Dielectric response and quasielastic light scattering on freely suspended films of the SmC * α phase in an external transverse electric field

A theoretical analysis of dynamic properties of freely suspended films of a SmC^* _α phase in an external electric field is performed within the ‘clock’ model, where the interactions up to nextnearest neighbours are considered. It is shown, that for an N-layer film, N amplitude and N phase fluctuation modes are present. The relaxation rates of the amplitude modes are in the MHz region, whereas the phase modes are typically in the kHz region. Magnitudes of the dielectric response and quasielastic light scattering cross-sections for individual modes are calculated as a function of an electric field applied along the smectic layers.     

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Shallow-underground accelerator sites for nuclear astrophysics: Is the background low enough?

In order to reliably estimate the rate of a charged particle induced nuclear reaction in a non-explosive astrophysical scenario, its cross-section must be measured far below the Coulomb barrier. However, at the corresponding energies the cross-section values are very low, so that the experimental counting rate is dominated by cosmic-ray induced background, even if a suitable anticoincidence shield is applied. This problem can be overcome by performing an accelerator-based experiment in a deep underground site, as has been done with great success at the LUNA 0.4MV accelerator in Gran Sasso, Italy. Several underground accelerators with higher beam energy are in the planning phase worldwide. All of them are shielded by over 1000m of rock, a depth at which cosmic-ray effects are negligible for the purposes of nuclear astrophysics experiments. It is shown here that a combined approach, using a shallow-underground laboratory below 47m of rock and an active shield to veto surviving muons in simple detectors, results in a background level that is not far from that of deep underground sites. Data have been obtained using two ??traveling?? ??-detectors. They have been transported both shallow underground, to the Dresden Felsenkeller in Germany, and deep underground, to the Gran Sasso laboratory in Italy. As shallow-underground facilities are more easily accessible than deep-underground ones, the present finding holds the promise of greatly accelerated progress in the field of cross-section measurements for nuclear astrophysics.     

FeAgMo2O8 — A novel oxygen evolution catalyst material for alkaline metal–air batteries

This paper reports about FeAgMo₂O₈ — a novel oxygen evolution catalyst material for secondary (rechargeable) metal–air batteries. Bifunctional air electrodes were made using FeAgMo₂O₈ as a charging catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and silverized carbon black (Ag/C) was employed as a discharging catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Corresponding air electrodes were investigated using 10 M KOH as an electrolyte. At current densities between 20 and 50 mA per cm² we observed discharging and charging voltages of 1.20 to 1.15 V and 1.96 to 2.05 V, respectively.     

Cleaning of artificially soiled paper using nanosecond, picosecond and femtosecond laser pulses

Cleaning of cultural assets, especially fragile organic materials like paper, is a part of the conservation process. Laser radiation as a non-contact tool offers prospects for that purpose. For the studies presented here, paper model samples were prepared using three different paper types (pure cellulose, rag paper, and wood-pulp paper). Pure cellulose serves as reference material. Rag and wood-pulp paper represent essential characteristics of the basic materials of real-world artworks. The papers were mechanically soiled employing pulverized charcoal. Pure and artificially soiled paper samples were treated with laser pulses of 28 fs (800 nm wavelength) and 8–12 ns (532 nm) duration in a multi pulse approach. Additionally, the cellulose reference material was processed with 30 ps (532 nm) laser pulses. Damage and cleaning thresholds of pure and soiled paper were determined for the different laser regimes. Laser working ranges allowing for removal of contamination and avoiding permanent modification to the substrate were found. The specimens prior and after laser illumination were characterized by light-optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as well as multi spectral imaging analysis. The work extends previous nanosecond laser cleaning investigations on paper into the ultra-short pulse duration domain.     

Moser’s Quadratic,Symplectic Map

In 1994, Jürgen Moser generalized Hénon’s area-preserving quadratic map to obtain a normal form for the family of four-dimensional, quadratic, symplectic maps. This map has at most four isolated fixed points. We show that the bounded dynamics of Moser’s six parameter family is organized by a codimension-three bifurcation, which we call a quadfurcation, that can create all four fixed points from none.The bounded dynamics is typically associated with Cantor families of invariant tori around fixed points that are doubly elliptic. For Moser’s map there can be two such fixed points: this structure is not what one would expect from dynamics near the cross product of a pair of uncoupled Hénon maps, where there is at most one doubly elliptic point. We visualize the dynamics by escape time plots on 2d planes through the phase space and by 3d slices through the tori.     

Electric field induced birefringence in a ferroelectric liquid crystal

We have measured the d.c. electric field dependence of the birefringence and conoscopic images for the smectic C* phase of a partially racemized ferroelectric chiral smectic liquid crystal CE-8. The experiments were performed using 50mu m thick homeotropic cells with lateral electrodes which created a d.c. electric field parallel to the smectic layers. The observed field induced birefringence shows a characteristic step-like behaviour which is due to the stepby-step unwinding of the helical structure in a sample with finite dimensions along the helical axis. In conoscopic observations we observe that these steps are associated with moving disclination lines that traverse the sample in the direction of the smectic layers. The observed electric field dependence of the birefringence is discussed in terms of the soliton-like unwinding of helical smectic structures and compared with the predictions of the Landau theory. A qualitatively good agreement is obtained.     

Synthese,IR-Spektrum und Kristallstruktur von PPh4[OsCl4(NO)(NSCl)]

Synthesis, I.R. Spectrum, and Crystal Structure of PPh₄[OsCl₄(NO)(NSCl)] Molten trithiazyl chloride reacts with OsCl₃(NO) to yield a product mixture consisting mainly of S₄N₃[OsCl₄(NO)(NSCl)] and S₄N₃Cl. Extraction of this mixture with a solution of tetraphenylphosphonium chloride in dichloromethane affords green (PPh₄)₂[OsCl₅(NO)] · 2 CH₂Cl₂ and the red title compound. PPh₄[OsCl₄(NO)(NSCl)] was characterized by its IR spectrum and an X-ray crystal structure analysis (3001 independent observed reflexions, R = 0.048). Crystal data: monoclinic, space group P2₁/c, Z = 4, a = 1716, b = 1054, c = 1588 pm, β = 96.25°. The compound consists of PPh₄⊕ cations and [OsCl₄(NO)(NSCl)]? anions in which the nitrosyl and the chlorothionitrene ligands have a cis arrangement. Due to positional disorder the NO and NSCl groups are superimposed statistically in the structure model.