Synchronized whistlers recorded at Varanasi

Some interesting events of synchronized whistlers recorded at low latitude station Varanasi during magnetic storm period of the year 1977 are presented. The dynamic spectrum analysis shows that the component whistlers are Eckersley whistlers having dispersion 10 s^1/2 and 30 s^1/2. An attempt has been made to explain the dynamic spectra using lightning discharge generated from magnetospheric sources     

An automated laboratory EXAFS spectrometer of Johansson type: indigenous development and testing

An automated linear laboratory EXAFS spectrometer of the Johansson type has been indigenously developed. Only two translational motions are required to achieve the necessary Rowland circle configuration for the (fixed) X-ray source, the dispersing and focusing bent crystal and the receiving slit. With the available crystals the spectral region from 5 to 25 keV can be scanned. The linear motions of the crystal and receiving slit including the detector assembly are achieved by employing software-controlled DC motors and utilizing optical encoders for position sensing. The appropriate rotation of the crystal is achieved by the geometry of the instrument. There is a facility to place the sample alternately in the path of the X-ray beam and out of the path to record both the incident X-ray intensityI ₀ and the transmitted intensityI employing the scintillation detector. An arrangement with a two-window proportional detector before the sample to measureI ₀ and the scintillation detector to recordI is also developed; in this case it is not necessary to oscillate the sample. Fast electronic circuits are employed to minimize counting errors. The instrument is user-friendly and it is operated through a menu-driven IBM compatible PC. EXAFS spectra of high resolution have been recorded using the spectrometer and employing the Si(111) reflecting planes; the X-ray source being a Rigaku 12 kW rotating anode with Cu target. We describe the spectrometer and discuss its performance with a few representative spectra.     

Growth Behavior of CdS Nanoparticles Embedded in Polymer and Sol-Gel Silica Matrices: Relationship with Surface-State Related Luminescence

Chemical techniques were employed to synthesize CdS nanoparticles embedded in polymer (PEG 300) and sol-gel silica matrices. Systematic growth of particles (radius 3–9 nm) was obtained by adjusting post-deposition annealing temperature and time to examine the dependence of surface-state–related luminescence on particle size. Photoluminescence (PL) peak energy showed a linear dependence with a gentle slope in the weak confinement region and a steep slope in the strong confinement region, the divergence being observed near the excitonic Bohr radius for CdS. The empirical relation proposed for the weak confinement region could be used for estimating chemically prepared CdS nanoparticle size with a high degree of reliability from PL peak energy.     

Buckling of laminated plates - A simple finite element based on higher-order theory

A four-noded rectangular element with seven degrees of freedom at each node is developed for buckling analysis of laminated plate structures having any number of layers with a constant thickness of individual layers. The displacement model is so chosen that it can explain adequately the parabolic distribution of transverse shear stresses and the non-linearity of in-plane displacements across the thickness. A geometrical stiffness matrix is developed using in-plane stresses. A wide range of plates from thick to thin are examined under uniaxial loading conditions. The results are compared with the existing analytical and numerical solutions. The present formulations confirm its applicability for buckling analysis of a wide range of plates.     

Reverse micellar synthesis and properties of nanocrystalline GMR materials (LaMnO3, La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 and La0.67Ca0.33MnO3): Ramifications of size considerations

Nanoparticles of complex manganites (viz. LaMnO₃, La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ and La_0.67Ca{0.33}MnO₃) have been synthesized using the reverse micellar route. These manganites are prepared at 800‡C and the monophasic nature of all the oxides has been established by powder X-ray diffraction studies. TEM studies show an average grain size of 68, 80 and 50 nm for LaMnO₃, La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ and La_0.67Ca{0.33}MnO₃respectively. Ferromagnetic ordering is observed at around 250 K for LaMnO₃, 350 K for La_0.67Sr_0.33MnO₃ and 200 K for La_0.67Ca{0.33}MnO₃. These Curie temperatures correspond well with those reported for bulk materials with similar composition.     

Novel route to synthesis of allyl starch and biodegradable hydrogel by copolymerizing allyl‐modified starch with methacrylic acid and acrylamide

Maize starch was modified by allyl chloride adopting an interfacial reaction technique with cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide as a phase‐transfer catalyst and pyridine as an acid acceptor. The degree of substitution was determined from an increasing carbon content of the modified starch. The percentage of carbon and hydrogen of the allyl‐modified starch was estimated by elemental analysis (C, H, and N), and the product characterization was done through ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR analyses. The allyl‐modified starch was then copolymerized with methacrylic acid and a combination of methacrylic acid and acrylamide at 50 and 70 °C with potassium persulfate as an initiator. The copolymer thus formed swelled in distilled water after neutralization with sodium carbonate. The percentage of absorption capacity of the hydrogels was determined with distilled water and 0.9% NaCl solution. The highest percentage of absorption, 6500%, was achieved for the developed hydrogel containing allyl starch and acrylic monomer in a 1.7:1 w/w ratio and acrylic monomer, namely, methacrylic acid and acrylamide in a 3.2:1 w/w ratio. The study on biodegradability of the developed hydrogel showed that the hydrogel is degradable in the presence of diastase (amylase). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1650–1658, 2003     

A Polarographic Study of ϵ-Caprolactam Complexes of Uranium and Tellurium

The polarographic behaviour of uranium and tellurium has been studied in the presence of increasing concentration of complex forming agent viz. ?-caprolactam at pH 4.4 for U(VI) and at pH 10.0 for Te(IV) at μ=0.1 M KNO₃. In both cases the waves have been found to be diffusion controlled and irreversible. The values of kinetic parameters (σπ_a and K°_f,h) have been calculated as a function of the ligand concentration. Method is suitable for the quantitative determination of these metals individually and simultaneously with the effect of diverse ions.