Cooling kinetics of a granular gas of viscoelastic particles

The evolution of a granular gas of viscoelastic particles in the homogeneous cooling state is studied. The velocity distribution function of granular particles and the time dependence of the mean kinetic energy of particles (granular temperature) are found. The noticeable deviation of the distribution function from the Maxwell distribution and its non-monotonous evolution are established. The perturbation theory with respect to the small dispersion parameter is elaborated and the analytical expressions for the asymptotic time dependence of the velocity distribution function and the granular gas temperature are derived.     

Effect of low frequency ultrasound on the surface properties of natural aluminosilicates

Structural and surface properties of different natural aluminosilicates (layered, chain and framework structural types) exposed of 20 kHz ultrasound irradiation (0–120 min) in aqueous and 35 wt%. aqueous H₂O₂ dispersions were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), nitrogen adsorption–desorption, thermal analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. It was confirmed that sonication caused slight changes in the structure of investigated minerals whereas their textural properties were significantly affected. The aqueous dispersions of montmorillonite (Mt), clinoptilolite (Zlt), glauconite (Glt) and palygorskite (Pal) were represented by several particles size fractions according to DLS-study. Ultrasound irradiation produced a decrease of the average particle diameter by 4–6 times in water and by 1.3–5 times in H₂O₂ dispersions except for Pal, which underwent strong agglomeration. A significant increase of total pore volume and pore diameter was observed for Glt sonicated in H₂O₂ dispersions whereas for Pal mainly micropore volume sharply increased in both aqueous and H₂O₂ dispersions.     

Gravitational Deflection of Massive Particles by a Schwarzschild Black Hole in Radiation Gauge*

The exact metric of a Schwarzschild black hole in the true radiation gauge was recently reported.In this work, we base on this gravity and calculate the gravitational deflection of relativistic massive particles up to the fourth post-Minkowskian order. It is found that the result is consistent with the previous formulations for both the case of dropping the fourth-order contribution and the case of light deflection. Our result might be helpful for future high-accuracy observations.     

Swelling and structure of radiation induced near-surface damage in CR-39 and its chemical etching

Systematic measurements of swelling of CR-39 nuclear track detector (NTD) due to irradiation with fission fragments and alpha particles over a wide range of fluences from ²⁵²Cf are presented here. Precisely designed and optimized exposure and chemical etching experiments were employed to unfold the structure of radiation induced surface damage. Delays in the startup of the chemical etching of latent tracks in low radiation fluence detectors are measured and are found to contain important information about structure of the surface damage. Simple atomic scale pictures of radiation induced surface damage and its chemical etching are developed using measurements of radiation induced swelling of CR-39 detectors and nuclear track parameters. The computer code SRIM2010 was utilized for the calculations of basic features of latent tracks of fission fragments and alpha particles in CR-39. Another computer code TRACK_VISION was used to compute parameters of etched tracks. Computations and experimental findings in the paper coherently compose a realistic picture of radiation damage.     

大直径W1/O/W2乳粒的稳定性

在准静态条件和旋转流体场中采用乳液微封装技术制备约2 mm的大直径W1/O/W2乳粒,研究了有机相浓度和水溶性聚合物浓度对W1/O/W2乳粒稳定性的影响。从乳粒受力和变形的角度,探索了旋转流体场对W1/O/W2乳粒动力学稳定性的增强作用机制。研究表明:无论是在准静态条件下还是旋转流场中,乳粒稳定性都随聚苯乙烯浓度单一上升,随聚乙烯醇浓度呈现先上升后下降的趋势;相对于准静态条件,旋转流体场在一定条件下对大直径W1/O/W2乳粒的动力学稳定具有明显增强作用。     

环境气体种类对激光烧蚀粒子速度劈裂的影响

采用蒙特-卡罗(Monte Carlo)方法, 模拟了激光烧蚀粒子输运动力学过程, 在环境气体压强为100 Pa的情况下, 研究了环境气体种类(He, Ne, Ar和假想气体等)对烧蚀粒子速度劈裂的影响. 研究结果表明, 在四种环境气体中传输的烧蚀粒子均出现了速度劈裂现象, 形成速度劈裂所需时间按He, Ne, 假想气体和Ar的次序减小. 还研究了环境气体分子的质量和半径对烧蚀粒子速度劈裂的影响, 形成速度劈裂所需时间随环境气体分子半径(或质量)增大而减小. 在假想气体中, 两速度峰强度相等时的强度最小. 结合欠阻尼振荡模型和惯性流体模型, 对劈裂的形成时间进行了解释. 所得结论可为进一步定量研究纳米晶粒生长机理提供基础.     

Recent Progress in Iron-Based Microwave Absorbing Composites: A Review and Prospective

With the rapid development of communication technology in civil and military fields, the problem of electromagnetic radiation pollution caused by the electromagnetic wave becomes particularly prominent and brings great harm. It is urgent to explore efficient electromagnetic wave absorption materials to solve the problem of electromagnetic radiation pollution. Therefore, various absorbing materials have developed rapidly. Among them, iron (Fe) magnetic absorbent particle material with superior magnetic properties, high Snoek’s cut-off frequency, saturation magnetization and Curie temperature, which shows excellent electromagnetic wave loss ability, are kinds of promising absorbing material. However, ferromagnetic particles have the disadvantages of poor impedance matching, easy oxidation, high density, and strong skin effect. In general, the two strategies of morphological structure design and multi-component material composite are utilized to improve the microwave absorption performance of Fe-based magnetic absorbent. Therefore, Fe-based microwave absorbing materials have been widely studied in microwave absorption. In this review, through the summary of the reports on Fe-based electromagnetic absorbing materials in recent years, the research progress of Fe-based absorbing materials is reviewed, and the preparation methods, absorbing properties and absorbing mechanisms of iron-based absorbing materials are discussed in detail from the aspects of different morphologies of Fe and Fe-based composite absorbers. Meanwhile, the future development direction of Fe-based absorbing materials is also prospected, providing a reference for the research and development of efficient electromagnetic wave absorbing materials with strong absorption performance, frequency bandwidth, light weight and thin thickness.     

Novel Nanomaterials Based on Inorganic Molybdenum Octahedral Clusters

In this contribution, we present a review of our recent works about the design of phosphor nanoparticles and materials based on [Mo₆X₁₄]²⁻ cluster units (X = Cl, Br, I) as well as the functionalization of monocrystalline Si(111) surfaces by Mo₆ clusters. Our purpose was to use the specific properties of cluster units found in inorganic solids for the design of new nanomaterials with potential applications in nanotechnologies (e.g. phosphor dyes for bio labelling, light emitting diodes, redox active molecular junctions…) using soft chemistry techniques. Phosphor Cs₂Mo₆X₁₄@SiO₂ nanoparticles emitting in 550–900 nm upon photo-excitation were synthesised using a ‘water in oil’ microemulsion technique. They exhibit a regular shape (~45 nm) and are based on [Mo₆X₁₄]²⁻ cluster units and Cs⁺ counter cations embedded in a silica matrix. ((n–C₄H₉)₄N)₂Mo₆Br₁₄@ZnO colloids and nanopowders are based on the association of ZnO crystalline nano-particles with Mo₆ cluster units adsorbed on their surface. They exhibit a large emission window in the visible region that can be tuned by modulation of the excitation wave length in order to selectively obtain the emission of either clusters units or ZnO nanocrystals or of both entities. Functionalized surfaces were obtained by the attachment of cluster units on a Si(111) surface through pyridine end capped organic chains using a multi-step procedure. Modified surfaces were characterized by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), IR and electrochemical analysis. The surface coverage can be modulated by the controlled introduction of inert organic chains among pyridine end-capped ones before the cluster anchoring step.     

Permanent antistatic phthalocyanine/epoxy nanocomposites - Influence of crosslinking agent, solvent and processing temperature

Cross-linked epoxy matrices containing small amounts of semi-conductive phthalocyanine (Phthalcon) nanoparticles were prepared using different crosslinking agents and processing temperatures. A starting mixture containing an optimum dispersion of these nanoparticles and with an almost equal and large Hamaker constant was always used. Nevertheless large differences in the relation between the volume conductivity σ_v and the particle concentration φ were found and this relation appeared to be sensitive to small changes in processing temperature and the application of a post-cure. Also the amine crosslinker chosen and the initial amount of solvent (catalyst) in the starting dispersion had a major effect. It was shown that these changes influence strongly the formation of and the final conductive fractal particle network morphology through the polymer matrix. During processing a local relaxation of the initially formed fractal particle network into another fractal particle network was often observed, which introduced or enlarged the amount of isolating material between the particles of the conductive network and changed the fractality and structure of the conductive backbone of the particle network. This local relaxation lowered the σ_v at each phthalcon concentration and enlarged φ_c by several orders of magnitude. The occurrence of local relaxation is dependent on the rate of viscosity change during the crosslinking of the polymer matrix components, the way the fractal conductive particle network is formed during processing (universal or non-universal) and the amount of solvent present. Local relaxation may even occur after the gel point of the polymer matrix. A severe post-cure may be needed to stop this local relaxation. To our knowledge local relaxation of a (fractal) nanoparticle network in a polymer matrix during processing is a new phenomenon, not reported before for polymer composites containing (conductive) nanoparticles.     

Synthesis of Poly(methyl methacrylate) Nanosize Particles by Differential Microemulsion Polymerization

Poly(methyl methacrylate) nanosize particles were synthesized by a differential microemulsion polymerization process. Sodium dodecylsulfate and ammonium persulfate were used as the surfactant and initiator, respectively. The effects of reaction conditions on the particle size have been investigated. A particle size of less than 20 nm in diameter has been achieved with surfactant/monomer and surfactant/water weight ratios of 1:18 and 1:120, i.e. much milder conditions than those previously reported in the literature.

TEM image of nanoparticles prepared via differential microemulsion polymerization.