A comprehensive study of the long pulse Nd:YAG laser drilling of multi-layer carbon fibre composites

The results of an extensive experimental study of the free running Nd:YAG laser drilling of a multi-layer carbon fibre composite, where adjacent layers have differently orientated fibres, are reported. For holes drilled with the laser operating in fixed-Q mode at 1064 nm, parallel sections of blind holes illustrating discontinuities in the hole size along a given section direction will be shown to occur at the interface between adjacent layers. An explanation for this effect is proposed. Detailed single pulse drilling characteristics will be presented illustrating the exit hole diameter as a function of pulse energy and material thickness. These characteristics illustrate a ‘stable' drilling regime in which the exit hole diameters are least sensitive to changes in pulse energy or material thickness and a less ‘stable' regime in which they are more strongly dependent on these parameters. Drilling characteristics will be given for two different beam qualities, illustrating the greater drilling depth and reduced hole size achievable with an improved beam quality. Finally holes drilled through a 2 mm thick sample of material with multiple pulses are considered. Size distribution curves for entrance and exit holes will be presented. The total energy required (number of pulses × pulse energy) to drill through 2 mm thick material will be reported as a function of pulse energy in stationary air and argon atmospheres and in a partial vacuum, illustrating a threshold energy which is dependent upon the drilling atmosphere. The threshold energies will be discussed with reference to plasma formation and the reactivity of the drilling atmosphere.     

Lateral interactions in the thermal desorption of H2 from clean Cu/Ni(110) alloy surfaces

The adsorption of hydrogen on a clean Cu10%/Ni90% (110) alloy single crystal was studied using flash desorption spectroscopy (FDS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and work function measurements. Surface compositions were varied from 100% Ni to 35% Ni. The hydrogen chemisorption on a-surface of 100% nickel revealed strong attractive interactions between the hydrogen atoms in accordance with previous work on Ni(100). Three desorption states (β₁, β₂ and α) appeared in the desorption spectra. The highest temperature (α) state was occupied only after the initial population of the β₂-state. As the amount of copper was increased in the nickel substrate, desorption from the higher energy binding α-state was reduced, indicating a decrease in the attractive interactions among hydrogen atoms. The hydrogen coverage at saturation was not affected by the addition of copper to the nickel substrate until the copper concentration was greater than 25% at which a sharp reduction in saturation coverage occurred. This phenomenon was apparently due to the adsorption of hydrogen on Ni atoms followed by occupation of NiNi and CuNi bridged adsorption sites, while occupation of CuCu sites was restricted due to an energy barrier to migration.     

A method for computing the IR radiation of molecular gas jets in the volume approximation

Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 55, No. 3, pp. 478–484, September, 1991.     

Rb saturation spectroscopy with an optically narrowed FM diode laser

A fast-frequency modulated (FM) diode laser has been optically narrowed using the technique of resonant optical feedback, to provide linewidths in each FM mode of ≈ 200 kHz peak-to-peak. With a drive frequency of 50 MHz and modulation index of 0.2, the FM laser has been used for the first time to obtain Doppler-free FM spectra of the Rb D₁ line at 795 nm. The potential use of this system for laser frequency stabilisation is discussed.     

Wechselnde Bindungen in einem Zweikörpersystem mit trockener Reibung

Übersicht Betrachtet wird ein zwangserregtes Zweikörpersystem mit wechselnden Bindungen infolge trockener Reibung. Stationäre Bewegungen werden als Grenzfall instationärer Einschwingvorgänge berechnet. Abhängig von den Systemparametern ergeben sich drei typische Bewegungsformen. Ihnen entsprechen dauernde Haftzustände, wechselnde Haft-Gleitzustände oder dauernde Gleitzustände an der Berührfläche beider Körper.

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Intermittant constraints in a two-body-system with dry friction

Summary An externally excited two-body-system with intermittant constraints due to dry friction is considered. Stationary motions are calculated as limit cases of instationary transients. Depending on the parameters of the system, three typical modes are of interest. These correspond to permanent sticking, slipstick behaviour, or to permanent slipping in the contact surface of the bodies, respectively.

     

3D-TOFSIMS characterization of black spots in polymer light emitting diodes

The occurrence and formation of black spots areas in PolyLED devices has been studied by time-of-flight SIMS (TOFSIMS). The composition, shape and position of the black spots is visualised by three-dimensional (3D)-TOFSIMS depth-profiling. It has been established that the formation of non-emissive spots is due to the growth of aluminium oxide clusters at the AlBa/polymer interface. Electron injection in the black spots is lost by the resulting local increase of the resistivity of the cathode.     

Specific features of photoisomerization of provitamin D 3 in a nematic liquid crystal

Photoisomerization of provitamin D ₃ (7-dehydrocholesterol) in a nematic liquid crystal (ZLI-1695, Merck) is investigated in detail by UV absorption spectroscopy. It is found that dissolution of chiral molecules of provitamin D ₃ induces the cholesteric phase in a nematic. The spectral kinetics of photoisomerization in this phase changes significantly from that in an ethanol solution. A sharp nonmonotonic dependence of the increase in accumulation of trans isomer tachysterol in a liquid crystal matrix with a decrease in the induced cholesteric pitch from 2200 to 25 μm is revealed.     

A dynamical test of phase transition order: New things in old places or old wine in new bottles

We first discuss nonlinear aspects of phase transition theory applied to a particular liquid crystal phase transition. A simple derivation is given to show how two coupled Goldstone modes (one appearing as gauge fluctuations of the ordered phase) can force a phase transition, against all expectations, to take place discontinuously (theory of Halperin, Lubensky, and Ma)-but the discontinuity may be immeasurably small. Then, we describe a new dynamical test of phase transition order, developed by Cladiset al., that turns out to be more sensitive than x-ray diffraction and adiabatic calorimetry. Quantitative data found by this new method are in excellent agreement with the measurements of adiabatic calorimetry and x-ray diffraction as well as expectations implicit in the predictions of HLM.This is the text of an after-banquet talk given at the CNLS Workshop on the Dynamics of Concentrated Systems.     

Theory of interfacial phase transitions in surfactant systems

The spin-1 Ising model, which is equivalent to the three-component lattice gas model, is used to study wetting transitions in three-component surfactant systems consisting of an oil, water, and a nonionic surfactant. Phase equilibria, interfacial profiles, and interfacial tensions for three-phase equilibrium are determined in mean field approximation, for a wide range of temperature and interaction parameters. Surfactant interaction parameters are found to strongly influence interfacial tensions, reducing them in some cases to ultralow values. Interfacial tensions are used to determine whether the middle phase, rich in surfactant, wets or does not wet the interface between the oil-rich and water-rich phases. By varying temperature and interaction parameters, a wetting transition is located and found to be of the first order. Comparison is made with recent experimental results on wetting transitions in ternary surfactant systems.This paper is dedicated to J. K. Percus in honor of his 65th birthday.