Mn site substitution of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 with closed shell ions: Effect on magnetic transition temperature

Mn site is substituted with closed shell ions (Al, Ga, Ti, Zr and a certain combination of Zr and Al) and also with Fe and Ru ions carrying the magnetic moment (S=5/2 and 2 respectively) at a fixed concentration of 5 at %. Substitution did not change either the crystal symmetry or the oxygen stoichiometry. All substituents were found to suppress both the metal-insulator and ferromagnetic transition temperatures (T _p(ρ) and T _C, respectively) to varied extents. Two main contributions identified for the suppression are the lattice disorder arising due to difference in the ionic radii between the substituent (r _M) and the Mn³⁺ ion (r _Mn ³⁺) and in the case of the substituents carrying a magnetic moment, the type of magnetic coupling between the substituent and that of the neighboring Mn ion.     

Determination of the regime in the reverse wilson chamber at critical supersaturation measurements

The pressure in the Reverse Wilson Chamber (RWC) was directly measured at different rates of compression of the gas mixture. It was shown that at compression time in the range from 0.06 to 0.3 s an intermediate, between adiabatic and isothermal, process took place in the chamber. To obtain the relative pressure increase P _m /P _at from the values of the relative gas compression V/V, a calibration of the experimental set-up was carried out. The calibration showed that the values of critical supersaturationSc for water condensation on hexadecane, estimated for intermediate regime of the gas compression, were reduced with respect to the values calculated when the adiabatic regime was assumed. This fact confirmed the conclusions made earlier [1–3] that the classical theory was not applicable in this case of heterogeneous phase formation and that the line tension < 0 should be taken into account. Moreover, in an atmosphere of very pure argon (instead of room air [1–3]) the critical supersaturation turned out to be independent of the initial state of undersaturationS _o . The more accurate values obtained for condensation of water on hexadecane were: lnS _c =0.204 (instead of the maximum value obtained earlier: lnS _c =0.26) and=–1.9×10^–5 dyne (instead of=–1.5×10^–5 dyne).     

Hydrogen isotope exchange in a coverage obtained on Ir(111) by ethylene adsorption

HREELS and SIMS studies of hydrogen isotopc exchange in a coverage obtained on Ir(111) by ethylene adsorption are carried out at 180–450 K and at a hydrogen (deuterium) pressure up to 8×10⁶ Pa. The ethylidyne species have shown a high stability towards hydration and structural changes upon hydrogen (deuterium) exposures. Under these conditions hydrogen exchange in the methyl groups is a slow process. With increasing temperature the hydrogen exchange in the decomposition products of ethylidyne (C₂H species) is quick and depends on the exchanged amount of atomically adsorbed hydrogen.     

On the condensation of water on hexadecane

The impulse-adiabatic method of measuring the critical supersaturation (lnS _c ) at water condensation on hexadecane is improved; the experiments are conducted with purer hexadecane than in previous work [2]. The dependence of InS _c on -lnS _c (undersaturation in the initial state) obtained earlier has been confirmed and the asymptotic value of lnS _c at sufficiently low humidity is established with better accuracy: InS _c =0.2550.26. With this value of lnS _c , the line tension is estimated to be –1.50×10^–5 dyn, assuming that the established critical supersaturation refers to the onset of barrierless phase formation.     

Potassium adsorption on graphite(0001)

Potassium adsorption on graphite has been studied with emphasis on the two-dimensional K adlayer below one monolayer. Data are presented for the work function versus coverage, high-resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) vibrational spectra of K-adlayers, low energy electron diffraction and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) spectra at different coverages. The data provide information regarding the vibrational properties of the K-adlayer, the metallization of the adlayer at submonolayer coverages, and the charge transfer from the K adatoms to the graphite substrate. Analysis of the work function, HREELS, and UPS data provides a qualitatively consistent picture of the charge state of the K adatoms, where at low coverages, below a critical coverage θ_c (θ_c=0.2–0.3), the K adatoms are dispersed and (partially) ionized, whereas at θ>θ_c islands of a metallic 2×2 K phase develops that coexist with the dispersed a K adatoms up to θ=1. We show that it is possible to understand the variation of the work function data based on a two-phase model without invoking a depolarization mechanism of adjacent dipoles, as is normally done for alkali-metal adsorption on metal surfaces. Similarly, the intensity variation as a function of coverage of the energy loss peak at 17 meV observed in HREELS, and the photoemission peak at E_b=0.5 eV seen in UPS can be understood from a two-phase model. A tentative explanation is presented that connects apparent discrepancies in the literature concerning the electronic structure of the K adlayer. In particular, a new assignment of the K-induced states near the Fermi level is proposed.     

Photo ejection of water molecules from amorphous ice films

Water molecules are photo-ejected upon laser irradiation from the surface of ice films grown on graphite (0001) and Pt(111). The films are deposited at temperatures between 40 and 140 K and irradiated with nanosecond laser pulses. The process is investigated in the wavelength range between 275 and 670 nm. The wavelength and photon flux dependence suggest a multi-photon process with energy threshold of around 9 eV. The photo-detachment is less effective or negligible from films annealed at temperatures above the amorphous-crystalline transition temperature of ice films. Coverage dependence of the phenomena relates the photo yield to surface roughness. Electronic excitation mechanism related to the defects in ice is proposed to explain the observations.     

Topographical and surface chemical characterization of nanosecond pulsed-laser micromachining of titanium at 532-nm wavelength

Electropolished titanium was micromachined by single, 5-ns pulses from a frequency-doubled (532 nm) Nd:YAG laser. The focal spot size was varied from 10 to 100 m and the applied fluences varied from the melting threshold (1 J/cm²) to more than 100 J/cm². The resulting craters were imaged by optical microscopy, topographically characterized by interferometry and chemically characterized on the surface by small-spot depth-profiling Auger electron spectroscopy and small-spot X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The prevailing ablation regime for the studied fluences and focal spot sizes was found to be melt ejection. The surface chemical characterization showed growing oxide thickness in the heat-affected zone (around the center spot) for increasing fluence but no difference inside the crater. Titanium nitride formation was found inside the crater. PACS 81.65; 87.80Mj     

On the barrier-limited condensation of water on hexadecane

Colloid and Polymer Science - The interpretation of the critical supersaturation at water condensation on hexadecane, put forward in [3], is now completed with the treatment of the barrier...