Coercivity analysis in R17Fe83−χBχ magnets

We studied the coercivity in magnets of composition R₁₇Fe_83−χB_χ (R = Nd, Pr and χ = 8, 30), using measurements of the coercive field H_c, its angular dependence, and the magnetic viscosity coefficient S_v, for temperatures between 4.2 and 500 K. The results are discussed in relation to a model which does not specifically consider the detailed mechanisms involved in magnetization reversal, but which provides information about the magnetic properties in the activation volume v where magnetization reversal is initiated. It is concluded that the ordering temperature in v tends to be slightly smaller than in the bulk and that the room temperature anisotropy in v is not strongly reduced with respect to the bulk value. Finally, a direct evaluation of the dipolar interactions is in good agreement with results obtained from H_c(T).     

Deuteron and neutron structure functions and the effect of relativistic Fermi motion

The deep-inelastic deuteron structure function (SF) F₂^D in the covariant approach in the light-cone variables is considered. The neutron SF F₂ⁿ is extracted from the deuteron and proton experimental data taking into account the relativistic deuteron model and the parametrization of F₂ⁿ is obtained. The effect of the relativistic Fermi motion is estimated to be 6% at x0.7. The extracted neutron SF is used to verify the Gottfried sum rule. It is shown that the violation of the flavour symmetry of the sea can be large with increasing Q².     

Ferroelectric polarization switching in nylon-11

Cold-drawn Nylon-11 films, which were prepared by stretching the melt-quenched films to a draw ratio of 2.8: 1 at room temperature, were found to exhibit an electric displacement versus electric field hysteresis loop. The results confirmed that the Nylon-11 film exhibited ferroelectric behavior at or below room temperature. The coercive fields were 65, 98, 125, 160, and 215 MV/m at 20, 0, ?20, ?40, and ?60°C and the remanent polarization at ?20°C (where there was considerably less dc conduction) was 56 mC/m². Switching of the polarization was almost completed within 20 ms.     

X-ray scattering studies of the structure of aqueous hydroxy-propylcellulose solutions

X-ray diffraction studies have been undertaken on aqueous solutions of hydroxy propylcellulose (HPC) over a wide range of the scattering vector Q. The experiments revealed only modest differences in local structure on a distance scale ca. 5–300 Å despite the fact that they covered concentrations generally interpreted as ranging from the isotropic (35.1 wt %) to the anisotropic liquid crystalline (LC) phase (53.5 wt %). Several models were used to interpret the small-angle scattering data, and each gave similar structural parameters and extrapolated intensities ( Q → 0) for both solutions. Peaks were observed with d-spacings ca. 12–17 Å in both materials. Wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS) showed slightly increased local order over a size range ca. 5–20 Å for the anisotropic solution, and this is consistent with a greater intensity of the 13 Å peak in this material. It is difficult to reconcile these findings with an interpretation of the LC state involving major differences with the isotropic phase and a high degree of orientational order extending over long length scales.