A structure study of copper oxide for monolayer dispersion of anatase supported

The monolayer dispersion of copper oxide on the surface of anatase and its effect on the properties have been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and X-ray extended absorption fine structure(EXAFS).XPS results give an utmost dispersion capacity of 7.2mg/gTiO2.Strong interactions between copper oxide and anatase can be seen from EXAFS results.The structure of the supported CuO species is strongly dependent on the amount of CuO loading.When the content of CuO loading is below the utmost dispersion capacity,the surface of CuO/TiO2 is dominated by the highly dispersed CuO species having no-Cu-O-Cu-chains,The copper ion is located in an octahedral coordination environment,and the Cu－O-coordination distance is much longer than that in pure crystalline CuO,when CuO loading is exceeds the utmost dispersion capacity,crystalline CuO is formed on the surface of CuO/TiO2,From the result of the sturcture study,it is Cu-O octahedral Coordination and coordination distance change in comparation with pure crystalline Cuo on the surface CuO/TiO2 that have catalytic activity.     

Approaches to improving critical current density of YBCO superconducting thick films deposited by electrophoresis

The irreversibility field (Hirr) of Y-based superconductor is much higher than that of Bi-based superconductor. Y-based superconductor is capable of maintaining stable electrical currents in high magnetic field and electric field, so it is a better suited mate-rial for electric-current applications. Commonly, the Y-based tapes comprise a YBCO thick film deposited on a flexible substrate, typically with an intermediate buffer layer, and an overcoat of noble metal. In this process, the interm…     

Experimental generation and characterization of Devil’s vortex-lenses

We propose the first experimental approach for both generation and characterization of high quality Devil’s vortex-lenses. These new type of lenses, able to produce a sequence of optical vortices, are addressed onto a programmable spatial light modulator (SLM) operating in phase-only modulation. The static aberrations arising by the lack of flatness of the SLM display are characterized and mostly compensated by using a Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensor. The analysis of the residual aberrations and their effect on the vortex-lens performance are studied.     

Are "pinholes" the cause of excess current in superconducting tunnel junctions? A study of Andreev current in highly resistive junctions

In highly resistive superconducting tunnel junctions, excess subgap current is usually observed and is often attributed to microscopic pinholes in the tunnel barrier. We have studied the subgap current in superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) and superconductor-insulator-normal-metal (SIN) junctions. In Al/AlO(x)/Al junctions, we observed a decrease of 2 orders of magnitude in the current upon the transition from the SIS to the SIN regime, where it then matched theory. In Al/AlO(x)/Cu junctions, we also observed generic features of coherent diffusive Andreev transport in a junction with a homogenous barrier. We use the quasiclassical Keldysh-Green function theory to quantify single- and two-particle tunneling and find good agreement with experiment over 2 orders of magnitude in transparency. We argue that our observations rule out pinholes as the origin of the excess current.     

The conduction mechanism of stress induced leakage current through ultra-thin gate oxide under constant voltage stresses

The conduction mechanism of stress induced leakage current （SILC） through 2nm gate oxide is studied over a gate voltage range between 1.7V and stress voltage under constant voltage stress （CVS）. The simulation results show that the SILC is formed by trap-assisted tunnelling （TAT） process which is dominated by oxide traps induced by high field stresses. Their energy levels obtained by this work are approximately 1.9eV from the oxide conduction band, and the traps are believed to be the oxygen-related donor-like defects induced by high field stresses. The dependence of the trap density on stress time and oxide electric field is also investigated.     

Experimental study of room-temperature indentation viscoplastic ‘creep’ in zirconium

In this paper we have studied the mechanisms of so-called ‘indentation creep’ in a zirconium alloy. Nanoindentation was used to obtain strain rate data as the sample was indented at room temperature, at a homologous temperature below that for which creep behaviour would be expected for this material. A high value of strain rate was obtained, consistent with previous work on indentation creep. In order to elucidate the mechanism of time-dependent deformation, a load relaxation experiment was performed by uniaxial loading of a sample of the same alloy. By allowing relaxation of the sample from a peak load in the tensile test machine, a similar stress exponent was obtained to that seen in the nanoindentation creep test. We conclude that for metals, at temperatures below that at which conventional creep will occur, nanoindentation ‘creep’ proceeds through deformation on active slip systems that were initiated by prior loading beyond the plastic limit. It is therefore more appropriate to describe it as a viscoplastic process, and not as creep deformation.     

On Ohm’s law in the thin current sheets of the Earth’s magnetosphere

The analytical and numerical dependences of the total transverse current on an electric field, the normal component of a magnetic field and the ion and electron temperatures are obtained using analytical approximation of numerical results provided by a self-consistent model of the magnetospheric thin sheet. The dependence of current on the parameters ?, T _i , b _n is shown to be nonlinear. The relative contributions of different plasma components into the total current are estimated.     

Conditions for thermal stabilization of the superconductor’s critical state

Conditions for thermal stabilization of the electrodynamic states of a superconductor are studied. The macroscopic states are simulated in the nonisothermal approximation by numerically solving a set of the Fourier and Maxwell equations with the magnetic flux penetration boundary unknown. Stability criteria for the critical state described by the viscous flow model are formulated. The results are compared with those following from the isothermal theory. It is shown that errors inherent in the isothermal approximation are significant for a thermally insulated superconductor. Therefore, the well-known adiabatic criterion of stability formulated in the isothermal approximation limits the domain of stable states, since a correct determination of conditions for the superconducting-normal state transition must take into account the thermal history of the stable superconducting state formation. On the whole, the error of loss calculation in the isothermal approximation increases when the heat transfer coefficient decreases or an external magnetic field sweep and the size of the superconductor’s cross section increases. On the other hand, nonisothermal stability conditions expand the variety of allowable states, since they include conditions that links the currently developed theory of thermomagnetic instability, the theory of losses, and the theory of a superconductor’s thermal stabilization.     

Splitting of thin current sheets in the Earth’s magnetosphere

An analytic model of a one-dimensional self-consistent anisotropic thin current sheet is proposed. This model describes the sheet with a split (or bifurcated) structure, where the current density is minimal at the center and maximal at the edges. The model is specified by the set of Vlasov-Maxwell equations that reduces to the Grad-Shafranov equation. Under the assumption that particles move quasi-adiabatically, i.e., that the approximate integral of motion I_z is conserved, the slow evolution of the system in the course of diffusion of the distribution function in I_z is analyzed. Scattering processes can give rise to the partial capture of flying ions near the current sheet. Since the current of such quasi-trapped particles is directed oppositely to the current of flying particles, the local current at the center of the sheet is fully or partially compensated. As a result, the ordinary single-peak shape of the current density profile changes to the bifurcated shape. Such a structure is characteristic of the thin current sheet before the total destruction, when the tension of the magnetic field is unbalanced. Numerical calculations are corroborated by the observations of split current sheets in the magnetotail by the Cluster and Geotail satellites. The obtained results indicate that a possible mechanism of the destruction of the thin current sheet is not necessarily associated with the development of plasma instabilities but can be evolutionary.     

Experimental study of V–I characteristics of wire–plate electrostatic precipitators under clean air conditions

In this paper a laboratory-scale model for prediction of the voltage–current characteristics of wire–plate electrostatic precipitators under clean air conditions is presented and experimentally validated. The model investigates the effect of electrode configurations, wire diameter, spacing between wire electrodes, number of discharge wires and distance between collecting plates that on voltage–current characteristic of wire–plate electrostatic precipitators. Also, this paper presents a simulation model, based on the Finite Difference Method (FDM), to simulate electric conditions of wire–plate electrostatic precipitators under clean air conditions. The experimental results of some models are compared with those obtained from the simulation models.     

A study of non-extensivity in the Earth’s magnetosphere

Magnetic storms are undoubtedly among the most important phenomena in space physics and also a central subject of space weather. The non-extensive Tsallis entropy has been recently introduced, as an effective complexity measure for the analysis of the geomagnetic activity D _st index. Tsallis entropy has been shown to sensitively detect the complexity dissimilarity between pre-storm activity and intense magnetic storms in the Earth’s magnetosphere. Here, we show that the D _st time series obey a modified form of the Gutenberg-Richter law for the case of non-extensive statistics, thus providing evidence for universality in magnetic storm and earthquake occurrence.     

Second Harmonic Generation under the Influence of the Earth’s Gravitational Field

The influence of the Earth’s gravitational field on a weakly relativistic electron involved in the process of generation of microwave radiation is evaluated. It is shown that such exposure leads to the generation of a second harmonic.     

Optical properties of composites with nanodimensional oxide coatings versus the properties of film-forming sols. I. The influence of sol’s oxide composition

The influence of the aging period (duration) and the aging-related rheological characteristics of film-forming solutions (sols) on the refractive index and thickness of coatings, light reflection and light transmission coefficients, and optical losses in glass substrate-nanodimensional oxide (CuO-TiO₂) composites is considered. It has been shown that the increase in the CuO concentration in the coating and the extension of the sol aging period favor crystallization and change the form of inclusions in the coating from pseudospherical to dendritic with a different degree of branching. The refractive index of the film and its related coefficient of mirror reflection of the composite are functions of the density of packing sol disperse-phase particles into a nanodimensional layer. The packing density of dendritic particles drops decreases with the degree of their branching and transverse size of fragments. In every case, an optimal sol aging period should be found to obtain glass composites with nanodimensional coatings offering desired optical properties.     

Experimental determination of the conditions for the transition of Jupiter’s atmosphere to the conducting state

The intensity of optical radiation and resistance of a hydrogen-helium layer with He mass fraction Y=m_He/(m_He+m_H)?0.24, which corresponds to the composition of the outer layers of Jupiter’s atmosphere [2], were simultaneously measured under multiple shock compression up to 164 GPa in plane geometry. The initial pressure and temperature of the mixture were equal to 8 MPa and 77.4 K, respectively, and the velocity of steel strikers was equal to 6.2 km/s. These conditions allowed the generation of the final compressed curve close to the adiabatic states of Jupiter’s atmosphere according to the models proposed in [2, 3]. The conditions for the appearance of the conducting phase in the compression process and the achieved level of electrical conductivity were determined. The experimental data were compared with the one-dimensional fluid-dynamic simulation of the compression process using the equation of state for the mixture in a model similar to the one proposed in [3, 8]. The experimental data were also compared with the behavior of pure components having the same initial density as in the mixture and compressed to the same final pressure.     

C 1s NEXAFS study of rare-earth’s (La,Eu)-graphite intercalation compounds

Electronic structure of unoccupied states of Eu- and thin surface layer of La-intercalation compounds was studied by light polarization dependent NEXAFS at the C 1s threshold in a bulk sensitive (E_kin=1–2 eV) and a more surface sensitive (E_kin=265 eV) partial electron yield mode. It was shown that the C 1s spectra in both cases are mainly characterized by the π*- and σ*-symmetry graphite-derived features. For both systems the π*-derived peak was found at similar energies of exciting photons as for pristine graphite. A decrease of relative intensity of the π*-originated structure in intercalation compounds can be understood by partial occupation of the π*-derived states upon intercalation due to a charge transfer from rare-earth (RE) atoms. NEXAFS features found on both sides of the π* response may be related to pd hybrids forming as a result of chemical interaction between RE atoms and graphite layers.     

Macroinhomogeneity of the properties of semiconductor crystals due to the specifics of the melt’s behavior under microgravity conditions

The effect of convective flows caused by the changing direction of the residual gravitational vector relative to the solidification front on the radial inhomogeneity (macrosegregation) of the dopant distribution in semiconductor crystals is studied within the context of mathematical and physical simulation for terrestrial and space conditions. Theoretical calculations and experimental research are carried out by the example of the growth of Ge crystals and their heavy doping with Ga (10¹⁹ сm^–3). The velocities of convective flows near the solidification front which lead to radial macroinhomogeneity in the grown crystals are theoretically calculated. The requirements to obtain homogeneous semiconductor crystals under real microgravity conditions are formulated.     

Computational study of state equation effect on single acoustic cavitation bubble’s phenomenon

Many models have been established to study the evolution of the bubble dynamics and chemical kinetics within a single acoustic cavitation bubble during its oscillation. The content of the bubble is a gas medium that generates the evolution of a chemical mechanism governed by the internal bubble conditions. These gases are described by a state equation, linking the pressure to the volume, temperature and species amounts, and influencing simultaneously the dynamical, the thermal and the mass variation in the cavitation bubble. The choice of the state equation to apply has then a non-neglected effect on the obtained results. In this paper, a comparative study was conducted through two numerical models based on the same assumptions and the same scheme of chemical reactions, except that the first one uses the ideal gas equation to describe the state of the species, while the second one uses the Van der Waals equation. It was found that though the dynamic of the bubble is not widely affected, the pressure and temperature range are significantly increased when passing from an ideal gas model to a real one. The amounts of chemical products are consequently raised to approximately the double. This observation was more significant for temperature and pressure at low frequency and high acoustic amplitude, while it is noticed that passing from ideal gas based approach to the Van der Waals one increases the free radicals amount mainly under high frequencies. When taking the results of the second model as reference, the relative difference between both results reaches about 60% for maximum attained temperature and 100% for both pressure and free radicals production.     

A study of the influence of surface layers’ disordering on the spectrum of energy losses of electrons passed through copper thin single crystal films

Results of the experimental investigation of energy losses of electron passed through thin films Cu (100) with a thickness of d ≈ 420 ? at E _p = 3 keV are presented. It is revealed that the surface plasmon peak disappears at a primary electron energy of ≥6 keV. For the first time, the degree of surface amorphization and area of the disordered layer are estimated by the change of elastic peak intensity during the passage of electrons through thin films of Cu (100). There is an additional energy loss of electrons peak caused by bulk plasmon, its intensity depending on the irradiation dose under ionic bombardment.     

In-situ neutron diffraction study of phase stress evolutions in a Ni-based porous anode solid oxide fuel cells under uniaxial load

Ni/YSZ porous composite is used widely as anode for solid oxide fuel cells. In this study, neutron diffraction patterns were recorded in-situ while a bulk porous Ni–NiO–YSZ anode was loaded under uniaxial compression. Single peak refinement was used to calculate the lattice strains of each phase in the composite, and the local stress state of each phase was derived from the measured lattice strains and the corresponding diffraction elastic constants. An internal triaxial stress state was observed to develop in the bulk of the specimen under plastic deformation, specifically in the Ni phase. Meanwhile, the NiO and YSZ phases are deforming elastically even in the macroscopically plastic regime of deformation. The von Mises equivalent stress was used to quantify the phase stress evolution. A significant stress concentration induced by the presence of pores becomes manifest in all three phase components. The reduction of stress concentration factor in Ni above the yield point of the composite can be attributed to a gradual change of the grains–pores morphology during the plastic deformation.