromatography: separation of uncharged compounds on hydrophobic hydrogels

A novel column is described that does not require frits to keep packing material within a capillary. A continuous bed is prepared in situ in aqueous solution by radical copolymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (the resultant gel is denoted poly(AMPS-co-IPAAm). N,N'-Methylenebisacrylamide is used for cross-linking. On the application of an electrical field, electroosmotic flow (EOF) is developed in the bed along the capillary, where fluid propulsion would be otherwise difficult to achieve. The resultant EOF transports neutral compounds through the column without forcing the gel out of the capillary. Examination of the fluid motion in the continuous bed using a video microscope system and an image processor shows a relatively flat flow profile of EOF. The bed functions as the stationary phase for reversed-phase capillary electrochromatography (CEC). This new approach is an alternative to packed capillary columns which have been used previously in CEC. A high efficiency is obtained for a steroid which is separated on a 4.0% total monomer concentration (T), 10.0% degree of cross-linking (C), and 10.0% mole fraction of AMPS in the total monomer (S), poly(AMPS-co-IPAAm) column. A mixture of polyaromatic hydrocarbons is separated on a 6.9% T, 5.8% C, and 5.5% S poly(AMPS-co-IPAAm) column. The capacity factor of benzo[a]pyrene increases from 0.63 to 1.91 as the acetonitrile content in a Tris-boric acid buffer is decreased from 45 to 30% (v/v). The run-to-run RSD of analyte migration time is less than 0.73%, and the day-to-day RSD is acceptable. Potential benefits of this approach are also mentioned.     

The role of numerical simulation for the development of an advanced HIFU system

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been used clinically and is under clinical trials to treat various diseases. An advanced HIFU system employs ultrasound techniques for guidance during HIFU treatment instead of magnetic resonance imaging in current HIFU systems. A HIFU beam imaging for monitoring the HIFU beam and a localized motion imaging for treatment validation of tissue are introduced briefly as the real-time ultrasound monitoring techniques. Numerical simulations have a great impact on the development of real-time ultrasound monitoring as well as the improvement of the safety and efficacy of treatment in advanced HIFU systems. A HIFU simulator was developed to reproduce ultrasound propagation through the body in consideration of the elasticity of tissue, and was validated by comparison with in vitro experiments in which the ultrasound emitted from the phased-array transducer propagates through the acrylic plate acting as a bone phantom. As the result, the defocus and distortion of the ultrasound propagating through the acrylic plate in the simulation quantitatively agree with that in the experimental results. Therefore, the HIFU simulator accurately reproduces the ultrasound propagation through the medium whose shape and physical properties are well known. In addition, it is experimentally confirmed that simulation-assisted focus control of the phased-array transducer enables efficient assignment of the focus to the target. Simulation-assisted focus control can contribute to design of transducers and treatment planning.     

Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy on Overdoped Bi2Sr2?xLaxCuO6+δ

We have performed low-temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy on overdoped Bi₂Sr_2−x La _x CuO_6+δ (x=0.1 and 0.2) at 4.2 K. The tunneling spectra in both samples obviously exhibit two energy gaps: one has clear gap structure with sharp gap edge peaks, and another is observed as kinks inside the larger gap. Both the energy gaps inhomogeneously vary on the surface at nanometer scale, and their values positively correlate each other. The distributions of both gaps normalized to the mean values are identical independent of the doping level. These results suggest that the two gaps are commonly affected by the source of the electronic disorder.