Thermal expansion and Grüneisen parameters of Ba(Fe(1-x)Co(x))2As2: a thermodynamic quest for quantum criticality

Thermal expansion data are used to study the uniaxial pressure dependence of the electronic-magnetic entropy of Ba(Fe(1-x)Co(x))2As2. Uniaxial pressure is found to be proportional to doping and, thus, also an appropriate tuning parameter in this system. Many of the features predicted to occur for a pressure-tuned quantum critical system, in which superconductivity is an emergent phase hiding the critical point, are observed. The electronic-magnetic Grüneisen parameters associated with the spin-density wave and superconducting transitions further demonstrate an intimate connection between both ordering phenomena.     

Revisiting the properties of delafossite CuCrO2: A single crystal study

Platelet-like single-crystals of delafossite CuCrO₂ have been successfully grown and characterised by X-ray diffraction and pole figures, scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. Transport measurements reveal that the resistivity is highly anisotropic, with a ratio of about 35 at 300 K between the in- and out-of-plane directions, reflecting the layered crystal structure. The magnetization and specific heat data show that CuCrO₂ undergoes a unique antiferromagnetic transition at T_N=24.0 K, in contrast to a recent report on CuCrO₂ single-crystals [16] showing the existence of two magnetic transitions, T_N1=24.2 K and T_N2=23.6 K, depending on the orientation of the applied magnetic field along and perpendicular to c, respectively.     

Decay of140Gd to states inN=77140Eu

The structure of¹⁴⁰Eu has been investigated through the decay of¹⁴⁰Gd, which has a measured half-life of 16.2±0.8 s. A decay scheme is constructed, which comprises 22 transitions depopulating 16 excited states.     

Improvement of the pinning properties of (Bi/Pb)-2223 textured ceramics by columnar defects introduced by 6 GeV Pb ions

Pinning properties of (Bi/Pb)-2223 textured ceramics have been improved by 6 GeV Pb ions irradiation. Two samples were irradiated at fluencesφ _t=5 × 10¹⁰ ions/cm² and 2 × 10¹¹ ions/cm², respectively. The magnetic irreversibility is clearly improved in the intermediate range of temperature: (30–35) K<T<60 K for magnetic fields lower than the “fluence equivalent field”B _φ =φ _t.φ ₀. Moreover the irreversibility line is shifted towards higher fields. The results reported here show that the introduction of columnar defects or other extended defects is a route to improve the screening properties of tubes or cans based on (Bi/Pb)-2223 material and operating in liquid nitrogen.     

Permeation-solid adsorbent sampling and GC analysis of formaldehyde

A passive method with membrane permeation sampling for the determination of time-weighted-average (TWA) concentration of formaldehyde in air is described. The sampling device was constructed by affixing an unbacked dimethyl silicone membrane to the base of a glass tube and by sealing the top with a rubber stopper. Formaldehyde permeates the membrane and reacts with 2-(hydroxymethyl)piperidine (2-HMP) coated on the surface of XAD-2. Sampling times from 15 min to 8 hr have been used. The formaldehyde—oxazolidine produced is thermally desorbed and determined by a packed column gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID). The response of the monitor is directly proportional to the external concentration of formaldehyde over the concentration range 0.050–100 ppm. The permeation constant (the slope of the permeation curve) of the membrane is 0.333 μg ppm⁻¹. hr, and the detection limit of the method is 0.03 ppm for an 8-hr sampling period. Relative humidity (RH) (35–94%), temperature (0–82°) and storage period (0–25 days) do not affect the permeation process for sample collection. Moreover, potential chemical interferences, 10 ppm acetone or acrolein, respectively, have no detectable effect on the process. The method gives TWA concentration directly from the measurements, and the equipment is economical and convenient for personal or multi-location sample collections.