Orientation and relaxation of polymer–clay solutions studied by rheology and small-angle neutron scattering

The influence of shear on viscoelastic solutions of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and clay [montmorillonite, i.e., Cloisite NA+ (CNA)] was investigated with rheology and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The steady-state viscosity and SANS were used to measure the shear-induced orientation and relaxation of the polymer and clay platelets. Anisotropic scattering patterns developed at much lower shear rates than in pure clay solutions. The scattering anisotropy saturated at low shear rates, and the CNA clay platelets aligned with the flow, with the surface normal parallel to the gradient direction. The cessation of shear led to partial and slow randomization of the CNA platelets, whereas extremely fast relaxation was observed for laponite (LRD) platelets. These PEO–CNA networklike solutions were compared with previously reported PEO–LRD networks, and the differences and similarities, with respect to the shear orientation, relaxation, and polymer–clay interactions, were examined. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 3102–3112, 2004     

Synchronization of periodic self-oscillations by common noise

We consider the effect of external noise on the stability properties of self-oscillations. A stochastic equation for the phase is derived at the limit of weak noise (in the appropriate sense). The stationary probability-density distribution is used for an analytic calculation of the Lyapunov exponent. We show that the exponent is always negative for the small noise level, which corresponds to synchronization of self-oscillations.     

A new model for a mode-locked semiconductor laser

We consider a new model for passive mode locking in a semiconductor laser comprising a set of delay differential equations. Bifurcations leading to the appearance and break-up of the mode-locking regime are studied numerically.     

Numerical modeling of a XeCl laser excited by microwave discharge

12 , 169 (1987). Reasonably good agreements in the peak output power and laser efficiency have been achieved. Model calculations also predict that an efficiency as high as 2.7% can be obtained once the conditions of the above-mentioned experiments have been optimized. From the consideration that the skin depth effectively limits the absorption length of the microwave pumping and hence the excitable volume, it is concluded that high input power densities (>2 MW/cm³) and higher gas pressures (between 3 and 10 atm) are the preferable conditions to achieve higher efficiency. Preliminary calculations on CCl₄ containing XeCl gas mixtures show that improvement in laser efficiency by several folds may be achieved as a result of the higher intrinsic efficiency of excimer formation. Received: 23 September 1996 / Revised version: 25 March 1997     

Interaction of soliton-like light beamsin second-order non-linear materials

We investigate numerically the interaction between two light beams, initially monochromatic, during the excitation of solitary waves in quadratically non-linear media. We show that the result of the interaction is strongly dependent on soliton oscillations occurring during excitation, generating a new class of threshold phenomena.     

Asymptotic behavior of neutron small-angle multiple scattering spectra

The asymptotic behavior of the spectra for large values of the scattering vector for the case of elastic multiple small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) is investigated theoretically and experimentally. An expansion of the spectrum in terms of the reciprocal of the magnitude of the momentum transfer is obtained taking account of the influence of the instrumental line. It is shown that, to within some factor, the leading term of the expansion is identical to the differential single-scattering cross section averaged over a statistical ensemble of particles; several subsequent terms in the expansion are calculated and the range of applicability of the resulting expressions is determined. The asymptotic behavior of the multiple SANS spectrum is measured, using a two-crystal neutron spectrometer, for samples of an HTSC ceramic, the alloy Fe-Ni, and Al powder. The agreement between the experimental results and the theoretical predictions is analyzed. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 114, 2194–2203 (December 1998)     

Specific properties and spatial symmetry group of nonassociative spinor field

On the basis of nonassociative spinor field theory, the specific properties of a nonassociative spinor field are investigated. A new quantum number is introduced: the associator, which is a measure of the nonassociativeness of the field. To calculate the associator and spin in nonassociative algebra, open and closed products are introduced. It is shown that the spin consists of two components: the first half (calculated by the open-product rule) is similar to ordinary spin, while the second half (calculated by the closed-product rule) is attributed to the associator, i.e., is related to shear in the auxiliary isotopic space. The associator basis is expanded to a complete octonion basis, and the Poincaré group of four-dimensional space is expanded to a Poincaré group of eight-dimensional space. It is shown that, from these generators, in the particle rest system, the nonzero independent eigenvalues are: one, the sign of the particle energy, one of the spin components, one of the associator spatial components, and c₇. Tbilisi Medical Institute. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 10, pp. 101–109, October, 1998.     

Calculation of the noise factor of a traveling-wave gyrotron

The problem of calculating the noise factor of a traveling-wave gyrotron is solved for a model of a thin annular multistart-helical electron flux taking into account the effect of the quasistatic space-charge field. Plots of the gain and the noise factor of the traveling-wave gyrotron versus the electrical parameters of the amplifier are obtained. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 130–132 (February 1998)     

Investigation of surface topography, morphology and structure of amorphous carbon films by AFM and TEM

Morphology and structure of amorphous carbon films deposited with a pulsed arc source (LASER-ARC) have been studied using microscopical methods (SEM, TEM and AFM), electron diffraction and spectroscopical investigation (EELS). The parameters of the arc source and the deposition conditions (substrate temperature) influence morphology and structure of deposited amorphous carbon films. Especially the incorporation and growth of particles, embedded in the film have been investigated. By particle analysis using an optical microscope a majority of particles that is smaller than 500 nm has been determined. The morphology has been also demonstrated similar by AFM and TEM images. Their number and size of particles is strongly influenced by the deposition temperature. The structure of amorphous film is characterized by the EELS-spectra, but the particle structure was not detectable.