Intensities of backscatter Mössbauer spectra

The intensities of γ‐ray and x‐ray backscatter Mössbauer spectra of ^(57)Fe nuclei in different matrix materials were studied theoretically and experimentally. A previous analysis by J. J. Bara [Phys. Status Solidi A 58, 349 (1980] showed that negative peak intensities occur in backscatter γ‐ray spectra when the ^(57)Fe nuclei are in a matrix of light elements. We report a confirmation of this work and offer a simple explanation of the phenomenon. The present paper extends Bara’s analysis to the case of conversion x‐ray spectra; expressions for the intensity of conversion x‐ray spectra as a function of absorber thickness and absorber material parameters are presented. We show that negative peak intensities are expected in conversion x‐ray spectra when the ^(57)Fe nuclei are in a matrix of heavy elements

Electrochemical Evaluation of LaNi_(5–x)Ge_x Metal Hydride Alloys

We report a detailed evaluation of Ge-substituted LaNi_5 for electrochemical application as a negative electrode in alkaline rechargeable cells. Alloys with small substitutions of Ge for Ni show operating pressures, chargeability, cyclic lifetime, and kinetics for hydrogen absorption and desorption all superior to those found in many other substituted LaNi_5 alloys. These improved properties were achieved with a minimal reduction in hydrogen storage capacity

Multichannel scaling with an eight bit microcomputer

In this note a microcomputer-based system for multichannel scaling is described. This system relies on a combination of simple hardware with software support to achieve maximum cost effectiveness

Electrochemical Studies on LaNi5–xSnx Metal Hydride Alloys

Electrochemical studies were performed on LaNi5–xSnx with 0 <= x <= 0.5. We measured the effect of the Sn substituent on the kinetics of charge-transfer and diffusion during hydrogen absorption and desorption, and the cyclic lifetimes of LaNi5–-xSnx electrodes in 250 mAh laboratory test cells. We report beneficial effects of making small substitutions of Sn for Ni in LaNi5 on the performance of the metal hydride alloy anode in terms of cyclic lifetime, capacity, and kinetics. The optimal concentration of Sn in LaNi5–xSnx alloys for negative electrodes in alkaline rechargeable secondary cells was found to lie in the range 0.25 <= x <= 0.3

Electrochemical Properties of LaNi5–xGex Alloys in Ni-MH Batteries

Electrochemical studies were performed on LaNi5–xGex metal hydride alloys with 0 <= x <= 0.5. We carried out single-electrode studies to understand the effects of the Ge substituent on the hydrogen absorption characteristics, the electrochemical capacity, and the electrochemical kinetics of hydrogen absorption and desorption. The electrochemical characteristics of the Ge-substituted alloys are compared to those of the Sn-substituted alloys reported earlier. LaNi5–xGex alloys show compositional trends similar to LaNi5–xSnx alloys, but unlike the Sn-substituted alloys, Ge-substituted alloys continue to exhibit facile kinetics for hydrogen absorption/desorption at high solute concentrations. Cycle lives of LaNi5–xGex electrodes were measured in 300 mAh laboratory test cells and were found to be superior to the Sn-substituted LaNi5 and comparable to a Mm(Ni,Co,Mn,Al)5 alloy. The optimum Ge content for LaNi5–xGex metal hydride alloys in alkaline rechargeable cells is in the range 0.4 <= x <= 0.5

Temperature dependence of hyperfine magnetic fields in Fe-Ni

The 57Fe hyperfine magnetic field (HMF) distribution in bcc Fe-Ni alloys was calculated with a model of linear response of the 57Fe HMF to magnetic moments in the alloy. With the use of empirical parameters, the model largely accounts for the 57Fe HMF distribution at low temperatures. As shown by experiments with Si solutes in Fe-Ni, the anomalously strong temperature dependence of the 57Fe HMF in Fe-Ni is not due to the temperature dependence of the HMF response parameters. By analyzing the shape of the 57Fe HMF distribution, we find that this anomalous temperature dependence results from a large thermal sensitivity of the magnetic moments at those Fe atoms with more Ni atoms as nearest neighbors. This correlated with a strong temperature dependence of the recoil-free fraction and the second-order Doppler shift in Fe-Ni. We suggest that the large mean-square thermal displacement of Fe atoms in Fe-Ni is the cause of the anomalously strong temperature dependence, and we offer two explanations for this effect. Additionally, we have found evidence for a pseudodipolar interaction in Fe-Ni, and we also discuss the problems of parametrizing the 57Fe HMF solely in terms of the number of nearest neighbors of the 57Fe atom

Microstructural strain energy of α-uranium determined by calorimetry and neutron diffractometry

The microstructural contribution to the heat capacity of α-uranium was determined by measuring the heat-capacity difference between polycrystalline and single-crystal samples from 77 to 320 K. When cooled to 77 K and then heated to about 280 K, the uranium microstructure released (3±1) J/mol of strain energy. On further heating to 300 K, the microstructure absorbed energy as it began to redevelop microstrains. Anisotropic strain-broadening parameters were extracted from neutron-diffraction measurements on polycrystals. Combining the strain-broadening parameters with anisotropic elastic constants from the literature, the microstructural strain energy is predicted in the two limiting cases of statistically isotropic stress and statistically isotropic strain. The result calculated in the limit of statistically isotropic stress was (3.7±0.5) J/mol K at 77 K and (1±0.5) J/mol at room temperature. In the limit of statistically isotropic strain, the values were (7.8±0.5) J/mol K at 77 K and (4.5±0.5) J/mol at room temperature. In both cases the changes in the microstructural strain energy showed good agreement with the calorimetry

Formation of Buried Oxide in MeV Oxygen Implanted Silicon

We have studied the formation of buried oxide in MeV oxygen implanted Si. A continuous oxide layer is formed in the samples implanted with 2x10^(18)/cm^2 oxygen and annealed at 1300° C. The microstructures are studied by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and high resolution electron microscopy. Chemical information was obtained by electron energy loss spectroscopy. The effects of implantation temperature are studied. Implantation at a low substrate temperature leads to a well-defined buried SiO_2 layer, inhibits the formation of oxide precipitates in the silicon, and reduces silicon inclusions in the SiO_2

Enhancement of the electronic contribution to the low temperature specific heat of Fe/Cr magnetic multilayer

We measured the low temperature specific heat of a sputtered $(Fe_{23\AA}/Cr_{12\AA})_{33}$ magnetic multilayer, as well as separate $1000\AA$ thick Fe and Cr films. Magnetoresistance and magnetization measurements on the multilayer demonstrated antiparallel coupling between the Fe layers. Using microcalorimeters made in our group, we measured the specific heat for $4<T<30 K$ and in magnetic fields up to $8 T$ for the multilayer. The low temperature electronic specific heat coefficient of the multilayer in the temperature range $4<T<14 K$ is $\gamma_{ML}=8.4 mJ/K^{2}g-at$. This is significantly larger than that measured for the Fe or Cr films (5.4 and $3.5 mJ/K^{2}mol$ respectively). No magnetic field dependence of $\gamma_{ML}$ was observed up to $8 T$. These results can be explained by a softening of the phonon modes observed in the same data and the presence of an Fe-Cr alloy phase at the interfaces.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figure