Transition between layered and filamentary types of anisotropy in layered superconducting structures

A model of layered superconducting structure consisting of alternating anisotropic superconducting layers S₁ and S₂ with different transition temperatures is considered. It is shown that due to competition between two origins of anisotropy - effective-mass anisotropy of individual layers and proximity-induced anisotropy the effective anisotropy of the whole system signficiantly varies temperature. The components of the effective-mass tensor m_c (along the anisotropy axis) and m_a (perpendicular to the anisotropy axis) strongly depend upon temperature. This may lead to transition between layered (m_c > m_a) and quasi one-dimensional (m_c < m_a) types of anisotropy as well as to biaxial-type anisotropy which is also temperature dependent. The field distribution in a tilted vortex in a biaxial superconductor is calculated. The change in the properties of the vortex lattice with temperature in such systems is also investigated. The properties of YBa₂Cu₃O_x/PrBa₂Cu₃O_y multilayers are discussed in this connection.     

Average and local magnetic moments on Fe atoms in microcrystalline and amorphous Fe100−xPx alloys

We have measured the concentration dependence of the average magnetic moment per Fe atom _Fe(x) in microcrystalline and amorphous Fe-P alloys obtained over a wide concentration range using electrochemical deposition. The model of local magnetic moments has been used to described _Fe(x). On the basis of this model the effects of phosphorus on the value _Fe are explained in terms of the parameters of the local environment of the Fe atom.     

Monitoring of safety features,fissile material accumulation and concentration in nuclear reprocessing by active and passive neutron counting techniques

The application, the advantage and limits of neutron monitoring techniques, such as Hf-monitors, fissile material accumulation and concentration monitors are being discussed. The active neutron counting technique applied to emptied pulsed extraction columns containing Hf-sieve plates allows conclusive answers as to the position of the plates in the columns. Pu-accumulations on Hf-sieve plates in pulsed extraction columns can be estimated within a factor of two, whereby the detection limit is about equal to or less than 1 g Pu/plate. Fissile material concentration changes of 1.1 g/l can be detected in the case of²³⁵U in solution and of 0.4 Pu/l if a²³⁹Pu/²⁴⁰Pu ratio of 4 to 1 is assumed.     

Mössbauer spectroscopic study of core and mantle of rattle stones

Mössbauer spectroscopy has been applied to two rattle stones found in the Netherlands, which have been formed under different pedoenvironment conditions in the past. Ultrafine particles of goethite are dominantly present in both core and mantle of these stones. The latter differs in both composition and mean particle size; this is related to the distinct manner of their formation.     

Global optimization by random perturbation of the gradient method with a fixed parameter

The paper deals with the global minimization of a differentiable cost function mapping a ball of a finite dimensional Euclidean space into an interval of real numbers. It is established that a suitable random perturbation of the gradient method with a fixed parameter generates a bounded minimizing sequence and leads to a global minimum: the perturbation avoids convergence to local minima. The stated results suggest an algorithm for the numerical approximation of global minima: experiments are performed for the problem of fitting a sum of exponentials to discrete data and to a nonlinear system involving about 5000 variables. The effect of the random perturbation is examined by comparison with the purely deterministic gradient method.     

Mössbauer investigation of amorphous-to-crystalline transformation of Fe62Ni16B14Si8 by isothermal annealing

Room temperature transmission Mössbauer spectra of Fe₆₂Ni₁₆B₁₄Si₈ ribbons, annealed in vacuum for time periods ranging from 5 to 60 minutes at the crystallization temperatureT _x=720 K, have been used to investigate the crystallization mechanism by isothermal annealing. Reorientation of the magnetic anisotropy almost normal to the ribbon plane was observed and correlated to the annealing time dependence of the mean hyperfine field (HF) of the amorphous component. Crystallization started at the surface before the bulk and was found to occur in two steps: a metastable equilibrium of the amorphous phase with (FeNi), (FeNi)Si and t-(FeNi)₃B, followed by the decomposition of t-(FeNi)₃B into t-(FeNi)₂B and (FeNi). The increase of the mean magnetic moment at the Fe sites as compared to related iron-based alloys was attributed to compositional small Ni additions.     

Complexity of factorization and GCD computation for linear ordinary differential operators

This paper presents an algorithm of polynomial complexity for finding greatest common (right) divisors of families of linear ordinary differential operators. An algorithm is presented for factorization of operators into the product of irreducible operators with complexity significantly better than that of previously known algorithms. Estimates are given for the coefficients of the expansion of the fundamental solution of the corresponding linear differential equation.Translated from Zapiski Nauchnykh Seminarov Leningradskogo Otdeleniya Matematicheskogo Instituta im. V. A. Steklova Akademii Nauk SSSR, Vol. 176, pp. 68–103, 1989.     

Lattice gas state functions

State equations for simple lattice systems are constructed by extending the Gibbs method to a non-equilibrium system.In memory of D. N. Zubarev, teacher and scientist, whose advice and attention are gratefully remembered.The idea of constructing such a model (on the basis of the vacancy model of condensed matter proposed by the author) belongs to D. N. Zubarev.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Matematicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 105, No. 3, pp. 478–490, December, 1995.     

Morphology of Nylon-6 blends with styrenic polymers

The morphology of blends of styrenic polymers in a matrix of 75% Nylon-6 prepared in a Brabender Plasti-Corder was examined by scanning electron microscopy. Styrene/acrylonitrile copolymers (SAN) form smaller particles as the AN level increases owing to the corresponding decrease in the SAN–polyamide interfacial tension. Various styrenic polymers containing functional groups, maleic anhydride or oxazoline type, that can react with Nylon-6 during melt processing were added to the SAN phase which also led to a decrease in the particle size owing to the graft copolymer formed in situ. The effects of functional group type, amount of functional groups per chain, amount of functional polymer added, and the miscibility of the styrene/maleic anhydride (SMA) and SAN copolymers on the morphology of the styrenic phase in the Nylon-6 matrix are described. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.