Electrical and infrared dielectrical properties of silica aerogels and of silica-aerogel-based composites

In this contribution we have studied the key electrical parameters of silica aerogels and of silica-aerogel-based composites, namely the dielectric constants , the dielectric losses tan (at 1 kHz), and the breakdown fields E _b (at 50 Hz). For low-density bulk silica aerogels we find =1.25 and tan =0.0005. E _b is about 500 kV/cm in quasi-homogeneous fields, and of the order of MV/cm in strongly inhomogeneous fields. The dielectric constants of partially densified aerogels increase linearly with density; their dielectric losses are relatively large and their breakdown fields are comparativiely low. The same results are found for aerogels in the form of settled materials, i.e. aerogel granules and powders in air. Acrylate-based aerogel composites with volume fractions larger than 70% have low dielectric constants but their losses are at least 10 times higher than those of low-density aerogels. These materials sustain high local fields in the MV/cm region, while in quasihomogeneous fields, breakdown occurs at about 100 kV/cm. Based on the present results and the interplay with other physical properties (low mechanical resistance, low thermal conductivity, adsorption of water, etc.), silica aerogels and silica aerogel-acrylate-based composites are predicted to have a low potential for electrical insulation.     

The kinetics of muon-catalyzed dt fusion

A main source of information about the muon-catalyzed fusion cycle in D-T mixtures are the cycling rates _c, which are characteristic for the kinetic equilibrium of states attained rapidly in dense targets. The measurement, analysis and interpretation of these rates will be discussed, concentrating on the extensive set of rates observed at PSI over the last decade in gaseous, liquid and solid targets.Invited talk presented by Peter Kammel.     

Survey of experimental results on μCF including hyperfine effects

Complementary to the investigations of the most efficient dt cycle, also the other muon-induced fusion cycles in mixtures of hydrogen isotopes have been studied. The results of these dedicated experiments provide rich information about muon-induced few-body reactions and contribute significantly to a better overall understanding of CF. A summary of the recent progress will be presented. Special emphasis will be put on two characteristic examples, namely a new experimental approach to study the muonic cascade in H-D mixtures and the systematic study of hyperfine effects in muon-induced reactions.     

Evidence for the ground-state resonance of 26O

Evidence for the ground state of the neutron-unbound nucleus (26)O was observed for the first time in the single proton-knockout reaction from a 82 MeV/u (27)F beam. Neutrons were measured in coincidence with (24)O fragments. (26)O was determined to be unbound by 150(-150)(+50) keV from the observation of low-energy neutrons. This result agrees with recent shell-model calculations based on microscopic two- and three-nucleon forces.     

Laser ionization in β decay studies of Zn and Mn nuclei

Resonance ionization laser ion source (RILIS) technique has been used in the β-decay studies of ⁵⁹Mn and ⁵⁸Zn. The importance of the RILIS for production of these elements is discussed. The properties of the low-lying levels of the studied nuclei are discussed. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Thermal stability of the cubic phase in Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3 - δ (BSCF)1

Ba_0.5Sr_0.5Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3 - δ (BSCF) is a material with excellent oxygen ionic and electronic transport properties reported by many research groups. In its cubic phase, this mixed ionic-electronic conducting (MIEC) perovskite is a promising candidate for oxygen permeation membranes. For this application, its long-term stability under operating conditions (especially temperature and oxygen partial pressure) is of crucial importance.The present work is focused on the thermal stability of the BSCF cubic phase in the targeted temperature range for applications (700…900 °C) in light of previous studies in literature reporting a reversible transition to a hexagonal phase somewhere below 900 °C.To this end, single phase cubic BSCF powders were annealed at different temperatures over varying periods of time. Phase composition was subsequently analysed by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) in order to determine both the temperature limit and the time-scale for the formation of the hexagonal phase. Additionally, the long-term behaviour of the electrical conductivity was examined on bulk samples at 700 °C, 800 °C and 900 °C over several hundreds of hours, showing a prolonged decrease at 800 °C. The decrease in electrical conductivity at this temperature was also examined on bulk samples with different grain sizes, showing a more pronounced decrease the smaller the average grain size.Coexistence of both phases (cubic and hexagonal) could also be shown for 700 °C, however with a different phase equilibrium than at 800 °C.     

Investigation of the HFS in the 4d 5p zP3,4 states of Mo and Mo by levelcrossing spectroscopy

The hyperfine structures of the z⁷P₃ and z⁷P₄ states of ⁹⁵Mo and ⁹⁷Mo have been investigated by levelcrossing spectroscopy. A fit of the experimental signal curves yields the magnetic and electric hfs coupling constants: ⁹⁵Mo z⁷P₃ |A| = 86.19(10) MHz, |B|=5.2(30) MHz, A/B0⁹⁵Mo z⁷P₄ |A|=64.05(30) MHz, |B|=4.3(30) MHz, A/B<0; ⁹⁷Mo z⁷P₃|A|= 88.0(1) MHz, |B|=60.0(20) MHz, A/B<0; ⁹⁷Mo z⁷P₄ |A|=65.4(3) MHz, |B|=50.0(50) MHz, A/B0. For the ratio of the electric quadrupole moments we fine ⁹⁷Q/⁹⁵ Q= -11.5(70).     

There are no scalar Lie fields in three or more dimensional space-time

We show that a Lie field structure is incompatible with a scalar relativistic quantum field theory if the dimension of space-time is greater than two. Our main argument is based on the Jacobi identity and the spectrum condition.