Atomic and electronic structures of a grain boundary in iron with impurity segregation

We present a short review on our current investigations of the atomic and electronic structures of a grain boundary in iron. Atomic structures of grain boundaries were simulated and the local electronic densities of states were calculated in the simulated structure. When phosphorus impurity atoms segregated at the grain boundaries in iron, trigonal prismatic FeP clusters were formed. Segregated boron atoms tended to stay at the central site of polyhedra constructed by host atoms in the grain boundaries. The non-bonding states of the iron atom at the grain boundary disappear by forming a strong bonding orbital with the orbital of the segregated impurity atom. This bonding orbital is formed in a Fe3d host band in the case of a boron impurity. On the other hand, the bonding orbital is formed at lower energies for the phosphorus impurity and is less-mixed with the Fe3d host band. Non-bonding states are formed around the Fe₉P clusters. These can give a qualitative explanation for the embrittlement of the impurity segregated grain boundary. Finally, we can explain from the viewpoint of the electronic structure why the interstitial impurity is the only cohesive enhancer.     

High-resolution gel-permeation chromatography

The resolution attainable in gel-permeation chromatography (GPC) was investigated by using columns packed with polystyrene gel particles of about 5 μ diameter and mixtures of two monodisperse poly-α-methylstyrene samples studied previously. The resolution of GPC was found comparable to that of the sedimentation velocity method and slightly better than that of precipitation chromatography. Standard polystyrene samples obtained from Pressure Chemical Co. also were measured with the same columns. It was found that weight-average to number-average molecular weight ratios (M?_w/M?_n) of these samples with molecular weight in the range 97,000–411,000 are smaller than 1.006. For samples with molecular weight of 10,000–51,000 and 498,000–860,000, M?_w/M?_n is larger than 1.006, and the width of molecular weight distributions of these samples differed. In particular, molecular weight distributions of samples with molecular weights 19,800 and 51,000 were shown to be bimodal. It is therefore concluded that GPC is useful for samples of very narrow molecular weight distribution if high-resolution columns are used.     

Measurements ofn−p correlations in the reaction of relativistic neon with uranium

We report a preliminary measurement of coincident neutron-proton pairs emitted at 45° in the interaction of 400, 530, and 650 MeV/A neon beams incident on uranium. Charged particles were identified by time of flight and momentum, as determined in a magnetic spectrometer. Neutral particles were detected using a thick plastic scintillator, and their time of flight was measured between an entrance scintillator, triggered by a charged particle, and the neutron detector. The scatter plots and contour plots of neutron momentum vs. proton momentum appear to show a slight correlation ridge above an uncorrelated background. The projections of this plane on then-p momentum difference axis are essentially flat, showing a one standard deviation enhancement for each of the three beams energies. At each beam energy, the calculated momentum correlation function for the neutron-proton pairs is enhanced near zero neutron-proton momentum difference by approximately one standard deviation over the expected value for no correlation. This enhancement is expected to occur as a consequence of the attractive final state interaction between the neutron and proton (i.e., virtual or “singlet” deuterons). The implications of these measurements are discussed.     

Mass shifts of charmoniums and electromagnetic signals

Mass of ψ^′ below deconfining transition is discussed. It is sensitive to change of string tension. Observations of masses of charmoniums in hot fire ball by electromagnetic probes are considered.     

Thermodynamic interpretation of domain structure in solvent-cast films of A–B type block copolymers of styrene and isoprene

Electron microscopic textures of A–B type block copolymers of styrene and isoprene cast from several solvents were investigated by means of the osmium tetroxide fixation technique. The two-phase structure, i.e., the semimicro heterogeneous structure due to the microphase separation of block segments, was observed to change systematically with the fraction of block segments and the kind of solvent. Three types of fundamental domain structure were found. With the assumption that domain structure originates from micellar structure at a critical concentration in relatively dilute solution during solvent casting, the formation of the three types of domain structure and the sizes of their elements were treated in terms of the equilibria governing the formation of micelles at the critical concentration. This analysis takes into account such thermodynamic and molecular parameters as the incompatibility between the A and B segments, the solvation of the segments, the casting temperature, the total chain length of the block copolymer, and the weight fraction composition of the block copolymer. It was concluded that the block segments are preferentially oriented along the direction perpendicular to the interface between the two phases. This particular orientation-aggregation of the block segments must make the bulk properties of the block copolymer much different from those of merely mechanical mixtures of the corresponding homopolymers, even if the same semimicro heterogeneous structures are formed in the mechanical mixtures.     

Spacelike brane actions

We derive effective actions for "spacelike branes" (S-branes) and find a solution describing the formation of fundamental strings in the rolling tachyon background. The S-brane action is a Dirac-Born-Infeld action for Euclidean world volumes defined in the context of time-dependent tachyon condensation of non-BPS (Bogomol'nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield) branes. It includes gauge fields and, in particular, a scalar field associated with translation along the time direction. We show that the BIon spike solutions constructed in this system correspond to the production of a confined electric flux tube (a fundamental string) at late time of the rolling tachyon.     

Highly selective growth of vertically aligned double‐walled carbon nanotubes by a controlled heating method and their electric double‐layer capacitor properties

Vertically aligned double‐walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) with the highest selectivity of 90% were synthesized by a controlled heating method and their electric double‐layer capacitor characteristics were evaluated. DWCNT arrays had a specific capacitance of 83 F/g, which is one of the highest values among CNT arrays in a nonaqueous solution and is almost equivalent to that for single‐walled CNT (SWCNT) arrays reported previously. At the same specific capacitance, DWCNTs with superior structural properties are more promising for practical capacitors than SWCNTs. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Direct measurement of interfacial curvature distributions in a bicontinuous block copolymer morphology

Self-consistent field theory predicts that the complex phase behavior of block copolymers does not originate solely from the interface seeking constant mean curvature as once thought, but instead reflects competing minimization of interfacial tension and packing frustration. To test this prediction, we directly measure interfacial curvature distributions from a 3D image reconstruction of the bicontinuous gyroid morphology. Results obtained here reveal that the gyroid interface is not constant mean curvature and confirm the importance of packing frustration in the stabilization of such complex nanostructures.     

Tokai Radioactive Ion Accelerator Complex (TRIAC)

An ISOL-based radioactive nuclear beam (RNB) facility, Tokai Radioactive Ion Accelerator Complex (TRIAC), has been jointly developed by High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) and Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). The facility started to supply RNBs for experiments in 2005 and RNBs including fission fragments with energies up to 1.1MeV/A are available in the present. Several experimental studies were performed successfully using ⁸Li beams with various energies.