Magnetic indication of the stress-induced martensitic transformation in ferromagnetic Ni–Mn–Ga alloy

A quantitative study of the stress-induced martensitic transformation in Ni_49.7Mn_29.1Ga_21.2 magnetic shape memory alloy has been carried out in two different ways: the first way is based on the measurements of saturation magnetization under variable mechanical stress and the second one is founded on the quantitative theoretical treatment of experimental stress–strain loops. A functional dependence between the volume fraction of transformed martensite and applied stress has been determined from both magnetization and strain values. A quantitative agreement between the functions determined in two different ways has been observed, and hence, the effectiveness of the magnetic indication of the stress-induced martensitic transformations has been proved. This method can be used to monitor stress-induced transformations in martensitic films, needles and small specimens.     

Why are hexavalent uranium cyanides rare while U–F and U–O bonds are common and short?

Relativistic small-core pseudopotential B3LYP and CCSD(T) calculations and frozen-core PW91–PW91 studies are reported for the series UF ₄X ₂ ( X=H, F, Cl, CN, NC, NCO, OCN, NCS and SCN). The bonding in UF ₆ is analyzed and found to have some multiple-bond character, approaching at a theoretical limit a bond order of 1.5. In addition to these s and p orbital interactions, the electrostatic attraction is important. Evidence for p bonding in the other systems studied was also found. The triatomic pseudohalides as well as fluorine and chlorine are in this sense better ligands than cyanide. The –CN group is a s donor and p acceptor, as uranium itself, and hence is unfit to bond to U(VI). The s-bonded UH ₆ is octahedral.     

Heat capacity, enthalpy and entropy of strontium niobate Sr2Nb2O7 and calcium niobate Ca2Nb2O7

The heat capacity and the enthalpy increments of strontium niobate Sr₂Nb₂O₇ and calcium niobate Ca₂Nb₂O₇ were measured by the relaxation time method (2–300 K), DSC (260–360 K) and drop calorimetry (720–1370 K). Temperature dependencies of the molar heat capacity in the form C_pm = 248.0 + 0.04350T − 3.948 × 10⁶/T² J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ for Sr₂Nb₂O₇ and C_pm = 257.2 + 0.03621T − 4.434 × 10⁶/T² J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ for Ca₂Nb₂O₇ were derived by the least-square method from the experimental data. The molar entropies at 298.15 K, S_m°(298.15 K) = 238.5 ± 1.3 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ for Sr₂Nb₂O₇ and S_m°(298.15 K) = 212.4 ± 1.2 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹ for Ca₂Nb₂O₇, were evaluated from the low-temperature heat capacity measurements.     

Thermal reactions of polyethylene with coal (TG/DSC approach)

Thermal reactions of polyethylene with coal were studied. Coal used exhibited an endothermal effect in the temperature range of 425-495°C with a flat maximum (about 460°C). In contrast, polyethylene alone was decomposed in the temperature range of 420-540°C (mainly of 485-540°C) with the significant DSC maximum at 510°C. In the presence of coal this maximum shifted to lower temperature (483°C), therefore, coal promoted the decomposition of polyethylene. As decomposition of polyethylene yields alkenes and alkadienes, the thermal reaction of polyethylene with coal under low temperature conditions can be described as two-stage process in which the first stage includes the decomposition of polyethylene giving unsaturated hydrocarbons and the second stage adsorption and hydrogenation of these products (mainly by coal hydrogen) on the inner surfaces of semicoke and coal.     

Ab initio study of bonding trends for f0 actinide oxyfluoride species

 Fully relativistic, four-component Dirac–Fock calculations and quasirelativistic pseudopotential calculations at different ab initio levels are used to study the bonding trends among the naked, triatomic [OAnO] ^q+ groups or the oxyfluorides [AnO _n F _m ] ^q with f ⁰ configurations. The triatomic f ⁰ series is suggested to range from the bent ThO₂ via the linear OPaO⁺ to at least NpO₂ ³⁺, a possible new gas-phase species. The neutral oxyfluoride molecules include the experimentally unknown NpO₂F₃ and PuO₂F₄. The latter is a candidate for the so far unknown oxidation state Pu(VIII), which is found to lie considerably above Pu(VI), but to be locally stable. Their all-oxygen isoelectronic analogues are NpO₅ ³⁻, known in the solid state, and the unknown PuO₆ ⁴⁻. Further possible candidates for Pu(VIII) are PuO₄(D _4h ) and the cube-shaped PuF₈(O _h ). Isoelectronic UF₈ ²⁻ is calculated to be D _4d , in agreement with experiment. Received: 18 May 2001 / Accepted: 21 June 2001 / Published online: 11 October 2001     

Possible relevance of lattice effects in high-T c superconductors

The relevance of the lattice-mediated superconducting pairing in a system of quasilocalized polarons dressed by local lattice deformations is considered. The spin correlations are taken into account using thet-J model expressed in terms of holon and spin operators. The Holstein-like Hamiltonian for holons with the transport term depending on spin correlations is transformed by the generalized Lang-Firsov transformation which implies the spread of the charge and the deformations to the nearest neighbours. The analytical formula for the superconducting transition temperatureT _c is deduced using the assumption of an extremely narrow polaron band. The hole-concentration dependence ofT _c and the isotope exponent are discussed using the classical approximation for incommensurate spiral spin correlations. This work was supported by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic, project No. 202/96/0864.