Contributions of Spin–Lattice Relaxation to the Echo Decay of Planar Cu in High-Temperature Superconductors

Measurement ofT_2G, the Gaussian component of the spin-echo envelope of planar Cu nuclei in high-temperature superconductors, gives important information about the real part of the Cu electron spin susceptibility. In the traditional picture of the planar Cu echo decay, the internuclear coupling is assumed to remain static with respect to spin–lattice relaxation and mutual exchange fluctuations. In some circumstances, however, this assumption breaks down. We calculate the internuclear corrections arising from spin–lattice relaxation to the conventional theory ofT_2Gand show thatT_2Gcan be easily corrected for these effects. We argue that mutual exchanges due to the perpendicular indirect couplings are suppressed in these materials. For YBa₂Cu₄O₈, we find a correction on the order of 10% inT_2Gand using the corrected values we find that the isotope ratio⁶³T_2G/⁶⁵T_2Gagrees with theory.     

Probing spatial correlations in the inhomogeneous glassy state of the cuprates by Cu NMR

We discuss the crossover of the form of the Cu Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spin echo decay at the onset of Cu wipeout in lanthanum cuprates. Experimentally, the echo decay undergoes a crossover from Gaussian to exponential form below the temperature where the Cu NMR intensity drops. The wipeout and the change in behavior both arise because the nuclei experience spatially inhomogeneous spin fluctuations at low temperatures. We argue that regions where the spin fluctuations remain fast are localized on length scales of order 1-2 lattice spacings. The inhomogeneity is characterized by the local activation energy E_a(r); we estimate the functional form of E_a(r) for points where E_a>(r)∼0.     

Scale size of magnetic turbulence in tokamaks probed with 30-MeV electrons

Measurements of synchrotron radiation emitted by 30-MeV runaway electrons in the TEXTOR-94 tokamak show that the runaway population decays after switching on neutral beam injection (NBI). The decay starts only with a significant delay, which decreases with increasing NBI heating power. This delay provides direct evidence of the energy dependence of runaway confinement, which is expected if magnetic modes govern the loss of runaways. Application of the theory by Mynick and Strachan [Phys. Fluids 24, 695 (1981)] yields estimates for the "mode width" (delta) of magnetic perturbations: delta<0.5 cm in Ohmic discharges, increasing to delta = 4.4 cm for 0. 6 MW NBI.     

Anomalous mixing behavior of polyisobutylene/polypropylene blends: molecular dynamics simulation study

The unusual mixing behavior of polyisobutylene (PIB) with head-to-head (hhPP) and head-to-tail polypropylene (PP) is studied using large-scale molecular dynamics (MD). The heats of mixing and Flory chi parameters were computed from MD simulations of both blends using a united atom model. The chi parameters from the simulations were estimated from the structure factors using the random phase approximation in analogy with neutron scattering (SANS) experiments. MD simulations for syndiotactic hhPP/PIB predicted a lower critical solution temperature with a chi parameter in very good agreement with SANS experiments on the atactic hhPP/PIB blend. MD simulations also predicted that the isotactic PP/PIB blend was immiscible at high molecular weight in qualitative agreement with cloud point measurements on atactic PP/PIB.