Formation of pancakelike Ising domains and giant magnetic coercivity in ferrimagnetic LuFe2O4

We have studied quasi-two-dimensional multiferroic LuFe2O4 with strong charge-spin-lattice coupling, in which low-temperature coercivity approaches an extraordinary value of 9 T in single crystals. The enhancement of the coercivity is connected to the collective freezing of nanoscale pancakelike ferrimagnetic domains with large uniaxial magnetic anisotropy ("Ising pancakes"). Our results suggest that collective freezing in low-dimensional magnets with large uniaxial anisotropy provides an effective mechanism to achieve enhanced coercivity. This observation may help identify novel approaches for synthesis of magnets with enhanced properties.     

Quark potentials for mesons in the Klein-Gordon equation

Two relativistic potential models are applied to describe meson spectroscopy in a unified way, encompassing both light and heavy quark systems. A combination of linear and coulomb potentials has been investigated for Klein-Gordon equation using the WKB approximation. A power-like phenomenological potential model has also been studied in the Klein-Gordon framework. Meson masses calculated for both the potentials give a good agreement with the corresponding experimental values.     

Electroless deposition of Sno2 and antimony doped SnO2 films

Thin polycrystalline films of SnO₂ and antimony doped SnO₂ have been prepared by simple economic electroless deposition technique. The transmittance in the visible range and the reflectance in the i.r. range for SnO₂ films are ～80% and ～70%, respectively, with resistivity ～10^?2 Ω cm. On the other hand, antimony doped SnO₂ films have transmittance in the visible range and reflectance in the i.r. range, as good as ～86% and ～83%, respectively, with resistivity as low as ～10^?3Ω cm. By vacuum annealing, the resistivity of both types of films has been brought down as low as ～10^?3 and ～10^?4 Ω cm, respectively.     

The process\pi ^0 \to \lambda _\gamma \bar \lambda _\gamma as an alternative to\pi ^0 \to v\bar v

The process \(\pi ^0 \to \lambda _\gamma \bar \lambda _\gamma \) is investigated as an alternative to \(\pi ^0 \to v\bar v\) . It is shown that the experimental bound on the branching fraction for missing energy (in the form of \(\lambda _\gamma \bar \lambda _\gamma \) and/or \(v\bar v\) ) may be understood in terms of \(\pi ^0 \to \lambda _\gamma \bar \lambda _\gamma \) for the kinematically allowed photino mass, if the squark mass is >8 GeV.     

Numerical solution of a viscous incompressible flow problem through an orifice

A steady flow problem of a viscous, incompressible fluid through an orifice is widely applicable to many physical phenomena and has been studied previously by many researchers. A problem of such type has been solved by applying LAD method given by Roache [1]. The resulting system of linear equations is solved by Hockney's method [2].     

Effect of the crystal potential on electronic polarizabilities of ions in alkaline earth chalcogenides

The electronic polarizabilities of ions in alkaline earth chalcogenides are estimated by taking account of the effect of the crystalline potential. The polarizabilities thus obtained are found to present a good agreement with experimental data. It has been shown that the polarizabilities and radii of alkaline earth and chalcogenide ions follow the polarizability-radius cube relation approximately well.     

Hydromagnetic instability of streaming fluids in porous medium

The instability of the plane interface between two uniform, superposed, electrically conducting and counter-streaming fluids through a porous medium is considered in the presence of a horizontal magnetic field. In the absence of surface tension, perturbations transverse to the direction of streaming are found to be unaffected by the presence of streaming if perturbations in the direction of streaming are ignored. For perturbations in all other directions there exists instability for a certain wavenumber range. The instability of this system is postponed by the presence of magnetic field. The magnetic field and surface tension are able to suppress this Kelvin-Helmholtz instability for small wavelength perturbations and the medium porosity reduces the stability range given in terms of a difference between the streaming velocities and the Alfvén velocity.This research forms a part of the research project awarded to the first author (R.C.S.) by the University Grants Commission.     

Finite Larmor radius effect on thermosolutal instability of a plasma in porous medium

The thermosolutal instability of a plasma in porous medium is considered in the presence of finite Larmor radius effect. The finite Larmor radius, stable solute gradient and magnetic field introduce oscillatory modes in the systems which were nonexistent in their absence. For stationary convection, the finite Larmor radius and stable solute gradient have stabilizing effects on the thermosolutal instability in porous medium. In presence of finite Larmor radius effect, the medium permeability has a destabilizing (or stabilizing) effect and the magnetic field has a stabilizing (or destabilizing) effect under certain condition whereas in the absence of finite Larmor radius effect, the medium permeability and the magnetic field have destabilizing and stabilizing effects, respectively, on thermosolutal instability of a plasma in porous medium. The sufficient conditions for nonexistence of overstability are obtained.The financial assistance to Mr. Sunil in the form of Senior Research Fellowship of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi is gratefully acknowledged.     

Search for a precursor crystal-to-crystal phase transition to amorphization in α-GeO2 and α-AlPO4 under pressure

Recent X-ray diffraction studies on α-quartz (SiO₂) by Kingmaet al [1], have shown the occurrence of a reversible, crystalline-to-crystalline, phase transition just prior to amorphization at ≈ 21 GPa. This precursor transition has also been confirmed by our recent molecular dynamics simulation study [2]. In order to investigate the possibility of a similar behaviour in other isostructural compounds, which also undergo pressure induced amorphization, α-GeO₂ and α-AlPO₄ (berlinite form) were studied using energy dispersive X-ray diffraction. In either of these materials, no such phase transition is detected prior to amorphization. The onset of amorphization and its reversal is found to be time dependent in GeO₂.