A study of a fullyc-axis oriented dc-sputtered thin film of YBa2(Cu0.98 57Fe0.02)3O6.8 by means of CEMS,XRD and SEM

A fullyc-axis oriented thin film of YBa₂(Cu_0.98 ⁵⁷Fe_0.02)₃O_6.8 prepared by planar dcsputtering has been investigated by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy. Room temperature⁵⁷Fe conversion electron Mössbauer spectra taken at different angles between the -ray direction and the normal (=c-axis) of the film show four subspectra: A (quadrupole splitting E _Q1.9 mm/s), B (E _Q1 mm/s), C (E _Q0.5 m/s) and D (E _Q1.6 mm/s). For subspectra A, B and C, we found the same hyperfine parameters as already published on other samples. The hyperfine parameters for subspectrum D are determined for the first time using a fully oriented sample. For D, we found the asymmetry parameter 0.6 andV _zz (the main component of the electric field gradient) lying in the a-b-plane.     

Lepton flavor violating leptonic and semileptonic decays of charged leptons in the minimal supersymmetric standard model

We consider the leptonic and semileptonic (SL) lepton-flavor violating (LFV) decays of the charged leptons in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) with right-handed neutrinos. The parameters of the MSSM model are determined in the framework of the minimal supersymmetric SO(10) GUT model assuming the minimal supergravity model of supersymmetry breaking. The free parameters of the model are constrained adopting the WMAP cold dark matter constraint and adjusting the neutrino oscillation data. So constrained, the SO(10) GUT model gives a definite prediction for the Dirac-neutrino Yukawa matrix, which induces all LFV effects in the MSSM model through renormalization group equations of soft SUSY breaking parameters. A very detailed numerical analysis has been made to define numerically all MSSM parameters necessary for the evaluation of the LFV amplitudes. The basic LFV amplitudes in MSSM were rederived and improved. The formalism for the evaluation of all SL LFV amplitudes is given. Numerical results for dominant SL LFV branching ratios, the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon and the ℓ→ℓ’γ branching ratios are given.     

The μ-dependence of the effective weak Hamiltonian andK→2π amplitudes in chiral-bag model

This paper studies the μ-dependence of the operator matrix elements. Although the μ-dependence must in principle cancel as illustrated in the paper by using a simple pedagogical model, in practice the choice of μ markedly influences the theoretical predictions forK→2π decays.     

On the lattice Boltzmann method for phonon transport

The lattice Boltzmann method is a discrete representation of the Boltzmann transport equation that has been employed for modeling transport of particles of different nature. In the present work, we describe the lattice Boltzmann methodology and implementation techniques for the phonon transport modeling in crystalline materials. We show that some phonon physical properties, e.g., mean free path and group velocity, should be corrected to their effective values for one- and two-dimensional simulations, if one uses the isotropic approximation. We find that use of the D2Q9 lattice for phonon transport leads to erroneous results in transient ballistic simulations, and the D2Q7 lattice should be employed for two-dimensional simulations. Furthermore, we show that at the ballistic regime, the effect of direction discretization becomes apparent in two dimensions, regardless of the lattice used. Numerical methodology, lattice structure, and implementation of initial and different boundary conditions for the D2Q7 lattice are discussed in detail.     

Ground state of the quasi-1D compound BaVS3 resolved by resonant magnetic x-ray scattering

Resonant magnetic x-ray scattering near the vanadium L2,3-absorption edges has been used to investigate the low temperature magnetic structure of high quality BaVS3 single crystals. Below T(N)=31 K, the strong resonance revealed a triple-incommensurate magnetic ordering at the wave vector (0.226 0.226 ξ) in hexagonal notation, with ξ=0.033. The azimuthal-angle dependence of the scattering signal and time-dependent density functional theory simulations indicate an antiferromagnetic order within the ab plane with the spins polarized along a in the monoclinic structure.     

Molten droplet solidification and substrate remelting in microcasting Part II: Parametric study and effect of dissimilar materials

This paper presents a parametric study of relevant processing parameters found in microcasting Shape Deposition Manufacturing (SDM). Microcasting SDM is a novel, layered manufacturing process capable of rapidly manufacturing near net shape, metal objects. The quality of artifacts built with this process depends on proper metallurgic bonding between impacting molten droplets and previously deposited substrate layers, as well as on the final microstructure of the artifact. Numerical simulations are performed to investigate the effect of operating conditions on the metallurgic bonding induced by substrate remelting and on the microstructure determined by the cooling rates during solidification. Particularly, the effect of droplet impinging temperatures, substrate initial temperatures and combinations of copper and stainless steel materials are investigated. Numerical predictions reveal that impinging droplet temperature variations, within the attainable range in microcasting SDM, have a minimal effect on the cooling rates during solidification. However, droplet temperature has a significant effect on the substrate remelting depth. Furthermore, this investigation quantifies the extent to which substrate preheating lowers the cooling rate during solidification and promotes substrate remelting. The study of the interaction between copper and stainless steel materials shows that the cooling rates during solidification of the deposition material and the occurrence of substrate remelting are both highly dependent on the combination of materials. Received on 10 June 1998     

Complex dynamics of droplet traffic in a bifurcating microfluidic channel: periodicity, multistability, and selection rules

The binary path selection of droplets reaching a T junction is regulated by time-delayed feedback and nonlinear couplings. Such mechanisms result in complex dynamics of droplet partitioning: numerous discrete bifurcations between periodic regimes are observed. We introduce a model based on an approximation that makes this problem tractable. This allows us to derive analytical formulae that predict the occurrence of the bifurcations between consecutive regimes, establish selection rules for the period of a regime, and describe the evolutions of the period and complexity of droplet pattern in a cycle with the key parameters of the system. We discuss the validity and limitations of our model which describes semiquantitatively both numerical simulations and microfluidic experiments.     

Molten droplet solidification and substrate remelting in microcasting Part I: numerical modeling and experimental verification

This paper presents a numerical model of a molten metal droplet impinging, solidifying and bonding to a solid substrate. The physical and numerical model includes dissimilar materials, multi-dimensional axisymmetric heat transfer, tracking of solid/liquid interfaces during remelting and solidification, and coupled treatment of the continuous droplet/substrate region. The numerical model solves for the evolution of the temperature distribution in the droplet and substrate, predicts the position of the remelting and solidification fronts, and accounts for convective motion. The effect of the convection induced by the droplet spreading is modeled through a time-dependent effective thermal conductivity. High-speed filming of the molten droplet impinging and spreading on the substrate is performed to obtain the required parameters to determine this time dependent effective conductivity. The accuracy of the model is investigated with experimental techniques. This research is directly related to the development of microcasting Shape Deposition Manufacturing (SDM) which is a process for automatically fabricating complex multi-material objects by sequentially depositing material layers. Microcasting is a molten metal droplet deposition process in SDM, which is able to create fully dense metal layers with controlled microstructure. Important issues in the production of high quality objects manufactured with microcasting SDM are: attainment of interlayer metallurgical bonding through substrate remelting, control of both substrate and droplet cooling rates, and minimization of residual thermal stresses. To validate experimentally the numerical modeling approach, predicted cooling rates are compared with thermocouple measurements and substrate remelting depths are verified through optical metallographic techniques. Received on 10 June 1998