Poly(styrene-co-p-(hexafluoro-2-hydroxy-2-propyl)-styrene) blends with syndiotactic and/or isotactic poly(methyl methacrylate)

A modified polystyrene, poly(styrene-co-p-(hexafluoro-2-hydroxy-2-propyl)styrene) (FPS), was blended with syndiotactic and/or isotactic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in toluene. Blends were prepared under different conditions to control the self-aggregation of the PMMA segments. The formation of hydrogen bonding and the attendant changes in the aggregation or crystallization of PMMA segments were determined in the solid state by means of FTIR and DSC. The results indicate that for the binary blends, the aggregation of PMMA segments is diminished by hydrogen bonding interaction with either s-PMMA or i-PMMA, and that the interaction is stronger with the s-PMMA blends. For the ternary blends, FPS/s-PMMA/i-PMMA, the preference for stereocomplexation in the system with hydrogen bonding may be attributed to the “kink-nucleated” mechanism, which needs relatively short chain lengths of PMMA segments. Regardless of the order of addition of the components, the formation of crystalline stereocomplexes of s- and i-PMMA could be readily detected. Therefore, the miscibility of the polymer blends is dependent on the competition between the self-aggregation of the s- or i-PMMA segments, stereocomplexation and the hydrogen bonding interaction of PMMA segments with FPS.     

Highly efficient cryogenically-cooled Yb:YAG laser

A MOPA laser system for high pulse energy and high average power has been developed by using a cryogenic Yb:YAG. In the regenerative amplifier with our original TRAM architecture, the high pulse energies of 6.5 and 1.5 mJ were obtained at the repetition rate of 200 Hz and 1 kHz, respectively. An optical efficiency was as high as η_o-o = 9.3% with an excellent beam quality of M ² < 1.1, which ensured that a cryogenic Yb:YAG TRAM had a high thermal strength. The following four pass power amplifier with a cryogenic Yb:YAG rod showed 140 mJ at 100 Hz. Both a high optical efficiency of η_o-o = 30% and a high slope efficiency of η_s = 44% showed that an efficient laser operation could be realized for a power amplification with both a high pulse energy and a high average power by using a cryogenic Yb:YAG.     

Z-dependence of the intensity of |Δn|=2 pionic X-rays

The intensity per stopped π^?of|Δn|=2 pionic X-rays are observed to have larger variations with atomic number Z than do the |Δn|=1. The 6–4 intensity has a well-defined maximum at Z=34 with a FWHM of ΔZ ～10.     

The vibrational force field of halogenated aromatic molecules: II. Out-of-plane vibrations of fluoroaromatics

A general quadratic force field is determined for the out-of-plane vibrations of florobenzenes. The force constants for the out-of-plane wagging of both CH and CF bonds decrease by about 10 % for each ortho fluorine substituent. No significant meta dependence could be detected. It is shown that the present field is in excellent accord with the chlorobenzene field of Scherer and with the benzene fields of Whiffen and of Kydd when due allowance is made for differences in coordinate definitions.     

Quantum momentum distribution and kinetic energy in solid 4He

We present measurements of neutron scattering from solid 4He at high momentum transfer. The solid is held close to the melting line at molar volume 20.87 cm3/mol and temperature T=1.6 K. From the data, we determine the shape of the momentum distribution, n(k), of atoms in the solid and the leading final state contribution to the scattering. We show that n(k) in this highly anharmonic, quantum solid differs significantly from a Gaussian. The n(k) is more sharply peaked with larger occupation of low momentum states than in a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, as found in liquid 4He and predicted qualitatively by path integral Monte Carlo calculations. The atomic kinetic energy is =(24.25+/-0.30) K. If n(k) is assumed to be Gaussian, as is usually the practice, a 10% smaller is obtained.     

Characterizing individual scattering events by measuring the amplitude and phase of the electric field diffusing through a random medium

We describe observations of the amplitude and phase of an electric field diffusing through a three-dimensional random medium, using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. These measurements are spatially resolved with a resolution smaller than the speckle spot size and temporally resolved with a resolution better than one optical cycle. By computing correlation functions between fields measured at different positions and with different temporal delays, it is possible to obtain information about individual scattering events experienced by the diffusing field. This represents a new method for characterizing a multiply scattered wave.