Unconventional anomalous Hall effect enhanced by a noncoplanar spin texture in the frustrated Kondo lattice Pr2Ir2O7

We have investigated the Hall effect in the geometrically frustrated Kondo lattice Pr2Ir2O7. In its spin-liquid-like paramagnetic regime, the Hall resistivity rho(xy) is found to increase logarithmically on cooling. Moreover, in this low temperature region, the field dependence of the Hall conductivity sigma(xy) shows a large enhancement up to 30 Omega(-1) cm(-1) as well as a nonmonotonic change with the magnetization. Our results are far different from the anomalous Hall effect due to the spin-orbit coupling observed in ordinary magnetic conductors. We discuss the possible spin-chirality effect in the Ir 5d conduction band due to the noncoplanar texture of Pr<111> Ising-like moments.     

Application and mechanism of inhalation profile improvement of DPI formulations by mechanofusion with magnesium stearate

In our previous paper, we reported the inhalation properties of dry powder inhaler (DPI) formulations containing Compound A and mechanofusion-processed lactose carriers. The mechanofusion process with magnesium stearate (Mg-St) on the lactose carrier enhanced the fine particle fraction (FPF) value of the Andersen cascade impactor (ACI) study. The increase of FPF seemed to be associated with the increase of the dispersibility of drug particles. The objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate the applicability of lactose carrier mechanofusion-processed with Mg-St and (2) to examine the mechanism of FPF alteration by the mechanofusion process applied on the lactose carrier with or without additive. The inhalation profiles of DPI formulations containing four different pharmaceutical compounds were evaluated with an ACI. The dispersibility of the formulations was observed by particle size distribution measurement in the air stream and the adhesive force was measured bydirect separation method. It was found that higher FPF was obtained with lactose mechanofusion-processed with Mg-St as compared to control lactose carriers for all four compounds. This suggested that mechanofusion process with Mg-St is widely applicable in DPI formulations. The homogenization of surface adhesiveness was attributed to the increased FPF of the DPI including lactose mechanofusion-processed with Mg-St, as suggested by the combination of several physicochemical characteristics. Combination of different characterization methods would be of help to clarify the whole mechanism which defines the inhalation properties of DPI formulations.     

The Linear Boltzmann Equation in Column Experiments of Porous Media

Transport in Porous Media - The use of the linear Boltzmann equation is proposed for transport in porous media in a column. By column experiments, we show that the breakthrough curve is reproduced...     

Low‐temperature relaxation of polymers around doped dyes studied by persistent spectral hole burning

Persistent spectral hole burning spectroscopy is applied to evaluate the low‐temperature relaxation around the dye molecules doped in several types of polymers. The doped dye is tetraphenylporphine, and the measured polymers are vinyl polymers and main chain aromatic polymers. The changes of microscopic environments around the dye are evaluated from the changes in the hole profiles during temperature cycling experiments. The relaxation behavior of the polymers is discussed in relation to their chemical structures. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 585–592, 1999     

Synthesis,characterization, and enzymatic degradation of network aliphatic copolyesters

Network copolyesters were prepared from glycerol (Yg) and sebacic acid (10) with 10–90 mol % of either succinic acid (4), 1,12-dodecanedicarboxylic acid (14), 1,18-octadecanedicarboxylic acid (20), or terephthalic acid (T). Prepolymers prepared by melt-polycondensation were cast from dimethylformamide solution and postpolymerized at 230–250°C for various periods of time to form a network. The resultant films were transparent, flexible, and insoluble in organic solvents. The network copolyesters obtained were characterized by infrared absorption spectra, wide angle X-ray diffraction analysis, density measurement, thermomechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and tensile test. The enzymatic degradation was estimated by weight loss of the network copolyester films in a buffer solution with Rhizopus delemar lipase at 37°C. The weight loss due to the enzymatic degradation was decreased with increasing comonomer content, and the copolyesters with Yg4, Yg20 and YgT more than 50 mol % were not degraded by lipase enzyme at all. On the contrary, Yg-10/14 films were degraded appreciably over whole range of comonomer composition. With increasing comonomer content, the heat distortion temperature increased gradually, while the tensile strength and Young's modulus were not changed much. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2005–2011, 1999     

Polymer grafting onto carbon black by use of TEMPO-terminated polystyrene with controlled molecular weight

The grafting of polystyrene with controlled molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution onto the carbon black surface through the trapping of polymer radicals formed by the thermal dissociation of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO)-terminated polystyrene (PSt-TEMPO) by the carbon black surface was investigated. PSt-TEMPO was prepared by living radical polymerization of St with the benzoyl peroxide/TEMPO system. When PSt having no terminal TEMPO moiety was heated with carbon black, no grafting of PSt onto the surface was observed. On the contrary, by the heating of PSt-TEMPO with carbon black in m-xylene at 125°C, PSt with controlled molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution was grafted onto the surface: the percentage grafting of PSt (M_n = 3.2 × 10³;M_w/M_n = 1.07) onto furnace black was determined to be 16.0%. On the basis of the above results, it is concluded that PSt radicals formed by the thermal dissociation of the C ON bond between PSt and TEMPO are trapped by polycondensed aromatic rings of carbon black. The mole number of grafted PSt chains on the carbon black surface decreased with increasing molecular weight of PSt-TEMPO. PSt-grafted carbon black gave a stable colloidal dispersion in THF. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 3165–3172, 1998     

New 5-designs with automorphism group PSL(2, 23)

Blocks of the unique Steiner system S(5, 8, 24) are called octads. The group PSL(2, 23) acts as an automorphism group of this Steiner system, permuting octads transitively. Inspired by the discovery of a 5-(24, 10, 36) design by Gulliver and Harada, we enumerate all 4- and 5-designs whose set of blocks are union of PSL(2, 23)-orbits on 10-subsets containing an octad. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Combin Designs 7: 147–155, 1999     

Hybridization effect on the Falicov-Kimball model

The extended Falicov-Kimball model which includes the hybridization effect between the localized electron state and the conduction band is treated within the Hartree-Fock approximation at T=0 K. The occupation number n_e of the conduction band is calculated as a function of the localized level. The both discontinuous and continuous changes of n_e appear in a certain region of parameters. This result may correspond to the experimental facts of samarium-monochalcogenides under pressure.     

Superconducting Pb island nanostructures studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy

Superconductivity of nanosized Pb-island structures whose radius is 0.8 to 2.5 times their coherence length was studied under magnetic fields using low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. Spatial profiles of superconductivity were obtained by conductance measurements at zero-bias voltage. Critical magnetic fields for vortex penetration and expulsion and for superconductivity breaking were measured for each island. The critical fields depending on the lateral size of the islands and existence of the minimum lateral size for vortex formation were observed.