Application of MMMA method: Dispersed superconductors and magnetic nanolayers

Microwave nonresonant dissipation observed around zero field makes a powerful method in characterizing superconducting state (to determineT _C,H _C1,H _CJ parameters). This review shows several successful applications of magnetically modulated microwave absorption (MMMA). MMMA enables to study MgB₂ superconducting nanoregions embedded in the Mg host structure. Application of MMMA to study intercalation of fullerence enabled the observation of a new superconducting phase. The pressure effect dT _C/dp has been studied below the percolation threshold in YBaCuO/PST composites. The local temperature of the Josephson junction measured by the MMMA technique showed that a granular superconductor consists of two phases: host phase and Josephson junction system. MMMA has been applied lately to separate the giant magnetoresistance from the magnetization effect in differential hysteresis loops.     

A remark on divisibility of definable groups

We show that if G is a definably compact, definably connected definable group defined in an arbitrary o‐minimal structure, then G is divisible. Furthermore, if G is defined in an o‐minimal expansion of a field, k ∈ ? and p_k : G → G is the definable map given by p_k (x ) = x^k for all x ∈ G , then we have |(p_k )^–1(x )| ≥ k^r for all x ∈ G , where r > 0 is the maximal dimension of abelian definable subgroups of G . (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Effect of short glass fiber on structure and viscoelastic behavior of olefinic polymers synthesized with metallocene catalyst

Several composites were prepared on the basis of an ethylene homopolymer and different copolymers of ethylene and 1‐hexene, synthesized with a metallocene catalyst, as matrices and a content of a 5 wt % of short glass fiber. The effect of the fiber incorporation on the structure and mechanical and viscoelastic behaviors was analyzed for the different samples. The glass fibers induced a slightly higher crystallinity, and the crystallite morphology significantly changed (long spacings and crystal orientation). The incorporation of fibers did not reinforce the different matrices under study at this low content; consequently, the mechanical parameters, such as Young's modulus, yielding stress, and microhardness, were lower in the composites as compared with those values found in the neat polyolefins. The location and apparent activation energies of distinct relaxation processes are also discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1244–1255, 2003     

Ultrasonic spectroscopic evaluation of the ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of dicyclopentadiene

An in situ ultrasonic spectroscopy technique was used to study the ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of dicyclopentadiene catalyzed by bis(tricyclohexylphosphine)benzylidene ruthenium dichloride. A reaction cell employing a flexible poly(ethylene terephthalate) window for pulse echo ultrasonic spectroscopy was used to monitor the polymerization. The changes in the density, wave speed, acoustic modulus, and attenuation were all simultaneously monitored. In comparison with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy data, the changes in the density, velocity, and modulus only accurately measured the rate constant for the metathesis of the cyclopentyl unsaturation. The ultrasonic values were within 6% of the values determined by FTIR. The activation energy for metathesis of the cyclopentyl unsaturation was 84 kJ mol^?1, following first‐order kinetics. Rate constants for the polymerization of the norbornyl unsaturation could not be determined by ultrasound. The gel point, vitrification, and qualitative information about the reaction rate could be determined from the change in the attenuation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1323–1333, 2003     

Mechanisms of n‐butanol formation in butyl acrylate latexes

The mechanisms involved in the formation of n‐butanol during the synthesis of butyl acrylate containing latices were investigated. The experimental results showed that neither the hydrolysis of butyl acrylate nor of the ester bond in the butyl acrylate segments of the polymer played a major role in the formation of n‐butanol, which was mainly generated from the polymer backbone, by transfer reactions to polymer chain followed by cyclization. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5838–5846, 2007     

Self‐assembly of amphiphilic tris(2,2′‐bipyridine)ruthenium‐cored star‐shaped polymers

Amphiphilic tris(2,2′‐bipyridine)ruthenium‐cored star‐shaped polymers consisting of one polystyrene block and two poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) blocks were prepared by the “arm‐first” method in which RAFT polymerization and nonconvalent ligand–metal complexation were employed. The prepared amphiphilic star‐shaped metallopolymers are able to form micelles in water. The size and distribution of the micelles were studied by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy techniques. Preliminary studies indicate that the polymer concentration and the hydrophilic poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) block length can affect the morphologies of the formed metal‐interfaced core–shell micelles in water. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4204–4210, 2007     

Study of the dissolution and growth of salt single crystals in inhomogeneous acoustic fields: I. A standing acoustic wave

The growth of the isolated (100) face of a KDP crystal at exposure of the phase boundary to the initial ultrasound field and a standing acoustic wave has been investigated. A significant growth response of this face, exposed to sound normally along the acoustic axis in the near zone of a piston-like half-wave vibrator with f = 20 kHz and tangentially in the pulsed two-frequency (f = 600 and 900 kHz) standing-wave mode, has been revealed. It is shown that the mechanisms of mass exchange enhancement in these acoustic modes are different. The results obtained show a fundamental possibility of controlling crystal growth and dissolution by varying the parameters of inhomogeneous acoustic field.     

Doping of KDP single crystals with cerium: Growth and optical properties

The features of doping of KDP crystals with cerium ions and organocerium complexes with alizarin complexon and arsenazo III have been investigated. It is established that “direct” doping by introducing cerium salts into the initial solution cannot be implemented. The effect of organometallic complexes of cerium on the crystal growth has been studied. Organocerium complexes predominantly enter the prismatic or pyramidal growth sectors. It is shown that the complex arsenazo III + Ce blocks the growth of the prismatic sector. Cerium-doped KDP crystals exhibit a photoluminescence band peaking at the wavelength λ_max= 350 nm.     

Effect of oxygen deficit and nonuniform distribution of technological impurities on the dielectric properties of Y3Fe5O12 crystals

The experimental and calculated values of the optical permittivity ε_∞ have been analyzed and generalized with allowance for the oxygen concentration and possible valences of Fe and O ions in YIG single crystals. It is shown that the deficit of oxygen ions in the samples is accompanied by a decrease in ε_∞. A decrease in the gradient of distribution of Ba ions over the sample thickness decreases the difference between the calculated and experimental values. It is revealed that the ratio of the number of valence electrons to the number of core electrons, with regard to their polarizabilities, is proportional to the ratio of the incoherent and coherent X-ray scattering intensities, nk/k.     

Multi-mode wave propagation in ribbed plates: Part I,wavenumber-space characteristics

This paper addresses the issue of energy propagation features in ribbed panels over a wide frequency range. First, a tool for estimating the wave propagation characteristics of one- and two-dimensional structures by k-space analysis is presented. This tool uses a concept of Inhomogeneous Wave Correlation with sparse measured or extracted data, and leads to the estimation of θ-dependent wavenumbers. Here, the method is employed with the sparse simulated and measured normal velocities of a set of ribbed panels and new insights into their k-space behavior are highlighted. Behavior is essentially characterized at low frequencies by structural orthotropy. Comparisons with homogenized data show very good agreement. At higher frequencies, a new behavior pattern is observed and explained both numerically and experimentally. This is a multi-modal waveguide type of propagation in a direction parallel to the ribs.