Elaboration and electrochemical characterization of LaZr2Cr4Ni5-based metal hydride alloys

The elaboration of LaZr₂Cr₄Ni₅-based intermetallic compound was performed by mechanical alloying from LaNi₅ and ZrCr₂ precursors and characterized as active materials of negative electrodes in nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries. The effect of the milling duration on the phase composition was investigated. The structural properties of the formed phases were determined by X-ray diffraction and quantified from the Rietveld refinement data. The increase of the milling time up to 40 h leads to the highest abundance of the LaZr₂Cr₄Ni₅ phase, estimated at a weight content of 60.6 %, and a complete elimination of the LaNi₅ intermetallic precursor. The chronopotentiometry, cyclic voltammetry, and chronoamperometry techniques were applied to characterize the electrochemical behavior of prepared LaZr₂Cr₄Ni₅-based compounds. The maximum discharge capacity was 152 mAh g⁻¹, and a high electrochemical stability was obtained in the alkaline solution. The value of the hydrogen diffusion coefficient is equal to 2.1 × 10⁻⁸ cm² s⁻¹, reflecting an appropriate electrochemical hydrogenation kinetic in the LaZr₂Cr₄Ni₅-based compounds.

     

Spectroscopical splitting of Cu ion energy levels in magnesium lead fluoro silicate glasses

Homogeneous 40.0 MgO-(10-x) PbF₂-50.0 SiO₂: x CuO glasses were prepared using melt-quenching technique under controlled conditions. Spectroscopic studies (UV-vis absorption, ESR, FT-IR) are carried out for these glasses. One broad characteristic visible absorption band is observed around 700-850 nm in these glasses, the optical band gap decreases as the content of the CuO increases in the glass network up to 0.7 mol % then reversal trend is observed. ESR spectra of all these glasses show resonance peaks characteristic of Cu²⁺ ions and hyperfine splitting is resolved with increasing the CuO content in the glass network. From the observed ESR spectra, the spin-Hamiltonian parameters have been evaluated and indicate that Cu²⁺ ions have octahedral coordination with a strong tetragonal distortion in these glasses. By correlating ESR and optical absorption data, the molecular orbital coefficients have been evaluated. FT-IR spectra give important information about the nature of bonds in the glass matrix. The density of the glasses is also measured and is found to decrease with the increase CuO contents in the glass matrix. The physical parameters along with spectroscopic parameters are measured.     

Solvent free synthesis of 1,3-diaryl-2-propenones catalyzed by commercial acid-clays under ultrasound irradiation

This paper presents a novel solvent free method of synthesis of trans-chalcones. The method was based on ultrasound irradiation of the reagents (aryl methyl ketones and aryl aldehydes) in presence of commercial acid-montmorillonites as catalysts. The trans-chalcones were synthesized in high yields (85–95%) and excellent selectivity in a short reaction time.     

Accelerated D-Dimensional Compactified Universe in Gauss--Bonnet--Dilatonic Scalar Gravity from D-Brane/M-Theory

We discuss a particular d-dimensional Gauss- Ronnet-dilatonie universe compactified on S^1 motivated from Mtheory. We examine the time-evolution of the dynamical equations where many interesting consequences are revealed and discussed in some details. Under reasonable conditions, the discussed model can provide a mechanism to realize, in higher-dimensions （d 〉 4）, the accelerated expansion of the universe in the presence of dark energy, without the presence of phantom energy and without the contraction of some internal dimension.     

Preequilibrium versus thermalized light-charged particle emissions in the40Ar (1100MeV)+24Mg reaction. Dynamical calculations

In an attempt to separate preequilibrium and thermalised emissions of light particles in low impact parameter heavy-ion collisions, the⁴⁰Ar+²⁴Mg reaction has been studied at 27.5 MeV/nucleon. Exclusive measurements have permitted us to examine, in some detail, heavy fragments and charged particles (p, d, t,-particle). The fragments recognized as evaporation residues have been selected and, due to inverse kinematic conditions, the related preequilibrium and statistical emissions of light particles resulting from incomplete fusion reaction appear to be distinguishable to a fair extent. This separation is fully supported by Monte Carlo calculations. Some experimental characteristics of the light particles have been examined and compared to the predictions of dynamical calculations. These calculations, associating a preequilibrium (interpreted as prompt emitted particles) model with a statistical-decay model, follow the evolution of the collision from the point of contact between the projectile and the target to the final evaporation-residue formation on an event by event basis. The predictions of these calculations have been compared to experimental data and satisfactory agreement is achieved for fragment-mass distribution, proton-energy spectra, and proton-angular distribution.     

Light charged particles and clusters in coincidence with heavy fragments in the40Ar(1100 MeV)+13C incomplete fusion reaction. Simulated statistical decay analysis

Protons, deuterons, tritons,α-particles and Li have been studied in coincidence with evaporation residues produced at low impact parameter for the⁴⁰Ar(1100 MeV)+¹³C reaction. Experimental characteristics of the light particle — heavy residue correlations, and among them an effect of left-right asymmetry, are analyzed and discussed in some detail on the basis of Monte Carlo simulations. This reaction appears to be governed by an incomplete fusion process. Due to transverse emission of preequilibrium particles, the compound nuclei associated with light-particle-evaporation-residue coincidence events recoil at a non-zero degree lab. angle with some dispersion around this direction. When these effects are introduced into statistical decay calculations, it is then possible to reproduce various experimental results and to understand features like the asymmetry effect. Discrimination of light particles of preequilibrium and of evaporative origin appears possible.     

Perfect imaging through a disordered waveguide lattice

It is experimentally demonstrated that perfect imaging is possible in disordered wave guiding media, provided that the disorder is off-diagonal, i.e., that only the spacing varies randomly between the otherwise identical lattice sites. On-diagonal disorder or Kerr nonlinearity destroys the imaging.     

Phase Transitions in the Early Universe with Negatively Induced Supergravity Cosmological Constant

We consider that the observable cosmological constant is the sum of the vacuum （Avac） and the induced term （Aind - 3m^2/4） with m being the ultra-llght masses （≈ Hubble parameter） implemented in the theory from supergravities arguments and non-minimal coupling. In the absence of a scalar buildup of matter fields, we study its effects on spontaneous symmetry breaking with a Higgs potential and show how the presence of the ultra-light masses yields some important consequences for the early universe and new constraints on the Higgs and electroweak gauge bosons masses.     

Pseudorapidity distributions of charged particles from Au + Au collisions at the maximum RHIC energy,square root[s(NN)] = 200 GeV

We present charged-particle multiplicities as a function of pseudorapidity and collision centrality for the 197Au+197Au reaction at square root[s(NN)] = 200 GeV. For the 5% most central events we obtain dN(ch)/deta/(eta = 0) = 625+/-55 and N(ch)/(-4.7< or =eta < or =4.7) = 4630 +/- 370, i.e., 14% and 21% increases, respectively, relative to square root[s(NN)] = 130 GeV collisions. Charged-particle production per pair of participant nucleons is found to increase from peripheral to central collisions around midrapidity. These results constrain current models of particle production at the highest RHIC energy.