An improved evaluation of the neutron background in the PandaX-Ⅱ experiment

In dark matter direct detection experiments,neutron is a serious source of background,which can mimic the dark matter-nucleus scattering signals.In this paper,we present an improved evaluation of the neutron background in the PandaX-II dark matter experiment by a novel approach.Instead of fully relying on the Monte Carlo simulation,the overall neutron background is determined from the neutron-induced high energy signals in the data.In addition,the probability of producing a dark-matter-like background per neutron is evaluated with a complete Monte Carlo generator,where the correlated emission of neutron(s)andγ(s)in the(α,n)reactions and spontaneous fissions is taken into consideration.With this method,the neutron backgrounds in the Run 9(26-ton-day)and Run 10(28-ton-day)data sets of PandaX-II are estimated to be(0.66±0.24)and(0.47±0.25)events,respectively.     

聚苯硫醚熔体的压致凝固行为

采用施加压力的方法将聚苯硫醚熔体凝固,凝固后获得的聚苯硫醚样品经过降温和卸压后在常温常压下回收. X射线衍射和差示扫描量热分析表明:约20 ms时间的快速压缩过程可以抑制熔体结晶,制备出非晶态聚苯硫醚块材,样品的表面及中心都是非晶态.非晶态聚苯硫醚的玻璃化转变温度和晶化温度分别为318和362 K.常压下的退火实验表明,非晶态聚苯硫醚在425 K等温结晶的产物为正交相晶型.压致凝固法中熔体的凝固不是靠温度变化,而是靠压力变化,样品表面和内部处在一致的温度下同时受压凝固,避免了热传导对非晶尺寸的影响,因此非常有利于获得结构均匀的大尺寸非晶态材料.     

A Sm(III) Coordination Polymer Containing 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid: Crystal Structure and Recognition of Oxalate in Water

Crystallography Reports - The {[Sm2(FDC)2](FDC) · 10H2O}n complex, where H2FDC is a 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, has been prepared by hydrothermal reaction and structurally characterized by...     

Effect of branched alkyl side chains on the performance of thin‐film transistors and photovoltaic cells fabricated with isoindigo‐based conjugated polymers

New isoindigo and di(thienyl)ethylene‐containing π‐extended conjugated polymers with different branched side chains were synthesized to investigate their physical properties and device performance in thin‐film transistors and photovoltaic cells. 11‐Butyltricosane (S3) and 11‐heptyltricosane (S6) groups were used as side‐chain moieties tethered to isoindigo units. The linking groups between the polymer backbone and bifurcation point in the branched side chain differ in the two polymers (i.e., PIDTE‐S3 and PIDTE‐S6 ). The polymers bearing S6 side chains showed much better charge transport behavior than those with S3 side chains. Thermally annealed PIDTE‐S6 film exhibited an outstanding hole mobility of 4.07 cm² V^?1 s^?1 under ambient conditions. Furthermore, bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic cells made from a blend film of PIDTE‐S3 and (6,6)‐phenyl C61‐butyric acid methyl ester demonstrated promising device performance with a power conversion efficiency in the range of 4.9–5.0%. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 2015 , 53, 1226–1234     

Controlling Decoherence Speed Limit of a Single Impurity Atom in a Bose–Einstein‐Condensate Reservoir

The decoherence speed limit (DSL) of a single impurity atom immersed in a Bose‐Einstein‐condensed (BEC) reservoir when the impurity atom is in a double‐well potential is studied. It is demonstrated how the DSL of the impurity atom can be manipulated by engineering the BEC reservoir and the impurity potential within experimentally realistic limits. It is shown that the DSL can be controlled by changing key parameters such as the condensate scattering length, the effective dimension of the BEC reservoir, and the spatial configuration of the double‐well potential imposed on the impurity. The physical mechanisms of controlling the DSL at root of the spectral density of the BEC reservoir are uncovered.     

Liquid crystal alignment properties on surface-reformed solution-derived lanthanum-doped zinc oxide films

Liquid crystal (LC) alignment characteristics were investigated using a solution-derived lanthanum-doped zinc oxide (La:ZnO) film that was exposed to various intensities of ion-beam (IB) irradiation. At an IB intensity of 1700 eV, uniform and homogeneous LC alignment was achieved, as revealed by cross-polarized optical microscopy and pre-tilt angle measurement. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to verify that the IB irradiation induced physical and chemical surface reformation of the La:ZnO film that relate to LC alignment. FE-SEM and AFM revealed that the IB irradiation reformed the existing surface structure into a new structure with an altered surface roughness. The XPS results showed that the van der Waals force with anchoring energy increased as the IB intensity increased, and this profoundly affected the state of LC alignment. The capacitance-voltage (C-V) hysteresis curve was measured as a function of IB intensity to characterize the accumulated charge as a residual DC. Nearly zero C-V hysteresis was achieved at an IB intensity of 1700 eV. Therefore, a solution-derived La:ZnO film with an IB intensity of 1700 eV has great potential for high-quality LC applications.     

Cobalt Based Nanoparticles Embedded Reduced Graphene Oxide Aerogel for Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalyst

Efficient water electrolysis catalyst is highly demanded for the production of hydrogen as a sustainable energy fuel. It is reported that cobalt derived nanoparticle (CoS₂, CoP, CoS|P) decorated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite aerogel catalysts for highly active and reliable hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalysts. 7 nm level cobalt derived nanoparticles are synthesized over graphene aerogel surfaces with excellent surface coverage and maximal expose of active sites. CoS|P/rGO hybrid aerogel composites show an excellent catalytic activity with overpotential of ≈169 mV at a current density of ≈10 mA cm^?2. Accordingly, efficient charge transfer is attained with Tafel slope of ≈52 mV dec^?1 and a charge transfer resistance (R_ct) of ≈12 Ω. This work suggests a viable route toward ultrasmall, uniform nanoparticles decorated graphene surfaces with well‐controlled chemical compositions, which can be generally useful for various applications commonly requiring large exposure of active surface area as well as robust interparticle charger transfer.