Elastic moduli and theoretical estimations of physical properties of Ge3Se7–As2Te3

The Bulk (100-x)Ge₃Se₇ - (x)As₂Te₃ (0 ≤ x ≤ 30) glassy alloys were prepared using the melt quenching technique. The elastic moduli (Bulk (K), Micro-hardness (H), Young (Y)), and Poisson's ratio (P_r) of the prepared glasses have been determined using the measured values of the ultrasonic velocities and density (ρ). Values of ρ were measured, then the molar volume (V_m) was estimated theoretically. The DSC thermograms are used to determine the glass transition temperature (T_g). The thermal evaporation method was used to prepare the (100-x)Ge₃Se₇- (x)As₂Te₃ (0 ≤ x ≤ 30) thin films under a vacuum of about 10⁻⁴Pa. The absorbance (A) of the films in the spectral range from 0.45 to 0.85 μm has been measured, then the absorption coefficient (α) and energy gap (E_g) were determined. The Chemical Bond Approach (CBA) has been used successfully to estimate theoretically various physical and structural characteristics of the studied system. Theoretical values of E_g and T_g have been obtained using different methods. The results proved a remarkable agreement between the theoretical and experimental values for both the E_g and T_g. The E_g values decreased from 2.1 to 1.73 eV by increasing the As₂Te₃ content from 0 to 30 at. %. Therefore, these compounds can be used as an absorbing layer for electromagnetic radiation in photovoltaic devices and sensors.     

High temperature properties of the n = 2 Ruddlesden–Popper phases (La,Sr)3(Fe,Ni)2O7−δ

The crystal chemistry and mixed conductor properties of the n = 2 member of the Ruddlesden–Popper (R–P) phases Sr_3−xLa_xFe_2−yNi_yO_7−δ with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3 and 0 ≤ y ≤ 1.0 have been studied at high temperature. High-temperature X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric measurements of the equilibrium pO₂ (10^− 5 ≤ pO₂ ≤ 1 atm) in the temperature range 400 ≤ T ≤ 1000 °C indicate that the Sr₃FeNiO_7−δ phase is able to accommodate a large oxygen non-stoichiometry (δ ∼ 1.5) without structural transformations. The electrical conductivity and oxygen permeability increase with the substitution of Ni for Fe in the range 550 ≤ T ≤ 1000 °C. The electrical transport of the Sr₃FeNiO_7−δ phase is thermally activated and the activation energy decreases with the substitution of Ni for Fe for a given oxygen content. The increase in the oxygen permeation flux with increasing Ni content is due to an increasing oxygen non-stoichiometry and a lower activation energy for permeation.     

Griffiths phase and the magnetic and transport properties of doped manganites

A phenomenological model is proposed to describe the magnetic and magnetoresistance properties of ferromagnetic manganites. This model is based on the methods used to describe hysteretic systems, takes into account phase separation effects, and assumes the transition of ferromagnetic manganites into the Griffiths phase at above the Curie temperature. This formalism makes it possible to describe the conducting properties of the systems in the temperature range from low temperatures to the Griffiths temperature (T _G). This approach is used to qualitatively explain the experimental laws of the behavior of ferromagnetic manganites using the temperature and field dependences of the electrical resistivity and magnetization, the hysteretic properties, and the magnetoresistive effect (MRE) and to classify manganites in the magnitude of the MRE. The parameter that is responsible for the response of a system to thermal effects is the ratio of the maximum energy barrier separating various states of a system at zero temperature W _A (0) to thermal fluctuation energy W _Cfl at T _G. The W _A (0)/W _Cfl ratio is found to determine the temperature range of the Griffiths phase. The relation between the magnitudes of the MRE and parameter W _A (0)/W _Cfl for a certain system is revealed. The behavior of the magnetization and electrical resistivity of manganites in the Griffiths phase is discussed.     

Effects of Pr-Al co-substitution on the magnetic and structural properties of M-type Ca-Sr hexaferrites

In this research, a series of Pr-Al co-substituted M-type hexaferrites with the chemical composition of Ca_0.4Sr_0.6-xPr_xFe_12.0-yAl_yO₁₉ (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.40, 0.00 ≤ y ≤ 0.60) were synthesized by the standard ceramic method. The phase identification of the samples was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. A single magnetoplumbite phase is exhibited in the hexaferrites with the substitutiom of Pr (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.32) and Al (0.00 ≤ y ≤ 0.48) contents. For the hexaferrite containing Pr (x = 0.40) and Al (y = 0.60), an impurity phase α-Fe₂O₃ is observed in the structure. The morphology of the hexaferrites was analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). FE-SEM micrographs show that the hexaferrites with different Pr-Al contents have formed hexagonal structures, and the grain size of the magnets decreases with increasing Pr-Al content. A magnetic property measurement system was used to measure the magnetic properties of the hexaferrites. The remanence (B_r) and maximum energy product [(BH)_max] decrease with increasing Pr-Al content (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.40, (0.00 ≤ y ≤ 0.60). The intrinsic coercivity (H_cj) increases with increasing Pr-Al content (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.40, (0.00 ≤ y ≤ 0.60). The magnetic induction coercivity (H_cb) and H_k/H_cj ratio first increase with increasing Pr-Al content (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.24, 0.00 ≤ y ≤ 0.36) and then decrease with increasing Pr-Al content (0.24 ≤ x ≤ 0.40, 0.36 ≤ y ≤ 0.60).     

Effects of cryogenic temperature on premixed hydrogen/air flame propagation in a closed channel

As a carbon-free fuel, hydrogen has received significant attention recently since it can help enable low-carbon-economy. Hydrogen has very broad flammability range and very low minimum ignition energy, and thereby there are severe safety concerns for hydrogen transportation and utilization. Cryo-compressed hydrogen is popularly used in practice. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the combustion properties of hydrogen at extremely low or cryogenic temperatures. This study aims to assess and interpret the effects of cryogenic temperature on premixed hydrogen/air flame propagation and acceleration in a thin closed channel. Different initial temperatures ranging from normal temperature (T₀ = 300 K) to cryogenic temperature (T₀ = 100 K) are considered. Both one- and two-dimensional hydrogen/air flames are investigated through transient simulations considering detailed chemistry and transport. It is found that when the initial temperature decreases from T₀ = 300 K to T₀ = 100 K, the expansion ratio and equilibrium pressure both increase substantially while the laminar flame speeds relative to unburned and burned gasses decrease moderately. The one-dimensional flame propagation is determined by laminar flame speed and thereby the combustion duration increases as the initial temperature decreases. However, the opposite trend is found to happen to two-dimensional flame propagation, which is mainly controlled by the flame surface area increase due to the no-slip side wall constraint and flame instability. Based on the change in flame surface area, three stages including the initial acceleration, steady burning and rapid acceleration are identified and investigated. It is demonstrated that the large expansion ratio and high pressure rise at cryogenic temperatures can significantly increase the flame surface area in early stage and promote both Darrieus-Landau instability (hydrodynamic instability) and Rayleigh-Taylor instability in later stage. These two instabilities can substantially increase the flame surface area and thereby accelerate flame propagation in hydrogen/air mixtures at cryogenic temperatures. The present study provides useful insights into the fundamental physics of hydrogen flames at extremely low temperatures, and is closely related to hydrogen safety.     

Measurements of scintillation efficiency and pulse shape for low energy recoils in liquid xenon

Results of observations of low energy nuclear and electron recoil events in liquid xenon scintillator detectors are given. The relative scintillation efficiency for nuclear recoils is 0.22±0.01 in the recoil energy range 40–70 keV. Under the assumption of a single dominant decay component to the scintillation pulse shape the log-normal mean parameter T₀ of the maximum likelihood estimator of the decay time constant for 6 keV <E_ee<30 keV nuclear recoil events is equal to 21.0±0.5 ns. It is observed that for electron recoils T₀ rises slowly with energy, having a value ∼30 ns at E_ee∼15 keV. Electron and nuclear recoil pulse shapes are found to be well fitted by single exponential functions although some evidence is found for a double exponential form for the nuclear recoil pulse shape.     

Study of the effective transverse momentum of partons in the proton using prompt photons in photoproduction at HERA

The photoproduction of prompt photons, together with an accompanying jet, has been measured with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 38.6 pb⁻¹. A study of the effective transverse momentum, 〈k_T〉, of partons in the proton, as modelled within the framework of the PYTHIA Monte Carlo, gives a value of 〈k_T〉=1.69±0.18^+0.18_−0.20 GeV for the γp centre-of-mass energy range 134<W<251 GeV. This result is in agreement with the previously observed trend in hadron–hadron scattering for 〈k_T〉 to rise with interaction energy.     

High-temperature X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering studies of Ba-doped (Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3 Pb-free piezoceramics

The structural changes in (100 ? x)Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃–xBaTiO₃ (0 ≤ x ≤ 10) ceramics were investigated as a function of composition and temperature by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. As Ba concentration increases, the structure changed from rhombohedral to tetragonal (x ≥ 6.5) across a morphotropic phase boundary like phase coexistence at x ～ 5.5, which is further evidenced by phonon anomalies observed in composition-dependent Raman spectra. On heating, the disappearance of peak splits in {111} (x ≤ 5) and {200} (x ≥ 6.5) Bragg peaks and the changes in their 2θ-positions indicated temperature-driven structural changes: ferroelectric to antiferroelectric (≈T_d, depolarization temperature) at 220 °C and antiferroelectric to paraelectric (rhombohedral to tetragonal) at 320 °C. In addition, Raman spectral analysis suggested that at elevated temperatures, two tetragonal phases with slightly different space groups coexisted at x ≥ 6.5 and most of the phase transition temperatures shifted towards left with increasing x.     

Liquid Madelung energy and Schottky defect energy related to liquid structure and melting temperature for alkali halides

Motivated by the work of Reiss et al in which the melting temperature T_m of alkali halides is correlated with Coulomb energy, we consider the cohesive energy W of ionic melts and Schottky defect energy E_s in the hot crystal, relative to the thermal energy k_BT_m It is shown here that W is accurately approximated by the liquid Madelung energy and hence that Wk_BT_m relates to the charge-charge direct correlation function c_QQ(r) at r = 0 The existence of a “Madelung constant” for the liquid at T_m is thereby demonstrated through the alkali halide series An estimate of the ratio E_s/k_BT_m then considered, the basic additional ingredient being argued to be the static dielectric constant of the solid The BarrDawson-Lidiard empirical correlation between E_s, and k_BT_m can be understood in this way.     

Effect of Bi additive on structure and optical properties of amorphous BixIn25−xSe75 chalcogenide films

We report the structure and optical properties of thermally evaporated Bi_xIn_25?xSe₇₅ (0 ≤ x ≤ 7) films by using X-ray diffraction and optical spectroscopic techniques. The as-prepared samples were found to be amorphous by X-ray diffraction while the crystallization of Se, In₂Se₃ and Bi₂Se₃ phases has been observed upon annealing the films at 440 K. The enhancement in the main diffraction peak intensity was accepted as the increase in the crystalline character for the devitrified films with Bi content. The addition of 5 at.% of Bi results in the large change in the electrical parameters due to the carrier type reversal in the as-prepared samples. The red shift in the absorption edge along with a decrease in the transmittance has been observed for the as-prepared samples. The inverse relationship between optical gap and the tailing parameter (except x = 1) were observed with the increase in Bi content. The optical gap was found to increase up to x ≤ 1 and thereafter, resulted in the decrease in it for the thermally annealed samples. These results have been discussed in conjunction with the structural relaxation and impurity mediated heterogeneous crystallization of the film network.     

Rate limiting steps of the porous La0.6Sr0.4Co0.8Fe0.2O3−δ electrode material

The electrode reaction of porous La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3?δ films deposited onto Ce_0.9Gd_0.1O_1.95 (CGO) was investigated by impedance spectroscopy within the temperature and oxygen partial pressure (pO₂) ranges of 500 ≤ T ≤ 700 °C and 10^? 4 < pO₂ < 1 atm, respectively, using Ar and He as gas carriers. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements reveal a high frequency (HF) and a low frequency (LF) regions in the Nyquist plane. The high frequency (HF) region was fitted with a Warburg-type impedance element, and the low frequency (LF) region was reproduced with a resistance in parallel to a constant phase element. Both, the slight dependence of the polarization resistance (R_W) and the small variation of the apex frequency (f_v) of the HF Warburg-type element, on pO₂, suggest that this contribution corresponds to the oxygen diffusion in the bulk of the La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3?δ electrode material. The variation of the polarization resistance of the LF region (R_rcpe) with pO₂ indicates that as T increases, the limiting step evolves from dissociative oxygen adsorption to oxygen gas diffusion in the pores of the mixed ionic/electronic conductor (MIEC) electrode.     

The temperature dependence of impurity-assisted tunneling

The temperature dependence of impurity-assisted tunneling in Al−Al oxide-Pb tunnel junctions has been studied. Impurity-caused peaks in the second derivative of the I–V characteristics of these junctions have been studied at temperatures from 4·2 to 148K. In agreement with previous predictions it was found that the width W of such a peak was related to the temperature T by W=[(5·4 kT)²+W₀²]^1/2 where W₀ is the width of the peak at T=0. The amplitude of a peak was found to be proportional to W⁻¹, and the intensity of a peak (area under the peak) was independent of T.     

On the superconductivity and structural properties of YBa2Cu3 − xCdxO7 − y

A series of superconducting cuprates with the nominal composition YBa₂Cu_3 − xCd_xO_7 − yand the effect of Cd substitution on Cu sites in this compound is presented. X-ray powder diffraction patterns for these cadmium cuprates with reduced diamagnetism indicate an orthorhombic unit cell like-perovskite structure for (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15), while for higher Cd concentration, i.e.x = 1.0 the material is polyphasic. The observed superconducting transition temperature of the samples is nearly the same ([formula] K), except for (x = 1.0) whereT_cdrops to 72 K and a transition from metallic to semiconducting behavior of the normal state of the resistivity is observed. Such a decrease inT_cfor higher Cd concentration could be attributed to the presence of the green phase in this composition.     

Sonochemical reactions with mesoporous alumina

Herein, we report the sonochemical reactions with MSU-X mesoporous alumina (m-Al₂O₃) in aqueous solutions. Sonication (f = 20 kHz, I = 30 W cm^?2, W_aq = 0.67 W mL^?1, T = 36–38 °C, Ar) causes significant acceleration of m-Al₂O₃ dissolution in the pH range of 4–11. Moreover, power ultrasound has a dramatic effect on the textural properties and phase composition of m-Al₂O₃. Short-time sonication at pH = 4 leads to the formation of nanorods and nanofibers of boehmite, AlO(OH). Prolonged ultrasonic treatment causes high aspect morphology transformation to aggregated nanosheets in weakly acid solutions or plated nanocrystals in alkaline solutions. Sonochemical products in alkaline medium are composed principally from boehmite and small amounts of bayerite, Al(OH)₃. Silent hydrolysis of m-Al₂O₃ yields boehmite at pH = 4 and bayerite at pH = 11. The effect of ultrasound on the textural properties of mesoporous alumina as well as on the transformation of nanosized bayerite to boehmite can be consistently attributed to the transient strong heating of the liquid shell surrounding the cavitation bubble which caused the chemical processes similar to those occurred during hydrothermal treatment.     

Electrical studies on bulk Se96Sn4 semiconducting glass before and after gamma irradiation

Bulk Se₉₆Sn₄ chalcogenide glass was prepared by melt quenching technique and irradiated by different doses of 4, 8, 12, 24 and 33 kGy using ⁶⁰Co gamma emitter. I-V characteristics were obtained for this glass, before and after gamma irradiation, in the temperature range 200-300 K. Ohmic behavior was observed at low electric fields (≤1×10⁴ V/m), while at higher fields, a deviation from ohmic towards non-ohmic behavior was observed. The plots of ln(I/V) vs. V were found to be straight lines and the slopes of these lines decrease linearly with temperature indicating the presence of SCLC. In the temperature range of measurements, the dependence of DC conductivity on temperature at low electric field shows two types of conduction channels, one in high temperature range 270-300 K and the other at low temperature range 200-270 K. Analysis of the experimental data shows that the conductivity at room temperature decreases with increase in irradiation dose. This is attributed to rupturing of SnSe_4/2 structural units, upon irradiation, and rebuilt of Se atoms between Se chains. This redistribution of bonds, induced by gamma irradiation, is responsible for the corresponding increase in the activation energy. The obtained values of the activation energy indicate that the conduction occurs due to thermally assisted charge carriers movement in the band tail of localized states. However, in the low temperature range, results obtained from Mott’s variable range hopping (VRH) model reveal that the density of localized states has its maximum value at a gamma dose of 12 kGy, while the disorder parameter T_o, hopping distance R_hop and hopping energy W have their minimum value at this particular dose.     

Surface electromigration of In on vicinal Si(0 0 1)

Surface mass transport of In film on vicinal Si(0 0 1) has been systematically investigated by a scanning Auger electron microscopy (SAM), low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was observed that the temperature dependence of the mass transport shows the critical phenomenon. Above a critical temperature T_c, surface electromigration of the In film toward the cathode side dominated the surface mass transport on the vicinal Si(0 0 1) surface. The LEED and AFM observations revealed that the In film surface on the vicinal Si(0 0 1) consists of 3×4 terraces and (3 1 0) facets. The area ratio of the facet to the terrace exhibited abrupt an increase at T_c. It is believed that the change of the mass transport is related to the abrupt change of the area ratio of the facet to the terrace. Both the critical temperature T_c and the spread due to the surface electromigration of the In film depended on the configuration of the DC current direction and the step edge.     

Observation of the muonic decay of the charged intermediate vector boson

Muons of high transverse momentum p^μ_T have been observed in the large drift chambers surrounding the UA1 detector at the CERN 540 GeV pp? collider. For an integrated luminosity of 108 nb^?1, 14 isolated muons have been found with p_T > 15 GeV/c. They are correlated with a large imbalance in total transverse energy, and show a kinematic behaviour consistent with the muonic decay of the Intermediate Vector Boson W^± of weak interactions. The partial cross section is in agreement with previous measurements for electronic decays and with muon-electron universality. The W mass is determined to be m_W = 81⁺⁶_?7 GeV/c².     

Threshold switching in V2O5-ZnO-SrO-FeO glasses

Density and current–field characteristics related to switching phenomenon in zinc-doped strontium iron vanadate glasses having the formula (70 ? x)%V₂O₅–x%ZnO–10%SrO–20%FeO, have been investigated over a wide composition range [0 ≤ x ≤ 15] at different thicknesses and temperatures. The samples are found to show threshold switching behavior. The switching fields are found to increase with the increase of zinc content while they decrease when the temperature is increased. The activation energy for switching was found to increase with the increase of ZnO content. Finally, the switching results are discussed in terms of the electrothermal model depending on the samples thicknesses and power calculus.