Synthesis and characterization of hollow ��-Fe2O3 sub-micron spheres prepared by sol�Cgel

In this work we report the preparation of magnetic hematite hollow sub-micron spheres (??-Fe₂O₃) by colloidal suspensions of ferric nitrate nine-hydrate (Fe(NO₃)₃·9H₂O) particles in citric acid solution by following the sol?Cgel method. After the gel formation, the samples were annealed at different temperatures in an oxidizing atmosphere. Annealing at 180°C resulted in an amorphous phase, without iron oxide formation. Annealing at 250°C resulted in coexisting phases of hematite, maghemite and magnetite, whereas at 400°C, only hematite and maghemite were found. Pure hematite hollow sub-micron spheres with porous shells were formed after annealing at 600°C. The characterization was performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).     

Dark matter results from 100 live days of XENON100 data

We present results from the direct search for dark matter with the XENON100 detector, installed underground at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso of INFN, Italy. XENON100 is a two-phase time-projection chamber with a 62 kg liquid xenon target. Interaction vertex reconstruction in three dimensions with millimeter precision allows the selection of only the innermost 48 kg as the ultralow background fiducial target. In 100.9 live days of data, acquired between January and June 2010, no evidence for dark matter is found. Three candidate events were observed in the signal region with an expected background of (1.8 ± 0.6) events. This leads to the most stringent limit on dark matter interactions today, excluding spin-independent elastic weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) nucleon scattering cross sections above 7.0 × 10(-45) cm(2) for a WIMP mass of 50 GeV/c(2) at 90% confidence level.     

Deformations of 2k-Einstein structures

It is shown that the space of infinitesimal deformations of 2k-Einstein structures is finite dimensional on compact non-flat space forms. Moreover, spherical space forms are shown to be rigid in the sense that they are isolated in the corresponding moduli space.     

Pre-relaxation Processes in a Radiating Relativistic Sphere

The influence of processes occurring before the system relaxes into diffusion, on the evolution of a radiating sphere, is exhibited in a specific example. The luminosity profiles, and consequently the general evolution of the object, are shown to be quite sensitive to the value of relaxation time.     

Empirical consequences of the scientific construction: The program of local hidden-variables theories in quantum mechanics

We claim that physics has been constructed because three “philosophical” principles have been respected, namely, realism, locality, and consistency. These principles lead to an interpretation of quantum mechanics (QM) in terms of local hidden-variables theories (LHV). In order to prove that LHV have not been refuted, we analyze the empirical proofs of Bell's inequalities and we argue that none is loophole-free. Then we propose a restricted QM that does not contain measurement postulates and that does not claim that all state vectors (self-adjoint operators) are states (observables). The contradiction of such restricted QM with Bell's inequality cannot be shown as a theorem, but only by the design of a loophole-free experiment. Finally, we argue that noise has been underestimated in quantum theory. It does not appear in QM, but it is essential in quantum field theory. We conjecture that noise will prevent the violation of Bell's inequality.     

Lineshape analysis of stimulated Raman spectra of the near‐nozzle region of free jet expansions

An anomalous lineshape of stimulated Raman spectra obtained from the region very close to the nozzle of supersonic pulsed expansions of nitrogen is presented. High‐resolution Raman spectra of the Q branch of the fundamental vibration mode of N₂ have been recorded from two different nitrogen expansions at T₀ = 295 K and P₀ = 1.5–3.5 bar, the lasers crossing the jet axis in the range z/D = 0.25–1.25, where D is the effective nozzle diameter. The combination of Doppler shifts and strong gradients of density and temperature in the near‐nozzle region yield an inhomogeneous broadening and a double peak structure of the recorded Raman line profiles. The comparison of the experimental results with the simulation of the Raman spectrum from this region provides valuable information about the near‐nozzle flow field. The lineshape described here is different from another reported previously in the literature, which is based on a depletion of the density of free molecules on the axis due to condensation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of CeO2 by a simple microwave–hydrothermal method

Cerium carbonate hydroxide (orthorhombic Ce(OH)CO₃) hexagonal-shaped microplates were synthesized by a simple and fast microwave–hydrothermal method at 150 °C for 30 min. Cerium nitrate, urea and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide were used as precursors. Ceria (cubic CeO₂) rhombus-shape was obtained by a thermal decomposition oxidation process at 500 °C for 1 h using as- synthesized Ce(OH)CO₃. The products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. The use of microwave–hydrothermal method allowed to obtain cerium compounds at low temperature and shorter time compared to other synthesis methods.     

Bs0 → μ+μ? in LHCb

Due to its sensitivity to New Physics contributions, the branching ratio of the very rare decay B _s ⁰ → μ ⁺ μ ⁻ is one of the most interesting measurements using the first data from the LHC accelerator. The analysis strategy for the study of this channel in the LHCb experiment is presented, as well as a review of the potential of the experiment in such study, using the latest simulations. With four months of nominal data taking, any enhancement from the Standard Model prediction can be excluded.     

Recent results at LULI on fast electron transport with and without guiding cone in the context of fast ignitor

We present experimental and numerical results obtained at LULI (Laboratoire pour l’Utilisation des Lasers intenses) on propagation and energy deposition of laser-generated fast electrons into conical targets. The experimental measurements were performed by means of several diagnostics in order to assess the predicted benefit of conical targets over standard planar ones. Various configurations have been tried, regarding the laser parameters with the aim of optimizing the laser-to-target coupling. Our best results have been obtained when the laser was frequency-doubled at 0.53 μm, corresponding to interaction conditions without laser pedestal due to the ASE (Amplified Spontaneous Emission). Our data pinpoint the detrimental influence of the pre-plasma generated by the laser pedestal at 1.057 μm, whose confinement is enhanced in conical geometry as evidenced by shadowgraphic measurements which is also confirmed by 2D Cu-Ka transverse images obtained from Cu cones. The consequence is the filling of the cone, preventing the laser beam from efficiently reaching the cone tip. These experimental results are compared to 2D PIC simulations modeling of the laser-cone interaction.     

Effects of strontium and calcium simultaneous substitution on electrical and structural properties of Pb1?x?yCaxSryTiO3 thin films

Ferroelectric Pb_1−x−y Ca _x Sr _y TiO₃ thin films (denoted by PCST90, PCST70, and PCST30) were deposited on the Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates by a chemical solution deposition method. Their properties were investigated from the viewpoint of crystal structure, microstructure, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed the formation of PCST90, PCST70, and PCST30 thin films without any secondary phases. Infrared and Raman spectroscopy results show that a gradual phase transition from tetragonal to pseudocubic or cubic perovskite structure may occur in PCST thin films with the simultaneous increase of Ca²⁺ and Sr²⁺ contents. Both substitution of isovalent Ca²⁺ and Sr²⁺ at Pb²⁺-site enhanced the dielectric constant and reduced the remnant polarization. In addition, ferroelectric test analyses show that the PCST thin films undergo a ferroelectric-to-paraelectric phase transformation with an amount of Pb²⁺, Ca²⁺, and Sr²⁺ at 30%, 35%, and 35% mol, respectively. Hence, the absence of ferroelectric property may be attributed to a decreasing of the octahedron distortion in the perovskite structure accompanied by a weakening of long-range ferroelectric order.