Triboluminescence,a new tool to investigate fracture-initiation time of crystals under stress

The present paper reports that triboluminescence (TBL) does not appear at the instant of impact of the load but a certain time lag is required for its appearance which depends on the value of the stress applied to the crystal. Since TBL appears in sugar crystals during the creation of new surfaces, the fracture-initiation time of the crystal has been taken to be the delay time in observing TBL pulse after the application of stress. The dependence of fracture-initiation time,t _f ^σ , of crystals on the stress, σ, may be expressed ast _f ^σ =t _o exp (− ασ), wheret _o and α are constants. The values of the lattice energy, and the change in lattice energy per unit stress, of sugar crystals have been calculated from TBL measurements and they have been found to be 21·2 kcal mole⁻¹ and 0·41 × 10⁻⁸ kcal mole⁻¹ dyne⁻¹ cm² respectively.     

Wetting behavior of Al–Si–Mg alloys on Si3N4/Si substrates: optimization of processing parameters

The wetting behavior of Al–Si–Mg alloys on Si₃N₄/Si substrates has been investigated using the sessile drop technique. Based on a Taguchi experiment design, the effect of the following processing parameters on the contact angle (θ) and surface tension (σ_LV) was studied: processing time and temperature, atmosphere (Ar and N₂), substrate surface condition (with and without a silicon wafer), as well as the Mg and Si contents in the aluminium alloy. In nitrogen, non-wetting conditions prevail during the isothermal events while in argon a remarkable non-wetting to wetting transition leads to contact angles θ as low as 11±3° and a liquid surface tension σ_LV of 33± 10×10^-5 kJ/m². According to the multiple analysis of variance (Manova), the optimum conditions for minimizing the values of θ and σ_LV are as follows: temperature of 1100 °C, processing time of 90 min, argon atmosphere, no use of a silicon wafer, and the use of the Al-18% Mg-1% Si alloy. A verification test conducted under the optimized conditions resulted in a contact angle of θ=9±3° and a surface tension of σ_LV=29± 9×10^-5 kJ/m², both indicative of excellent wetting. PACS 68.03.Cd; 81.05.Bx; 68.08.Bc; 05.70.-a; 61.10.Nz     

Thermal stability of submicrocrystalline copper strengthened with HfO2 nanoparticles in the temperature range 20–500 °C

The thermal stability of the yield stress and Young’s modulus was investigated in ultrafinegrained copper (99.98%) and a Cu-HfO₂ composite obtained by intensive plastic deformation using the method of equichannel angular pressing. It is shown that both the pure copper and the composite strengthened with HfO₂ nanoparticles demonstrate in this state a high yield stress (σ _0.2≈400 MPa). When the two-hour annealing temperature T _a is increased above 200 °C, the yield stress in pure copper decreases to 40 MPa at T _a=400 °C, whereas in the Cu-HfO₂ composite, high yield stresses are conserved up to T _a=500 °C. A recovery stage of Young’s modulus is found at around 200 °C both in pure copper and in the Cu-HfO₂ composite. It is concluded that this stage reflects the transition of the grain boundaries from a nonequilibrium to an equilibrium state, and the high-strength properties of the materials are determined mainly by the grain size and depend weakly on the grain-boundary structure. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1268–1270 (July 1998)     

Depression of the ferroelastic phase transition in LiCsSO<Subscript>4</Subscript> by uniaxial stress

In the lithium-caesium sulphate crystal in the temperature range of ferroelastic phase transition, the uniaxial stress σ _X induced changes in velocity and attenuation of the longitudinal ultrasonic wave propagating in the direction [010] are studied. The phase transition is close to the three-critical point and the critical exponent is κ = 0.27 ± 0.02. The stress applied drastically decreases the stepwise change in the wave velocity at T _C up to its disappearance at 2 MPa. In the temperature range between T _C and T _C − 6 K, the stress leads to an increase in the wave velocity and a decrease in its attenuation. This range was interpreted as that of co-existence of ferroelastic and incommensurate ordering, in which the stress influences the density of solitons leading to stiffening of the crystal lattice.     

Muon spin relaxation study on magnetism in high quality single crystal of a high transition temperature superconductor La2−xSrxCuO4−σ (0.11≤x≤0.14)

The positive muon spin relaxation method is applied to probe magnetic ordering in the superconducting phase of a high quality single crystal of La_2−xSr_xCuO_4−σ (0.11≤x≤0.14). The well characterized crystal ofx=0.11 (T _c=34.5 K) with nearly complete flux exclusion exhibits spin freezing at 8K(T _f) with significant spin fluctuation up to 20 K. The onset of spin fluctuation andT _f decrease against increasingx towardsx=0.15, suggesting an existence of a magnetic phase boundary aroundx whereT _c becomes maximum.     

Correlation between work hardening and stress relaxation in polycrystalline nickel

Stress-relaxation rates at a constant strain in A-grade nickel polycrystals has been reported to depend in a peculiar manner on the initial stress levelσ ₀ at which relaxation is allowed to start. For large grains (D>75μm),s varies withσ ₀ linearly over the entire stress strain curve. For small grains (D<75μm),s-σ ₀ curve undergoes a change in its slope at a critical value of plastic strainɛ, which decreases as grain size increases. The observation referred to are found to correlate well with the work-hardening behaviour of the nickel polycrystals.     

Elastic,micro- and macroplastic properties of polycrystalline beryllium

The Young’s modulus and the internal friction of beryllium polycrystals (size grain from 6 to 60 μm) prepared by the powder metallurgy method have been studied as functions of the amplitude and temperature in the range from 100 to 873 K. The measurements have been performed using the composite piezoelectric vibrator method for longitudinal vibrations at frequencies about 100 kHz. Based on the acoustic measurements, the data have been obtained on the elastic and inelastic (microplastic) properties as functions of vibration stress amplitudes within the limits from 0.2 to 30–60 MPa. The microplastic deformation diagram is shown to become nonlinear at the amplitudes higher than 5 MPa. The beryllium mechanical characteristics (the yield strength σ _0.2, the ultimate strength σ _u , and the conventional microscopic yield strength σ _y ) obtained with various grain sizes are compared. At room temperature, all the parameters satisfactorily obey the Hall-Petch relationship, although there is no complete similarity. The temperature dependences are quite different, namely: σ _0.2(T) and σ _u (T) decrease monotonically during heating from room temperature to higher temperatures; however, σ _y (T) behaves unusually, and it has a minimum near 400 K. The different levels of stresses and the absence of similarity indicate that the scattering of the ultrasound energy and the formation of a level of the macroscopic flow stresses in beryllium occur on dislocation motion obstacles of different origins.     

A Closer Look at the Uncertainty Relation of Position and Momentum

We consider particles prepared by a single slit diffraction experiment. For those particles the standard deviation σ _p of the momentum is discussed. We find out that σ _p =∞ is not an exception but a rather typical case. A necessary and sufficient condition for σ _p <∞ is given. Finally, the inequality σ _p Δx≥π ℏ is derived and it is shown that this bound cannot be improved.     

Growth,spectroscopic and laser properties of Yb<Superscript>3<Emphasis Type="Bold">+</Emphasis></Superscript>-doped GdAl<Subscript>3</Subscript>(BO<Subscript>3</Subscript>)<Subscript>4</Subscript> crystal: a candidate for infrared laser crystal

Yb³⁺:GdAl₃(BO₃)₄ (hereafter Yb³⁺:GAB) crystals with large sizes and good optical quality have been grown by the top-seed solution growth (TSSG) method. The polarized absorption and emission spectra have been investigated at room temperature. For the σ-polarization, the intensities of both absorption and emission spectra are stronger than those for the π-polarization, the σ-absorption cross section of Yb³⁺ in GAB being 3.43×10^-20 cm² at 977 nm, and the σ-emission cross section being 0.98×10^-20 cm² at 1045 nm. The fluorescence lifetime of the ² F _5/2→² F _7/2 transition was measured to be 800 μs in the 5% doped sample used for our laser experiments, 993 μs in a 10% doped sample and 569 μs in a 0.5% doped sample. The laser parameters were estimated as: β_min=0.022, I_sat=10.4 kW/cm² and I_min=0.23 kW/cm². About 0.4 W laseroutput at the wavelength of 1043 nm was achieved when the Yb³⁺:GAB crystal was pumped by a 974 nm laser diode, with 27.4% slope efficiency. PACS 42.55.-f; 42.70.Hj; 78.20.-e; 81.10.Dn     

Reducing the residual stress in micro electroforming layer by megasonic agitation

In order to reduce the large residual stress in micro elelctroforming layer, megasonic assisted electroforming is proposed here. Micro electroforming experiments were performed with and without megasonic agitation, respectively. Four different megasonic power densities were applied to investigate the influence of megasonic agitation on reducing the residual stress. The residual stress was measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD) method. Experiment results show that the residual stresses fabricated with megasonic agitation are less than that fabricated without megasonic. When the megasonic power density is 2 W/cm², the residual stress can be the minimum value of −125.7 MPa, reduced by 60% in comparison with the value of −315.1 MPa electroformed without megasonic agitation. For exploring the mechanism of megasonic agitation on reducing the residual stress, the dislocation density and crystal orientation were calculated by the single-line Voigt profile analysis and Relative Texture Coefficient (RTC) method, respectively. The diameters and distributions of pits on the surface of electroforming layer were observed by the STM-6 tool microscope and counted by the Image-Pro Plus software. It reveals that one hand of the mechanism is the acoustic streaming produced by megasonic can strengthen the motion of dislocation in crystal lattice and makes the crystal lattices grow towards the equilibrium shape, which is benefit to crystallization with low residual stress. When the megasonic power density is 2 W/cm², the dislocation density increases to be the maximum value of 8.09 × 10¹⁵ m⁻² and the difference between RTC_{(1 1 1)} and RTC_{(2 0 0)} decreases to be zero, which is consistent with the residual stress results. The other hand is that the stable cavitation produced by megasonic can provide residual stress release points during the electroforming process.     

Superconductivity and magnetic ordering in YBa2(Cu1−x Fe x )3O7

Transverse-and zero-field μSR measurements have been made for YBa₂(Cu_1−x Fe _x )₃O₇ withx=0.04, 0.08 and 0.12. The temperature range studied was from approximately 7.5 K to 100 K. The onset of magnetic ordering commences at about 7.5 K forx=0.04, 10 K forx=0.08 and 20 K forx=0.12. The Gaussian depolarization parameter, σ ofG _x (t) = exp(−σ² t ²/2), is depressed by a factor of about 0.6 forx=0.04, but for thex=0.08 sample σ is depressed by a factor of 10 and increasing suppression is seen as the temperature is lowered below 45 K. This decrease in σ is interpreted in terms of decreasing electronic mean free paths.     

Anisotropy of nonlinear absorption in Co<Superscript>2+</Superscript>:MgAl<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> crystal

Anisotropy of the nonlinear absorption of Co²⁺ ions in MgAl₂O₄ single crystal at the wavelengths of 1.35 and 1.54 μm has been experimentally demonstrated. The experimental data are analyzed in the framework of a phenomenological model when the Co²⁺ ions are described as three sets of linear dipoles oriented along the crystallographic axes. Ground-state and excited state absorption cross-sections at 1.35 and 1.54 μm are evaluated to be σ_gsa=(4.0±0.3)×10^-19, σ_esa=(3.6±0.4)×10^-20 cm² and σ_gsa=(5.1±0.3)×10^-19, σ_esa=(4.6±0.4)×10^-20 cm², respectively. PACS 42.55.Rz; 71.20.Be     

Observational constraint on generalized Chaplygin gas model

We investigate observational constraints on the generalized Chaplygin gas (GCG) model as the unification of dark matter and dark energy from the latest observational data: the Union SNe Ia data, the observational Hubble data, the SDSS baryon acoustic peak and the five-year WMAP shift parameter. The result is obtained that the best-fit values of the GCG model parameters with their confidence level are A _s=0.73_−0.06^+0.06 (1σ) _−0.09^+0.09 (2σ), α=−0.09_−0.12^+0.15 (1σ) _−0.19^+0.26 (2σ). Furthermore, in this model, we can see that the evolution of equation of state (EOS) for dark energy is similar to quiessence, and its current best-fit value is w _0de=−0.96 with the 1σ confidence level −0.91≥w _0de≥−1.00.     

Mechanical properties of ferrite-perlite and martensitic Fe–Mn–V–Ti–C steel processed by equal-channel angular pressing and high-temeperature annealing

Using the method of equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP), submicrocrystalline structure is formed in lowcarbon Fe–Mn–V–Ti–C steel with the average grain size 260 nm in the ferrite-perlite state and 310 nm in the martensitic state. It is established that the ECAP treatment gives rise to improved mechanical properties (H_μ = 2.9 GPa, σ₀ = 990 MPa in the ferrite-perlite and H_μ = 3.7 GPa, σ₀ = 1125 MPa in martensitic states), decreased plasticity, and results in plastic flow localization under tensile loading. The high strength properties formed by the ECAP are shown to sustain up to the annealing temperature 500°C.     

The superconducting properties of YBa2(Cu1−xMx)3O7 for M=Zn and Ni

Transverse and zero-field μSR measurements were made on YBa₂(Cu_1−xNi_x)₃O_7−y withx=0.1 and 0.2, and YBa₂(Cu_1−x Zn _x )₃O_7−y withx=0.03, 0.06, 0.1, and 0.16, wherey≈0.1. Since doping may lead to magnetic ordering this was searched for with both zero and transverse field μSR, but no evidence was found over the temperature range studied: 10–100 K. However, depolarization rates as functions of temperature were obtained, and the low temperature values of these are σ=3.2 μs⁻¹.1.6μs⁻¹, and 1 μs⁻¹ forx=0.01, and 0.2 Ni, respectively, and σ=0.8 μs⁻¹, 0.75 μs⁻¹, 0.65 μs⁻¹, and 0.4 μs⁻¹ forx=0.03, 0.06, 0.1, and 0.16 Zn, respectively. Estimates for the effect of decreasing electron concentration for Zn are made, but these alone do not account for the drop in σ. Estimates for the effect of scattering on λ and hence σ are made. The reduction in σ for Ni dopant is in surprisingly good agreement with these estimates. For Zn the order of magnitude is correct, but the relative lack of further change in σ after the effect of the first 0.03 addition seems to imply a saturation of the effect of scattering.     

Electron screening in backward elastic scattering

Abstact: The elastic scattering cross sections, σ (E,θ), for the systems He+Ta and He+W have been measured at θ_lab=165° and E _lab=76.1 keV to 3.988 MeV using targets with a thickness of a few atomic layers. The results are smaller than the results given by the Rutherford scattering law, σ_R(E,θ), due to the effects of electron screening and can be described by σ(E,θ)/σ_R(E,θ)=(1+U_e/E)⁻¹, where U _e is an atomic screening potential energy. The deduced average value, U _e=28 ± 3 keV, is consistent with the Moliére- and Lenz-Jensen-models as well as electron binding energies. Received: 25 May 1998     

Crystal growth,electrical and photophysical properties of Tl<Subscript>2</Subscript>S layered single crystals

The Tl₂S compound was prepared in a single crystal form using a special local technique, and the obtained crystals were analysed by X-ray diffraction. For the resultant crystals, the electrical properties (electrical conductivity and Hall effect) and steady-state photoconductivity were elucidated in this work. The electrical measurements extend from 170 to 430 K, where it was found that σ _⊥ = 8.82 × 10⁻⁵ Sm⁻¹ when current flow direction makes right angle to the cleavage plane of the crystals. In the same range of temperatures, it was found that σ _‖ = 4.73 × 10⁻⁵ Sm⁻¹ when the current flow is parallel to the cleavage plane. In line with the investigated range of temperatures, the widths of the band gaps were calculated and discussed as also the results of the electrical conductivity and Hall effect measurements. In addition, the anisotropy of the electrical conductivity (σ _⊥/σ _‖) for the obtained crystals was also studied in this work. Finally the photosensitivity was calculated for different levels of illumination as a result of the photoconductivity measurements, which showed that the recombination process in Tl₂S single crystals is a monomolecular process.      

Distribution of deep levels in Si:Au by spectral analysis of deep-level transient spectroscopy

-l eV and Δσ=1.4×10^-15 cm²) around their mean values (E₀=0.47 eV and σ₀=5.0×10^-15 cm²). No broadening for the other levels is observed in the emission rate spectrum. Accepted: 13 October 1997     

One-dimensional ionic conduction in solid Ag2 Tl6I10

The ionic and electronic conductivities of Ag₂Tl₆I₁₀ single crystals have been studied as a function of crystallographic orientation and temperature from 20 to 135°C. EMF as well as AC and DC techniques have been employed. The highly anisotropic material is predominantly an Ag⁺-ion conductor parallel toc-direction, with the Ag⁺ ions moving through linear channels that are not interconnected. The conductivity σ_‖c =1.6×10⁻⁷Ω⁻¹cm⁻¹ at 25°C, with an activation enthalpy for σ_‖c of 0.38 eV. The conduction perpendicular toc-direction has been found to be predominantly electronic with a value of σ_⊥c =3×10⁻⁹Ω⁻¹cm⁻¹ at 25°C and an activation enthalpy for σ_⊥c of 0.64 eV. This is the first observation of one-dimensional Ag⁺ conduction and this type of orientation-dependent change from ionic to electronic conduction. On leave from Institute of Physics, Academia Sinica, Peking, China.     

Low-temperature resistivity of YBa2Cu3O6+x single crystals in the normal state

A scan of the superconductor-nonsuperconductor transformation in single crystals of YBa₂Cu₃O_6+x (x≈0.37) is done in two alternative ways, namely, by applying a magnetic field and by reducing the hole concentration through oxygen rearrangement. The in-plane normal-state resistivity ρ_ab obtained in the two cases is quite similar; its temperature dependence can be fitted by a logarithmic law in a temperature range of almost two decades. However, an alternative representation of the temperature dependence of σ_ab=1/ ρ _ab by a power law, typical for a 3D material near a metal-insulator transition, is also plausible. The vertical conductivity σ_c=1/ρ_c followed a power law, and neither σ_c(T), nor ρ_c(T) could be fitted by log T. It follows from the ρ_c measurements that the transformation at T=0 is split into two transitions: superconductor-normal-metal and normal-metal-insulator. In our samples, they are separated in oxygen content by Δx≈0.025. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 65, No. 11, 834–839 (10 June 1997) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Edited by Steve Torstveit.