Low-temperature helium defectoscopy and interaction of helium with ions of cerium gadolinium ceramics Ce<Subscript>0.8</Subscript>Gd<Subscript>0.2</Subscript>O<Subscript>1.9</Subscript> with a submicrocrystalline structure

The concentration of unbound neutral anion vacancies in cerium gadolinium ceramics Ce_0.8Gd_0.2O_1.9 with a submicrocrystalline structure has been determined using low-temperature helium defectoscopy at temperatures ranging from 613 to 773 K and at saturation pressures from 0.05 to 12 MPa. It has been found that the energy of dissociation of impurity-vacancy complexes is 1.1 ± 0.2 eV, and the energy of dissolution of helium in defects is −0.8 ± 0.2 eV. The obtained results have been compared both with the experimental data on the energy of interaction between helium and ions of the cerium gadolinium ceramics and with the results of the quantum-chemical calculations. It has been demonstrated that the anomalously low value of the energy of helium dissolution in the studied ceramic samples is determined by the chemical interaction of helium with the nearest environment of the cerium cations.     

Helium defectoscopy of cerium gadolinium ceramics Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9 with a submicrocrystalline structure in the impurity disorder region

The concentration of impurity anion vacancies formed upon the dissociation of gadolinium-vacancy complexes has been determined using helium defectoscopy of the cerium gadolinium ceramics Ce_0.8Gd_0.2O_1.9 with a submicrocrystalline structure in the temperature range T = 740–1123 K and at saturation pressures ranging from 0.05 to 15 MPa. It has been found that the energy of dissociation of gadoliniumvacancy complexes is E _eff ^D = 0.26 ± 0.06 eV, and the energy of dissolution of helium in anion vacancies in the impurity disorder region is E ^P = ?0.31 ± 0.09 eV. The proposed mechanism of dissolution has been confirmed by the investigation of the electrical conductivity of the cerium gadolinium ceramics, as well as by the high-speed molecular dynamics simulation of the dissociation of gadolinium-vacancy complexes. It has been assumed that a decrease in the effective dissolution energy in comparison with the results of the previously performed low-temperature investigations is caused by the mutual repulsion of vacancies formed upon the dissociation of gadolinium-vacancy complexes in highly concentrated solutions of gadolinium in CeO₂ with increasing temperature.     

Experimental study of optical gas-dynamic processes of polymeric material ablation by ultrashort laser pulses

Optical gas-dynamic processes occurring in polymeric targets ((CH₂O) _n , (C₂F₄) _n ) exposed to ultrashort laser pulses (τ _0.5 ∼ 45 − 70 fs; λ _I,II,III = 266, 400, 800 nm; and E/S ∼ 0.1 − 40 J/cm² at r ₀ ∼ 20 μm) were studied under normal conditions and in vacuum (p ∼ 10⁻² Pa). The dynamics of the mass flow from the target surface (m′ ∼ 10⁻⁵ − 10⁻⁴ g/J) was studied and the spectral-energy thresholds of laser ablation, the electron density distribution (n _e ∼ 10¹⁴ − 10¹⁸ cm⁻³), the mass-averaged velocity of the material flow from the target surface (∼ 10³ m/s), and the chemical composition and average temperature in the near-surface plasma formation (T ∼ 5000 K) were determined using interference microscopy, emission spectroscopy, and shadowgraphy.     

Plasma parameters in the upgraded Trimyx-M Galathea

Results are presented from measurements of the plasma parameters in the upgraded Trimyx-M Galathea. After the barrier magnetic field and the energy of the injected hydrogen plasma bunch were increased to B _bar ∼ 0.1 T and W ₀ ≈ 200 J, respectively, the following plasma parameters were achieved: the density n ∼ 5 × 10¹³ cm⁻³, the plasma confinement time τ* = 800–900 μs, the elergy of the confined plasma W ₁ ∼ 100 J, the ratio of the plasma pressure to the barrier magnetic pressure β ₀ ∼ 0.2, the electron temperature T _e ∼ 20 eV, and the ion temperature T _i ∼ 2T _e . The maximum time during which the plasma density decreased e-fold, τ _p , was found to be 300 μs at B _bar = 0.1 T, which agrees with the classical transport model.     

Characteristics of thermally stimulated depolarization phenomena in zinc-oxide ceramics for varistors

The results of experimental investigations and an analysis of the temperature dependences of the thermally stimulated depolarization current are presented for zinc-oxide ceramics suitable for use in high-voltage varistors. A model for the depolarization phenomena is proposed that takes into account charge exchange on localized electronic states on both sides of the intercrystallite potential barrier. The model is used to obtain estimates of the ionization energy and density of shallow (∼0.07 eV, 1×10¹⁷ cm⁻³) and deeper (∼0.2 eV, 1×10¹⁸ cm⁻³) bulk levels and surface-localized levels (∼0.1 eV, 1×10¹³ cm⁻²). Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 60–63 (October 1997)     

Experimental detection of specular reflection of gamma quanta

Scattering of bremsstrahlung electron beam (E _e = 6.25 MeV) collimated with a vertical divergence δ_γ ≈ ±60 μrad and incident on the mercury surface at glancing angles α = −37, −83, and −140 μrad is studied on the 118-m-long path length. The specular reflection effect is detected in the spectral and angular distributions of γ quanta with energies up to 3 MeV. The reflection coefficients vary from 0 to ∼17% depending on the angles of incidence and the γ quanta energy.     

Dissociative electron attachment to the explosive detection taggant 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane (DMNB)

A detailed study on dissociative electron attachment (DEA) to 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane (DMNB) in the gas phase is presented. Ion yields as a function of the incident electron energy from about 0 to 14 eV have been measured for the most dominant fragments including anions such as NO₂ ⁻, [M-NO₂]⁻ or N₂O₄ ⁻. To help identifying which anion and neutral fragments are formed upon electron attachment we calculated the thermodynamic thresholds using the G4(MP2) method.     

Equation of state of fluid helium at high temperatures and densities

Hugoniot curves and shock temperatures of gas helium with initial temperature 293 K and three initial pressures 0.6, 1.2, and 5.0 MPa were measured up to 15000 K using a two-stage light-gas gun and transient radiation pyrometer. It was found that the calculated Hugoniot EOS of gas helium at the same initial pressure using Saha equation with Debye-Hückel correction was in good agreement with the experimental data. The curve of the calculated shock wave velocity with the particle velocity of gas helium which is shocked from the initial pressure 5 MPa and temperature 293 K, i.e., theD ≈u relation,D=C ₀+λu (u<10 km/s, λ=1.32) in a low pressure region, is approximately parallel with the fittedD ≈u (λ=1.36) of liquid helium from the experimental data of Nellis et al. Our calculations show that the Hugoniot parameter λ is independent of the initial density p{in0}. TheD≈u curves of gas helium will transfer to another one and approach a limiting value of compression when their temperature elevates to about 18000 K and the ionization degree of the shocked gas helium reaches 10⁻³.     

Equation of state of fluid helium at high temperatures and densities

Helium, hydrogen, and their isotopes are the simplest monoatomic and diatomic molecules. It is relatively easy to describe their properties using the basic principles of quantum mechanics. In condensed matter physics, hydrogen and helium serve as the models for the condensed matter properties at extreme conditions so that both experi- mental and theoretical physicists pay much attention to the study of their properties[1], especially the insulator-metal transition of hydrogen[2]. The aim to st…     

Size of the interpolated cation and hole carrier density: two key parameters for the optimisation of colossal magnetoresistive properties of Pr-based manganites

The exploration of the magnetic and transport properties of four series of manganese perovskites, Pr_0.7Ca_0.34−xA_xMnO_3−δ (A=Sr, Ba), Pr_0.7−xLa_xCa_0.3 MnO_3−δ and Pr_0.66Ca_0.34−x Sr_xMnO_3−δ has allowed four phases with colossal magnetoresistive (CMR) properties to be isolated: Pr_0.7Ca_0.25Sr_0.025MnO_3−δ and Pr_0.66Ca_0.26Sr_0.08MnO_3−δ that exhibit a variation of resistance of 2.5. 10⁷% and 10⁹% at μ₀ H=5 T for T=88 K and 50 K respectively, Pr_0.58La_0.12Ca_0.3 MnO_3−δ that exhibits a variation of 6.10⁶% for μ₀ H=5 T at T=80 K and Pr_0.7Ba_0.025Ca_0.275MnO_3−δ for which a resistance variation of 5.10⁹%, at T=50 K, for μ₀ H=5 T is evidenced. for each compound of this series except the barium phase, one observes that the temperature T_max, which corresponds to the resistance maximum on the R(T) curves in zero magnetic field, increases dramatically as the mean size of the interpolated cations increases, and that the CMR effect correlatively decreases dramatically. The comparison of the two series Pr_0.7Ca_0.3−xSr_xMnO_3−δ and Pr_0.66Ca_0.34−xSr_xMnO_3−δ shows also the crucial role of the hole carrier density: for a same mean ionic radius of the interpolated cation T_max is decreased of about 50 K by introducing 0.034 hole per Mn mole.     

Effect of oxygen deficiency on the magnetic, electrical, magnetoelectric, and magnetoelastic properties of La1 ? x Sr x MnO3 ? δ manganites

This paper reports on a study of the effect of oxygen deficiency on the magnetic and electrical properties of the La_{1 − x} Sr _x MnO_{3 − δ} manganites (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4; δ = 0, 0.13, 0.2). In compositions with x = 0 and δ = 0.13 and 0.2, the temperature dependence of the magnetization M (T) can be approximated by the Langevin function with the moment of superparamagnetic clusters μ = 77μ_B (δ = 0.13) and 86μ_B (δ = 0.2) at temperatures of 25 K ≤ T ≤ 250 K, with the exception of a small temperature range near 132 K in which a maximum characteristic of the LaMnO₃ antiferromagnet is seen. These compositions, as well as Sr-doped compositions with δ ≠ 0, reveal a difference between the magnetizations of the sample cooled in a weak magnetic field and in zero field. At T = 6 K in a magnetic field of 16 kOe, the compositions with x = 0.2 and 0.4, δ = 0.13 possess a magnetic moment per formula unit lower than that with δ = 0, as well as reveal an anomalous relation between the Curie temperature T _C and the Curie paramagnetic point gJ, namely, T _C > gJ. The magnetization of compositions with x = 0.2 and 0.4, δ = 0.2 follows the Langevin function with μ = 40μ_B and 130μ_B, respectively. The electrical resistivity of samples with x = 0.4 and δ = 0.13 and 0.2 is one to two orders of magnitude larger than that of the composition with x = 0.4, δ = 0, which evidences partial or complete compensation of acceptor defects (Sr²⁺ ions) by donor defects (doubly charged O²⁻ vacancies). The above properties of oxygen-deficient compositions suggest that they contain an insulating ferro-antiferromagnetic magnetically double-phase state. The magnetoresistance and volume magnetostriction in samples with x = 0.4 and δ = 0, 0.13, and 0.2 are small; indeed, in a magnetic field of 8 kOe, they do not exceed 1.4% and 6 × 10⁻⁶, respectively. On this basis, it is concluded that the unbalanced doubly charged donors (O vacancies) are in the state with antiparallel spins and, thus, do not initiate the formation of ferron-type ferromagnetic clusters. The significance of both compensated and unbalanced doubly charged donors consists in that they give rise to the formation of fractured Mn-O-Mn bonds, which bring about lowering of the magnetic moment per formula unit in compositions with x = 0.2 and 0.4 and δ = 0.13 and the transition to superparamagnetism in compositions with x = 0.2 and 0.4, δ = 0.2. Original Russian Text ? L.I. Koroleva, D.M. Zashchirinskiĭ, T.M. Khapaeva, L.I. Gurskiĭ, N.A. Kalanda, V.M. Trukhan, R. Szymczak, B. Krzumanska, 2008, published in Fizika Tverdogo Tela, 2008, Vol. 50, No. 12, pp. 2201–2205.     

Mass-spectroscopic study of the diffusion and solubility of helium in submicrocrystalline palladium

By the method of helium thermal desorption from submicrocrystalline palladium presaturated in the gaseous phase, the diffusion coefficient D _eff and solubility coefficient C _eff of helium are measured in the range P=0–3 MPa and T=293–508 K. The pressure dependence of C _eff flattens at high pressures. At low saturation pressures, the temperature dependences of the diffusion and solubility coefficients may be divided into (1) high-temperature (400–508 K) and (2) low-temperature (293–400 K) ranges described by the exponentials D _{1, 2}=D ₀exp (−E _{1, 2} ^D /kT) and C _{1, 2}=C ₀exp (−E _{1, 2} ^S /kT). The energies of diffusion activation are E ₂ ^D =0.0036±0.0015 eV and E ₁ ^D =0.33±0.03 eV, and the solution energies are E ₂ ^S =−0.025±0.008 eV and E ₁ ^S =0.086±0.008 eV in the low-and high-temperature ranges, respectively. Mechanisms behind the diffusion and solution of helium are discussed.     

Confrontation of nucleus deformation and multipole mixture parameters in (2+0 n ?2+01) transitions with rotational band structure for K π = 0 2+ and 0 3+

The difference of the energies of levels Δ _n = E _lev(2⁺0 _n ) − E _lev(0⁺0 _n ) at n = 1, 2, and 3 and the multipole-mixture parameter δ for (2⁺0₂−2⁺0₁) and (2⁺0₃−2⁺0₁) transitions are contrasted against the structure of the K ^π = 0₂⁺ and 0₃⁺ rotational bands that was calculated on the basis of the quasiparticle-phonon model. The values of (Δ₂ − Δ₁), (Δ₃ − Δ₁), and (Δ₂ − Δ₃) are found to correlate with the sign of the parameter δ and with the calculated structure of the K ^π = 0₂⁺ and 0₃⁺ bands. Original Russian Text ? A.M. Demidov, L.I. Govor, V.A. Kurkin, I.V. Mikhailov, 2009, published in Yadernaya Fizika, 2009, Vol. 72, No. 2, pp. 236–240.     

Effect of the spin and valence states of cobalt ions on the kinetic properties of Ho1 ? xSrxCoO3 ? δ and Er1 ? xSrxCoO3 ? δ compounds

The electrical conductivity and Seebeck effect in ceramics based on cobaltites Ho_{1 − x} Sr _x CoO_{3 − δ} (x = 0.65, 0.75, 0.85, 0.95) and Er_{1 − x} Sr _x CoO_{3 − δ} (x = 0.75, 0.85, 0.95) with a perovskite-like structure have been investigated in the temperature range T > 77 K. All the compounds under study are characterized by the variable-range-hopping conductivity with the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity corresponding to the Mott law. It has been found that, in the Ho_0.35Sr_0.65CoO_{3 − δ} compound, thermally excited Co³⁺ ions contribute to the electrical conductivity with an increase in temperature to 250 K. The Seebeck coefficient of the systems studied decreases as the strontium concentration and temperature increase. It has been shown that, for an adequate explanation of this behavior, proper allowance must be made for the splitting of the 3d levels, as well as for the charge disproportionation of the cobalt ions.     

μ− SR studies of oxide-superconductorsSR studies of oxide-superconductors

The negative muon spin rotation method (μ⁻ SR) has been applied to studies of electronic states at oxygen sites of oxide superconductors YBa₂Cu₃O₇, Nd_2−x Ce _x CuO_4−δ (x=0.15, oxygen reduced), LiTi₂O₄ and related oxide-insulators La₂CuO_4−δ, CuO, Cu₂O. The paramagnetic shifts of μ⁻ trapped at oxygen nuclei in these polycrystalline powder samples have been measured at 300 K. All the measured shifts are positive. In copper-oxides the paramagnetic shifts are of the order 10⁻³, while in LiTi₂O₄ is very small (8.4±3.34×10⁻⁵). In YBa₂Cu₃O₇, a fast μ⁻ spin relaxation timeT ₂ ^* (∼ 200 ns) has been observed; the reason for this is unknown and further studies are now in progress.     

Excess 1/f noise in systems with an exponentially wide spectrum of resistances and dual universality of the percolation-like noise exponent

The excess 1/f noise in a random lattice with bond resistances r∼exp(−λx), where x is a random variable and λ≪1, is studied theoretically. It is shown that if the correlation function {δr ²}∼r r ^θ+2, then the relative spectral density of the noise in the system is expressed as C _e∼λ^m exp(−λ(1−p _c)), where p _c is the percolation threshold and m=νd (ν is the critical exponent of the correlation length and d is the dimensionality of the problem). It is hypothesized that the exponent m possesses a dual universality: It is independent of 1) the geometry of the lattice and 2) the θ-mechanism responsible for the generation of the local noise. Numerical modeling in a three-dimensional lattice gives m=52.3 for θ=1 and θ=0, in agreement with the hypothesis. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 63, No. 8, 614–618 (25 April 1996)     

Colossal magnetoresistance of FexMn1−xS magnetic semiconductors

The magnetic, electric, magnetoresistive, and structural properties are investigated in the sulfide solid solutions Fe_xMn_1−2x S, which are based on the antiferromagnetic semiconductor α-MnS (the fcc NaCl lattice). Colossal negative magnetoresistance (δ_H∼−83% at 160 K for x ∼ 0.29), comparable to that observed in La-Ca-Mn-O polycrystals and films (δ_H∼−90% at 100 K and 40 kOe), is observed in compounds with intermediate concentrations 0.26<x<0.4, corresponding to the region of incipient ferromagnetism. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 69, No. 12, 895–899 (25 June 1999)     

Epitaxial combination of NdBa2Cu3O7−δ /SrTiO3: growth characteristics, structure, and parameters

We have studied the growth characteristics, structure, and parameters of the epitaxial heterostructures (001)NdBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ /(100)SrTiO₃/(001)NdBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ grown by laser ablation on a (100)LaAlO₃ substrate with a thin (∼2 nm) YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ intermediate layer. The use of an YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ intermediate layer promotes layered growth of the (200 nm) NdBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ layer, whose free-surface roughness is 4–5 nm. The resistance of the NdBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ layers began to fall off abruptly at T=92 K, and at T≈87 K it vanished completely. The critical current density in the NdBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ layers at T=76 K exceeded 10⁶ cm² A/cm². The dielectric constant of the (400 nm) SrTiO₃ layer sandwiched between the NdBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ epitaxial layers grew by roughly threefold as the temperature was lowered in the interval 300–4.2 K. When a bias voltage of ±2.5V was applied to the NdBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ electrodes, the relative dielectric constant of the (400 nm) SrTiO₃ intermediate layer fell from 1150 to 400 (T=32 K, f=100 kHz). The conductivity of the SrTiO₃ intermediate layer in the direction perpendicular to the substrate plane increased with temperature and the electric field strength. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 395–403 (March 1999)     

Electroluminescence efficiency in bilayer organic light-emitting devices with LiF/Al cathode

An analytical model to calculate electroluminescence (EL) efficiency of bilayer organic light-emitting devices, considering the influence of introducing LiF insulating buffer layer at metal/organic interface on the barrier height for electron injection, was presented. The relations of EL efficiency versus the applied voltage and injection barrier or internal interfacial barrier or the thickness of organic layer were discussed. The results indicate that: (1) when δ e/δ h < 2, metal/organic (M/O) interface is ohmic contact; when δ e/δ h > 2, M/O becomes contact limited; and when δ e/δ h = 2 (Φ h ～ 0.2 eV, Φ e ～ 0.3 eV), there is a transition from ohmic contact to contact limited; (2) η EL decreases with the increase of δ′e / δ′h; however, when δ′e / δ′h > 2.5 (H ′h～ 0.2 eV, H ′e～ 0.4 eV), the changes of η EL are very small, which shows that η EL is dominated by the carrier’s injection; (3) when increasing Lh/L, η R has a descending trend at low voltage and a rising one at higher voltage. For a given Lh/L, η EL first increases and then decreases with the increasing applied voltage, and as Lh/L further increases, the variation tendency of η EL is more obvious. These conclusions are in agreement with the reported theoretic and experimental results.     

Anharmonic force constants of GaSb from the measured third order elastic constants at 300°K

The third-order elastic constants of single crystal GaSb are determined using ultrasonic pulse interferometer at 10 MHz. The constants at 300°K, in units of 10¹¹ N.m.⁻², are C_l11 = ™ 4 ·75 ± 0·06 C₁₄₄ = + 0·50 ± 0·25 C₁₁₃ = ™ 3 ·08 ± 0·02 C₁₆₆ = ™ 2·16 ± 0·13 C₁₂₃ = ™ 0 ·44 ± 0·29 C₄₅₆ = ™ 0·25 ± 0·15 These constants are used to evaluate the three anharmonic first and second neighbour force constants based on modified Keating’s model. The constants are (in units of 10¹¹ N.m⁻²)γ=− 2·406;δ=0·407;ε=−0·222.