String structures and the index of the Dirac-Ramond operator on orbifolds

We discuss the relationship between string structures and the topological class H ⁴(M,Z) on non-simply connected manifolds. We also investigate to what extent the index formula for the Dirac-Ramond operator detects the class, .Supported by the NSF Grant #84-07109 and by the U.S. Department of Energy (D.O.E.) under contract #DE-AC02-76ER03069On leave from the University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland     

Effect of pressure on the behavior of nontransition metallic superconductors

An explicit expression has been derived for the volume dependence of electron-phonon coupling strength () by using a recently proposed quadratic form of the screened pseudopotential and by considering the variation of Fermi momentum with volume. Variation of Coulomb pseudopotential ( ^*) has also been explicitly considered by varying the Fermi momentum. Dependence of transition temperatureT _c and the logarithm of the effective interaction strength (N ₀ V) on the volume has been studied for eight nontransition metallic superconductors. A linear drop inT _c for small values of (–/ ₀) as well as the calculated values of= InN ₀ V/ In, exhibits better matching with the experimental data, as compared to the earlier theoretical results.     

Structural and electrical properties of quasicrystalline Al-14 at% Mn alloy

Quasicrystalline Al-14 at. % Mn alloy was prepared by melt-spinning and its structural and electrical properties were studied. This alloy consists of icosahedral grains with sizes from 1 to 4 m and of crystalline aluminium phase. The electrical resistivity was almost temperature independent with a value of about 765 n gWm at 4·2 K.     

Influence of metastable-metastable collisions on electron distribution function in afterglow

The time dependence of the electron distribution function in helium afterglow, for pressures of 60–260 Pa, is calculated for the case in which metastable-metastable reactions are present. The time variation of the shape of the distribution function shows that careful consideration must be made of the time derivative of the distribution function in the Boltzmann equation for the calculation of the rate constant of such reactions from experimentally determined distribution function.     

The influence of temperature on superplasticity of Zn-Al-Cd alloy

Experimental results of the study of superplastic behaviour in Zn-0·35 wt. % Al-0·25 wt. % Cd alloy are presented. The attention has been paid to the influence of temperature on stress-strain curves, ductility, strain rate sensitivy parameterm and activation energy of superplastic flow. The best superplastic properties have been established at temperatures T370 K (0·53 T_m): ductilityA=600% and parameterm=0·56. A fast grain growth observed at temperaturesT 380 K has been suggested to be responsible both for the decrease in ductility and parameterm values and for the origin of an anomaly in the decreasing temperature dependence of flow stress. The measurements of activation energy have shown an expected decrease in activation energy at the transition from the non-superplastic region at lower temperatures to the superplastic region at higher temperatures. Significant transient effects after strain rate changes have been observed. The experimental results obtained in the Zn-Al-Cd alloy have been compared with those obtained in binary Zn-1·1 wt. % Al alloy and discussed from the point of view of possible models of structural superplasticity.     

Spectroscopic factors of9Be,10B and13C from (d,t) reactions

The differential cross sections of tritons from the (d, t) reaction on⁹Be,¹⁰B and¹³C targets have been measured in the angular range of 5° _LAB110° with relatively small errors, 5%. The experimental data were analysed in terms of the standard DWBA using both zero-range and exact finite-range approaches.     

Softening during and after the hot deformation of the AISI 321 steel with respect to practical applications

The softening processes during and after the hot deformation (850–1180 C) in AISI 321 stainless steel were studied with respect to true strains _D and true strain rates . The analysis of deformation curves indicates the occurrence of dynamic recrystallization for values of Zener-Hollomon parameterZ10¹⁵ s^–1. The retardation of static recrystallization by fine Ti(N, C) precipitates is documented by microstructure studies and by variations of annealing conditions.     

Precipitation structure in an Al-2·0 at. % Zn-1·0 at. % Mg alloy within and close to the grain boundaries and its effects on mechanical properties

During ageing the Al-2·0 at. %Zn-1·0 at. % Mg alloy at elevated temperatures the width of the precipitation free zone (PFZ) at both sides of the grain boundaries (GB) is identical with that free of quenched-in dislocation loops (DL). After sufficiently long ageing a band of precipitates is growing inside the former PFZ and the DLs in the midgrain regions act as sites for the heterogeneous nucleation of the-phase. Two precipitation processes significantly affect the mechanical properties. TEM correlates grain boundary precipitate density and morphology with grain boundary misorientation.     

On the finite-size scalling equation for the spherical model

The mean spherical model with an arbitrary interaction potential, the Fourier transform of which has a long-wavelength exponent , 0<2, is considered under periodic boundary conditions and fully finite geometry ind dimensions, when <d<2. A new form of the finite-size scaling equation for the spherical field in the critical region is derived, which relates the temperature shift to Madelung-type lattice constants. The method of derivation makes use of the Poisson summation formula and a Laplace transformation of the momentumspace correlation function.On leave of absence from Institute of Mechanics and Biomechanics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.