Microelectromechanical Systems for Nanomechanical Testing: Electrostatic Actuation and Capacitive Sensing for High-Strain-Rate Testing

Experimental Mechanics - There have been relatively few studies on mechanical properties of nanomaterials under high strain rates, mainly due to the lack of capable nanomechanical testing devices....     

Water-induced formation of an alkali-ion dimer in cryptomelane nanorods

Tunneled metal oxides such as α-Mn₈O₁₆ (hollandite) have proven to be compelling candidates for charge-storage materials in high-density batteries. In particular, the tunnels can support one-dimensional chains of K⁺ ions (which act as structure-stabilizing dopants) and H₂O molecules, as these chains are favored by strong H-bonds and electrostatic interactions. In this work, we examine the role of water molecules in enhancing the stability of K⁺-doped α-Mn₈O₁₆ (cryptomelane). The combined experimental and theoretical analyses show that for high enough concentrations of water and tunnel-ions, H₂O displaces K⁺ ions from their natural binding sites. This displacement becomes energetically favorable due to the formation of K²⁺ dimers, thereby modifying the stoichiometric charge of the system. These findings have potentially significant technological implications for the consideration of cryptomelane as a Li⁺/Na⁺ battery electrode. Our work establishes the functional role of water in altering the energetics and structural properties of cryptomelane, an observation that has frequently been overlooked in previous studies.

Water displaces potassium ions and initiates the formation of a homonuclear dimer ion (K²⁺) in the tunnels of hollandite.     

A study of density in electron-cyclotron-resonance plasma

A theory is developed for the density profile of low temperature plasmas confined by applied magnetic field and an experiment of the electron-cyclotron-resonance (ECR) plasma is conducted to compare the theoretical prediction and experimental measurements. Due to a large electron mobility along the magnetic field, electrons move quickly out of the system, leaving ions behind and building a space charge potential, which leads to the ambipolar diffusion of ions. In a steady-state condition, the plasma generation by ionization of neutral molecules is in balance with plasma loss due to the diffusion, leading to the electron temperature equation, which is expressed in terms of the plasma size, chamber pressure, and the ionization energy and cross section of neutrals. The power balance condition leads to the plasma density equation, which is also expressed in terms of the electron temperature, the input microwave power and the chamber pressure. It is shown that the plasma density increases, reaches its peak and decreases, as the chamber pressure increases from a small value (0.1 mTorr). These simple expressions of electron temperature and density provide a scaling law of ECR plasma in terms of system parameters. After carrying out an experimental observation, it is concluded that the theoretical predictions of the electron temperature and plasma density agree remarkably well with experimental data     

Optimal Planar Interception with Fixed End Conditions: Approximate Solutions

In a previous paper (Ref. 1), an exact solution of the optimal planar interception with fixed end conditions was derived in closed form. The optimal control was expressed as an explicit function of the state variables and two fixed parameters, obtained by solving a set of nonlinear algebraic equations involving elliptic integrals. In order to facilitate the optimal control implementation, the present paper derives a highly accurate simplified solution assuming that the ratio of the pursuer turning radius to the initial range is small. An asymptotic expansion further reduces the computational workload. Construction of a near-optimal open-loop control, based on the approximations, completes the present paper.     

Beryllium coordination chemistry

The coordination chemistry of beryllium with particular emphasis on chelates under physiological or near physiological conditions is surveyed. Hard donors such as oxygen are emphasized; equilibrium data and formation constants are reported as an indication of the strength of the complex.     

Effect of absorbed pump power on the quality of output beam from monolithic microchip lasers

The dependence of the beam propagation factor (M ² parameter) with the absorbed pump power in the case of monolithic microchip laser under face-cooled configuration is extensively studied. Our investigations show that the M ₂ parameter is related to the absorbed pump power through two parameters (α and β) whose values depend on the laser material properties and laser configuration. We have shown that one parameter arises due to the oscillation of higher order modes in the microchip cavity and the other parameter accounts for the spherical aberration associated with the thermal lens induced by the pump beam. Such dependency of M ² parameter with the absorbed pump power is experimentally verified for a face-cooled monolithic microchip laser based on Nd³⁺ -doped GdVO₄ crystal and the values of α and β parameters were estimated from the experimentally measured data points.     

Synthesis of lanosterol derivatives with a functional group at C-32, including an antineoplastic sterol, 3 beta-hydroxylanost-7-en-32-oic acid

Lanosterol derivatives with a functional group at C-32 have been synthesized from 3 beta-acetoxylanostan-7 alpha-ol. The key reaction of the synthesis is the hypoiodite reaction of 3 beta-acetoxylanostan-7 alpha-ol. In vitro antitumor activity testing of the lanosterol derivatives revealed that 3 beta-hydroxylanost-7-en-32-oic acid has antineoplastic activity.