Elasticity in nanocrystalline Nd2Fe14B+αFe magnetic composites

The dynamic Young modulus (E) of magnetic Nd₂Fe₁₄B+αFe nanocomposites is investigated with mechanical spectroscopy techniques (vibrating reed configuration, f≈1.5 kHz <10⁻⁶). Reduced values of E are obtained (88–152 GPa) as compared with that predicted by the rule of mixtures for the composite (164 GPa). Three contributions to this reduction are briefly discussed: a large volume fraction of the specimen with grain boundary like structure; internal pores, resulting from the high cooling rate during processing (10⁶ K/min) and magneto-mechanical effects. Even when porosity is identified as the principal cause of modulus reduction, magnetic effects are also detected.     

Effect of high pressures on the mechanical and electrical properties of barium chalcogenides

In this work, on the basis of a semiempirical model of bonding forces that allows for three-particle interaction and uses the pseudopotential method, the mechanical and electrical properties of barium chalcogenides are studied at hydrostatic pressure. Equations of state are formulated from hydrostatic compression, parameters of the type B1–B2 structural phase transitions are calculated, the change in the energy band spectrum under the influence of the pressures is studied, and an estimate is made of the critical amount of compression that induces a dielectric-metal phase transition. The results obtained are in agreement with the available data.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 11, pp. 44–52, November, 1991.     

Glass-forming liquids,anomalous liquids,and polyamorphism in liquids and biopolymers

Summary Glass formation in nature and materials science is reviewed and the recent recognition of polymorphism within the glassy state, polyamorphism, is discussed. The process by which the glassy state originates during the continuous cooling or viscous slowdown process, is examined and the three canonical characteristics of relaxing liquids are correlated through the fragility. The conversion of strong liquids to fragile liquids by pressure-induced coordination number increases is discussed, and then it is shown that for the same type of system it is possible to have the same conversion accomplished via a first-order transition within the liquid state. The systems in which this can happen are of the same type which exhibit polyamorphism, and the whole phenomenology can be accounted for by a recent simple modification of the van der Waals model for tetrahedrally bonded liquids. The concept of complex amorphous systems which can lose a significant number of degrees of freedom through weak first-order transitions is then used to discuss the relation between native and denatured hydrated proteins, since the latter have much in common with plasticized chain polymer systems. Finally, we close the circle by taking a short-time-scale phenomenon given much attention by protein physicists,viz., the onset of an anomaly in the Debye-Waller factor with increasing temperature, and showing that for a wide variety of liquids, including computer-simulated strong and fragile ionic liquids, this phenomenon is closely correlated with the experimental glass transition temperature. This implies that the latter owes its origin to the onset of strong anharmonicity in certain components of the vibrational density of states (evidently related to the boson peak) which then permits the system to gain access to its configurational degrees of freedom. The more anharmonic these vibrational components, the closer to the Kauzmann temperature will commence the exploration of configuration space and, for a given configurational microstate degeneracy, the more fragile the liquid will be. Paper presented at the I International Conference on Scaling Concepts and Complex Fluids, Copanello, Italy, July 4–8, 1994.     

The Mössbauer effect and collective motions in glass-forming liquids and polymeric networks

Glass-forming liquids, synthetic polymers and biopolymers share essential properties. Dynamic processes in these complex systems are characterized by cooperative motions with wide distributions of time scales, which manifest themselves in broad quasielastic lines in the Mössbauer spectrum. In this article, the application of the Mössbauer effect to the study of structural dynamics in complex systems is discussed.     

Strong interactions at low energies

The lectures review some of the basic concepts relevant for an understanding of the low energy properties of the strong interactions: chiral symmetry, spontaneous symmetry breakdown, Goldstone bosons, quark condensate. The effective field theory used to analyze the low energy structure is briefly sketched. As an illustration, I discuss the implications of the recent data on the decay K→ππeν for the magnitude of the quark condensate.     

Fluorescence anisotropy decay study of self-association of bacterial luciferase intermediates

The fluorescence dynamics parameters of the fluorescent transient flavin-luciferase species from the typesVibrio fischeri andPhotobacterium leiognathi are presented. The fluorescence anisotropy decay is a single exponential function for both types. The correlation time is 70 ns for theP. leiognathi fluorescent transient intermediate (2°C, aqueous buffer, pH 7.0), consistent with the rotational correlation time of the luciferase macromolecule (77 kD) to which the flavin fluorophore is rigidly attached. In contrast, for theV. fischeri species the observed correlation time for the anisotropy decay function is 133 ns. This suggests that protein self-association occurs in theV. fischeri case and this is confirmed by filtration, where the fluorescent transient fromV. fischeri does not pass through a 100,000 molecular weight cutoff membrane, whereas theP. leiognathi species does. The filtration method also demonstrates self-association in the luciferase peroxyflavin and photoflavin fromV. fischeri. A monomer-dimer equilibrium also explains the previously reported high correlation times for theV. harveyi luciferase-flavin species. It is proposed that the self-association competes with the lumazine protein interaction in the bioluminescence reaction.     

Computer-generated holograms from 3D-objects written on twisted-nematic liquid crystal displays

In order to optimize computer-generated holograms (CGHs) for three-dimensional objects, an extension of the well known Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm is used. Optical reconstructions using an electrically addressed twisted-nematic liquid crystal display are presented. For arbitrary CGHs, reconstructing 3D-objects, we will discuss the problems and solutions associated with periodic replication of holograms.     

Two-dimensional Numerical Simulation of the Beam-Plasma-Discharge

A two-dimensional self consistent model of the Beam-Plasma-Discharge (BPD) has been developed to calculate the discharge ignition of a bandlike electron beam in a discharge chamber. The discharge was considered in Argon with an initial concentration of 10¹⁴ cm^?3. The model allows calculation of the time evolution of perpendicular profiles of electron density, temperature and the potential.     

Multispectral imaging of Mars: ISM results

Summary Multispectral imaging of planets opens a new class of studies of atmospheric and surface signatures. With ISM experiment on board Phobos, the first IR multispectral imaging of Mars from space was achieved. In viem of the Future Omega experiment on board Mars 94, we present here a sample of data and results (and problems) which can be achieved by studying spectral reflectance. Paper presented at the V Cosmic Physics National Conference, S. Miniato, November 27–30, 1990.