Sulfur-tolerant NOx storage traps: an infrared and thermodynamic study of the reactions of alkali and alkaline-earth metal sulfates

The sulfur tolerance of a barium-containing NOx storage/reduction trap was investigated using infrared analysis. It was confirmed that barium carbonate could be replaced by barium sulfate by reaction with low concentrations of sulfur dioxide (50 ppm) in the presence of large concentrations of carbon dioxide (10%) at temperatures up to 700 degreesC. These sulfates could at least be partially removed by switching to hydrogen-rich conditions at elevated temperatures. Thermodynamic calculations were used to evaluate the effects of gas composition and temperature on the various reactions of barium sulfate and carbonate under oxidizing and reducing conditions. These calculations clearly showed that if, under a hydrogen-rich atmosphere, carbon dioxide is included as a reactant and barium carbonate as a product then barium sulfate can be removed by reaction with carbon dioxide at a much lower temperature than is possible by decomposition to barium oxide. It was also found that if hydrogen sulfide was included as a product of decomposition of barium sulfate instead of sulfur dioxide then the temperature of reaction could be significantly lowered. Similar calculations were conducted using a selection of other alkaline-earth and alkali metals. In this case calculations were simulated in a gas mixture containing carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide with partial pressures similar to those encountered in real exhausts during switches to rich conditions. The results indicated that there are metals such as lithium and strontium with less stable sulfates than barium, which may also possess sufficient NOx storage capacity to give sulfur-tolerant NOx traps.

The first polarimetric signatures of infrared jets in X-ray binaries

We present near-infrared linear spectropolarimetry of a sample of persistent X-ray binaries, Sco X-1, Cyg X-2, and GRS 1915+105. The slopes of the spectra are shallower than what is expected from a standard steady state accretion disk, and can be explained if the near-infrared flux contains a contribution from an optically thin jet. For the neutron star systems, Sco X-1 and Cyg X-2, the polarization levels at 2.4 mu m are 1.3% +/- 0.10% and 5.4% +/- 0.7%, respectively, which is greater than the polarization level at 1.65 mu m. This cannot be explained by interstellar polarization or electron scattering in the anisotropic environment of the accretion flow. We propose that the most likely explanation is that this is the polarimetric signature of synchrotron emission arising from close to the base of the jets in these systems. In the black hole system GRS 1915+105 the observed polarization, although high (5.0% +/- 1.2% at 2.4 mu m), may be consistent with interstellar polarization. For Sco X-1 the position angle of the radio jet on the sky is approximately perpendicular to the near-infrared position angle (electric vector), suggesting that the magnetic field is aligned with the jet. These observations may be a first step toward probing the ordering, alignment, and variability of the outflow magnetic field in a region closer to the central accreting object than is observed in the radio band.

Near-infrared spectroscopy of PKS 1549-79: a protoquasar revealed?

We present a near-infrared (near-IR) spectrum of the nearby radio galaxy PKS 1549-79 (z = 0.153). These data were taken with the aim of testing the idea that this object contains a quasar nucleus that is moderately extinguished, despite evidence that its radio jet points close to our line of sight. We detect broad Paalpha emission (FWHM 1745 +/- 40 km s(-1)), relatively bright continuum emission, and a continuum slope consistent with a reddened quasar spectrum (3.1 <A(V) <7.3), all emitted by an unresolved point source. Therefore we conclude that we have, indeed, detected a hidden quasar nucleus in PKS 1549-79. Combined with previous results, these observations are consistent with the idea that PKS 1549-79 is a young radio source in which the cocoon of debris left over from the triggering events has not yet been swept aside by circumnuclear outflows.

Synthesis of a neodymium-quinolate complex for near-infrared electroluminescence applications

A structurally pure, near-infrared emissive Nd-(5,7-dichloro-8-hydroxyquinoline)4 tetrakis complex has been synthesized. When incorporated as a dopant in the blue emissive, hole conducting polymer poly(N-vinylcarbazole), PVK, sensitized neodymium ion emission was observed following photo-excitation of the polymer host. OLED devices were fabricated by spin-casting layers of the doped polymer onto glass/indium tin oxide (ITO)/3,4-polyethylene-dioxythiophene-polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT) substrates. An external quantum efficiency of 1 x 10(-3)% and a near-infrared irradiance of 2.0 nW/mm(2) at 25 mA/mm(2) and 20 V was achieved using glass/ITO/PEDOT/ PVK:Nd-(5,7-dichloro-8-hydroxyquinoline)(4)/Ca/Al devices. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.