Modulated photophysics of 2-anthracene sulphonate in micellar assembly

The association of a non-ionic surfactant of polyoxyethylene-p-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenyl ether (Triton X) series with 2-AS in aqueous solution has been studied by means of steady-state, time-resolved fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy techniques. The effect of the hydrophobic chain length on the structural dynamism of the fluorophore has been reported. Experimental results demonstrate that the equilibrium of this dynamism is sensitive to the environment. The association constant of the probe molecule with the non-ionic micelles of Triton X (TX), location of the probe in the micellar environment, have been determined from the change in emission characteristics of the probe as a function of surfactant concentration. The rate constant of quenching and mode of quenching of probe in micellar media have been ascertained. Quantitative estimates of the micropolarity at the binding sites of the probe molecule have been determined. Some of the environment-dependent relevant fluorescence parameters, fluorescence anisotropy (r), have been monitored for exploring the imposed motional restriction of the microenvironment around the probe. An attempt has been made to correlate the steady-state results with time resolved study.     

半线性抛物方程各向异性最低阶R-T混合元超收敛分析

利用各向异性判别定理验证了最低阶数R-T混合元具有各向异性特征.利用积分恒等式技巧,得到了R-T元对半线性抛物方程的超逼近性质.通过构造新的插值后处理格式,导出了超收敛结果及后验误差估计.     

Empfehlungen zum Gebrauch einheitlicher Halbwertzeiten einiger wichtiger Radionuklide

The present work represents the results of angular distribution measurements performed for promt gamma-rays in the range of 1.1 … 1.2. MeV due to the ²³³U(n, f) and ²³⁹Pu(n,f) reactions. The measurements yielded anisotropy values found to be consistent with values previously measured and using the same technique at different gamma energy bands. Such consistency, also found to exist between anisotropy values previously measured for the ²³⁵U(n,f) reaction, is a strong evidence about the energy independence of the anisotropy and indicates that the gamma spectra (at 180° and 90° to the fission direction) are essentially the same. The average values of the fragment angular momentum were calculated according to Strutinsky and Nix-Swiatecki theories. It was found that the values of the average angular momentum calculated for ²³⁴U, ²³⁶U and ²⁴⁰Pu according to Strutinsky,s formula (at different gamma energy bands) are consistent and yield average values which are in good agreement with those obtained from direct measurements.     

分子束外延制备的垂直易磁化MnAl薄膜结构和磁性

系统地研究了利用分子束外延方法在GaAs(001) 衬底上外延生长的MnAl_x薄膜的结构和垂直易磁化特性随组分及生长温度的依赖关系. 磁性测试表明, 可在较大组分范围内 (0.4≤x≤1.2) 获得大矫顽力的垂直易磁化MnAl_x薄膜, 然而同步辐射X射线衍射和磁性测试发现当x≤0.6时MnAl薄膜出现较多的软磁相, 当x >0.9时, MnAl薄膜晶体质量和化学有序度逐渐降低, 组分为MnAl_0.9时制备的薄膜有最好的[001]取向. 随着生长温度的增加, MnAl_0.9薄膜的有序度、垂直磁各向异性常数、矫顽力和剩磁比均增加, 350℃时制备的MnAl_0.9薄膜化学有序度高达0.9, 其磁化强度、剩磁比、矫顽力和垂直磁各向异性常数分别为265emu/cm³、93.3%、8.3kOe (1 Oe=79.5775A/m)和7.74Merg/cm³ (1 erg=10^-7J). 不含贵金属及稀土元素、良好的垂直易磁化性质、 与半导体材料结构良好的兼容性以及磁性能随不同生长条件的可调控 性使得MnAl薄膜有潜力应用于多种自旋电子学器件. 关键词： 分子束外延 大矫顽力材料 磁各向异性     

Behaviour of Ultrasonic Velocity in Cholesteric Liquid Crystals

Ultrasonic velocities (V) have been determined, employing a fixed path double crystal interferometer, in three cholesteric liquid crystals, namely cholesteryl propionate, cholesteryl laurate and cholesteryl myristate in their isotropic and anisotropic phases including the region of the phase transition. The variation of specific volume (v) is also studied in the same temperature range by a special dilatometer constructed for this purpose. Anomalous behaviour of ultrasonic velocity is observed near the isotropic-cholesteric phase transition in all three compounds. In the two polymesomorphic liquid crystals, namely cholesteryl laurate and cholesteryl myristate, contrary to the ultrasonic behaviour of cholesteryl stearate, prominent velocity dips are observed at cholesteric-smectic transition temperatures. The parameters adiabatic compressibility (β_ad) and molar sound velocity (R) are estimated and they are found to exhibit sudden jumps at cholesteric-smectic and isotropic-cholesteric transitions. The thermal expansion and temperature co-efficient of compressibility are found to show abnormal increase near the phase transition indicating the existence of large-magnitude pre-transitional effects near the phase transition. A comparative study of the ultrasonic behaviour of six aliphatic esters of cholesterol has shown that the magnitude of the velocity dip observed at the isotropic-cholesteric transition increased with increase of molecular weight and only cholesteryl acetate shows deviation.     

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SOME NOVEL NEMATIC BIMESOGENS FOR THE FLEXOELECTRIC EFFECT

Abstract

In a chiral nematic liquid crystal, the flexoelectric effect consists of a fast and linear coupling with an applied electric field. One difficulty to overcome is the unwinding of the helix that occurs at higher fields due to dielectric coupling. The use of bimesogens, which possess very low molecular dielectric anisotropy can improve flexoelectric characteristics. New bimesogen compounds have recently been synthesised that exhibit switching angles of 45° for applied fields of about 9 V.μm^?1. In this paper, results from dielectric, electro-optic and dynamic light scattering measurements are reported for the new bimesogenic mixture. The dielectric anisotropy Δε changes sign with temperature and its values range between -0.2 and 0.3 for the temperature range studied. For Δε weakly positive, no electric field Freedericksz transition could be induced but Williams domains are observed instead. The large decrease in the bend elastic constant to viscosity coefficient ratio is attributed to a large increase in the bend viscosity coefficient.     

Study on the Reinforcing Effect of Milled Carbon Fibers in a Natural Rubber Based Composite

Milled carbon fibers (MCF) have been tested at 2, 4, and 6 phr in a standard natural rubber compound with 45 phr of N375 carbon black. A dramatic increase in the low elongation moduli was observed even with only 2 phr of MCF. The presence of MCF confers anisotropic properties to the rubber compounds that can be measured by an anisotropic factor σ, defined as the ratio between the modulus parallel to the MCF prevalent direction over the modulus orthogonal to the MCF prevalent direction. It has been shown that the presence of MCF is able to reduce the mechanical hysteresis and also the compression set of the natural rubber compound. However, the tear strength properties are affected negatively. The present study demonstrates the feasibility and the advantages derived by the utilization of the carbon fibers as extra reinforcing filler in rubber compounds.     

Shear response of Fe-bearing MgSiO3 post-perovskite at lower mantle pressures

We investigate the shear response of possible slip systems activated in pure and Fe-bearing MgSiO₃ post-perovskite (PPv) through ab initio generalized stacking fault (GSF) energy calculations. Here we show that the [100](001) slip system has the easiest response to plastic shear among ten possible slip systems investigated. Incorporation of Fe²⁺ decreases the strength of all slip systems but does not change the plastic anisotropy style. Therefore, pure and Fe-bearing MgSiO₃ PPv should demonstrate similar LPO patterns with a strong signature of the [100](001) slip system. An aggregate with this deformation texture is expected to produce a V_SH > V_SV type polarization anisotropy, being consistent with seismological observations.     

White matter maturation in the brains of Long Evans shaker myelin mutant rats by ex-vivo QSI and DTI

The brains of Long Evans shaker (les) rats, a model of dysmyelination, and their age- matched controls were studied by ex-vivo q-space diffusion imaging (QSI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The QSI and DTI indices were computed from the same acquisition. The les and the control brains were studied at different stages of maturation and disease progression. The mean displacement, the probability for zero displacement and kurtosis were computed from QSI data while the fractional anisotropy (FA) and the eigenvalues were computed from DTI. It was found that all QSI indices detect the les pathology, at all stages of maturation, while only some of the DTI indices could detect the les pathology. The QSI mean displacement was larger in the les group as compared with their age-matched controls while the probability for zero displacement and the kurtosis were both lower all indicating higher degree of restriction in the control brains. Since all the DTI eigenvalues were higher in the les brains as compared to controls, the less efficient DTI measure for discerning the les pathology was found to be the FA. Clearly, the most sensitive DTI parameter to the les pathology is λ₃, i.e. the minimal diffusivity. Since the QSI and DTI data were obtained from the same acquisition, despite the somewhat higher SNR of the QSI data compared to the DTI data, it seems that the higher diagnostic capacity of the QSI data in this experimental model of dysmyelination, originates mainly from the higher diffusing weighting of the QSI data.     

Diffusion tensor parameters and principal eigenvector coherence: Relation to b-value intervals and field strength

Diffusion-weighted MRI images acquired at b-value greater than 1000 s mm^− 2 measure the diffusion of a restricted pool of water molecules. High b-value images are accompanied by a reduction in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) due to the application of large diffusion gradients. By fitting the diffusion tensor model to data acquired at incremental b-value intervals, we determined the effect of SNR on tensor parameters in normal human brains, in vivo. In addition, we also investigated the impact of field strength on the diffusion tensor model. Data were acquired at 1.5 and 3 T, at b-values 0, 1000, 2000 and 3000 s mm^− 2 in twenty diffusion-sensitised directions. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD) and principal eigenvector coherence (κ) were calculated from diffusion tensors fitted between datasets with b-values 0–1000, 0–2000, 0–3000, 1000–2000 and 2000–3000 s mm^− 2. Field strength and b-value effects on diffusion parameters were analysed in white and grey matter regions of interest. Decreases in FA, κ and MD were found with increasing b-value in white matter. Univariate analysis showed a significant increase in FA with increasing field strength in highly organised white matter. These results suggest there are significant differences in diffusion parameters at 1.5 and 3 T and that the optimal results, in terms of the highest values of FA in white matter, are obtained at 3 T with a maximum b = 1000 s mm^− 2.