Thermal characterization and compatibility studies of perovskite-type Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3−δ (BSCF) oxide with Cr2O3 at high temperature

The chemical compatibility of perovskite-type Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3?δ (BSCF) oxides with Cr₂O₃ has been examined between room temperature and 1,100 °C. Differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis were used to analyze the thermal behavior of BSCF–Cr₂O₃ binary mixtures in all composition ranges (0–100 mass% BSCF). The reaction products were identified by X-ray analysis after heating at 700–1,100 °C. As we expected, it was found that perovskite-type BSCF oxide had a poor chemical compatibility with the Cr₂O₃ oxide. In particular, the decomposition process of the BSCF–Cr₂O₃ binary mixture is quite complex and it starts at about 700–750 °C. The mixtures of BSCF and Cr₂O₃ oxides reacted forming mixed complex oxides based on (Ba/Sr)FeO₃, (Co/Fe)CrO₄, and (Ba/Sr)CrO₄ mixtures.     

Liquid polyamorphism: Possible relation to the anomalous behaviour of water

We present evidence from experiments and computer simulations supporting the hypothesis that water displays polyamorphism, i.e., water separates into two distinct liquid phases. This concept of a new liquid-liquid phase transition is finding application to other liquids as well as water, such as silicon and silica. Specifically, we investigate, the relation between changes in dynamic and thermodynamic anomalies arising from the presence of the liquid-liquid critical point in (i) Two models of water, TIP5P and ST2, which display a first order liquid-liquid phase transition at low temperatures; (ii) the Jagla model, a spherically symmetric two-scale potential known to possess a liquid-liquid critical point, in which the competition between two liquid structures is generated by repulsive and attractive ramp interactions; and (iii) A Hamiltonian model of water where the idea of two length/energy scales is built in. This model also displays a first order liquid-liquid phase transition at low temperatures besides the first order liquid-gas phase transition at high temperatures. We find a correlation between the dynamic fragility crossover and the locus of specific heat maxima C_P^max (“Widom line”) emanating from the critical point. Our findings are consistent with a possible relation between the previously hypothesised liquid-liquid phase transition and the transition in the dynamics recently observed in neutron scattering experiments on confined water. More generally, we argue that this connection between C_P^max and the dynamic crossover is not limited to the case of water, a hydrogen bonded network liquid, but is a more general feature of crossing the Widom line, an extension of the first-order coexistence line in the supercritical region. Dedicated to Armin Bunde on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

Gauge symmetries and percolation in ±J Ising spin glasses

We consider the ±J spin glass on a finite graph G=(V,E), with i.i.d. couplings. Our approach considers the Z ₂ local gauge invariance of the system. We see the gauge group as a graph theoretic linear code ? over GF(2). The gauge is fixed by choosing a convenient linear supplement of ?. Assuming some relation between the disorder parameter p and the inverse temperature of the thermal bath β _pb , we study percolation in the random interaction random cluster model, and extend the results to dilute spin glasses. Received: 5 May 1997 / Revised version: 9 April 1998     

The parallelogram of forces

Summary A brief historical outline and some epistemological suggestions are presented on the scientific debate about the parallelogram of forces.

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Sommario Si espone brevemente lo sviluppo storico del dibattito sulla regola del parallelogrammo delle forze e sui diversi tentativi di una sua dimostrazione razionale, alla luce di alcune considerazioni epistemologiche.

     

The diphenyliodonium-2-carboxylates: An NMR structure investigation

Diphenyliodonium-2-carboxylate, phenyl 4-methylphenyliodonium-2-carboxylate and phenyl 5-methyl-phenyliodonium-2-carboxylate have been examined by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. Each compound showed one proton considerably upfield from the others. From the two substituted compounds this was deduced to be H-6 on the ring containing the carboxylate group. Shift reagents and relaxation measurements were used to make the ¹³C chemical shift assignments. These data are most consistent with a cyclic, neutral structure for these iodonium carboxylates. The iodine is in the center of a trigonal bipyramid with the unsubstituted phenyl and carboxylate group apical, which places the C-6 proton in the shielding region of the adjacent phenyl group.     

Osculating spaces to secant varieties

We generalize the classical Terracini’s Lemma to higher order osculating spaces to secant varieties. As an application, we address with the so-called Horace method the case of thed-Veronese embedding of the projective 3-space. This research is part of the T.A.S.C.A. project of I.N.d.A.M., supported by P.A.T. (Trento) and M.I.U.R. (Italy).     

Double covering of curves

Let be a smooth projective algebraic curve of genus and an integer with . For all integers we prove the existence of a double covering with a smooth curve of genus and the existence of a degree morphism that does not factor through . By the Castelnuovo-Severi inequality, the result is sharp (except perhaps the bound ).