Plate wave resonance — a contactless test method

A method is described whereby plate waves can be excited in thin sheets (such as paper or cardboard) directly from air without touching the sample. Using this contactless method, non-destructive testing of the elastic properties of various papers can be performed. The method may prove to be useful in “on-line” testing of various other, non-woven materials like plastic sheets.     

An acoustic chamber for sound intensity measurements

The construction and performance of an acoustic chamber suitable for sound intensity measurements is described. The walls and the ceiling of the room are treated with glass wool sheets, air gap and pleated carpet in that order for sound absorption. The final testing of the room shows that good sound absorption is obtained down to low frequencies. The sound absorption coefficient for the room varies between 0.83 and 0.91 for different frequencies.     

Die Lichtausbeute des Plastikszintillators NE 102A für Elektronen von 3 bis 11 keV

The light yield of the plastic scintillator NE 102A for electrons has been measured as a function of electron energy between 3 and 11 keV and scintillator thickness between 0,1 and 50 mm. The scintillation response is a linear function of the electron energy down to energies of 4 to 8 keV, these values depending on the scintillator thickness. The light yield of thin scintillation sheets for low energies was observed to be considerately larger than for thicker sheets. Two possible explanations are discussed.     

DFT studies of Si- and Al-doping effects on the acetone sensing properties of BC3 graphene

In order to find a novel sensor, reactivity and sensitivity of the intrinsic, Al- and Si-doped BC₃ graphene-like sheets to an acetone molecule were investigated by using B3LYP and ωB97X-D density functional calculations. Adsorption of acetone on the intrinsic, Al- and Si-doped BC₃ sheets releases energies of about 7.2, 36.5 and 24.8 kcal/mol, respectively, using ωB97X-D. The Si-doped sheet presents high sensitivity to acetone compared with the intrinsic and Al-doped sheets indicated by the calculated geometrical structures and electronic properties for these systems. The HOMO/LUMO energy gap of Si-doped BC₃ sheet is significantly decreased from 2.20 to 1.65 eV (B3LYP), which would result in electrical conductance increment. Thus, Si-doped sheet are expected to be a potential candidate for detecting the presence of acetone.     

Interactions between sheets of phonons in liquid (4)He

We have created two sheets of approximately 1 K phonons in liquid (4)He at approximately 55 mK such that they intersect each other as they move towards a common point. If the two sheets have a small angle between them, they interact strongly and create a hot line in the liquid helium. This line is continuously fed with energy from the two sheets and loses energy by creating high-energy phonons. If the angle between the sheets is larger than approximately 30 degrees they do not interact but pass through each other. These results give direct evidence for the composition of the sheets: they comprise strongly interacting low-energy phonons which occupy a narrow cone in momentum space.     

掺杂石墨烯吸附特性的第一性原理研究

利用第一性原理方法研究了一氧化碳分子在本征和硼、氮、铝、磷掺杂的有限尺寸石墨烯上的吸附机理.结果表明,石墨烯作为一氧化碳传感器时的性能依赖于掺杂元素.本征、硼和氮掺杂石墨烯吸附一氧化碳时的吸附能较低,为物理吸附.铝、磷掺杂石墨烯的吸附能显著提高,比本征、硼和氮掺杂时高出约一个数量级,且铝和磷原子从石墨烯中突出,使其发生局部弯曲.铝掺杂石墨烯增强了石墨烯与一氧化碳分子之间的相互作用,可以提高石墨烯的气敏性和吸附能力,是一氧化碳传感器的最佳候选材料之一.     

Instantaneous three-dimensional visualization of concentration distributions in turbulent flows with crossed-plane laser-induced fluorescence imaging

A laser-based technique for measuring instantaneous three-dimensional species concentration distributions in turbulent flows is presented. The laser beam from a single laser is formed into two crossed light sheets that illuminate the area of interest. The laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) signal emitted from excited species within both planes is detected with a single camera via a mirror arrangement. Image processing enables the reconstruction of the three-dimensional data set in close proximity to the cutting line of the two light sheets. Three-dimensional intensity gradients are computed and compared to the two-dimensional projections obtained from the two directly observed planes. Volume visualization by digital image processing gives unique insight into the three-dimensional structures within the turbulent processes. We apply this technique to measurements of toluene-LIF in a turbulent, non-reactive mixing process of toluene and air and to hydroxyl (OH) LIF in a turbulent methane-air flame upon excitation at 248 nm with a tunable KrF excimer laser. PACS 42.30.Va; 32.50.+d; 42.62.Cf     

Electrostatic properties and characterization of two-layer paper sheets

The aim of the research is to determine the electrostatic properties of two-layer paper sheets composed of laboratory filter paper and polyethylene. The volume resistivity and conductivity in a filter paper sheet, polyethylene film and a two-layer sheet consisting of them were studied. The experiment was done using two techniques. The investigated samples were exposed to static electric field and the surface and volume conductivity were measured in accordance with ASTM D257 standard. The same samples were also exposed to positive and negative air ion flux that allows a periodical deposition of a dosed amount of charge in order to measure electrostatic properties of the samples, i.e. to measure maximum surface voltage, sheet capacitance, surface voltage decay half time, volume resistivity, et cetera. A study of a two-layer sample consisting of laboratory filter paper and polyethylene film superimposed on the conductive surface in one position when the polyethylene film is on top and in other when the sample is in turned over position shows that the electrostatic properties of the top layer become dominant. The obtained results appear to be useful for more precise understanding of the phenomena occurring in multilayer sheets and to find a way to improve the multilayer sheets features.     

含石墨烯临界耦合谐振器的吸收特性研究

临界耦合谐振器是一种薄膜结构, 可以吸收几乎所有的入射电磁波而不产生散射. 为了有效的实现和控制临界耦合现象, 本文提出了在临界耦合结构中加入了基于石墨烯的多层薄膜结构来代替原来的吸收薄膜层. 计算表明临界耦合现象出现在近红外波段, 且可以通过调节石墨烯的费米能级来获得不同的临界耦合频率; 另外改变多层薄膜结构中介质的厚度、石墨烯的层数, 实现了临界耦合现象的可调谐性, 同时对于弛豫时间和入射角度对吸收效率的影响也做了相应讨论. 本文理论结果为基于石墨烯的临界耦合器件和光探测器件的设计提供了理论依据.     

Graphene saturable absorber mirror for ultra-fast-pulse solid-state laser

High-quality graphene sheets with lateral size over 20 μm have been obtained by bath sonicating after subjecting the wormlike graphite marginally to mixed oxidizer. To date, to our knowledge, they are the largest graphene sheets prepared by exfoliation in the liquid phase. A saturable absorber mirror was fabricated based on these sheets. We exploited it to realize mode-locking operation in a diode-pumped Nd:GdVO(4) laser. A pulse duration of 16 ps was produced with an average power of 360 mW and a highest pulse energy of 8.4 nJ for a graphene mode-locked laser.     

Energy spectra considerations for synchrotron radiotherapy trials on the ID17 bio‐medical beamline at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility

The aim of this study was to validate the kilovoltage X‐ray energy spectrum on the ID17 beamline at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). The purpose of such validation was to provide an accurate energy spectrum as the input to a computerized treatment planning system, which will be used in synchrotron microbeam radiotherapy trials at the ESRF. Calculated and measured energy spectra on ID17 have been reported previously but recent additions and safety modifications to the beamline for veterinary trials warranted a fresh investigation. The authors used an established methodology to compare X‐ray attenuation measurements in copper sheets (referred to as half value layer measurements in the radiotherapy field) with the predictions of a theoretical model. A cylindrical ionization chamber in air was used to record the relative attenuation of the X‐ray beam intensity by increasing thicknesses of high‐purity copper sheets. The authors measured the half value layers in copper for two beamline configurations, which corresponded to differing spectral conditions. The authors obtained good agreement between the measured and predicted half value layers for the two beamline configurations. The measured first half value layer was 1.754 ± 0.035 mm Cu and 1.962 ± 0.039 mm Cu for the two spectral conditions, compared with theoretical predictions of 1.763 ± 0.039 mm Cu and 1.984 ± 0.044 mm Cu, respectively. The calculated mean energies for the two conditions were 105 keV and 110 keV and there was not a substantial difference in the calculated percentage depth dose curves in water between the different spectral conditions. The authors observed a difference between their calculated energy spectra and the spectra previously reported by other authors, particularly at energies greater than 100 keV. The validation of the beam spectrum by the copper half value layer measurements means the authors can provide an accurate spectrum as an input to a treatment planning system for the forthcoming veterinary trials of microbeam radiotherapy to spontaneous tumours in cats and dogs.     

On the balancing of structural and acoustic performance of a sandwich panel based on topology,property, and size optimization

Balancing structural and acoustic performance of a multi-layered sandwich panel is a formidable undertaking. Frequently the gains achieved in terms of reduced weight, still meeting the structural design requirements, are lost by the changes necessary to regain acceptable acoustic performance. To alleviate this, a design method for a multifunctional load bearing vehicle body panel is proposed which attempts to achieve a balance between structural and acoustic performance. The approach is based on numerical modelling of the structural and acoustic behaviour in a combined topology, size, and property optimization in order to achieve a three dimensional optimal distribution of structural and acoustic foam materials within the bounding surfaces of a sandwich panel. In particular the effects of the coupling between one of the bounding surface face sheets and acoustic foam are examined for its impact on both the structural and acoustic overall performance of the panel. The results suggest a potential in introducing an air gap between the acoustic foam parts and one of the face sheets, provided that the structural design constraints are met without prejudicing the layout of the different foam types.     

Density functional theory study on the adsorption of alkali metal ions with pristine and defected graphene sheet

The graphene-based materials along with the adsorption of alkali metal ions are suitable for energy conversion and storage applications. Hence in the present work, we have investigated the structural and electronic properties of pristine and defected graphene sheet upon the adsorption of alkali metal ions (Li⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺) using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The presence of vacancies or vacancy defects enhances the adsorption of alkali ions than the pristine sheet. From the obtained results, it is found that the adsorption energy of Li⁺ on the vacancies defected graphene sheet is higher (3.05?eV) than the pristine (2.41?eV) and Stone–Wales (2.50?eV) defected sheets. Moreover, the pore radius of the pristine and defected graphene sheets are less affected by metal ions adsorption. The increase in energy gap upon the adsorption of metal ions is found to be high in the vacancy defected graphene than that of other sheets. The metal ions adsorption in the defective vacancy sheets has high charge transfer from metal ions to the graphene sheet. The bonding characteristic between the metal ions and graphene sheet are analysed using QTAIM analysis. The influence of alkali ions on the electronic properties of the graphene sheet is examined from the Total Density of States (TDOS) and Partial Density of States (PDOS).     

Influence of Fermi surface topology on kinetic properties of Fe-Co alloys in the domain close to an equiatom composition

The electron energy spectrum for the superstructure FeCo is computed by a symmetrized Green's function method. A curve of the density of the electron states N() and the Fermi surface (FS) section is constructed for the ferromagnetic state obtained by a rigid shift in conformity with the value of the atomic magnetic moment of the alloy. A FS scheme is proposed, consisting of definite sheets belonging to different energy bands emerging at the Fermi level. A semiquantitative estimate is made of the magnitude of the FS area, and the contribution of separate FS sheets to the magnitude of the anomalous Hall R_s, Nernst-Ettingshausen Q_s and thermal emf S coefficients are examined. The nature of the change in the separate FS sections as the alloy composition changes is examined within the framework of the rigid band model, and a qualitative explanation is obtained for the concentration dependence of R_s and S in Fe-Co alloys.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 12, pp. 3–9, December, 1981.     

De Haas-van Alphen effect in rhodium

The de Haas-van Alphen effect has been used to study the extremal areas and effective cyclotron masses on all five sheets of the Fermi surface of rhodium for the magnetic field in a (110)-plane. The measured extremal areas are in good agreement with relativistic-augmented-plane-wave calculations. The resulting deviations correspond to energy shifts of the calculated bands not exceeding 4 mRy. Several extremal orbits on the fifth band Γ-centered electron sheet have been observed. The mass enhancement determined from the ratio between the calculated and measured effective cyclotron masses is found to vary substantially over the different sheets of the Fermi surface. A rather isotropie factor of 1.40 is obtained for the sixth band Γ-centered electron sheet. For the third and fourth band hole pockets we obtained enhancement factors in the region 0.9–1.4.     

载能氢同位素原子与石墨(001)面碰撞的分子动力学研究

采用分子动力学方法研究了载能H同位素原子与石墨晶体碰撞的同位素效应. 碳氢系统的强共价键作用和石墨层间的弱van der Waals力分别用REBO和Ito半经验势函数来描述. 研究发现: 随着入射原子质量的增加, 上表面吸附几率和反射几率的峰值都会向高能区移动; 相比于H, ²H入射原子, ³H入射原子具有较高的吸附几率——包括上表面吸附和内部吸附; 穿透石墨晶体, ²H, ³H原子所需的能量较高; 原子质量和原子入射能量都会影响入射粒子与不同石墨层之间的能量传递过程. 这些结果对理解碳基材料的³H滞留机制有重要意义.     

Laser cleaning of oxidized iron samples: The influence of wavelength and environment

A phenomenological laser-cleaning study of pure oxidized iron samples has been performed in order to model the influence of wavelength in air and the role of environment in the IR domain. Two sets of experiments were performed: (i) cleaning of oxidized specimens at different laser spot sizes and pulse numbers at wavelengths of 1064 nm and 532 nm in air and (ii) cleaning in air with electrolytes at 1064 nm for low energy densities.     

Simulations of the bending rigidity of graphene

Molecular mechanics simulations for graphene bending rigidity are reported through calculations of the strain energy for graphene sheets subjected to a point loading. The rigidity is found to be dependent on the size and the shape of graphene sheets. Moreover, dependence of the rigidity on the deflection is found.     

Differential conductance fluctuation of curved nanographite sheets in the mesoscopic regime

Excess conductance fluctuations with peculiar temperature dependence from 1.4 to 250 K were observed in curved nanographite sheets with electrode gap lengths of 300 and 450 nm, whereas the conductance fluctuation is greatly suppressed above 4.2 K when the electrode gap lengths increase to 800 and 1000 nm. The former is discussed in the context of the presence of a small energy bandgap in the nanographite sheets, while the latter is attributed to the crossover from the coherent transport to diffusive transport regime.     

A reconfigurable terahertz polarization converter based on metal–graphene hybrid metasurface

A metal-graphene hybrid metasurface polarization converter is designed in this Letter.The unit cell of the hybrid metasurface is composed of a butterfly-shaped structure whose branches are connected by multi-layer graphene sheets.The proposed device can be reconfigured from linear-to-circular polarization to cross-polarization by changing the Fermi energy of graphene.The simulation results show that for three-layer graphene,the device acts as a linear-to-circular polarization converter when EF=0 eV and switches to a cross-polarization converter when EF=0.5 eV.Compared with single-layer graphene,the device with three-layer graphene can maintain the cross-polarization conversion performance under low Fermi energy.Furthermore,two equivalent circuits in the x and y directions are developed to understand the working mechanism of the device.