Self-injection length in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3-YBa2Cu3O7-δ ferromagnet-superconductor multilayer thin films

We have carried out extensive studies on the self-injection problem in barrierless heterojunctions between La_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃ (LCMO) and YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (YBCO) thin films. The heterojunctions were formed in situ by sequentially growing LCMO and YBCO films on 〈100〉 LaAlO₃ (LAO) substrate using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) system. YBCO micro-bridges with 64 μm width were patterned both on the LAO (control) and LCMO side of the substrate. Critical current, I _c, was measured at 77 K on both the control side as well as the LCMO side for different YBCO film thickness. It was observed that while the control side showed a J _c of ∼ 2 × 10⁶ A/cm², the LCMO side showed about half the value for the same thickness (1800 ?). The difference in J _c indicates that a certain thickness of YBCO has become ‘effectively’ normal due to self-injection. From the measurement of J _c at two different thicknesses (1800 ? and 1500 ?) of YBCO films both on the LAO as well as the LCMO side, the value of self-injection length (at 77 K) was estimated to be ∼ 900 ?. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first time that self-injection length has been quantified. A control experiment carried out with LaNiO₃ deposited by PLD on YBCO did not show any evidence of self-injection.     

Implications and Constraints of Time-Independent Poisson Ratios in Linear Isotropic and Anisotropic Viscoelasticity

It is proven that time-independent viscoelastic Poisson ratios (PR) can only exist under separation of variable solutions which severely limits the class of applicable problems to quasi-static ones with incompressible homogeneous materials and non-moving boundaries under separable stress or displacement boundary conditions without any thermal expansions. Therefore, composites which are inherently anisotropic and sandwich structures which are nonhomogeneous and anisotropic are generally precluded from having time-independent PRs. Equal time variations for material properties in all directions are shown to be another simultaneous requirement instead of the incompressibility condition for achieving time-independent PRs. However, such restricted models lead to physically unrealistic bulk moduli responses when compared to experimentally determined relaxation moduli and are not generally achievable in current real materials. Consequently, viscoelastic materials are best characterized in terms of relaxation or creep functions, moduli or compliances rather than combinations of the latter with Poisson's ratios. Additionally, the assumption of constant PRs in problems involving thermal and chemical expansions, such as curing and manufacture of viscoelastic composites, is shown to be unjustified and insupportable. The distinct viscoelastic PR definitions, as found in the literature, are examined and classified into five categories. It is further shown that each is inherently unrelated to the others and all are always time-dependent, unless the above extremely limiting conditions are imposed. An extensive literature review indicates that experimental results overwhelmingly confirm the time dependent nature of viscoelastic PRs as no constant experimentally observed PRs were reported.     

Properties of nucleic acid staining dyes used in gel electrophoresis

Nucleic acid staining dyes are used for detecting nucleic acids in electrophoresis gels. Historically, the most common dye used for gel staining is ethidium bromide, however due to its toxicity and mutagenicity other dyes that are safer to the user and the environment are preferred. This Short Communication details the properties of dyes now available and their sensitivity for detection of DNA and their ability to permeate the cell membrane. It was found that GelRed? was the most sensitive and safest dye to use with UV light excitation, and both GelGreen? and Diamond? Nucleic Acid Dye were sensitive and the safer dyes using blue light excitation.     

Boundary conditions for contacts lines in coextrusion flows

A bicomponent coextrusion process is modelled using a 3-D finite element formulation. The layer uniformity problem in coextrusion is addressed by examining the effects of the polymer melt/polymer melt/die wall contact line boundary condition. It has been observed that the less viscous polymer layer will tend to displace the more viscous polymer layer near the die wall. The behaviour of the contact lisle is considered to be either a stick or slip boundary condition. In the stick boundary condition, the contact line does not move from its original position after the two polymer layers meet, A slip boundary condition allows the contact line to move along the die wall. The calculated interfaces which result from different contact line assumptions are determined. Results show that if a stick boundary condition is appropriate for a given fluid/fluid/solid contact line, then a very thin entrained layer of the more viscous polymer melt will be trapped between the less viscous polymer melt and the die wall. Slip boundary conditions would allow complete displacement of the contact line along the die wall. Both slip and stick boundary conditions produce similar interface profiles far away from the die wall for small viscosity ratios. In certain eases, the displacement of the more viscous material by the less viscous material will cease and a static interface structure is produced regardless of die length. Experimental work with polycarbonate melts is compared with the numerical simulations.A. Torres on leave from Investigación y Desarrollo,, C.A. (INDESCA), P.O. Box 10319, Complejo Petroquímico El Tablazo, Maracaibo, 4001, Venezuela.     

六元gcd封闭集上Smith矩阵的整除性

我们给出了关于六元gcd封闭集S的充分必要条件,使得在整数矩阵环M_6(Z)中,定义在S上的e次幂GCD矩阵(S~e)整除e次幂LCM矩阵[S~e].这部分解决了Hong在2002年提出的一个公开问题.     

The orientation and charge of water at the hydrophobic oil droplet-water interface

We established the charge and structure of the oil/water interface by combining ζ-potential measurements, sum frequency scattering (SFS) and molecular dynamics simulations. The SFS experiments show that the orientation of water molecules can be followed on the oil droplet/water interface. The average water orientation on a neat oil droplet/water interface is the same as the water orientation on a negatively charged interface. pH dependent experiments show, however, that there is no sign of selective adsorption of hydroxide ions. Molecular dynamics simulations, both with and without intermolecular charge transfer, show that the balance of accepting and donating hydrogen bonds is broken in the interfacial layer, leading to surface charging. This can account for the negative surface charge that is found in experiments.