Pyroelectric and piezoelectric responses of thin AlN films epitaxy-grown on a SiC/Si substrate

This paper presents the results of pyroelectric and piezoelectric studies of AlN films formed by chloride–hydride epitaxy (CHE) and molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on epitaxial SiC nanolayers grown on Si by the atom substitution method. The surface topography and piezoelectric and pyroelecrtric responses of AlN films have been analyzed. The results of the study have shown that the vertical component of the piezoresponse in CHE-grown AlN films is more homogeneous over the film area than that in MBE-grown AlN films. However, the signal from the MBE-synthesized AlN films proved to be stronger. The inversion of the polar axis (polarization vector) on passage from MBE-grown AlN films to CHE-grown AlN films has been found experimentally. It has been shown that the polar axis in MBE-grown films is directed from the free surface of the film toward the Si substrate while, in CHE-grown films, the polarization vector is directed toward the free surface.     

Fine structure of the strength function for the β<Superscript>+</Superscript>/EC decay of the <Superscript>160<Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis></Superscript>Ho (5.02 h) isomer

The strength function for the β⁺/EC decay of the deformed nucleus of the ^160m Ho (5.02 h) isomer is obtained from the experimental data, The fine structure of the strength function S _β(E) is analyzed. It has a pronounced resonance structure for Gamow-Teller transitions and is found to exhibit a resonance structure for first-forbidden transitions. It is shown that for some excitation energies of the 160Dy daughter nucleus the probability of first-forbidden β⁺/EC transitions in the decay of the ^160m Ho isomer is comparable with the probability of Gamow-Teller β⁺/EC transitions.     

The pyroelectric effect in magnetoelectric 0.8 PZT-0.2 MZF and 0.8 PZT-0.2 NZF composites

The pyroelectric response is measured using the dynamic method in preliminarily polarized magnetoelectric 0.8PbZr_0.53Ti_0.47O₃-0.2Mn_0.4Zn_0.6Fe₂O₄(0.8 PZT-0.2 MZF) and 0.8PbZr_0.53Ti_0.47O₃-Ni_0.4Zn_0.6Fe₂O₄ (0.8 PZT-0.2 NZF) composites, where PZT is a ferroelectric, and MZF and NZF are manganese-zinc and nickel-zinc ferrites, respectively. Values of the pyroelectric coefficient Γ for the materials under study vary over the range of 1.5–4 × 10⁻⁸ C cm⁻² K⁻¹. It is shown that the polarized samples of the composites have a heterogeneous distribution of polarization across the sample thickness. The heterogeneity is more pronounced in the near-surface layers of the investigated materials.     

Fine structure of strength functions for beta decays of atomic nuclei

The β transition strength function S _β(E) is the nuclear excitation energy distribution of moduli squared of the β-decay-type matrix elements. The function S _β(E) determines the characteristics of β decay, the spectra of accompanying radiation, and the probabilities of delayed processes following the β decay. Until recently, tools widely used for experimental investigation of the S _β(E) structure have been total absorption gamma spectrometers and total absorption gamma-ray spectroscopy (TAGS) which could not provide high energy resolution. Development of experimental techniques allows nuclear spectroscopy methods with high energy resolution to be used for studying the fine structure of S _β(E). A thorough investigation of this kind has been carried out for a number of nuclei produced at the YASNAPP-2 facility in Dubna. In this review, studies involving works on measuring the fine structure of S _β(E) in spherical and deformed nuclei are analyzed. Modern nuclear spectroscopy methods made it possible to identify the splitting of peaks from nuclear deformation in S _β(E) for Gamow-Teller (GT) transitions. The resonance nature of S _β(E) for first-forbidden (FF) transitions in both spherical and deformed nuclei is experimentally proven. It is shown that for some nuclear excitation energies, FF transitions can be comparable in intensity with GT transitions. Criteria for verifying the completeness of nuclear decay schemes are considered. The S _β(E) functions obtained by TAGS and by the high-resolution spectroscopy are compared.     

Dielectric responses of composite films based on P(VDF-TrFE) copolymer with TGS inclusions

The dielectric characteristics of film samples of P(VDF-TrFE) + TGS composite in the frequency range of 10³–10⁷ Hz are studied. The values of the real and imaginary parts of the complex dielectric constant in the temperature range of–40 to 140°C, including the points of the polymer matrix’s transition to the glassy state when T_g ≈–25°C and the ferroelectric phase transition. An analysis of the ferroelectric crystal inclusion effect on the dielectric response of P(VDF-TrFE) copolymer matrix is carried out.     

Fine Structure of Beta Decay Strength Function and Anisotropy of Isovector Nuclear Dencity Component Oscillations in Deformed Nuclei

The experimental measurement data on the fine structure of beta-decay strength function S_β(E) in spherical, transitional, and deformed nuclei are analyzed. Modern high-resolution nuclear spectroscopy methods made it possible to identify the splitting of peaks in S_β(E) for deformed nuclei. By analogy with splitting of the peak of E1 giant dipole resonance (GDR) in deformed nuclei, the peaks in S_β(E) are split into two components from the axial nuclear deformation. In this report, the fine structure of S_β(E) is discussed. Splitting of the peaks connected with the oscillations of neutrons against protons (E1GDR), of proton holes against neutrons (peaks in S_β(E) of β⁺/EC-decay), and of protons against neutron holes (peaks in S_β(E) of β^–-decay) is discussed.     

Resonance structure of strength functions for first-forbidden β +/EC transitions

Experimental data obtained by measuring the fine structure of the strength function S _?? (E) in spherical and deformed nuclei were analyzed. The use of modern nuclear-spectroscopy methods made it possible to reveal the nuclear-deformation-induced splitting of peaks in S _?? (E) for transitions of the Gamow-Teller type. For first-forbidden transitions, the resonance nature of S _?? (E) was proven experimentally both for spherical and for deformed nuclei. It is shown that, at some values of the excitation energy, the intensity of first-forbidden transitions in nuclei can be commensurate with the intensity of Gamow-Teller transitions.     

Spallation neutron spectrum on a massive lead/paraffin target irradiated with 1 GeV protons

The gamma-ray spectra emitted by decaying of residual nuclei produced by spallation neutrons in (n, xn), (n, xnyp), (n, p), (n, ) reactions with activation threshold detectors, i.e. ²⁰⁹Bi, ¹⁹⁷Au, ⁵⁹Co, ¹¹⁵In, ²³²Th, were measured in the Laboratory of Nuclear Problems (LNP), JINR, Dubna, Russia. Spallation neutrons were generated by bombarding a 20 cm long cylindrical lead target with 8 cm diameter surrounded by a 6 cm thick layer of paraffin moderator with 1 GeV proton beam from the NUCLOTRON accelerator. Reaction rates and a spallation neutron spectrum were measured and compared with CASCADE code calculations.     

Isotopic Dependence of Fragment Production Cross Sections in the Reactions of Deuterons on Enriched Lead and Tin Isotopes

Physics of Atomic Nuclei - The isoscaling behavior of the fragment production cross section was studied for reactions with deuterons on enriched lead targets (204Pb, 206Pb, 207Pb, 208Pb). The...