Stored energy release behaviour of disordered carbon

The use of graphite as a moderator in a low temperature thermal nuclear reactor is restricted due to accumulation of energy caused by displacement of atoms by neutrons and high energetic particles. Thermal transients may lead to a release of stored energy that may raise the temperature of the fuel clad above the design limit. Disordered carbon is thought to be an alternative choice for this purpose. Two types of disordered carbon composites, namely, CB (made up of 15 wt. % carbon black dispersed in carbonized phenolic resin) and PAN (made up of 20 vol. % chopped polyacrylonitrile carbon fibre dispersed in carbonized phenolic resin matrix) have been irradiated with 145 MeV Ne⁶⁺ ions at three fluence levels of 1.0×10¹³, 5.0×10¹³ and 1.5×10¹⁴ Ne⁶⁺/cm², respectively. The XRD patterns revealed that both the samples remained disordered even after irradiation. The maximum release of stored energy for CB was 212 J/g and that of PAN was 906 J/g. For CB, the release of stored energy was a first order reaction with activation energy of 2.79 eV and a frequency factor of 3.72×10²⁸ per second. 13% of the defects got annealed by heating up to 700 °C. PAN showed a third-order release rate with activation energy of 1.69 eV and a frequency factor of 1.77×10¹⁴ per second. 56% of the total defects got annealed by heating it up to 700 °C. CB seems to be the better choice than PAN as it showed less energy release with a slower rate. PACS 61.80.Jh; 61.80.-x; 61.43Er; 61.43.-j; 68.43.Vx     

Intermittency in the Slow Particle Emission During Hadron–Nucleus Interactions

The study of the angular distribution of slow particles during high energy hadron-nucleus interaction indicates that emission of slow particles takes place from a thermally non-equilibrated system. This evidence has come out from the presence of intermittency - a phenomenon that reveals a fractal structure and represents a self-similarity in the particle production process. Hence, this study highlights inadequacy of cascade-evaporation model and advocates the need of its refinement.     

Critical points in the Bragg glass phase of a weakly pinned crystal of Ca3Rh4Sn13

New experimental data are presented on the scan rate dependence of the magnetization hysteresis width ΔM(H) (∞ critical current densityJ _c(H)) in isothermalMH scans in a weakly pinned single crystal of Ca₃Rh₄Sn₁₃, which displays second magnetization peak (SMP) anomaly as distinct from the peak effect (PE). We observe an interesting modulation in the field dependence of a parameter which purports to measure the dynamical annealing of the disordered bundles of vortices injected through the sample edges towards the destined equilibrium vortex state at a givenH. These data, in conjunction with the earlier observations made while studying the thermomagnetic history dependence inJ _c(H) in the tracing of the minor hysteresis loops, imply that the partially disordered state heals towards the more ordered state between the peak field of the SMP anomaly and the onset field of the PE. The vortex phase diagram in the given crystal of Ca₃Rh₄Sn₁₃ has been updated in the context of the notion of the phase coexistence of the ordered and disordered regions between the onset field of the SMP anomaly and the spinodal line located just prior to the irreversibility line. A multi-critical point and a critical point in the (H,T) region of the Bragg glass phase have been marked in this phase diagram and the observed behavior is discussed in the light of recent data on multi-critical point in the vortex phase diagram in a single crystal of Nb.     

Synthesis and studies of antibacterial activity of pongaglabol

Pongaglabol [8-hydroxy-5-phenyl-furo[2,3-h]benzo(b)pyran-7-one] was synthesized and tested for antibacterial effects againstShigella dysenteriae, Salmonella typhi, Streptococcus β-haemolyticus andStaphylococcus aureus. The synthesized compounds were characterized using UV, IR and¹H NMR spectral data     

Crutch or Catalyst: Teachers' Beliefs and Practices Regarding Calculator use in Mathematics Instruction

This study investigated K‐12 teachers' beliefs and reported teaching practices regarding calculator use in their mathematics instruction. A survey was administered to more than 800 elementary, middle and high school teachers in a large metropolitan area to address the following questions: (a) what are the beliefs and practices of mathematics teachers regarding calculator use? and (b) how do these beliefs and practices differ among teachers in three grade bands? Factor analysis of 20 Likert scale items revealed four factors that accounted for 54% of the variance in the ratings. These factors were named Catalyst Beliefs, Teacher Knowledge, Crutch Beliefs, and Teacher Practices. Compared to elementary teachers, high school teachers were significantly higher in their perception of calculator use as a catalyst in mathematics instruction. However, the higher the grade level of the teacher, the higher the mean score on the perception that calculator use may be a way of getting answers without understanding mathematical processes. The mean scores for teachers in all three grade bands indicated agreement that students can learn mathematics through calculator use and using calculators in instruction will lead to better student understanding and make mathematics more interesting. The survey results shed light on teachers' self reported beliefs, knowledge, and practices in regard to consistency with elements of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (2000) technology principle and the NCTM use of technology position paper (2003). This study extended previous research on teachers' beliefs regarding calculator use in classrooms by examining and comparing the results of teacher surveys across three grade bands.     

Studies on the thermal stability of iron chromite in air

Studies on the thermal stability of FeCr₂O₄ in air show that surface oxidation preceeds bulk oxidation. Electrical resistivity and thermoelectric power measurements show that above 47 K, Fe²⁺ ions are oxidised by the oxygen adsorbed on the surface and above 523K diffusion of the ions into the bulk occur. DTA and TG show that the bulk oxidation starts above 673 K and the change from the defect spinel phase to the rhombohedral phase occurs during oxidation and is not a sharp transition.

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Zusammenfassung Untersuchungen der thermischen Stabilität von FeCr₂O₄ in Luft zeigen, daß der Masseoxidation eine Oxidation an der Oberfläche vorangeht. Messungen des elektrischen Widerstandes und der thermo-elektromotorischen Kraft zeigen, daß die Fe²⁺-Ionen oberhalb 47 K durch den an der Oberfläche adsorbierten Sauerstoff oxidiert werden und daß oberhalb 523 K eine Diffusion der Ionen in das Innere abläuft. DTA- und TG- Untersuchungen zufolge setzt die Masseoxidation oberhalb 673 K ein und während der Oxidation verläuft ein unscharfer Übergang von der defekten Spinellphase in die rhomboedrische Phase.

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The authors wish to thank DST for some financial help.     

Studies on some radical transfer reactions by entrapping the radicals as polymer endgroups. III. Reaction of ȮH radical with halide ions

The reactions of OH radical with Cl^?, Br^?, I^?, and F^? ions have been studied by entrapping the product radicals as polymer endgroup which have been detected and estimated by the sensitive dye partition technique. The rate constants of the reactions with Br^?, Cl^?, and F^? ions have been determined to be 1.51 × 10⁹, 1.32 × 10⁹, and 0.92 × 10⁹ L mol^?1 s^?1, respectively at 25°C and pH 1.00. Oxidation of I^? ions liberates I, which inhibits the polymerization and the reaction could not be followed by polymer endgroup analysis. The observed order of reactivity Br^? > Cl^? > F^? is in accordance with the electron affinities of the halide ions. The acidity of the reaction medium has a strong influence on the rate of reaction. With Br^? ions, the rate constant of the reaction falls from 1.51 × 10⁹ to 0.75 × 10⁹ L mol^?1 s^?1 at 25°C as the pH is raised from 1.0 to 2.8. The method is simple and accurate and can be applied to study very reactive radicals.     

Diastereoselective carbonyl phosphonylation using chiral N,N′-bis-[(S)-α-phenylethyl]-bicyclic phosphorous acid diamides

Addition of aldehydes to the P-anion derivatives of chiral phosphorous acid diamides (1S,2S,1′S,1″S)-2 and (1R, 2R,1′S,1″S)-2 in THF gave α-hydroxyphosphonamides in good yield (64-100%) and moderate diastereoselectivities.