The spin texture in Fe/Tb multilayers

Fe/Tb multilayers (ML) have been prepared in UHV. The layer thickness for Fe was varied from 10 to 80 Å with Tb-layer thicknesses of 3.5, 7, 14 and 26 Å. Different substrate temperatures T_s between T_s=130 K and RT have been used. The magnetic spin texture was studied by⁵⁷Fe-Mössbauer spectroscopy from T=4.2 K to 670 K. The ferrimagnetic coupling between Fe and Tb moments was observed by Mössbauer studies in external fields up to 5 T.     

Extraction voltammetric determination of silicon

Summary A determination of silicon is described which utilizes the selective extraction of molybdosilicic acid with methyl-iso-butyl-ketone. The extract is mixed with iso-propanol. No additional electrolyte is necessary because sufficient sulphuric acid is coextracted and provides good conductivity. The 3s-limit of detection was found to be 4×10^–8 mol l^–1 Si. The method was applied to determine silicon in cereals.     

New ideas in neutrino detection

What is new in the field of neutrino detection? In addition to new projects probing both the low and high ends of the neutrino energy scale, an inexpensive, effective technique is being developed to allow tagging of antineutrinos in water Cherenkov (WC) detectors via the addition to water of a solute with a large neutron cross-section and energetic γ daughters. Gadolinium is an excellent candidate since in recent years it has become very inexpensive, now less than $8 per kilogram in the form of commercially available gadolinium trichloride. This non-toxic, non-reactive substance is highly soluble in water. Neutron capture on gadolinium yields an 8.0 MeV gamma cascade easily seen in detectors like Super-Kamiokande. The uses of GdCl₃ as a possible upgrade for the Super-Kamiokande detector — with a view toward improving its performance as an antineutrino detector for supernova neutrinos and reactor neutrinos — are discussed, as are the ongoing R&;D efforts which aim to make this dream a reality within the next two years.     

Analysis of powder mixtures with the help of abrasive stripping voltammetry and coulometry

Summary Abrasive stripping voltammetry was applied to the quantitative analysis of the following powder mixtures: MnO₂-FeOOH, HgS-HgO, HgO-PbO. Therefore, g-amounts of the powder mixture were transferred onto a solid electrode and the electrochemical response of the solid sample is recorded. The calibration was made by measuring the percentage peak height of each component taking the sum of peak currents of both components as 100%. The relative standard deviation ranges from 3 to 15%. A calibration-free method based on microcoulometric measurements can be used in the case of powder mixtures of AgCl-AgI. The integration of staircase voltammograms directly yields the charges required to reduce AgCl and AgI and thus also gives the ratio of both components. The relative standard deviation was 10%. Microcoulometric measurements gave evidence that, in abrasive stripping voltammetry, the amount of electroactive substance ranges between 10^–12 and 10^–9 mole.On leave from University of Warsaw, Poland     

Structure and morphology of the reaction fronts during the formation of MgAl2O4 thin films by solid state reaction between R-cut sapphire substrates and MgO films

The thin-film spinel-forming solid state reaction between Al₂O₃ and MgO has been studied under initially non-coherent conditions. MgO films in (001) orientation on -cut sapphire single crystals were heated at 1100°C for 30 min or 1h. The film/substrate reaction proceeds via cation counterdiffusion as was revealed by a marker experiment. The MgAl₂O₄ films formed were predominantly (001) oriented, with an additional systematic tilt of about 5° of the spinel lattice around the [010] axis. The structure of the Al₂O₃ /MgAl₂O₄(001) and MgAl₂O₄(001)/MgO(001) reaction fronts has been investigated on cross section samples by high-resolution electron microscopy. It appeared that after starting from an incoherent interface, the Al₂O₃ /MgAl₂O₄(001) front assumes an almost fully coherent structure during the reaction. As a result the lattice misfit is reduced to 1%, and interfacial ledges are formed. The latter most probably play an active role in the necessary c.p.h. f.c.c. reconstruction of the oxygen sublattice. The MgAl₂O₄(001)/MgO(001) reaction front consists of coherent regions divided by misfit dislocations. During the reaction the former run ahead whereas the latter lag behind. As a result the morphology of the reaction front is bowed. The results confirm earlier observations of Carter and Schmalzried of the semicoherent Al₂O₃(00.1)/CoAl₂O₄(111) interface, thus strongly supporting the conclusion of a fundamental new phase transformation mechanism specific to oxide systems.Presented at the workshop on High-Voltage and High-Resolution Electron Microscopy, February 21–24, 1994, Stuttgart, Germany.     

Use of capillary electrophoresis to monitor wheat maturation

Summary The maturation of wheat varieties with different harvest times has been examined by high-performance capillary electrophoresis. The unique proteins of the albumin, gliadin and glutenin fractions of Hungarian winter wheat cultivars Bánkúti 1201 (early harvest time), Martonvásári 23 (medium harvest time), and Martonvásári 15 (semi-late harvest time) were analysed. An acidic phosphate buffer containing a polymeric additive and organic modifiers was used in capillary zone electrophoresis mode. Formation of albumin followed the same time scale, and the patterns were quite similar, for all three cultivars. For gliadins and glutenins the time scale and patterns were different and some correlation was observed between harvest time and gliadin formation. Presented at Balaton Symposium '01 on High-Performance Separation Methods, Siófok, Hungary, September 2–4, 2001     

Reaction of Ketones with 1,4-Diaza-1,3-diene Zirconium and Hafnium Complexes: First Example of a 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reaction of 1,4-Diaza-1,3-diene Complexes of Early Transition Metals

The novel complexes M[O(R)PhCH{CH=N(tBu)}N(tBu)](2) [M = Zr, R = Me (4a), R = Ph (4b) and M = Hf, R = Me (5a), R = Ph (5b)] have been prepared in almost quantitative yield by reaction of (tBu-DAD)(2)Zr (1) and (tBu-DAD)(2)Hf (2) [tBu-DAD = (tBu)N=CHCH=N(tBu)] with 2 equiv of the ketones MeCOPh (3a) or PhCOPh (3b). The reaction proceeds via a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of the C=O bond across the M-N-C unit of the DAD complexes. The molecular structures of the complexes 4a and 5b have been determined by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study (4a, triclinic, space group P&onemacr;; a = 10.395(2) ?, b = 10.865(2) ?, c = 16.842(3) ?, alpha = 93.80(3) degrees, beta = 99.84(3) degrees, gamma = 106.12(3) degrees, V = 1787.4(6) ?(3), Z = 2, R1 = 0.035 (wR2 = 0.101) for 6963 reflections with I > 2sigma(I); 5b, monoclinic, space group P2(1)/c, a = 19.961(4) ?, b = 10.482(2) ?, c = 20.150(4) ?, beta = 91.30(1) degrees, V = 4215(1) ?(3), Z = 4, R1 = 0.036 (wR2 = 0.097) for 4650 reflections with I > 2sigma(I)). The metal atoms in 4a and 5b adopt a pseudooctahedral coordination sphere consisting of four nitrogen and two oxygen atoms. The distortion is a consequence of the [2.2.1] bicyclic structure of the newly formed tridentate ligands which are not able to span three regular octahedral positions.