On some measurements of the propagation properties of thermal waves in the Nb-H and Ta-H systems

Summary By means of an experimental technique based on a nonsteady-state method,i.e. on the propagation of thermal waves, we have measured at room temperature for oscillation frequencies between 6 and 30 mHz the thermal diffusivity, the lateral thermal-loss coefficient and the ?fractional heat loss? in Nb and Ta wires as a function of hydrogen doping. The appearance of hydride formation and precipitation notably changes the behaviour of these quantities. From these measurements it was also possible to calculate the propagation velocity and attenuation coefficient of thermal waves. It was found that the increase of the hydrogen concentration in the solid solution produces a gradual decrease in the velocity and increase in the attenuation coefficient until the solubility limit is reached. For larger hydrogen concentrations, the velocity showed a tendency to increase towards the value of the pure metal, while the attenuation coefficient decreased below the value of the pure metal. These results as a whole appear quite promising for studying the properties of hydrogenated systems. This work was supported by the Gruppo Nazionale di Struttura della Materia of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche and by the Centro Interuniversitario di Struttura della Materia of the M.P.I., Roma (Italia).     

Effect of topological thresholds on thermal behaviour of germanium telluride glasses containing metallic additive

Differential Scanning Calorimetric (DSC) studies on Ag_xGe₁₅Te_85-x glasses have been undertaken over a wide range of compositions, to understand the effect of topological thresholds on thermal properties. It is found that the compositional dependence of glass transition temperature (T _g ), crystallization temperature (T _c ), activation energy for crystallization and thermal stability show anomalies at the rigidity percolation threshold. Unusual variations also observed in different thermal properties at the composition x = 20, clearly establishes the occurrence of chemical threshold in these glasses. Received: 27 January 1998 / Revised: 12 June 1998 / Accepted: 3 July 1998     

Study by Mössbauer spectroscopy of an iron meteorite

Summary An iron meteorite has been studied by backscattering M?ssbauer spectroscopy. The internal magnetic field is found to exceed significantly that of pure iron.     

Experimental validation of a simulation code to describe the building thermal behaviour

Summary Room temperature trends have been measured in a small apartment in different climatic conditions. The results are compared with those evaluated through a recently reported simulation procedure which treats the building analytically by network theory.

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Riassunto Sono stati misurati gli andamenti della temperatura interna di un piccolo appartmento in varie condizioni meteorologiche. I valori cosí ottenuti sono stati confrontati con quelli previsti mediante un metodo di simulazione recentemente presentato in letteratura e che si basa su una trattazione analitica dell'edificio attraverso la teoria delle reti.

     

Adiabatical stability of density distributions under Vlasov dynamics

It is shown using Vlasov dynamics that the density distribution corresponding to a mean field Bose condensate in an external time dependent potential is adiabatically stable whereas density distributions corresponding to finite temperature are not. Received: 27 February 1998 / Revised: 20 April 1998 / Accepted: 23 April 1998     

On the question of possible experimental observation of Anderson localization of the neutron

A possible experiment is discussed, for the observation of Anderson localization of the neutron. The localized state may be formed in the process of inelastic downscattering of thermal or cold neutrons in a highly disordered substance with low neutron capture and upscattering cross sections. The lifetime of trapped (localized) neutrons in the sample is measured by counting the upscattered neutrons with a neutron counter surrounding the sample. Estimations of experimental parameters relevant to such an experiment are given. Received: 12 May 1997 / Revised: 12 September 1997 / Accepted: 16 September 1997     

Temperature corrections to conformal field theory

We consider finite temperature dynamical correlation functions in the interacting delta-function Bose gas. In the low-temperature limit the asymptotic behaviour of correlation functions can be determined from conformal field theory. In the present work we determine the deviations from conformal behaviour at low temperatures. Received: 14 January 1998 / Accepted: 17 March 1998     

A proposal to determine the configuration integral of non-ideal gas

Summary The present paper provides a proposal to determine the configuration integral of non-ideal gas by the latent heat of phase transition and the pressure coefficient. The integrated equation of the interaction potential is obtained.     

High-resolution resonant photoemission study of the 4f states in a typical Kondo system: CePd3

We exploited resonant photoemission at the Ce absorption edge to investigate the Ce 4f states in . High resolution spectra reveal, near the Fermi level, the characteristic fine structure of intermediate valence Ce compounds. The spectral lineshape is consistent with the typical “Kondo” character of CePd, but the prominent ionization peak is found at the unusually low binding energy of 1 eV. We briefly discuss the implications of these observations. Received: 13 October 1997 / Accepted: 21 January 1998     

Non-local conductivity and the effective potential in small metal particles

We discuss the absorption of electromagnetic radiation in small conducting particles, in the case where the electron motion is diffusive. We refine an earlier theory in which we calculated the absorption coefficient using an effective potential describing the screened electric field. Our new theory incorporates the effects of non-locality in the electrical conductivity, and shows how the two limiting behaviours of the effective potential at high and low frequencies can be derived from a unified theory. Our results are in full agreement with our earlier calculation. Received: 3 November 1997 / Accepted: 29 January 1998     

On the influence of superconductivity on the phonon frequencies in a two-band model

Summary The influence of the onset of hole pairing onq=0 phonon frequency in a two-band model of high-T _c superconductivity is investigated. The estimated frequency shifts indicate a phonon softening with the lowering of temperature and agree with the experimental magnitude.     

Energy loss of 18 keV electrons in gaseous T and quench condensed D films

Measurements of the energy loss of fast electrons at an energy of 18 keV have been performed on molecules of hydrogen isotopes, gaseous T ₂ and frozen D ₂ . Whereas in the case of gaseous T ₂ the values of total inelastic cross-section ( cm² for E = 18.6 keV), average energy loss ( eV) and peak position of the energy loss spectra ( eV) agree well with the expectations, the corresponding values for quench condensed D ₂ differ significantly from the ones for gaseous T ₂ . We observe a significant lower total inelastic cross-section ( cm², for E = 18.6 keV) larger average energy loss ( eV) and higher peak position ( eV). These differences may be interpreted in terms of changes of the final state spectrum. A CI calculation for a D ₂ cluster shows indeed a clear shift of the excited states in agreement with the observation. Received 24 August 1999     

Breather trapping and breather transmission in a DNA model with an interface

We study the dynamics of moving discrete breathers in an interfaced piecewise DNA molecule. This is a DNA chain in which all the base pairs are identical and there exists an interface such that the base pairs dipole moments at each side are oriented in opposite directions. The Hamiltonian of the Peyrard-Bishop model is augmented with a term that includes the dipole-dipole coupling between base pairs. Numerical simulations show the existence of two dynamical regimes. If the translational kinetic energy of a moving breather launched towards the interface is below a critical value, it is trapped in a region around the interface collecting vibrational energy. For an energy larger than the critical value, the breather is transmitted and continues travelling along the double strand with lower velocity. Reflection phenomena never occur. The same study has been carried out when a single dipole is oriented in opposite direction to the other ones. When moving breathers collide with the single inverted dipole, the same effects appear. These results emphasize the importance of this simple type of local inhomogeneity as it creates a mechanism for the trapping of energy. Finally, the simulations show that, under favorable conditions, several launched moving breathers can be trapped successively at the interface region producing an accumulation of vibrational energy. Moreover, an additional colliding moving breather can produce a saturation of energy and a moving breather with all the accumulated energy is transmitted to the chain.     

Thermal conductivity in 3D NJL model under external magnetic field

The thermal conductivity of the (2+1)-dimensional NJL model in the presence of a constant magnetic field is calculated in the mean-field approximation and its different asymptotic regimes are analyzed. Taking into account the dynamical generation of a fermion mass due to the magnetic catalysis phenomenon, it is shown that for certain relations among the theory's parameters (particle width, temperature and magnetic field), the profile of the thermal conductivity versus the applied field exhibits kink- and plateau-like behaviors. We point out possible applications to planar condensed matter.     

Determination of the saturation parameter of electronic transition in a uranium-neon hollow-cathode discharge by optogalvanic spectroscopy

Summary The optogalvanic signal (OGS) induced in a uranium-neon hollow-cathode discharge was measured as a function of the laser power density for the 0→16900 cm⁻¹ (591.5 nm) uranium transition. Theoretical relations derived by solving a two-level system rate equations showed the OGS dependence on the laser photon flux, for a modulated c.w. light and for stimulated transitions starting from the ground state. A fitting of the theoretical relations to the experimental measurements allowed the determination of the σ₀ τ product, that is, the saturation parameter of the transition. The results showed good agreement between the σ₀ τ values obtained by the optogalvanic and the usual optical absorption processes.     

Density effects on the spectral intensities of dielectronic satellite line in dense plasmas

Summary In this paper we present a theoretical analysis of the spectral intensity of dielectronic satellite lines in dense plasmas. The ion microfield causes an oscillator strength mixing that alters the spectral intensity of such a transition. Numerical calculations of this high-density effect have been performed for the most intense 2l2l′→1s2l He-like transitions.

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Riassunto In questo articolo si presenta un'analisi teorica dell'intensità spettrale delle linee di satellite dielettroniche in plasmi densi. Il microcampo ionico causa un mescolamento delle forze dell'oscillatore che modifica l'intensità spettrale di una tale transizione. Si sono effettuati calcoli numerici di questo effetto ad alta densità per le transizioni più intense del tipo 2l2l′→1s2l.

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Резюме В этой работе мы предлагаем теоретический анализ спектральной интенсивности диэлектронных линий сателлитов в плотной плазме. Микрополе иона вызывает смешивание сил осцилляторов, что изменяет спектральную интенсивность такого перехода. Проведены численные вычисления эффекта высокой плотности для наиболее интенсивных Не-подобных переходов 2l2l′→1s2l.

     

Orbital contribution to the magnetic properties of nanowires: is the orbital polarization ansatz justified?

We show that considerable orbital magnetic moments and magneto-crystalline anisotropy energies are obtained for a Fe monatomic wire described in a tight-binding method with intra-atomic electronic interactions treated in a full Hartree Fock (HF) decoupling scheme. Even though the use of the orbital polarization ansatz with simplified Hamiltonians leads to fairly good results when the spin magnetization is saturated this is not the case of unsaturated systems. We conclude that the full HF scheme is necessary to investigate low dimensional systems.     

The electronic structure of from high energy spectroscopy

We report the results of a detailed study of the occupied and unoccupied electronic structure of dimers of the new heterofullerene by means of photoemission and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. A close similarity is found between the electronic structures of pristine and with an additional broadening of the spectra in the former due to the distortion of the fullerene cage caused both by dimerization and the chemical substitution. Both the occupied and unoccupied electronic states, as well as the interband transitions between them, attest to the high degree of molecular character retained in the solid state. Comparison of the shake-up structures in the and X-ray photoemission spectra confirm that the highest lying occupied states in the heterofullerene have a strong degree of N character, whereas the lowest lying unoccupied states have mainly C character. We also present the optical conductivity of the heterofullerene (derived from the loss function), which shows an optical gap of 1.4 eV, some 0.4 eV smaller than that of . Received: 25 August 1997 / Revised: 22 September 1997 / Accepted: 16 October 1997