Hydrated multivalent cations are new class of molten salt mixtures

Electrical conductance and activation energy measurements on mixtures of calcium and potassium nitrate show the hydrated form to be a new class of molten salt. The theoretical glass transition temperature of the hydrate varied in a manner opposite to that of the anhydrous system

Glass Transitions and Critical Points in Orientationally Disordered Crystals and Structural Glassformers: "Strong" Liquids are More Interesting Than We Thought

When liquids are classified using Tg -scaled Arrhenius plots of relaxation times (or relative rates of entropy increase above Tg) across a "strong-fragile" spectrum of behaviors, the "strong" liquids have always appeared rather uninteresting [1, 2]. Here we use updated plots of the same type for crystal phases of the "rotator" variety [3] to confirm that the same pattern of behavior exists for these simpler (center of mass ordered) systems. However, in this case we can show that the "strong" systems owe their behavior to the existence of lambda-type order-disorder transitions at higher temperatures (directly observable in the cases where observations are not interrupted by prior melting). Furthermore, the same observation can be made for other systems in which the glass transition, at which the ordering is arrested, occurs in the thermodynamic ground state of the system. This prompts an enquiry into the behavior of strong liquids at high temperatures. Using the case of silica itself, we again find strong evidence from extended ion dynamics simulations, for a lambda transition at high temperatures, but only if pressure is adjusted to a critical value. In this case the lambda point is identifiable as a liquid-liquid critical point of the type suggested for supercooled water. We recognize the possibility of exploring, a postiori, the consequences of rapid cooling of laboratory liquid SiO2 from >5000K and multi-GPa pressures, using the phenomenology of damage-induced plasmas in optical fibers. The ramifications of these considerations will be explored to establish a "big picture"2 of the relation of thermodynamic transitions to supercooled liquid phenomenology [4, 5]

Correlations between vibrational entropy and dynamics in super-cooled liquids

A relation between vibrational entropy and particles mean square displacement is derived in super-cooled liquids, assuming that the main effect of temperature changes is to rescale the vibrational spectrum. Deviations from this relation, in particular due to the presence of a Boson Peak whose shape and frequency changes with temperature, are estimated. Using observations of the short-time dynamics in liquids of various fragility, it is argued that (i) if the crystal entropy is significantly smaller than the liquid entropy at $T_g$, the extrapolation of the vibrational entropy leads to the correlation $T_K\approx T_0$, where $T_K$ is the Kauzmann temperature and $T_0$ is the temperature extracted from the Vogel-Fulcher fit of the viscosity. (ii) The jump in specific heat associated with vibrational entropy is very small for strong liquids, and increases with fragility. The analysis suggests that these correlations stem from the stiffening of the Boson Peak under cooling, underlying the importance of this phenomenon on the dynamical arrest.Comment: Eqs.2 and 7 corrected, results unchange

New class of compounds have very low vapor pressures

Magnesium hexahydrate tetrachlorometallates are 50-volume-percent water, have a high melting point and possess a low vapor pressure. These new compounds are relatively noncorrosive, thermally stable, and water soluble but not hygroscopic. They may have potential applications as cooling fluids

Aging vs crystallisation dynamics in hyperquenched glasses and a resolution of the water Tg controversy

The possibility of observing a glass transition in water before crystallisation occurs has been debated vigorously but inconclusively over five decades [1,2]. For two decades a glass transition at 136K [2,3] was accepted but this transition has perplexing qualities [4]. Recently it has been argued[2,5],that this assignment must be wrong. The re-assignment of Tg to temperatures above the 150K crystallisation was vigorously contested [6]. Here we use detailed anneal-and-scan studies of a hyperquenched inorganic glass, which does not crystallize on heating, to interpret the perplexing aspects of the 136K water phenomenon. We show that it is indeed linked to a glass transition, though only via a cross-over phenomenon. The thermal history that gives the same behaviour ("shadow" glass transition) in the inorganic glass is linked by crossover to a "normal" glass transition 23% higher in temperature. Thus a Tg is indeed unobservable for water, while the vitreous nature of hyperquenched glassy water is strongly supported. The shadow Tg is reproducible in the inorganic glass as it is in H2O. The observed aging dynamics are very relevant to current glass theory, particularly to dynamical heterogeneity which is seen to have an energy manifestation.Comment: 23 pages, 4 figure

Policing the Arctic: The North Slope of Alaska

An abbreviated version of this paper, which excluded the NSBDPS employee survey results, was published as: Trostle, Lawrence C.; & Angell, John E. (1994). "Policing the Arctic: The North Slope of Alaska." Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice 10(2): 95–108 (May 1994). (http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/104398629401000203). A related report with employee comments from the survey concerning Public Safety Officer (PSO) assignment lengths and rotation policies is available at https://scholarworks.alaska.edu/handle/11122/10007.Geographic size and lack of roads, among other factors, contribute to unique difficulties in providing effective law enforcement and public safety services to residents of the North Slope Borough of Alaska. Despite comprehensive plans laid in the mid-1970s, the North Slope Borough has not been successful in implementing a broad, multicultural community public safety organizational design. The more traditional professional law enforcement agency which has evolved is perceived by some people as having community and employee relations problems. This paper provides a brief history of law enforcement on the North Slope and presents selected data from a 1993 survey of employees of the North Slope Borough Department of Public Safety (NSBDPS). The data support a hypothesis that indigenous personnel with strong roots in a minority community will be more committed to the community police organization than would be employees without such roots.North Slope Borough Department of Public SafetyIntroduction / Traditional Justice Administration / Government / Department of Public Safety / North Slope Department of Public Safety Goals / Research Support for a Multicultural Community Social Control Operation / Conclusion / Reference