Ultrasonic attenuation by a thin film of high transition temperature Nb3Ge

The electron-phonon contribution to the ultrasonic attenuation coefficient of a 0.5 μm Nb₃Ge film has been measured using 1.2 GHz surface acoustic waves. Analysis of the attenuation data shows that the largest part of the film has a superconducting transition near the bulk transition temperature, 18 K, even though the total film has a high transition temperature, namely 21.5 K. The electron mean free path is calculated from the electron-phonon attenuation data and is found to be an order of magnitude higher than expected for high transition temperature Nb₃Ge films.     

Ultrasonic mean free path in a granular aluminum film

The ultrasonic mean free path has been measured and compared to the electrical mean free path of a thin granular aluminum film. They have been found to differ by an order of magnitude which is believed to indicate that mean free path determined ultrasonically is for the Al metal while the one determined electrically is for the Al-Al₂O₃ matrix structure.     

Simultaneous measurement of δH, δO,and δO in H2O using a commercial cavity ringdown spectrometer

We demonstrate that a commercial instrument that provides measurements of ¹⁸O/¹⁶O and D/H ratios in water samples can be modified to also provide measurements of ¹⁷O/¹⁶O. This additional capability and associated precision allows for the discernment between conventional mass-dependent processes, such as isotope exchange and evaporation and mass-independent processes that arise from non-equilibrium chemical and photochemical processes. We demonstrate this resolution by performing a series of experiments including evaporation and reservoir-mixing with ¹⁷O enriched water samples followed by evaporation. The ability to simultaneously measure ¹⁶O, ¹⁷O, and ¹⁸O abundances in water samples using the procedures described here should help to facilitate multi-isotopic studies of water (and other compounds) in astrochemical, geochemical, and biological studies.     

A simple and flexible atom-surface potential with easy-to-handle vibrational spectrum

A highly flexible empirical potential V_p(z) suitable to describe the main features of the laterally averaged atom-surface interaction is presented and an accurate expression for the vibrational spectrum of the atom in V_p(z) is given. This establishes a simple method of inversion of the atom-surface vibrational spectra particularly suitable for levels located in the deepest 9/10 of the potential well. The present method is complementary to the one introduced by Le Roy [5].     

Preparation and properties of 1TTaSe2

The preparation and physical properties of 1TTaSe₂ are described, including: magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity, heat capacity, pressure dependence and volume change of a first order intrapolytypic transformation at 473°K. Electron diffraction and X-ray measurements show that a superlattice exists in this compound containing 26 formula units per unit cell. The physical properties are consistent with the observation of a superlattice.     

Inelastic effect on the resonance lineshapes in he-graphite scattering

A multiple Debye—Waller effect for bound state resonances in atom scattering was recently proposed to explain the observed width and strength of measured resonances. The model was applied with success to measurement of the specular intensity for He-graphite at low incident energies, and to measurement of the diffracted intensities for D-LiF(001) at grazing incidence. We present new calculations for He-graphite at intermediate incident energy, by which the multiple Debye-Waller attenuation appears completely inadequate to describe experimental the inelastic effect on the resonance lineshapes.     

3D quantitative image analysis of open-cell nickel foams under tension and compression loading using X-ray microtomography

The deformation behaviour and fracture of an open-cell nickel foam were analysed using X-ray microtomography at the ESRF, Grenoble, France. In situ tensile and compression tests were performed at a resolution of 2 and 10 μm. The initial morphology of the foam was studied using 3D image analysis. Parameters such as the cell volume and strut length distributions, number of faces per cell, number of nodes per face and the shape of the most representative cells were determined. The cells are shown to be non-spherical due to the initial geometrical anisotropy of the polyurethane foam template and to the load applied to the nickel foam during processing. This geometrical anisotropy is shown to be related to the observed anisotropy of the elastic properties of the material using a simple beam model. In tension, bending, stretching and alignment of struts are observed. A tensile test in the longitudinal direction is shown to reinforce the privileged orientations of the cells. In contrast, a tensile test in the transverse direction leads to a more isotropic distribution of the cells. These features are illustrated by pole figures of the three axes of equivalent ellipsoids for all cells at different strain levels. Compression tests are associated with strain localization phenomena due to the buckling of struts in a weaker region of the foam. Finally, study of open-cell nickel foam fracture shows that cracks initiate at nodes during tensile tests and that the damaged zone is about five cells wide. Free edge effects on crack initiation are also evidenced.     

Charge-density waves and superlattices in the metallic layered transition metal dichalcogenides

The d1 layer metals TaS 2 , TaSe 2 , NbSe 2 , in all their various polytypic modifications, acquire, below some appropriate temperature, phase conditions that their electromagnetic properties have previously revealed as 'anomalous'. Our present electron-microscopic studies indicate that this anomalous behaviour usually included the adoption, at some stage, of a superlattice. The size of superlattice adopted often is forecast in the pattern of satellite spotting and strong diffuse scattering found above the transition. Our conclusions are that charge-density waves and their concomitant periodic structural distortions occur in all these 4d 1 /5d 1 dichalcogenides. We have related the observed periodicities of these CDW states to the theoretical form of the parent Fermi surfaces. Particularly for the 1T octahedrally coordinated polytypes the Fermi surface is very simple and markedly two-dimensional in character, with large near-parallel walls. Such a situation is known theoretically to favour the formation of charge and spin-density waves. When they first appear, the CDWs in the 1T (and 4Hb) polytypes are incommensurate with the lattice. This condition produes a fair amount of gapping in the density of states at the Fermi level. For the simplest case of 1T-TaSe 2 , the room temperature superlattice is realized when this existing CDW rotates into an orientation for which it then become commensurate. At this first-order transition the Fermi surface energy gapping increases beyond that generated by the incommensurate CDW, as is clearly evident in the electromagnetic properties. For the trigonal prismatically coordinated polytypes, CDW formation is withheld to low temperatures, probably because of the more complex band structures. This CDW state (in the cases measured) would seem at once commensurate, even though the transition is, from a wide variety of experiments, apparently second order. A wide range of doped and intercalated materials have been used to substantiate the presence of CDWs in these compounds, and to clarify the effect that their occurrence has on the physical properties. The observations further demonstrate the distinctiveness of the transition metal dichalcogenide layer compounds, and of the group VA metals in particular.     

Development and validation of a capillary electrophoresis method applied to the analysis of l‐citrulline in an oral formulation for pediatric use

A simple and highly sensitive CE–UV method was applied in the determination of l ‐ctrulline, which was developed from an oral formulation for pediatric use. The novel method was based on the analysis of l ‐citrulline for direct ultraviolet detection at 198 nm. The BGE consisted of 10 mM sodium tetraborate and 50 mM SDS at pH 9, and the electrophoretic parameters were optimized. The method was validated in terms of specificity, linearity, LOD, LOQ, precision, accuracy, and robustness. The LOD and LOQ obtained were 1.36 and 4.54 μg/mL, respectively. In addition, the method offers higher sensitivity and specificity compared with the results obtained from HPLC method using UV‐detectors, in which l‐ citrulline needs to be derivatizated. Furthermore, low cost and simplicity of the system allowed the rapid and simple quantitation of l‐ citrulline in the oral formulation for quality control and stability indicated method.