Continuation of travelling‐wave solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations

An efficient way of obtaining travelling waves in a periodic fluid system is described and tested. We search for steady states in a reference frame travelling at the wave phase velocity using a first‐order pseudospectral semi‐implicit time scheme adapted to carry out the Newton's iterations. The method is compared to a standard Newton–Raphson solver and is shown to be highly efficient in performing this task, even when high‐resolution grids are used. This method is well suited to three‐dimensional calculations in cylindrical or spherical geometries. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Shifting the Superparamagnetic Limit of Nanosized Copper Iron Spinel

In this paper we analyze trend of EFG values measured at Cd impurity in a group of semiconducting delafossites with chemical formula CuBO₂ (B = Al, Fe, Cr, Nd). We conclude that this trend reveals one of the most subtle details in electronic spectrum of the compounds: if impurity states are formed within or out of the band gap. In CuAlO₂ and CuFeO₂ the Cd EFG exhibits larger value than in CuCrO₂ and CuNdO₂, when Cd substitutes the Cu atom. This occurs because in the first two compounds the Cd forms shallow band within the gap, and in the second two compounds does not. When Cd occupies the B position it exhibits almost the same EFG in all delafossites. In this case, Cd does not form its states within the gap in none of the compounds. To arrive to these conclusions we analyzed and calculated various systems (Cd-doped CuAlO₂ and CuCrO₂ compounds, fictitious molecules), using the FP-LAPW method.     

Mössbauer and magnetic studies of parent material from argentine pampas soils

In order to establish a correlation between the different types of soils using hyperfine and magnetic parameters as climatic and environmental proxies, we have studied the differentiation of soil developed around 38.5° south latitude, in the central Pampas of Argentina, by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy and environmental magnetism. The soils transect (climosequence) investigated stretches from the drier west (around 64° W) to the more humid east (at around 59° W) in the Buenos Aires Province, covering a distance of 600 km. The soils studied developed during recent Holocene geologic times in a landscape characterized by small relict plateaus, slopes and depressions, dunes and prairies. The parent material consists of eolian sandy silts overlying calcrete layers. The low mean annual precipitation in the western parts of the region gives rise to soils without B-horizons, which limits the agricultural use of land. The preliminary results show an increase of the paramagnetic Fe³⁺ relative concentration from west to east in the soils investigated. Magnetite is probably mainly responsible for the observed enhancement in the susceptibility values. The magnetic response of the parent material is similar to that of the loess part of the previously investigated loess–paleosol sequences of the Argentine loess plateau.     

Development of a heterogeneous chemiluminescent flow immunoassay for DDT and related compounds

A heterogeneous chemiluminescent (CL) flow immunoassay for DDT was optimized comparing different types of immunoaffinity supports: beads, nylon coils and membranes (membranes HyBondN+). In order to characterize solid immunoaffinity supports two basic immunoassay formats were performed, using (1) enzyme-labeled secondary and (2) enzyme-labeled specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). In both formats, hapten DDT5 conjugated to ovalbumin immobilized on solid supports according to the appropriate immobilization procedure, enzyme label (horseradish peroxidase, HRP) and luminescent detection (luminol/H₂O₂/p-iodophenol) were used. The lowest limit of detection (LOD), 1 nM p,p-DDT, was obtained with a membrane-based flow immunoassay with HRP-labeled specific antibody. Beads and packed tubing were discarded as appropriate supports because of the difficulties encountered for reproducible packing and the occurrence of light scatterring (beads), which seriously compromised the performance and reproducibility of the flow immunoassay.     

Mössbauer and susceptibility studies of FeMoVO7

The oxidic phase FeMoVO₇ of the Fe₂O₃-V₂O₅-MoO₃ system has been synthesized. Susceptibility measurements from 4.2 K to room temperature display an antiferromagnetic behaviour with an effective magnetic moment of 5.80 _b . This value, and the measured Mössbauer isomer shift of 0.40±0.02 mm/s, are characteristic of high-spin Fe(III). The lowT _n value of 15 K suggests a weak interaction among the Fe-O polyhedra. The relative small QS=0.28±0.02 mm/s found in this compound shows that the Fe-O polyhedra symmetry is close to octahedral and almost undistorted.     

Low-Temperature Phase Formation of Sn-Doped LaMnO3+δ Perovskite

The incorporation of Sn into LaMnO₃ perovskite and its influence on magnetotransport properties were studied in samples synthesized at low temperature. Single-phase materials for two series of samples with La/(Sn+Mn)=1 and La/(Sn+Mn)<1 ratios were obtained by substitution of up to 10% of the Mn ions by Sn⁴⁺. The effect of Sn substitution was monitored through measurements of thermal, “M(T)”, and magnetic field, “M(H)”, dependences of magnetization, as well as of resistivity, “ρ(T)”, at 0 and 70 kOe. These showed that this effect depends strongly on the perovskite cation site ratio (A/B). For La/(Sn+Mn)=1, M and T_C were depressed as Sn content was increased. The magnetization data suggest the presence of magnetic clusters with superparamagnetic behavior. No evidence of magnetoresistance (MR) was found. For La/(Sn+Mn)<1 ratio, the samples showed ferromagnetic behavior and MR and both M and T_C raised as Sn content increased. The results are discussed in terms of A site vacancies.     

Chemical reducing pedoenvironment in a peatland influenced by hematitic phyllite lithology in the southern Espinhaço chain,Brazil

A peatland in Pinheiro, Diamantina City, Minas Gerais State - Brazil, was sampled at different depths of two profiles with diverse vegetation coverings (grassland field and bush) in order to collect materials that might reflect changes in the chemical states of iron over the peat formation coming from original minerals such as hematitic phyllite surrounding the boggy pedon. Samples collected were chemically, structurally and magnetically characterized. The results show that both series of peats are composed of organic matter and minerals such as quartz, kaolinite, gibbsite, rutile and muscovite. Deeper layers present only quartz. Mössbauer spectroscopy shows that iron is present in both electron states, Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺, under both vegetations, each valence appearing in the spectra in the form of a discrete doublet. No hyperfine magnetic splitting was observed in any spectrum at room temperature. The Mössbauer subspectral area of Fe²⁺ tended to increase from the upper to deeper layers. Magnetic measurements reveal that the magnetic response of the surface samples is the highest, displaying a sharp decrease below 15 cm and that the magnetic signal is a superposition of (super)paramagnetic and ferrimagnetic contributions. Samples from the grassland field also show a diamagnetic component for the deeper layers.     

Mössbauer studies of one representative hydromorphic soil of the coastal area of the Rio de La Plata

In the present work, we have applied Mössbauer spectroscopy as well as the traditional chemical analyses to assess the contents of different states of Fe in oxides and hydroxides in an Entisol soil from the Argentine coastal plain of the Rio de La Plata. Tentative assignments for the different Fe ion sites are proposed. Our findings show that the isomer shift and quadrupole splitting are sensitive to the changes detected in the Fe^2?+? contents of the soluble phase while others remain constant within the experimental uncertainties.