Ionization of Hydrogen and Helium Atoms in Collisions with Relativistic Structural Heavy Ions

Based on the eikonal approximation, cross sections for single and double ionization of hydrogen and helium atoms in collisions with structural multiply charged heavy ions moving with relativistic velocities are calculated. In the present paper, the structural ions are taken to mean the ions with partially filled electronic shells. It is demonstrated that a consideration of the ion charge extension may noticeably change the corresponding cross sections compared to the cross sections for ionization by point ions having the same charges and energies.     

Characterization of phospho-olivines as materials for Li-ion cell cathodes

Solid State Reaction was employed to prepare phospho-olivines LiMPO₄ (where M=Fe, Co) as pure phase and LiNiPO₄ in presence of foreign phases, as cathodic materials for lithiumions batteries. The relationship between structural, morphological and electrochemical properties were investigated in the case of LiFePO₄. Structural investigation has been carried out by means of X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and Rietveld refinement. The influence on the morphology of annealing temperature, different flowing gas mixture and addition of ascorbic acid during the synthesis, has been analysed via scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical cycling performances on LiFePO₄ showed to be positively affected by the modifications of the experimental conditions. Cyclic voltammetry showed a good reversibility during insertion-extraction mechanism, in particular in presence of additives. LiCoPO₄ and LiNiPO₄ are interesting as high voltage cathode materials for Li-ion batteries and have been taken into account, but their electrochemical operating conditions are still to be optimised. In the case of LiNiPO₄ it is very difficult to obtain, by solid state synthesis, suitable purity powders, having a grain size small enough to exploit it usefully as cathodic material for Li-ion cells. Paper presented at the 8th EuroConference on Ionics, Carvoeiro, Algarve, Portugal, Sept. 16 – 22, 2000.     

Interaction of charged dust particles in clouds of thermodynamically equilibrium charges

The solution of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation for a cloud of charges surrounding two charged dust particles treated as Debye atoms forming a Debye molecule is investigated numerically using Cassini coordinates. The electric force exerted on a dust particle by the other dust particle was determined by integrating the electrostatic pressure on the surface of the dust particle. It is shown that attractive forces appear when the following two conditions are satisfied. First, the Debye radius (corresponding to the electron density at half the mean distance between the dust particles) must be approximately equal to half the mean distance between the dust particles. Attraction between the dust particles emerges at a distance equal approximately to half the mean distance between the dust particles. Second, attraction takes place when like charges are concentrated predominantly on the dust particles. If the particles carry a small fraction of charge of the same polarity, repulsion between the particles takes place at all distances.     

Optical spectroscopy of Yb/Er codoped NaY(WO4)2 crystal

Erbium and ytterbium codoped double tungstates NaY(WO₄)₂ crystals were prepared by using Czochralski (CZ) pulling method. The absorption spectra in the region 290-2000 nm have been recorded at room temperature. The Judd-Ofelt theory was applied to the measured values of absorption line strengths to evaluate the spontaneous emission probabilities and stimulated emission cross sections of Er³⁺ ions in NaY(WO₄)₂ crystals. Intensive green and red lights were measured when the sample were pumped by a 974 nm laser diode (LD), especially, the intensities of green upconversion luminescence are very strong. The mechanism of energy transfer from Yb³⁺ to Er³⁺ ions was analyzed. Energy transfer and nonradiative relaxation played an important role in the upconversion process. Photoexcited luminescence experiments are also fulfilled to help analyzing the transit processes of the energy levels.     

Observation of hydrogen induced intermediate borides in PrFeB based alloys by Mössbauer effect spectroscopy

In the present work, a quantitative analysis of the phase compositions by Mössbauer effect spectroscopy of solid and conventional hydrogen disproportionated Pr_13.7Fe_80.3B_6.0 and Pr_13.7Fe_63.5Co_16.7Zr_0.1B_6.0 alloys was carried out. Significant amounts of intermediate borides t-Fe₃B and Pr(Fe, Co)₁₂B₆ were detected after solid hydrogen disproportionation treatment in Pr_13.7Fe_80.3B_6.0 and Pr_13.7Fe_63.5Co_16.7Zr_0.1B_6.0 alloys, respectively. After conventional hydrogenation–disproportionation–desorption–recombination treatment these phases were not detected and in no case residual Pr₂Fe₁₄B-phase was found. It was observed that the amount of intermediate borides after disproportionation can be correlated with the degree of texture after recombination at various temperatures.     

Relativistic quantum cryptography on “Arrested” photons

A new relativistic quantum cryptosystem is proposed in which the information is carried by the extended single-photon states with orthogonal polarizations and effective length exceeding the communication channel length. The light “arrest” effect is used as a procedure for the detection and preparation of extended states. The cryptosystem is secure against any eavesdropping attempts, because its states are quantized and the propagation velocity is limited. In this scheme, the preparation and detection procedures are local in space but require a finite time, depending on the extension of the states. The preparation for detecting at the receiver end begins before the state left the source at the input end.     

Response dynamics of goldfish saccular fibers: effects of stimulus frequency and intensity on fibers with different tuning, sensitivity, and spontaneous activity

The effects of stimulus frequency and intensity on response patterns (PST histograms) to tone burst stimulation were examined in differently tuned saccular fibers of the goldfish. In addition, the sensitivity of these fibers to amplitude-modulated (AM) signals of different carrier frequencies was measured. The response patterns evoked by unmodulated signals were a complex function of tuning, spontaneous activity and sensitivity of the fiber, and the frequency and intensity of the signal. Frequency-dependent response patterns were found in low-frequency fibers with best frequencies (BF) below 200 Hz. Responses in these fibers ranged from tonic to phasic in nonspontaneous fibers and included more complex patterns in spontaneously active fibers, such as suppression of evoked activity below spontaneous levels. Midfrequency fibers (BF = 500-600 Hz) showed responses similar to those in low-frequency fibers, but with less dependence on frequency. In contrast, both high-frequency (BF = 800-1000 Hz) and wideband, untuned fibers showed frequency-invariant patterns of adaptation. High-frequency fibers were equally sensitive to AM signals at all frequencies tested. The sensitivity of low-frequency fibers to AM, however, increased as a function of carrier frequency and corresponded to the degree of adaptation in response to unmodulated tones. In general, the AM sensitivity of a fiber could be predicted more by its pattern of response to unmodulated signals than by its tuning characteristics.