Memory effect in isothermal crystallization of syndiotactic polypropylene - role of melt structure and dynamics?

The crystalline-memory effect on the crystallization of syndiotactic polypropylene is investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The influence of several parameters in the thermal (pre-)treatment and the crystallization conditions is studied in detail. In agreement with previous reports, the power law behavior of the overall crystal growth rate is found to be remarkably different for melts with and without memory. This has previously been interpreted in terms of changes in the structure and/or the dynamics of the melt (disentangled state, local order), and a variety of NMR experiments is used to detect such potential changes. All our NMR results are identical for melts with and without memory, therefore excluding any large effect of the "memory" on melt structure or dynamics exceeding the percent level of the whole sample volume, and thus supporting more conventional interpretations in terms of persisting nuclei. Samples that were pre-crystallized at lower temperatures exhibit a larger memory effect, and the potential nuclei fraction is a non-equilibrium structure and is restricted to the 0.1% level if it is crystalline or highly ordered.     

Simulation of laser–plasma interactions and fast-electron transport in inhomogeneous plasma

A new framework is introduced for kinetic simulation of laser–plasma interactions in an inhomogeneous plasma motivated by the goal of performing integrated kinetic simulations of fast-ignition laser fusion. The algorithm addresses the propagation and absorption of an intense electromagnetic wave in an ionized plasma leading to the generation and transport of an energetic electron component. The energetic electrons propagate farther into the plasma to much higher densities where Coulomb collisions become important. The high-density plasma supports an energetic electron current, return currents, self-consistent electric fields associated with maintaining quasi-neutrality, and self-consistent magnetic fields due to the currents. Collisions of the electrons and ions are calculated accurately to track the energetic electrons and model their interactions with the background plasma. Up to a density well above critical density, where the laser electromagnetic field is evanescent, Maxwell’s equations are solved with a conventional particle-based, finite-difference scheme. In the higher-density plasma, Maxwell’s equations are solved using an Ohm’s law neglecting the inertia of the background electrons with the option of omitting the displacement current in Ampere’s law. Particle equations of motion with binary collisions are solved for all electrons and ions throughout the system using weighted particles to resolve the density gradient efficiently. The algorithm is analyzed and demonstrated in simulation examples. The simulation scheme introduced here achieves significantly improved efficiencies.     

Is there icosahedral ordering in liquid and undercooled metals?

The local structure of simple liquids is significantly different from that of corresponding crystalline systems. Signatures of fivefold local ordering have been previously found, but current knowledge is limited to pair distribution, leaving considerable uncertainty in the determination of the geometrical structure. New x-ray absorption experimental results on liquid and undercooled liquid copper, interpreted using an advanced data-analysis method based on multiple-scattering simulations, are shown to contain direct information on triplet correlations making feasible a reliable determination of the bond-angle distribution and fraction of nearly icosahedral configurations in liquids.     

Hyperfine interactions of neutron-activated β emitters in insulators and metals

The general features of hyperfine interaction measurements using neutron-activated emitters are described and the applications of this technique are reviewed: nuclear magnetic resonance and transients of the nuclear polarization give informations on nuclear moments, interactions in undisturbed lattices, radiation induced and thermal defects in insulators and metals.Most of the experiments reported here were performed at the High Flux Reactor Grenoble and at the FR 2 reactor Karlsruhe in collaboration with K. Dörr, D. Dubbers, F. Fujara, H. Grupp, M. Grupp, P. Heitjans, A. Koerblein, P. von Blanckenhagen, H.-J. Stoeckmann and A. Winnacker.     

Techniques of laser spectroscopy in investigations of lanthanides’ free atoms and ions

Various experimental methods, used in Chair of Quantum Engineering and Metrology for determination of the hyperfine structure of electronic levels in lanthanides atoms and ions, are presented. In turn the spectroscopic methods on an atomic beam (laser induced fluorescence and laser-rf double resonance ABMR-LIRF), laser-rf double resonance in a Paul trap and spectroscopic methods in a hollow cathode discharge (optogalvanic detection and laser induced fluorescence) are presented. Each method has been characterized with its potential accuracy and domain of application. The results achieved for the atoms and the ions of lanthanum, praseodymium, neodymium and europium have been published in numerous articles (compiled in the reference list).     

Theoretical and experimental investigations of nanosecond 177.3 nm deep-ultraviolet light by second harmonic generation in KBBF

We have presented theoretical and experimental investigations of nanosecond (ns) deep-ultraviolet (DUV) 177.3 nm radiation by means of second harmonic generation (SHG) from a frequency-tripled Nd:YAG laser (355 nm, 49 ns and 10 kHz) in KBe₂BO₃F₂ (KBBF) nonlinear crystal for the first time. A DUV KBBF-SHG numerical model, accounting for linear absorption, pump depletion, beam spatial birefringent walk-off and diffraction, is performed in the Gaussian approximation of spatial and temporal profiles. In the experiment, a maximum average output power of 14.1 mW at 177.3 nm was obtained. The dependence of 177.3 nm output power on the 355 nm pump power was simulated. The calculated results are in good agreement with the measured data. We used the model further to investigate the optical conversion efficiency, pulse width, beam spatial intensity profile and beam quality factor of the generated 177.3 nm light, in particular the effect of beam birefringent walk-off.     

Formation of α-Sn by chemical sputtering of β-Sn target in hydrogen plasma

Microcrystals of α-Sn having averaged diameters of 10–20 nm grewMicrocrystals of α-Sn having averaged diameters of 10–20 nm grew when a target of β-Sn was chemically sputtered in atmosphere (0.2–1.0 torr) of hydrogen at substrate holder temperatures of 15–60°C, higher than the transition temperature (13°C) between α-Sn and β-Sn, although usual sputtering in Ar gas deposited only β-Sn phase.     

Method of “optimum observables” and implementation of neural networks in physics investigations

A separation of a signal of various physics processes from an overwhelming background is one of the most important problems in contemporary high-energy physics. The application of various multivariate statistical methods, such as the neural-network method, has become one of the popular steps toward optimizing relevant analyses. The choice of optimum variables that would disclose distinctions between a signal and a background is one of the important elements in the application of neural networks. A universal method for determining an optimum set of such kinematical variables is described in the present article. The method is based on an analysis of Feynman diagrams contributing to signal and background processes. This method was successfully implemented in searches for single top-quark production with the D0 detector (Tevatron, Fermilab) in analyzing Run I and Run II data. Brief recommendations concerning an optimum implementation of the neural-network method in physics analysis are given on the basis of experience gained in searches for single top-quark production with the D0 detector.     

Probing Ho?ava-Lifshitz gravity using particle and photon dynamics in the presence of plasma

We study the particle motion around a black hole(BH) in Ho?ava-Lifshitz(HL) gravity with the Kehagias-Sfetsos(KS) parameter. First, the innermost stable circular orbit(ISCO) is obtained for massive particles around the BH in HL gravity. We find that the radii of the ISCOs decrease as the KS parameter decreases, meaning that the parameter ? causes the orbits of particles to move inward with respect to that of the Schwarzschild BH case.Then, the optical properties of a KS BH are studied in detail,...     

Lüders deformation and superplastic flow of metals extruded by KOBO method

The work brings the results of the study on mechanical properties of some metallic materials subjected to very large plastic deformation by KOBO extrusion. The unexpected features of the KOBO products like Lüders deformation in pure metals and superplastic flow in coarse grain materials are discussed in terms of micro- and nano-scale elements of their structure. The choice to the experiment materials having different crystallographic and phase structure (commercial purity aluminium, multiphase aluminium 7075 alloy, pure zinc and multiphase magnesium AZ91 alloy) and different history (extrusion, casting) allowed to identify the common nano-size elements of the structure generated during the KOBO deformation which seems to be responsible for the mechanical behaviour of these materials. In particular, clusters of point defects (self-interstitials) formed under the KOBO extrusion conditions (cyclic change in the deformation path, high hydrostatic pressure) were found in these materials regardless of grain size and material early history. They correlate with appearance of unstable Lüders-like or even Portevin–LeChatelier deformation at ambient and superplastic flow at elevated temperatures.     

Role of copper ions in dielectric and structural investigations of lead– borate glasses

Glasses in the system 0.1CuO-(x-0.1)PbO-(1-x)B₂O₃ (0.3≤ x ≤ 0.7) were synthesized by using the melt quench technique. A number of studies such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and dielectric properties (viz., dielectric constant ??, dielectric loss and ac conductivity σ_ac) are employed to characterize the glasses. The amorphous nature of the glasses was confirmed using XRD while the glass transition temperature (T_g) of glass samples have been estimated from DSC investigation and found that the T_g decreases with increasing PbO content. Raman and FTIR spectroscopy reveals that when increasing lead ions, the tetrahedral [BO₄] units are gradually replaced by trigonal [BO₃] units. The EPR study leads to determine the local site of Cu²⁺ ions and its transformation with the Pb content in the studied glasses.     

Electronic band structures of the alkali metals and of the noble metals and their α-phase alloys

In the monovalent metals the electronic band structure is strongly affected by the size of the band gap E _s-E _p at the Brillouin zone faces, a large gap implying a large distortion of the Fermi surface. Here E _s and E _p are the energies of the purely s-like and p-like states on the zone faces. We have made crude estimates of E _s-E _p for the alkali and noble metals, in terms of the s-p excitation energy Δ_sp of the free atoms. These suggest a single model which correlates most of the experimental information about the band structures of these metals. In particular the Fermi surface of lithium appears to make considerable contact with the zone faces. In the α-phase alloys of the noble metals, the solute always has a larger value of Δ_sp than the solvent, which raises the energy E _p relative to E _s. The Fermi surface becomes more nearly spherical in copper alloys than in copper, since E _p<E _s, whereas it distorts further in the gold alloys (E _p>E _s). This accounts for many Knight shift, electronic specific heat, magnetic susceptibility and other data on these alloys. Furthermore it provides the extension of Jones' explanation of the Hume-Rothery rule demanded by the non-spherical Fermi surface in pure copper and gold.     

Ultrafast hopping dynamics of 5f electrons in the Mott insulator UO₂ studied by femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy

We describe a femtosecond pump-probe study of ultrafast hopping dynamics of 5f electrons in the Mott insulator UO? following Mott-gap excitation at temperatures of 5-300 K. Hopping-induced response of the lattice and electrons is probed by transient reflectivity at mid- and above-gap photon energies, respectively. These measurements show an instantaneous hop, subsequent picosecond lattice deformation, followed by acoustic phonon emission and microsecond relaxation. Temperature-dependent studies indicate that the slow relaxation results from Hubbard excitons formed by U3?-U?? pairs.     

Chemical and electrochemical investigations of high carbon steel corrosion inhibition in 10 % HCl medium by quinoline chalcones

The corrosion inhibitive effect of 3-(3-oxo-3-phenyl-propenyl)-1H-quinolin-2-one (PPQ) and 3-(3-oxo-3-phenyl-propenyl)-1H-benzoquinolin-2-one (PPBQ) on high carbon steel (HCS) in 10 % HCl media was evaluated by chemical (weight loss) and electrochemical (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization technique) measurements. The inhibition efficiencies obtained from weight loss and electrochemical measurements were in good agreement. The inhibition efficiency was found to increase with the increase in inhibitor concentration but decreased with rise in temperature. Potentiodynamic polarization studies revealed the mixed mode inhibition of inhibitors. The adsorption behavior of these inhibitors on the HCS surface was found to obey the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The thermodynamic parameter values of free energy of adsorption (?G _ads) and enthalpy of adsorption (?H _ads) revealed that the inhibitor was adsorbed on the HCS surface via both chemisorption and physisorption mechanisms. The adsorption mechanism of inhibition was supported by spectroscopic techniques (UV–visible, FT-IR, and wide-angle X-ray diffraction), surface analysis (SEM–EDS), and adsorption isotherms.     

Investigation on the undercooling and crystallization of Ni–Fe alloy coating melt by DSC

The undercooling of Ni–Fe alloy coating melt was in situ investigated by differential scanning calorimeter with flux processing technique. The highest undercooling of Ni–Fe alloy with 426 K was obtained as the thermal treatment temperature of the melt being 1904 K and the cooling rate being 50 K min^?1. When cooling rate is fixed, the undercooling depends on the melt processing temperature, and increases rapidly at the first stage. The effects of thermal treatment temperature and cooling rates on the undercooling were discussed.     

Formation of absorbing heterogeneous plasma layer by femtosecond laser-induced melting and ablation of silicon

The experimental study of absorption in silicon in infrared and visible spectral ranges, where the photon energy is less or more than the bandgap width, is performed by means of the ultrafast interferometry technique. The exactly solvable model in the electromagnetic of heterogeneous lossy plasma layer was developed. The density of carriers, their frequency of collisions, absorbing depth of the probing waves, real and imaginary parts of dielectric function of nonuniform layer and their spatial gradients are determined from the reflectance data by means of this model subject to the pump fluence. The heterogeneity-induced effects are visualized due to comparison of obtained plasma parameters with those calculated in the framework of homogeneous plasma model It is shown that in the intensity range near thresholds of melting and ablation the absorption, occurring in both cases mainly within a thin (∼10 nm) absorbing layer (similarly to metals), is due to free carrier intraband absorption.     

Which stresses affect the glide of screw dislocations in bcc metals?

By direct application of stress in molecular statics calculations we identify the stress components that affect the glide of 1/2?111? screw dislocations in bcc tungsten. These results prove that the hydrostatic stress and the normal stress parallel to the dislocation line do not play any role in the dislocation glide. Therefore, the Peierls stress of the dislocation cannot depend directly on the remaining two normal stresses that are perpendicular to the dislocation but, instead, on their combination that causes an equibiaxial tension-compression (and thus shear) in the plane perpendicular to the dislocation line. The Peierls stress of 1/2?111? screw dislocations then depends only on the orientation of the plane in which the shear stress parallel to the Burgers vector is applied and on the magnitude and orientation of the shear stress perpendicular to the slip direction.     

Acoustic and NMR investigations of melting and crystallization of indium–gallium alloys in pores of synthetic opal matrices

The paper presents the results of studying the crystallization and melting processes of Ga–In eutectic alloys, which are embedded in opal matrices, using acoustic and NMR methods. The indium concentrations in the alloys were 4, 6, 9, and 15 at %. Measurements were performed upon cooling from room temperature to complete crystallization of the alloys and subsequent heating. It is revealed how the size effects and alloy composition influence the formation of phases with α- and β-Ga structures and on changes in the melting-temperature ranges. A difference was observed between the results obtained using acoustic and NMR methods, which was attributed to different temperature measurement conditions.     

Study of intensity-dependent nonlinear optical coefficients of GaP optical crystal at 800 nm by femtosecond pump-probe experiment

The intensity-dependent two-photon absorption and nonlinear refraction coefficients of GaP optical crystal at 800 nm were measured with time-resolved femtosecond pump-probe technique. A nonlinear refraction coefficient of 1.7×10-17 m2/W and a two-photon absorption coefficient of 1.5×10-12 m/W of GaP crystal were obtained at a pump intensity of 3.5×1012 W/m2. The nonlinear refraction coefficient saturates at 3.5×1012 W/m2, while the two-photon absorption coefficient keeps linear increase at 6×1012 W/m2. Furthermore, fifth-order nonlinear refraction of the GaP optical crystal was revealed to occur above pump intensity of 3.5×1012 W/m2.