Influence of processing variables on the formation of La2Zr2O7 in transferred arc plasma torch processing

The transferred arc plasma (TAP) torch process has various noteworthy features such as extremely high temperatures, low environmental impact and short processing time which makes it the most suitable technique for synthesizing ceramic composite materials. Furthermore, it is a direct two-step technique which by its virtue of high temperature and power density paves way for high production rate. Hence in this study, an effort has been made to utilize the TAP torch processing technique for the bulk production of La₂Zr₂O₇ with time effectiveness from the mixture of La₂O₃ and ZrO₂ powders (1:2 mol ratios) which were ball milled for 4 h. For this purpose, transferred arc plasma torch was specially designed in laboratory scale level and the operating parameters were optimized in order to achieve maximum La₂Zr₂O₇ formation efficiency. In this study, the phase and microstructure formation of the processed samples was analyzed via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images respectively. Moreover, EDX analysis was incorporated to highlight the superior influence of the longer processing time on the stoichiometric ratio of ZrO₂/La₂O₃ in the processed sample as against input power and the gas flow rate.     

Unsupervised Image Segmentation Using Hierarchical Clustering

In the analysis of a medical image database aimed at formulating useful knowledge for image diagnosis requires an unsupervised image processing technique without preconceived knowledge. In this paper, we propose a method for unsupervised image segmentation, which is suitable for finding the features contained in an image. A small region around each pixel is considered as a pattern vector, and the set of pattern vectors acquired from the whole image is classified using the hierarchical clustering technique. In hierarchical clustering, the classification of pattern vectors is divided into two clusters at each node according to the statistical criterion based on the entropy in thermodynamics. Results of the test image generated by the Markov random field (MRF) model and real medical images photomicrographs of a colon tumor are shown.     

Deformation Quantizations of the Poisson Algebra of Laurent Polynomials

It is well known that the Moyal bracket gives a unique deformation quantization of the canonical phase space R2n up to equivalence. In his presentation of an interesting deformation quantization of the Poisson algebra of Laurent polynomials, Ovsienko discusses the equivalences of deformation quantizations of these algebras. We show that under suitable conditions, deformation quantizations of this algebra are equivalent. Though Ovsienko showed that there exists a deformation quantization of the Poisson algebra of Laurent polynomials which is not equivalent to the Moyal product, this is not correct. We show this equivalence by two methods: a direct construction of the intertwiner via the star exponential and a more standard approach using Hochschild 2-cocycles.     

Enhancement of soft X-ray emission from a pinch plasma using a rotating plasma for pre-ionization

An experimental study on the enhancement of soft X-ray emission from a pinch plasma has been carried out by using a rotating plasma for pre-ionization. The rotating plasma is produced by a pulsed J×B cross-field discharge between coaxial electrodes, and subjected to a pinch discharge. Under an optimized discharge condition, it has been observed that UV emission of 251.6 nm (Ar III) soft X-ray intensity increases with increasing applied axial magnetic field B. At 400 G, the X-ray intensity is enhanced by a factor of 3 compared to that without the rotating plasma. It is considered that this result is due to the improved characteristics of the pre-ionization rotating plasma, which influences the uniformity and stability of subsequent pinch plasma.     

STM imaging of a model surface of Ru(4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine)2(NCS)2 dye-sensitized TiO2 photoelectrodes

A TiO₂(1 1 0)-(1 × 1) surface was prepared in an ultra-high vacuum, transported in laboratory air, and observed with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) operated in a vacuum of 10⁻⁴ Pa. Empty state images showed atomically flat terraces separated by single-height steps, on which 5-fold-coordinated surface Ti atoms were observed as spots arranged in a rectangular lattice. The Ru(4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine)₂(NCS)₂ (N3) dye was adsorbed on the TiO₂ surface by immersing the TiO₂ wafer into an acetonitrile solution of the dye. In the empty state images, individual N3 molecules were observed as oval particles protruding by 0.6 nm from the TiO₂ surface. The oval shape elongated to the [1  0] directions was attributed to electron tunneling from tip to unoccupied states localized at the two carboxyl groups bound to the TiO₂ surface.     

Study on the single crystal growth of concentration gradient Ce:YAP rod and the dopant concentration dependence on the scintillation properties

Micro-pulling down (μ-PD) method allows to prepare single crystals quickly and relatively inexpensively. Since it is a melt growth and taking into account segregation phenomena, the μ-PD method allows also to obtain single crystals characterized by dopant concentration gradients. Especially, taking the advantage of the grown crystal high aspect ratio, it allows to prepare crystalline samples with variable and wide range concentrations of dopants. These samples can help in understanding the correlation between dopant concentration and luminescence properties.     

Storage and retrieval of a squeezed vacuum

Storage and retrieval of a squeezed vacuum was successfully demonstrated using electromagnetically induced transparency. The squeezed vacuum pulse having a temporal width of 930 ns was incident on the laser cooled 87Rb atoms with an intense control light in a coherent state. When the squeezed vacuum pulse was slowed and spatially compressed in the cold atoms, the control light was switched off. After 3 mus of storage, the control light was switched on again, and the squeezed vacuum was retrieved, as was confirmed using the time-domain homodyne method.     

Finite difference simulation of nonlinear waves generated by ships of arbitrary three-dimensional configuration

A modified marker-and-cell method is developed in order to simulate nonlinear wave making in the near-field of ships of arbitrary three-dimensional (3D) configuration advancing steadily in deep water. The 3D Navier-Stokes equations are solved by a finite difference scheme under proper boundary conditions. Efforts are particularly focused on the treatment of the boundary conditions on the body surface and free surface which have complicated 3D configurations. An orthogonal cell system with more than 70,000 cells is used for the computation of the waves and flow field of ships. The agreement of computational results with experiment is good, and it promises effectiveness for engineering purposes.     

Novel superconducting phases in copper oxides and iron-oxypnictides: NMR studies

We reexamine the novel phase diagrams of antiferromagnetism (AFM) and high-T_c superconductivity (HTSC) for a disorder-free CuO₂ plane based on an evaluation of local hole density (p) by site-selective Cu-NMR studies on multilayered copper oxides. Multilayered systems provide us with the opportunity to research the characteristics of the disorder-free CuO₂ plane. The site-selective NMR is the best and the only tool used to extract layer-dependent characteristics. Consequently, we have concluded that the uniform mixing of AFM and SC is a general property inherent to a single CuO₂ plane in an underdoped regime of HTSC. The T=0 phase diagram of AFM constructed here is in quantitative agreement with the theories in a strong correlation regime which is unchanged even with mobile holes. This Mott physics plays a vital role for mediating the Cooper pairs to make T_c of HTSC very high. By contrast, we address from extensive NMR studies on electron-doped iron-oxypnictides La1111 compounds that the increase in T_c is not due to the development of AFM spin fluctuations, but because the structural parameters, such as the bond angle α of the FeAs₄ tetrahedron and the a-axis length, approach each optimum value. Based on these results, we propose that a stronger correlation in HTSC than in FeAs-based superconductors may make T_c higher significantly.