Gas Cotton-Mouton constant measurement by extrapolation in dissolved binary liquid solutions

The magneto-optic Cotton-Mouton effect constant C, light refraction index n and density ρ of binary solutions of toluene in carbon tetrachloride, -picoline and β-picoline in 1,4-dioxane have been measured at different concentrations. The results have been used for the calculation of the molar C^M constants of the solutions. By extrapolating the values C^M = C^M(f₂) for the concentration f₂ → 0, the constant _∞C₂^M = _gasC₂^M of the dipolar component of the solution has been found, which is interpreted as the Cotton-Mouton gas constant. For all solutions, the reduction factors of the dissolved component have been calculated and their linear dependence on the solution concentration has been found.     

Oxygen permeability of La2Cu(Co)O4+δ solid solutions

Formation of the La₂Cu_1−xCo_xO_4+δ solid solutions with orthorhombic K₂NiF₄-type structure was found to be in the range of 0≤x≤0.30 at temperatures above 1270 K. Incorporating cobalt into the copper sublattice of lanthanum cuprate leads to increasing oxygen hyperstoichiometry and decreasing electrical conductivity. Thermal expansion coefficients of the La₂Cu_1−xCo_xO_4+δ (x=0.02–0.30) ceramics at 470–1100 K were calculated from the dilatometric data to vary in the range (12.2–13.2)×10⁻⁶ K⁻¹. Studying the dependence of oxygen permeation fluxes through La₂Cu(Co)O_4+δ on the membrane thickness demonstrated that the oxygen transport at the thickness values below 1 mm is limited by both surface exchange rate and bulk ionic conductivity. Oxygen permeability of the La₂Cu_1−xCo_xO_4+δ solid solutions was ascertained to increase with cobalt concentration at x=0.02–0.10 and to decrease with further dopant additions, indicating a participation of interstitial oxygen in the ionic transport.     

Ion-pair and triple-ion studies of some tetraalkylammonium halides in pure 1,3-dioxolane at 298.15 K

Conductivities of some tetraalkylammonium halides, viz. tetramethylammonium iodide (Me₄NI), tetraethylammonium bromide (Et₄NBr), tetraethylammonium iodide (Et₄NI), tetra-n-propylammonium bromide (Pr₄NBr), tetra-n-butylammonium bromide (Bu₄NBr), tetra-n-butylammonium iodide (Bu₄NI) and tetra-n-heptylammonium bromide (Hp₄NBr) were measured at 298.15 K in 1,3-dioxolane which has a low permittivity (ε = 7.13). A minima in the conductometric curves (molar conductance, Λ vs. square root of concentration, √c) was observed for concentrations which were dependant upon both the salt and the solvent. The observed molar conductivities were explained by the formation of ion-pairs (M⁺ + X⁻ ↔ MX, K_P) and triple-ions (2M⁺ + X⁻ ↔ M₂X⁺; M⁺ + 2X⁻ ↔ MX₂⁻, K_T). A linear relationship between the triple-ion formation constants [log (K_T/K_P)] and the salt concentrations at the minimum conductivity (log C_min) was given for all the salts in 1,3-dioxolane. The formation of triple-ions might be attributed to the ion sizes in solutions in which Coulombic interactions and non-Coulombic interactions act as the main forces between the ions (R₄N⁺…..X⁻).     

The effect of oxygen vacancy on the oxide ion mobility in LaAlO3-based oxides

The electrical property of (La_1−xSr_x)_1−z(Al_1−yMg_y)O_3−δ (LSAM; x≤0.3, y≤0.15 and z≤0.1) was measured using the DC four-probe method as a function of temperature (500–1000°C) and oxygen partial pressure (1–10⁻²² atm). Among LSAMs, (La_0.9Sr_0.1)AlO_3−δ showed the highest ionic conductivity, σ_i=1.3×10⁻² S cm⁻¹ at 900°C. A simultaneous substitution at A and B sites or A site deficiency is expected to create larger oxygen vacancy and higher ionic conductivity. However, it showed a negative effect. The effect of the vacancy increase did not effect monotonously the ionic conductivity. It was found that the concentration of oxygen vacancy, [V_O], influences not only the oxide ion conductivity, σ_i, but also the mobility, μ_v, of [V_O]. These properties exhibit a maximum at around [V_O]=0.05. With the increase in [V_O], the activation energy, E_a, of the ionic conduction dropped from 1.8 to ca. 1.0 eV at [V_O]=0.05 and became almost constant at [V_O]>0.05. The dependency of the pre-exponential term, μ⁰_v, and E_a on [V_O] was analyzed and their effect on μ_v and σ_i was discussed with respect to crystal structure and defect association. It was estimated that the crystal structure mainly governs these properties. The effect of defect association could not be ignored but is considered to be a complicated correlation.     

Magnetic phase transition in (Fe,Mn)65Ni35 alloys

Magnetization measurements on the Fe₆₀Mn₅Ni₃₅ and Fe₅₀Mn₁₅Ni₃₅ alloy samples were carried out in the temperature range 80T300 K and in magnetic fields up to 8 kOe. The Fe₆₀Mn₅Ni₃₅ was found to order ferromagnetically with a Curie temperature, T_c, above 300 K. From the temperature dependence of the spontaneous magnetization, M_s, it was concluded that the magnetic behavior of Fe₆₀Mn₅Ni₃₅ follows Wohlfarth theory of weak itinerant ferromagnet. The Fe₅₀Mn₁₅Ni₃₅ sample exhibits a magnetic phase transition from ferromagnetism to paramagnetism at T_c=242 K. The critical amplitudes and critical exponents (β, γ and δ) have been determined by using Arrott plots, Kouvel–Fisher method and scaling plots of the reduced magnetization and reduced magnetic field. The values of β, γ and δ are discussed and compared with the results obtained for various theoretical models and also with the experimentally determined values for related systems obtained by others.     

Phonon Raman scattering in Nd1+xBa2−xCu3O7−δ and Pr1+xBa2−xCu3O7−δ single crystals

The polarized Raman spectra of Nd_1+xBa_2−xCu₃O_7−δ (−0.023≤x≤0.107) and Pr_1+xBa_2−xCu₃O_7−δ (0.01≤x≤0.15) single crystals have been investigated. It was found that the Cu(2) A_g mode softens by 6 cm⁻¹ in Nd 1:2:3 and 4 cm⁻¹ in Pr 1:2:3 as x increases. These frequency shifts cannot be explained by the change in the relevant bond lengths due to Nd(Pr)-substitution for Ba. The variations with x of the two low frequency modes may be affected by change of their hybridization and/or change of their force constants. The linewidths of Ba mode in Pr 1:2:3 are broader than those in Y 1:2:3. This result suggests that the Pr substitution on Ba sites occurred even in a very small value of x. In x(yy) geometry the relative intensity of the Ba and O(4) modes in Nd 1:2:3 is greater than those in Pr 1:2:3. The difference between Nd 1:2:3 and Pr 1:2:3 in the relative intensity of the Ba and O(4) modes may be produced by the chains.     

Precision flavour physics and supersymmetry

We review the salient features of a comparative study of the profile of the CKM unitarity triangle, and the resulting CP-violating phases , β and γ in B decays, in the standard model and in several variants of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM), reported recently by us. These theories are characterized by a single phase in the quark flavour mixing matrix and give rise to well-defined contributions in the flavour-changing-neutral-current transitions in K and B decays. We analyse the supersymmetric contributions to the mass differences in the B_d⁰– and B_s⁰– systems, ΔM_d and ΔM_s, respectively, and to the CP-violating quantity || in K decays. Our analysis shows that the predicted ranges of β in the standard model and in MSSM models are very similar. However, precise measurements at B-factories and hadron machines may be able to distinguish these theories in terms of the other two CP-violating phases and γ.     

Magnetic properties and composition range of non-stoichiometric m-type hexagonal ferrites prepared by ion exchange

Single crystals of Ba, Sr M-type hexagonal ferrites were prepared by ion exchange in Ba, Sr containing molten salts from single crystals of β″ -ferrites. A fast diffusion of the divalent Ba²⁺, Sr²⁺ is observed leading to a non-stoichiometric M-type ferrite with chemical formula: Ba_1+xFe_10.5Co_0.25O_17+x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.25). x depending on the exchange reaction time. Saturation magnetization ranges from 19 to 64 emu/g depending on exchange conditions. The Curie temperature is (470 ± 5)°C. An easy axis direction (M_s c) has been determined in all cases. The observed anisotropy is considerably lower than that of M ferrite. The calculated anisotropy constants are, in 10⁶ erg/cm³, K₁ = 0.8 and K₂ = 1.0 at room temperature.     

Characterization of nonstoichiometric nickel manganite spinels NixMn3−x□3δ/4O4+δ by temperature programmed reduction

Cation deficient spinels Ni_xMn_3−x□_3δ/4O_4+δ (0≤x≤1) have been prepared by thermal decomposition of mixed oxalates Ni_x/3Mn_(3−x)/3(C₂O₄)·nH₂O in air at 623 K. They have been characterised by temperature programmed reduction (TPR) under H₂, the reaction being followed by gravimetric and powder X-ray diffraction measurements. It has been shown that TPR proceeds in several steps. The first steps correspond to the loss of nonstoichiometric oxygen leading to the formation of a stoichiometric oxide. During the following stages the manganese cations are reduced, causing the spinel structure to be destroyed, and the formation of solid solution of NiO in a cubic MnO. Subsequently, Ni²⁺ cations undergo a reduction to metallic nickel, and, finally, a mixture of nonstoichiometric MnO_1−δ and metallic nickel is formed. These oxides contain a high level of vacancies which vary with the nickel content with a maximum of δ≈1 near x=0.6. This nonstoichiometry is ascribed both to the presence of Ni³⁺ and excess of Mn⁴⁺.     

Study of superconducting state parameters of alkali–alkali binary alloys by a pseudopotential

A detailed study of the superconducting state parameters (SSP) viz. electron–phonon coupling strength λ, Coulomb pseudopotential μ^*, transition temperature T_C, isotope effect exponent and effective interaction strength N_OV of ten alkali–alkali binary alloys i.e. Li_1−xNa_x, Li_1−xK_x, Li_1−xRb_x, Li_1−xCs_x, Na_1−xK_x, Na_1−xRb_x, Na_1−xCs_x, K_1−xRb_x, K_1−xCs_x and Rb_1−xCs_x are made within the framework of the model potential formalism and employing the pseudo-alloy-atom (PAA) model for the first time. We use the Ashcroft’s empty core (EMC) model potential for evaluating the superconducting properties of alkali alloys. Five different forms of local field correction functions viz. Hartree (H), Taylor (T), Ichimaru–Utsumi (IU), Farid et al. (F) and Sarkar et al. (S) are used to incorporate the exchange and correlation effects. A considerable influence of various exchange and correlation functions on λ and μ^* is found from the present study. Reasonable agreement with the theoretical values of the SSP of pure components is found (corresponding to the concentration x = 0 or 1). It is also concluded that nature of the SSP strongly depends on the value of the atomic volume Ω₀ of alkali–alkali binary alloys.