The compressibility of molten salts

Values of the adiabatic and isothermal compressibility, κ_S and κ_T, of some 80 molten salts at the corresponding temperature of T = 1.1T_m (T_m is the melting point) are obtained from literature data either directly or re-calculated here. For some of the series of salts: alkali metal halides and nitrates, divalent metal halides, and alkali metal sulfates and carbonates the κ_T values are inversely proportional to the corresponding cohesive energy densities ced (internal energies per unit volume, separately for each class of compounds). The ced values for 1:2 and 2:1 salts not previously evaluated are presented here too.     

A logarithmic complexity floating frame of reference formulation with interpolating splines for articulated multi-flexible-body dynamics

An interpolating spline-based approach is presented for modeling multi-flexible-body systems in the divide-and-conquer (DCA) scheme. This algorithm uses the floating frame of reference formulation and piecewise spline functions to construct and solve the non-linear equations of motion of the multi-flexible-body system undergoing large rotations and translations. The new approach is compared with the flexible DCA (FDCA) that uses the assumed modes method [1]. The FDCA, in many cases, must resort to sub-structuring to accurately model the deformation of the system. We demonstrate, through numerical examples, that the interpolating spline-based approach is comparable in accuracy and superior in efficiency to the FDCA. The present approach is appropriate for modeling flexible mechanisms with thin 1D bodies undergoing large rotations and translations, including those with irregular shapes. As such, the present approach extends the current capability of the DCA to model deformable systems. The algorithm retains the theoretical logarithmic complexity inherent in the DCA when implemented in parallel.     

Coherent electron transport in a helical nanotube

The quantum dynamics of carriers bound to helical tube surfaces is investigated in a thin-layer quantization scheme. By numerically solving the open-boundary Schrödinger equation in curvilinear coordinates, geometric effect on the coherent transmission spectra is analysed in the case of single propagating mode as well as multimode. It is shown that, the coiling endows the helical nanotube with different transport properties from a bent cylindrical surface. Fano resonance appears as a purely geometric effect in the conductance, the corresponding energy of quasibound state is obviously influenced by the torsion and length of the nanotube. We also find new plateaus in the conductance. The transport of double-degenerate mode in this geometry is reminiscent of the Zeeman coupling between the magnetic field and spin angular momentum in quasi-one-dimensional structure.     

Environmental radioactivity of soils and sediments: Egyptian sector of the Nile valley

The activity concentrations of natural ⁴⁰K, ²³²Th, and ²³⁸U in 89 soil and 84 sediment samples collected over the entire Egyptian Nile River basin including the Nile delta are reported based on the results of epithermal neutron activation analysis. The average activity concentrations of ⁴⁰K, ²³²Th, and ²³⁸U equal to 15.3?±?6.6, 15.6?±?11.1 and 220?±?31 Bq/kg, respectively, are significantly lower than those reported for the Upper Continental Crust, World Average Sediments as well as World Average Soils, suggesting the presence of a considerable portion of mafic material, most probably originating from the Ethiopian High Plateau. Their average activity concentrations are statistically the same in soil and sediments, indicating that the Nile sediments and soil material are of the same origin. The main goal of this study was not only to estimate the radiological hazards but also to show the influence of sedimentary material transportable by the Blue Nile from the Ethiopian High Plateau. The different hazard indices like the radium equivalent, gamma index, external hazard as well as the internal hazard show a low radiological exposure either on direct contact or if local mud bricks are used in the construction of dwellings.     

Recovering information in probabilistic quantum teleportation

Frontiers of Physics - Recently, the BESIII collaboration has reported numerous measurements of various D(s) meson semileptonic decays with significantly improved precision. Together with similar...     

Perforated diode neutron detector modules fabricated from high-purity silicon

Compact neutron detectors are being designed and tested for use as low-power real-time personnel dosimeters. The neutron detectors are pin diodes that are mass produced from high-purity Si wafers. Each detector has thousands of circular perforations etched vertically into the device. The perforations are backfilled with ⁶LiF to make the pin diodes sensitive to thermal neutrons. The prototype devices deliver 4.7% thermal neutron detection efficiency while operating on only 15 V, showing a 9% increase in efficiency over identical planar devices.     

Thermodynamic evaluation and optimization of the (MgCl2 + CaCl2 + MnCl2 + FeCl2 + CoCl2 + NiCl2) system

A complete critical evaluation of all available phase diagram and thermodynamic data has been performed for all condensed phases of the (MgCl₂ + CaCl₂ + MnCl₂ + FeCl₂ + CoCl₂ + NiCl₂) system, and optimized model parameters have been found. The model parameters obtained for the binary subsystems can be used to predict thermodynamic properties and phase equilibria for the multicomponent system. The Modified Quasichemical Model was used for the molten salt phase, and the (MgCl₂ + MnCl₂ + FeCl₂ + CoCl₂ + NiCl₂) solid solution was modeled using a cationic substitutional model with an ideal entropy and an excess Gibbs free energy expressed as a polynomial in the component mole fractions. This is the first of two articles on the optimization of the (NaCl + KCl + MgCl₂ + CaCl₂ + MnCl₂ + FeCl₂ + CoCl₂ + NiCl₂) system.