Emission of stress waves during fracture

Emission of both longitudinal and surface (Rayleigh) waves during fracture of plates under conditions of plane stress and plane strain were studied experimentally. The non-equilibrated tensile stress in the fractured section of the plate creates an elastic wave, which travels radially along the plate at the sound speed. Moreover, the high surface deformation around the crack tip, due to the high stress concentration there, propagates as a surface wave following fracture of this zone, at the respective Rayleigh wave speed with a circular wavefront. The influence of the thickness of the plate and the type of fracture (brittle or ductile) was examined and interesting results were derived, by utilizing a high speed photography technique.     

Micromechanistic origin of irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking

A multi-scale study of the micromechanics of dislocation–grain boundary interactions in proton and ion-irradiated stainless steels is presented. Interactions of dislocation channels with grain boundaries result in slip transfer, discontinuous slip without or with slip along the grain boundary. The presence of the irradiation damage enhances the importance of the magnitude of the resolved shear stress on the slip system activated by the grain boundary to transfer slip across it. However, the selected slip system is still determined by the minimization of the grain boundary strain energy density condition. These findings have implications for modelling the mechanical properties of irradiated metals as well as in establishing the mechanism for disrupting the grain boundary oxide, which is a necessary prerequisite for irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking.     

Evidence for a deep acceptor level in p-InSb from the variation of hole density with uniaxial stress

The hole density of Cd doped p-InSb has been studied as a function of uniaxial compressive stress along [001] at T = 77 K. Analysis implies the presence of a deep acceptor level whose activation energy decreases with compressive stress, dE_A/dχ = ?3.9 meV/kbar.     

An experimental study on the keyhole shapes in laser deep penetration welding

In this paper, the laser spot diameter and its intensity distribution are measured with a scanning pinhole, and the keyhole shapes are observed using a specially designed setup in laser deep penetration welding of glass GG17. Based on the above experimental results, the effects of the following factors on the keyhole shapes are studied: the laser spot diameter and its intensity distribution, defocus, welding speed and inverse Bremsstrahlung absorption of the plasma.     

Studies of water penetration into LDPE--calcium lactate composite

Penetration of water into low-density polyethylene-calcium lactate composite is studied with NMR techniques. The presence of filler speeds up the water uptake by the polymer matrix and facilitates polyethylene degradation. Spatial distribution of absorbed water molecules within the composite visualised with MRI corroborates differences in dynamical behaviour of the absorbed water molecules revealed by T2 measurements.     

Three-dimensional transient thermoelectric currents in deep penetration laser welding of austenite stainless steel

The existence of thermoelectric currents (TECs) in workpieces during the laser welding of metals has been common knowledge for more than 15 years. However, the time-dependent evolutions of TECs in laser welding remain unclear. The present study developed a novel three-dimensional theoretical model of thermoelectric phenomena in the fiber laser welding of austenite stainless steel and used it to observe the time-dependent evolutions of TECs for the first time. Our model includes the complex physical effects of thermal, electromagnetic, fluid and phase transformation dynamics occurring at the millimeter laser ablated zone, which allowed us to simulate the TEC, self-induced magnetic field, Lorentz force, keyhole and weld pool behaviors varying with the welding time for different parameters. We found that TECs are truly three-dimensional, time-dependent, and uneven with a maximum current density of around 10⁷ A/m² located at the liquid-solid (L/S) interface near the front or bottom part of the keyhole at a laser power of 1.5 kW and a welding speed of 3 m/min. The TEC formed three-dimensional circulations moving from the melting front to solidification front in the solid part of workpiece, after which the contrary direction was followed in the liquid part. High frequency oscillation characteristics (2.2–8.5 kHz) were demonstrated in the TEC, which coincides with that of the keyhole instability (2.0–5.0 kHz). The magnitude of the self-induced magnetic field and Lorentz force can reach 0.1 mT and 1 kN/m³, respectively, which are both consistent with literature data. The predicted results of the weld dimensions by the proposed model agree well with the experimental results. Our findings could enhance the fundamental understanding of thermoelectric phenomena in laser welding.     

Evidence for nodal quasiparticles in electron-doped cuprates from penetration depth measurements

The in-plane magnetic penetration depth, lambda(T), was measured down to 0.4 K in single crystals of electron-doped superconductors, Pr(1.85)Ce(0.15)CuO(4-delta) (PCCO) and Nd(1.85)Ce(0.15)CuO(4-delta) (NCCO). In PCCO, the superfluid density varies as T2 from 0.025 up to roughly 0.3T/T(c) suggestive of a d-wave state with impurities. In NCCO, lambda(T) shows a pronounced upturn for T<4 K due to the paramagnetic contribution of Nd3+ ions. Fits to an s-wave order parameter over the standard BCS range (T/T(c) = 0.32) limit any gap to less than Delta(min)(0)/T(c) = 0.57 in NCCO. For PCCO, the absence of paramagnetism permits a lower temperature fit and yields an upper limit of Delta(min)(0)/T(c) = 0.2.     

A possible mechanism of copper corrosion in anoxic water

Recent experiments show that solid Cu reacts with anoxic water. The reaction is observed by measuring the hydrogen release. This release is continuous and stable over a period of months. We have since theoretically found that water adsorbs dissociatively at a copper surface. But this adsorption is not enough to explain the amount of hydrogen released in the experiment. This observation calls for the explanation of the removal of the reaction product from the surface to provide a clean Cu surface where the water dissociation takes place. In this paper we investigate, by first-principles calculations, two possible mechanisms for this removal: first the possibility of Cu–O–H nanoparticulate formation, and second the diffusion of the dissociation products into Cu. We show that while the formation of nanoparticulates is energetically unfavorable, the diffusion of OH along grain boundaries can be substantial. The OH being placed in a grain boundary of the Cu sample quickly dissociates and O and H atoms diffuse independently of each other. Such a diffusion is markedly larger than the diffusion in bulk Cu. Thus, grain boundary diffusion is a viable mechanism for providing a clean Cu surface for the dissociation of water at the Cu surface. An order-of-magnitude estimate of the amount of hydrogen released in this case agrees with experiment. But this mechanism is not enough to explain the result of the experiment. We propose the formation of nanocrystals of copper oxide as a second step. A decisive experiment is proposed.     

Fresnel absorption and inverse bremsstrahlung absorption in an actual 3D keyhole during deep penetration CO2 laser welding of aluminum 6016

An actual keyhole is captured by a high-speed camera during deep penetration laser welding of aluminum alloy 6016. With the help of spectrograph, plasma spectra are acquired, and then after Abel transformation, electron temperature is calculated. Through Lorenz nonlinear fitting, the FWHM of Stark broadening lines is obtained to compute electron density. To know more about the mechanism of deep penetration laser welding, both the effect of Fresnel absorption and inverse bremsstrahlung absorption of plasma on the laser power distribution is considered. Results indicate that electron temperature is very unstable in the keyhole which has a declining tendency in the radius direction, electron density increases in the depth direction while it does not change too much along radius. Laser intensity absorbed on the keyhole wall through Fresnel absorption is hardly uniform and distributes mainly on the front wall and the bottom of keyhole wall, and inverse bremsstrahlung absorption of keyhole plasma plays a dominant role in absorbing laser power compared with Fresnel absorption.     

Cohesive zone modelling of anodic dissolution stress corrosion cracking induced by corrosion product films

Damage mechanics based on the cohesive zone model were applied to study the anodic dissolution stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in flat and U-shaped edge-notched specimens. The simulation results show that corrosion product films (CPFs) facilitate crack initiation in SCC due to the CPF-induced stress and CPF rupture. In the flat specimen, SCC susceptibility increases with the CPF thickness and CPF Young’s modulus, while it decreases with CPF fracture strength. For the U-shaped edge-notched specimen, the normalised threshold stress intensity factor K_ISCC/K_IC decreases with the CPF thickness and notch depth.     

Modulated periodic stokes waves in deep water

Modulated deep-water 1D Stokes waves are considered experimentally and theoretically. Wave trains are modulated in a controlled fashion and their evolution is recorded. Data from repeated laboratory experiments are reproducible near the wave maker, but diverge away from the wave maker. Numerical integration of a perturbed nonlinear Schrodinger equation and an associated linear spectral problem indicate that under suitable conditions modulated periodic Stokes waves evolve chaotically. Sensitive spectral evolution in the neighborhood of homoclinic manifolds of the unperturbed nonlinear Schrodinger equation is found.     

Wideband deep penetration of photon-number fluctuations into the quantum regime in series-coupled light-emitting diodes

Experimental results on the squeezing of photon-number fluctuations of series-coupled LED's driven by a constant-voltage source are presented that illustrate the advantage of series-coupled LED's, namely, a greater squeezing capability than that of a single LED driven through an equivalent series resistor. We discuss the microscopic origin of the deep squeezing on the basis of quantum-mechanical Langevin equations.     

Focusing of nonlinear wave groups in deep water

The freak wave phenomenon in the ocean is explained by the nonlinear dynamics of phase-modulated wave trains. It is shown that the preliminary quadratic phase modulation of wave packets leads to a significant amplification of the usual modulation (Benjamin-Feir) instability. Physically, the phase modulation of water waves may be due to a variable wind in storm areas. The well-known breather solutions of the cubic Schrödinger equation appear on the final stage of the nonlinear dynamics of wave packets when the phase modulation becomes more uniform.     

Role of hydrogen in stress corrosion cracking of austenitic stainless steels

Effects of hydrogen charging on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of 304 and 310 stainless steels under sustained load were investigated in boiling 42% MgCl₂ solution. The cracking was accelerated by the incorporation of hydrogen into the steel without altering the crack growth mechanism. The fact that the active dissolution is almost unaffected by the hydrogen charging and tensile stress indicates that the phenomenon of hydrogen-promoted SCC is unlikely a result of hydrogen-facilitated active dissolution. In contrast, hydrogen significantly promotes anodic dissolution in the potential range where the active-to-passive transition occurs. The electrochemical noise detected in the SCC process implies that the crack propagation process is discontinuous and hydrogen charging can raise the frequency of film breakdown at the crack tip. These observations suggest that the hydrogen-promoted SCC may result from the hydrogen-induced passivity degradation.     

Evidence for shape deformations of fragments in deep inelastic collisions

The number and energy spectra of neutrons evaporated by the heavy and light fragments in deep inelastic collisions have been obtained for the system 240 MeV⁴⁰Ar +¹⁹⁷Au. They indicate that at the scission point the deformation energy is a large part of the total excitation energy espe cially for the light fragment. In the last two years, neutron emission has been studied in deep inelastic reactions^1?6. All the results are similar: the incident energy which is lost during the process is transformed into excitation energy of the final fragments and is shared between the two products proportionnally to their masses. This means that the nuclear temperature was uniform in the composite system. The excitation energy equilibration time is really very short since equilibration is achieved after reaction times as small as 10^?22 s^2,6. Moreover, no preequilibrium emission (direct neutrons-) has been observed.     

Evidence for surface Andreev bound states in cuprate superconductors from penetration depth measurements

Tunneling and theoretical studies have suggested that Andreev bound states form at certain surfaces of unconventional superconductors. Through studies of the temperature and field dependence of the in-plane magnetic penetration depth lambda(ab) at low temperature, we have found strong evidence for the presence of these states in clean single crystal YBCO and BSCCO. Crystals cut to expose (110) surfaces show a strong upturn in lambda(ab) at around 7 K, when the field is oriented along the c axis. In YBCO this upturn is completely suppressed by a field of approximately 0.1 T.     

Temporal coherence of sound transmissions in deep water revisited

This paper examines the signal coherence loss due to internal waves in deep water in terms of the signal coherence time and compare to data reported in the literature over the past 35 years. The coherence time of the early raylike arrivals was previously modeled by Munk and Zachariasen ["Sound propagation through a fluctuating stratified ocean: Theory and observation," J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 59, 818-838 (1976)] using the supereikonal approximation and by Dashen et al. ["Path-integral treatment of acoustic mutual coherence functions for arrays in a sound channel," J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 77, 1716-1722 (1985)] using the path integral approach; a -1 [corrected] power frequency dependence and a -1/2 [corrected] power range dependence were predicted. Recent data in shallow water in downward refractive environments with internal waves suggested that the signal coherence time of the mode arrivals follows a -3/2 power frequency dependence and a -1/2 power range dependence. Since the temporal coherence of the acoustic signal is related to the temporal coherence of the internal waves, based on the observation that the (linear) internal waves in deep and shallow waters have a similar frequency spectrum, it is argued that the modelike arrivals in deep water should exhibit a similar frequency dependence in deep and shallow waters. This argument is supported by a brute-force application of the path integral to mode arrivals based on the WKB relation between the ray and mode. It is found that the data are consistent with the -3/2 power frequency dependence but more data are needed to further test the hypothesis.     

钛金属应力腐蚀机理电子理论研究

为从理论上揭示钛金属应力腐蚀行为的本质，建立了α钛晶粒及位错塞积形成的微裂纹原子 集团模型，利用递归法(recursion)计算了裂纹及晶粒内的电子结构参量(费米能级、结构能 、表面能、团簇能、环境敏感镶嵌能). 计算结果表明：氢在裂纹处的环境敏感镶嵌能较低 ，易于偏聚在裂纹处，且氢在钛金属裂纹处团簇能为正值不能形成团簇，具有有序化倾向， 趋于形成氢化物. 氢在裂纹处偏聚降低裂纹的表面能，使裂纹容易扩展. 裂纹尖端处费米能 级高于裂纹其他区域，使电子从裂纹尖端流向裂纹其他区域造成电位差，在电解质作用下裂 关键词： 递归法 电子结构 钛 应力腐蚀     

The dynamics of water in nanoporous silica studied by dielectric spectroscopy

Broad-band dielectric spectroscopy is used to investigate the dynamics of hydration water on the surface of the cylindrical pores of a nanostructured silica material (MCM-41, with pore diameter of 3.2 nm) at various hydrations, in the temperature range 250-150 K. We focus our attention on orientational relaxations that shift from 0.5 MHz at 250 K to less than 1 Hz at 150 K. The measurements distinguish the relaxation of the hydroxyl groups at the surface of silica from the orientational dynamics of hydration water which strongly depends on the degree of hydration. Although it is significantly faster than the dynamics of water in ice, the orientational relaxation of non-freezing water has an activation energy comparable to that in ice when the hydration layer is complete and approximately two-molecule thick.