The liquid-vapour phase transition in fluid mercury

The paper discusses recent experimental results in the liquid-vapour critical region of metals which show that the existence of the metal-non-metal transition noticeably influences the electronic, thermodynamic, structural and interfacial features of the fluid. The main emphasis is on surface-induced phenomena. Reflectivity experiments on mercury against an optically transparent sapphire window close to the vapour-liquid coexistence curve reveal clearly the existence of a prewetting transition of mercury on the sapphire substrate. The transition line, which terminates at high temperatures at a prewetting critical temperature T _pwc lying below the bulk critical temperature T _c and at low temperatures at the wetting transition temperature T _w lies close to the bulk vapour-liquid coexistence curve.     

Superconductor order parameter symmetry in UPd Al

The heavy fermion compound UPd₂Al₃ has attracted much interest on account of the coexistence of antiferromagnetism and superconductivity at temperatures below 2 K. The antiferromagnetic fluctuations provide, principally via inelastic neutron scattering, a window on the low frequency dynamics in this material. By an analysis of neutron scattering data, and taking into consideration results from other experimental probes, it is suggested which sheet(s) of the f-electron Fermi surface may play an active role in forming the superconducting state in UPd₂Al₃. The proposed scheme sheds new light on previously reported anomalies in this material. Received 16 July 1999     

Coulombic and non-Coulombic contributions to the criticality of ionic fluids. An experimental approach

The recent discovery of liquid-liquid phase separations in electrolyte solutions with critical points near room temperature enables the systematic study of the critical behavior of ionic fluids. Depending on the nature of the molecular interactions, either sharp mean-field or Ising behavior is obtained in the temperature range down tot=(T–T _c )/T _c =10^–4 or less. Mean-field-like criticality is obtained with systems which in the framework of a simple corresponding states model are fairly close to the critical point of the restricted primitive model (RPM) of equally-sized charged spheres in a dielectric continuum. In these cases the phase separation is driven by the Coulombic forces (so-calledCoulombic phase separations). This type of unmixing occurs for 11 electrolytes in solvents of low dielectric constant. Simple mechanisms for unmixing suggested in the literature are discussed in relation to the available data. Some evidence for departures from the simple RPM prediction is found. The presence of additional short-range interactions leads to sharp Ising behavior. Examples are solutions of tetraalkylammonium salts in water and other highly structured solvents, where phase separation results from the peculiar solvophobic nature of ions (solvophobic phase separations). Previous speculations that this type of unmixing shows the tendency toward closed loops are confirmed by the first direct observation of a lower consolute point in an aqueous solution of propyl-tributylammonium iodide. By light scattering studies and measurements of the coexistence curve near the upper and lower consolute points Ising criticality is confirmed. A new mechanism for phase separation is reported for the system ethylammonium nitrate+octanol, where ion pairs are stabilized by hydrogen bonding beyond what is expected from the RPM. This comparatively subtle additional interaction (so-calledstricky ions) already changes the behavior of otherwise RPM-like systems from mean-field to Ising criticality. The results are discussed with particular emphasis on their implications for possible scenarios for explaining a mean-field critical point or crossover from mean-field to Ising behavior beyond the accessible temperature range.     

Critical points in the Bragg glass phase of a weakly pinned crystal of Ca3Rh4Sn13

New experimental data are presented on the scan rate dependence of the magnetization hysteresis width ΔM(H) (∞ critical current densityJ _c(H)) in isothermalMH scans in a weakly pinned single crystal of Ca₃Rh₄Sn₁₃, which displays second magnetization peak (SMP) anomaly as distinct from the peak effect (PE). We observe an interesting modulation in the field dependence of a parameter which purports to measure the dynamical annealing of the disordered bundles of vortices injected through the sample edges towards the destined equilibrium vortex state at a givenH. These data, in conjunction with the earlier observations made while studying the thermomagnetic history dependence inJ _c(H) in the tracing of the minor hysteresis loops, imply that the partially disordered state heals towards the more ordered state between the peak field of the SMP anomaly and the onset field of the PE. The vortex phase diagram in the given crystal of Ca₃Rh₄Sn₁₃ has been updated in the context of the notion of the phase coexistence of the ordered and disordered regions between the onset field of the SMP anomaly and the spinodal line located just prior to the irreversibility line. A multi-critical point and a critical point in the (H,T) region of the Bragg glass phase have been marked in this phase diagram and the observed behavior is discussed in the light of recent data on multi-critical point in the vortex phase diagram in a single crystal of Nb.     

Charged hard dumbbell in the binding mean-spherical approximation

A simple model for charged hard dumbbell is proposed in the binding mean-spherical approximation (BIMSA). The thermodynamic properties are analytical solutions of the unique screening parameter Γ^B with full association. Critical point and vapour-liquid coexistence curve are identical to those of Kalyuzhnyi, Yu. V., 1998, Molec. Phys., 94, 735, where a site-site integral equation has to be solved. Substituting Γ without association for Γ^B, the BIMSA reduces to the simple interpolation scheme (SIS). A simple interpolation between the SIS and the BIMSA is proposed: this gives the critical point (T_c? = 0.0525, p?_c = 0.0640) which, for the time being, is the closest to the computer simulation results. Similarity between the charged hard dumbbell and the restricted primitive model of electrolyte is also addressed.     

Raman scattering by hot and thermal polaritons in crystal quartz

Summary Nonlinear mixing of IR and visible radiation,i.e. coherent Raman scattering by polaritons driven by a CO₂ laser, has been used to obtain the dispersion curve and its width inq-space of the polariton associated to theE-phonon at 1065 cm⁻¹ in crystal quartz. It is shown in this paper that a direct method to determine indipendently, with high precision, the refractive index and absorbance of a crystal can be obtained in this way. The results are compared with accurate data obtained from Raman scattering by polaritions in thermal equilibrium and very good agreement is found between the two measurements. It is finally shown that nonlinear-mixing techniques turn out to be completely consistent with the simple picture of scattering of light by hot polaritons. This work was supported by the Italian Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche del Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione.     

Scaling models of thermodynamic properties on the coexistence curve: Problems and some solutions

Models consistent with the scaling theory of critical phenomena and capable of describing the thermodynamic properties F of substances on the coexistence curve, such as the density of the liquid ρ _l , density of the gas ρ _g , order parameter f _s , mean coexistence curve diameter f _d , and saturation pressure P _s are discussed. The models are presented in the form of equations F = (τ, D, C), where τ = (T _c ? T)/T _c , and D = (α, β, T _c , ρ _c , P _c , ...) are the critical characteristics, such as T _c , ρ _c , and P _c (temperature, density, and pressure, respectively), α and β are the scaling exponents, and C are adjustable coefficients. The authors developed combined models f(τ, D, C) for describing the indicated properties of a number of compounds (CH₄, NH₃, SF₆, water, methanol, ethanol, diethyl ether, and freons R134a, R143a, and R236ea). The coefficients C were determined based on experimental data over a wide temperature range, including the critical point. The equations derived are used to perform practical calculations, including estimates of the first and second derivatives of the saturation pressure with respect to the temperature in the critical region.     

The Ginzburg-Landau expansion and the slope of the upper critical field in superconductors with anisotropic normal-impurity scattering

We carry out the Ginzburg-Landau expansion for superconductors with anisotropic s and d pairing in the presence of anisotropic normal-impurity scattering, which enhances the stability of d pairing with respect to disordering. We find that the slope of the curve of the upper critical field, |dH _c2/dT|_{T c}, in superconductors with d pairing behaves nonlinearly as disorder grows: at low scattering anisotropy the slope rapidly decreases with increasing impurity concentration, then gradually but nonlinearly increases with concentration, reaches its maximum, and then rapidly decreases, vanishing at the critical impurity concentration. In superconductors with anisotropic s pairing, |dH _c2/dT|_{T c} always increases with impurity concentration, finally reaching the familiar asymptotic value characteristic of the isotropic case, irrespective of whether there is anisotropic impurity scattering. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 2124–2133 (December 1997)     

Finite size scaling on the phase diagram of QCD

In the last few years there has been remarkable progress in the comparison of experimental data on the shape of event-by-event distributions of conserved quantities and lattice thermodynamic predictions based on the grand canonical ensemble. In this talk we discuss how the QCD crossover temperature and the freezeout curve are extracted from the analysis of fluctuations. We report that one can also go further and locate the QCD critical point at ?? }~ 2T _c . We also list the systematics which must be brought under control in future.     

A-15型超导化合物转变温度与晶格常数关系的理论解释

本文根据文献[1]的理论,结合对势模型关于钒原子电子云的形变与内层电子从d_‖到d_⊥带转移量ν＇的关系,导出A-15型V₃B系化合物的超导临界温度了T_c与晶格常数α的关系,理论曲线与实验点的分布大体相符。     

Phonon density-of-states in the new superconductor MgB 2

We provide here experimental data on the phonon density-of-states of MgB₂ obtained by the inelastic neutron scattering technique. The measurements were performed for the natural boron-based magnesium diboride with use of a time-of-flight neutron spectrometer. Several phonon bands were observed in the phonon spectrum at energies of about 33, 55, 82 and 99 meV. We show that the cut-off energy of the density-of-states occurs at around 105 meV which is much higher than expected so far from heat-capacity data and partially explains the high T _c value observed for MgB₂. The characteristic phonon energies are indicative of an intermediate coupling regime in this compound. We conclude that a much needed neutron experiment aimed at the study of the isotopic effect in the phonon density-of-states of MgB₂ is conceivable. Received 19 March 2001     

Biquadratic exchange interactions in the Europium monochalcogenides

We have examined the biquadratic exchange interaction strengths in the Europium monochalcogenides EuO, EuS, EuSe and EuTe using magnetization data of the paramagnetic phase and elaborate the consequences this additional interaction mechanism has on the magnetic phase diagrams of EuSe and EuTe. It is shown that the cubic susceptibility χ₃ obeys a Curie-Weiss law at suffciently high temperatures and that the associated Curie-Weiss temperature θ₃ is a measure for the biquadratic interaction strength. For all these materials the biquadratic interaction is ferromagnetic (θ₃ > 0). This leads to a conflicting situation in the case of EuTe for which θ₁ < 0. We attribute the peculiar observation, that the MnO superstructure reflection intensities as observed with neutron scattering correspond only to 0.6 of that moment expected for perfect magnetic order, to the presence of biquadratic interactions. The critical field B_c follows a T² law in the spin-wave regime (T < 0.8 K) for EuTe and EuSe but for these two materials with an antiferromagnetic ground state the cubic susceptibility χ₃ diverges at a temperature T* which is 2.5 K and 1.2 K above the ordering temperature, respectively. In the temperature range T_c < T < T* the magnetization curves exhibit some weak but definite anomaly which might be interpreted as a field-induced transition into the ferromagnetic state. A new multicritical point has been identified along the critical field curve B_c of EuSe.     

Experimental determination of the critical exponent η for nickel

The first unambiguous experimental determination of the critical exponent η, describing the critical point line shape of the spin correlation function, is presented for a three dimensional magnetic system. As a consequence of a finite value of η the critical scattering displays a maximum at T_max(q) above the Curie temperature T_c. The shift of the maximum with increasing scattering vector q was observed by a neutron small-angle experiment, yielding η=0.041±0.009 for a nickel single-crystal.     

Precision measurement of the coherent neutron scattering length of 3He through neutron interferometry

Improved knowledge of the real part of the neutron scattering length of ³He is important for further development of nuclear few-body theory, as well as for a thorough understanding of neutron scattering off quantum liquids. The real part of the bound incoherent neutron scattering length b_i' has recently been measured directly with an experimental uncertainty of better than 1% by means of spin echo spectrometry. The uncertainty of the more fundamental bound multiplet scattering lengths b_±' is thus limited by today's 1.2% uncertainty of the spin-independent coherent part b_c'. Employing the skew-symmetric perfect crystal Si-interferometer at the S18 experimental site at ILL, Grenoble, we have re-measured the real part of the bound coherent neutron scattering length b_c' of ³He. Our result b_c' = 6.010(21)fm exhibits a significant deviation compared to the latest accepted value b_c' = 5.74(7)fm (H. Kaiser, H. Rauch, G. Badurek, W. Bauspiess, U. Bonse, Z. Phys. A 291, 231 (1979)). Including the known value of the incoherent neutron scattering length, we obtain new values for the real parts of the free singlet and triplet scattering lengths, a_-' = 7.573(30)fm and a₊' = 3.480(18)fm. Our result contravenes by more than 7 standard deviations the measurement of the same physical quantity that has recently been performed by a group at NIST in a very similar experiment (P.R. Huffman, D.L. Jacobson, K. Schoen, M. Arif, T.C. Black, W.M. Snow, S.A. Werner, Phys. Rev. C 70, 014004 (2004)) which yielded b_c' = 5.853(7)fm.     

Coexistence of superconductivity and spin density wave orderings in the organic superconductor (TMTSF) 2 PF 6

The phase diagram of the organic superconductor (TMTSF)₂PF₆has been revisited using transport measurements with an improved control of the applied pressure. We have found a 0.8 kbar wide pressure domain below the critical point (9.43 kbar, 1.2 K) for the stabilisation of the superconducting ground state featuring a coexistence regime between spin density wave (SDW) and superconductivity (SC). The inhomogeneous character of the said pressure domain is supported by the analysis of the resistivity between T _SDW and T _SC and the superconducting critical current. The onset temperature T _SC is practically constant ( 1.20±0.01 K) in this region where only the SC/SDW domain proportion below T _SC is increasing under pressure. An homogeneous superconducting state is recovered above the critical pressure with T _SC falling at increasing pressure. We propose a model comparing the free energy of a phase exhibiting a segregation between SDW and SC domains and the free energy of homogeneous phases which explains fairly well our experimental findings. Received 3 September 2001 and Received in final form 9 November 2001     

Collective microdynamics of liquid lithium: An inelastic neutron scattering study

A portion of the dispersion curve for collective modes in liquid lithium has been constructed from experimental data on inelastic scattering of slow neutrons obtained on the DIN-2PI neutron spectrometer (IBR-2 reactor, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Russia). Measurements have been performed at a temperature of 500 K (T _m (Li) = 453.7 K). The coherent scattering component has been separated from the experimental spectra and analyzed. Information on the characteristics of collective excitations in liquid lithium has been derived.     

Electromagnetic properties of bulk Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor at low magnetic fields

Magnetization and critical current density measurements have been performed on a Bi_1.7Pb_0.3Sr₂Ca₂Cu₅O _y bulk material as the functions of magnetic field and temperature. The diamagnetic shielding effect has been discussed from the initial magnetization curve. The lower critical field of bulk granular superconductor (H _g) and the lower critical field of superconducting grains (H _c1) are estimated from magnetization curves. They are both linearly decreasing functions of temperature: (dH _g/dT) and (dH _c1/dT) are –0.4 and –1.8 G/K respectively. The transport critical current density drops drastically by a factor of 4 at a magnetic field of about 20G. The magnetization J _c of superconducting grains derived from the remanent magnetization is about 10⁶ A/cm² at 77 K, zero field, much greater than the transport J _c. The experimental results reveal that the transport J _c is dominated by weaklink current between grains. The magnetization J _c versus temperature has been obtained from the remanent flux at zero magnetic field and is a linearly decreasing function of temperature within experimental error.     

A simple theory for high Δ T c ratio in d-wave superconductors

We investigate a simple explanation for the high maximum gap to T _c ratio found experimentally in high T _c compounds. We ascribe this observation to the lowering of T _c by boson scattering of electrons between parts of the Fermi surface with opposite sign for the order parameter. We study the simplest possible model within this picture. Our quantitative results show that we can account for experiment for a rather small value of the coupling constant, all the other ingredients of our model being already known to exist in these compounds. A striking implication of this theory is the fairly high value of the critical temperature in the absence of boson scattering. Received 12 March 2001 and Received in final form 25 May 2001     

Richtungseffekte der Lichtausbeute von Anthrazen bei Beschü\ mit Protonen im Energiebereich 200–600 keV

The results of the three-dimensional liquid droplet model are compared with experiment and other phenomenological theories. The homogeneity assumption of the scaling laws holds both above and belowT _c , and various series expansions can be derived. But there is a nonanalyticity near the critical isotherm aboveT _c for fixed “field” μ?μ(p _c ,T); and liquid and gas are not symmetric about the critical isochore aboveT _c . Both results contradict the usual scaling assumptions and experiment. The equation of state is fixed if the density on the coexistence curve and the critical pressure are known. Therefore we can derive various relations between critical quantities. They are compared with experiment and the corresponding relations in the Vicentini-Missoni ansatz, the parametric representation, and the generalized Landau ansatz. The disagreement ranges from about 20% to one order of magnitude.     

Enhancement of Jc by Hf-doping in the superconductor MgB2: A hyperfine interaction study

Measurements of the critical current density (J_c) by magnetisation and the upper critical field (H_c2) by magnetoresistance have been performed for hafnium-doped MgB₂. There has been a remarkable enhancement of J_c as compared to that by ion irradiation without any appreciable decrease in T_c, which is beneficial from the point of view of applications. The irreversibility line extracted from J_c shows an upward shift. In addition, there has been an increase in the upper critical field which indicates that Hf partially substitutes for Mg. Hyperfine interaction parameters obtained from time differential perturbed angular correlation (TDPAC) measurements revealed the formation of HfB and HfB₂ phases along with the substitution of Hf. A possible explanation is given for the role of these species in the enhancement of J_c in MgB₂ superconductor.