Pressure-Induced Spin-Crossover in EuFeO3

Hyperfine Interactions - EuFeO3 perovskite has been studied by using 57Fe Mössbauer effect and X-ray diffraction under pressures up to 90 GPa and in the temperature range of 4.2–300 K. A...     

Temperature hysteretic effect and its influence on colossal magnetoresistance of La0.33Nd0.33Ca0.33MnO3

Electrical resistance (R) measurements of a bulk La_0.33Nd_0.33Ca_0.33MnO₃ perovskite in magnetic fields up to 40 kOe have revealed anomalous temperature hysteretic effects both in 0 Oe and 20 kOe magnetic fields. The sharp peak observed in the R vs. T plot indicates the occurrence of metal-to-insulator (M-I) transition at a temperature of T _MI=110 K and 140 K, for cooling and warming paths, respectively. An applied magnetic field of 20 kOe reduces the resistance and shifts T _MI to 160 K and 185 K for cooling and warming, respectively. We have observed a much higher resistance in the cooling path than in the warming path leading to the hysteretic resistance ratio (R _cool/R _warm) of 200 at 110 K and 1.8 at 160 K for 0 Oe and 20 kOe, respectively. Record values of colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) have been achieved. The CMR value reaches nearly 99% in the temperature ranges of 90 K to 140 K and 90 K to 170 K for 20 kOe and 40 kOe magnetic fields in the cooling mode, respectively. The observed unusual behavior is attributed to the co-existence of La-rich and Nd-rich domains assumed to be distributed randomly in the compound.     

Peak effect studies in single crystals CeRu2 and 2H-NbS2

We have studied the peak effect (PE) phenomenon in single crystals of weakly pinned superconductors CeRu₂ and 2H-NbS₂. 2H-NbS₂ is iso-structural and iso-electronic to 2H-NbSe₂, whose similarity with CeRu₂ as regards the PE representing the order-to-disorder transformation of the flux line lattice was claimed some time ago. We report on the step change in equilibrium magnetization across the peak effect in CeRu₂. We also present the vortex phase diagram of 2H-NbS₂ obtained from the magnetization data, and compare the PE phenomenon in 2H-NbS₂ and 2H-NbSe₂.     

In situ characterization of liquid network structures at high pressure and temperature using X-ray absorption spectroscopy coupled with the Paris-Edinburgh press

ABSTRACT

We review recent progress in studying structural properties of liquids using X-ray absorption spectroscopy coupled with the Paris-Edinburgh press at third-generation synchrotron facilities. This experimental method allows for detecting subtle changes in atomic arrangements of melts over a wide pressure–temperature range. It has been also employed to monitor variations of the local coordination environment of diluted species contained in glasses, liquids and crystalline phases as a function of the pressure and temperature. Such information is of great importance for gaining deeper insights into the physico-chemical properties of liquids at extreme condition, including the understanding of such phenomena as liquid–liquid phase transitions, viscosity drops and various transport properties of geological melts. Here, we describe the experimental approach and discuss its potential in structural characterization on selected scientific highlights. Finally, the current ongoing instrumental developments and future scientific opportunities are discussed.     

Morphological variation in the oral disc of the scleractinian coral Favia speciosa (Dana) at Indonesia

Photographic analysis was used to examine morphological differences in the oral disc of n=1196 living polyps of Favia speciosa Dana (1846) sampled from four sites in the Wakatobi Marine National Park, Indonesia. Although oral disc size attributes differed significantly between the study sites, the geographic difference accounted for only a small fraction of the morphological variation and did not show a clear pattern of correspondence to sedimentation rates. A much higher fraction of the morphological variation was attributed to depth and so to incident light: oral discs grew significantly larger with increasing depth. These results suggest that for F. speciosa corals at Wakatobi, oral disc size may be optimised for heterotrophic nutrition under low light conditions, and photosynthesis in conditions where light is not limiting. Furthermore, the driving force for this phenotypic plasticity is more likely to be depth than sedimentation rate.     

Unlocked nucleic acid--an RNA modification with broad potential

The first unlocked nucleic acid (UNA) monomer was described more than a decade ago, but only recent reports have revealed the true potential applications of this acyclic RNA mimic. UNA monomers enable the modulation of the thermodynamic stability of various nucleic acid structures such as RNA and DNA duplexes, quadruplexes or i-motifs. Moreover, UNA monomers were found to be compatible with RNase H activity, a property which is important for single stranded antisense constructs. Notably, UNA monomers can be applied in the design of superior siRNAs, combining potent gene silencing and dramatically reduced off-target effects.     

Formation of Germanium–Vacancy Color Centers in CVD Diamond

We study Ge-doped polycrystalline diamond films synthesized, using microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in CH₄-H₂ base mixtures. We compare two sources of the dopant – gaseous monogermane (GeH₄) and solid Ge plates. We investigate the structure and phase composition of the obtained films, using scanning electron microscopy, photoluminescence (PL), and Raman spectroscopy. We vary the precursor gas composition to maximize the intensity of the Germanium–vacancy (Ge-V) PL signal at 602 nm and discover that, using [C]-rich gas mixtures ([CH₄]=20%), we are able to increase the intensity of Ge-V signal by two orders of magnitude in comparison with Ge-doped high-quality microcrystalline films of the same thickness but grown at [CH₄]=4%. The attained results may be used for the fabrication of polycrystalline diamond films and plates with high concentrations of Ge-V centers, which may serve as source material for the fabrication of submicrometer-sized luminescent diamond particles for local optical thermometry.

     

Periodic motions and resonances of impact oscillators

Bilinear oscillators – the oscillators whose springs have different stiffnesses in compression and tension – model a wide range of phenomena. A limiting case of bilinear oscillator with infinite stiffness in compression – the impact oscillator – is studied here. We investigate a special set of impact times – the eigenset, which corresponds to the solution of the homogeneous equation, i.e. the oscillator without the driving force. We found that this set and its subsets are stable with respect to variation of initial conditions. Furthermore, amongst all periodic sets of impact times with the period commensurate with the period of driving force, the eigenset is the only one which can support resonances, in particular the multi-‘harmonic’ resonances. Other resonances should produce non-periodic sets of impact times. This funding indicates that the usual simplifying assumption [e.g., S.W. Shaw, P.J. Holmes, A periodically forced piecewise linear oscillator, Journal of Sound and Vibration 90 (1983) 129–155] that the times between impacts are commensurate with the period of the driving force does not always hold. We showed that for the first sub-‘harmonic resonance’ – the resonance achieved on a half frequency of the main resonance – the set of impact times is asymptotically close to the eigenset. The envelope of the oscillations in this resonance increases as a square root of time, opposite to the linear increase characteristic of multi-‘harmonic’ resonances.     

Investigation of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">n-γ</Emphasis> angular correlation in the <Superscript>9</Superscript>Be(α,nγ)<Superscript>12</Superscript>C reaction by analysis of the 4.44-MeV <Emphasis Type="Italic">γ</Emphasis>-line shape

A method for evaluating the angular correlation function (ACF) of neutrons and γ quanta produced in nuclear reactions has been developed based on the analysis of Doppler-broadened γ-line shapes. The lineshape analysis of the 4.44-MeV_γ line from the ⁹Be(α, nγ)¹²C reaction at E _α = 4.03 MeV and θ_γ = 0°, 15°, 30°, ..., 150°, taking into account the angular n and γ angular distributions, made it possible to unambiguously fit the ACF parameters. In view of the importance of this reaction for γ diagnostics of plasma, the γ-line shape has been calculated for the monoenergetic component of isotropic α-particle distribution, characteristic of d-t experiments.     

Plane problem of elasticity for an anisotropic body with doubly periodic systems of thin inhomogeneities

A system of integral equations of the boundary element method for studying doubly periodic systems of thin inclusions in anisotropic bodies is constructed. Several dependences for determining the mean stresses and strains of a composite with regular systems of thin inhomogeneities are obtained. Numerical procedures of the proposed method are implemented, and generalized stress intensity factors are calculated together with the effective elasticity moduli of a composite with doubly periodic systems of thin elastic inclusions.