p-sd Shell gap reduction in neutron-rich systems and cross-shell excitations in 20 O

Excited states in 20O were populated in the reaction 10Be(14C,alpha) at Florida State University (FSU). Charged particles were detected with a particle telescope consisting of 4 annularly segmented Si surface barrier detectors and gamma radiation was detected with the FSU gamma detector array. Five new states were observed below 6 MeV from the alpha-gamma and alpha-gamma-gamma coincidence data. Shell model calculations suggest that most of the newly observed states are core-excited 1p-1h excitations across the N=Z=8 shell gap. Comparisons between experimental data and calculations for the neutron-rich O and F isotopes imply a steady reduction of the p-sd shell gap as neutrons are added.     

Effects of interlayer coupling on the irreversibility lines of NbN/AlN superconducting multilayers

We have studied the temperature dependence of the in-plane resistivity of NbN/AlN multilayer samples with varying insulating layer thickness in magnetic fields up to 7 T parallel and perpendicular to the films. The upper critical field shows a crossover from 2D to 3D behavior in parallel fields. The irreversibility lines have the form (1-T/T(c))(alpha), where alpha varies from 4 / 3 to 2 with increasing anisotropy. The results are consistent with simultaneous melting and decoupling transitions for the low anisotropy sample, and with melting of decoupled pancakes in the superconducting layers for higher anisotropy samples.     

Carbon nanotube based bolometer

The contacts of single carbon nanotubes and bundles of carbon nanotubes with superconducting and metallic electrodes are investigated in order to create bolometers and electron coolers. Tunneling contacts of the carbon nanotubes with aluminum electrodes are obtained. The current-voltage characteristics of junctions are analyzed for temperatures from room temperature to 300 mK. The resistance of individual nanotubes is primarily determined by defects and is too large for applications. The use of the bundles of carbon nanotubes makes it possible to considerably reduce the resistance of the bolometer, which is determined by a small number of conducting tubes with good tunneling contacts with the electrodes. The energy gap is equal to hundreds and tens of millivolt in the former and latter cases, respectively. Structures containing bundles of carbon nanotubes can be described in a model with a Schottky barrier. The samples with bundles of carbon nanotubes exhibit the bolometric response to external high-frequency radiation at a frequency of 110 GHz with an amplitude up to 100 μV and a temperature voltage response to 0.4 mV/K.     

In situ neutron diffraction study (300-1273 K) of non-stoichiometric strontium ferrite SrFeOx

The high-temperature cubic phase of non-stoichiometric strontium ferrite SrFeO_x (2.5≤x≤3.0) has been studied by in situ neutron powder diffraction in air over the temperature range 300-1273 K. The composition of SrFeO_x changes within the range 2.56≤x≤2.81 from 1273 to 673 K, respectively.Rietveld refinements of the diffraction patterns show that the high-temperature cubic phase of SrFeO_x is consistent with a face-centred Fm3c structure. This structure leads to agreement with previous density measurements. This cell allows the high-temperature structure of SrFeO_x to be described in terms of a solid solution of the composition end members. Cubic SrFeO_x at high temperature is found to closely obey Vegard's law. The density of cubic SrFeO_x is also found to exhibit a linear relationship with composition.     

Magnetic behaviour and site occupation of YFe12-x V x (x=2,3,4)

The effects of vanadium substitution on the iron magnetism in YFe_12-x V _x compounds (x～2–4) have been studied by⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. The preference of vanadium atoms for the 8i site of these ThMn₁₂-structure type compounds is confirmed. The rapid collapse of the iron sublattice magnetization with increasing vanadium concentration is analysed in terms of the ‘magnetic valence’ model.     

The proton relaxation of CH3OD in the presence of Co(II) ions,as studied by spin-echo techniques

By measurement of the proton relaxation times T ₁ and T ₂ of CH₃OD containing Co⁺⁺ ions in dilute solution and the dependence of the observed decay time (T ₂ ^?) on t _ep the separation between pulses in a Carr-Purcell sequence the coordination number is shown to be six. Since this result has previously been obtained by an independent method, the use of the dependence of T ₂ ^? on t _ep to determine coordination numbers is justified for solutions of paramagnetic ions. The validity of analytical expressions derived previously has been checked by numerical methods, and the analytical expression is shown to be valid even in the presence of H ₀ and H ₁ inhomogeneity and inaccurate pulses of finite duration, provided that the Meiboom-Gill method is used. In an Appendix insight derived from the results of the numerical solutions is used to give a brief derivation of the dependence of T ₂ ^? on H ₀, exchange rate and t _ep.