Manufacturing and characterization of interpenetrating SiC lightweight composites

AbstractThe current work deals with the gas pressure infiltration of SiC - preforms of selected porosities with an aluminum alloy in order to manufacture an interpenetrating composite with higher ductility in comparison to SiC bulk material and a higher temperature and creep resistance in comparison to aluminum bulk materials. The quality of the manufactured composite is analyzed metallographically which attests a good infiltration of the composite. The residual porosity is also determined and can be attributed to the closed porosity and insufficient infiltration of open porosity. It can be shown that the infiltration of the preform leads to an increase in compressive strength with reasonable ductility in comparison to the unreinforced matrix material

One-body dissipation and chaotic dynamics in a classical simulation of a nuclear gas

In order to understand the origin of one-body dissipation in nuclei, we analyze the behavior of a gas of classical particles moving in a two-dimensional cavity with nuclear dimensions. This "nuclear" billiard has multipole-deformed walls which undergo periodic shape oscillations. We demonstrate that a single particle Hamiltonian containing coupling terms between the particles' motion and the collective coordinate induces a chaotic dynamics for any multipolarity, independently on the geometry of the billiard. If the coupling terms are switched off the "wall formula" predictions are recovered. We discuss the dissipative behavior of the wall motion and its relation with the order-to-chaos transition in the dynamics of the microscopic degrees of freedom.Comment: 16 pages, 12 postscript figures included, revtex, new version completely revised accepted by Physical Review C and scheduled to appear in the issue of november 199

Raman cooling and heating of two trapped Ba+ ions

We study cooling of the collective vibrational motion of two 138Ba+ ions confined in an electrodynamic trap and irradiated with laser light close to the resonances S_1/2-P_1/2 (493 nm) and P_1/2-D_3/2 (650 nm). The motional state of the ions is monitored by a spatially resolving photo multiplier. Depending on detuning and intensity of the cooling lasers, macroscopically different motional states corresponding to different ion temperatures are observed. We also derive the ions' temperature from detailed analytical calculations of laser cooling taking into account the Zeeman structure of the energy levels involved. The observed motional states perfectly match the calculated temperatures. Significant heating is observed in the vicinity of the dark resonances of the Zeeman-split S_1/2-D_3/2 Raman transitions. Here two-photon processes dominate the interaction between lasers and ions. Parameter regimes of laser light are identified that imply most efficient laser cooling.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Distribution, structure and function of Nordic eelgrass (<em>Zostera marina</em>) ecosystems:implications for coastal management and conservation

This paper focuses on the marine foundation eelgrass species, Zostera marina, along a gradient from the northern Baltic Sea to the north-east Atlantic. This vast region supports a minimum of 1480 km2 eelgrass (maximum >2100 km2), which corresponds to more than four times the previously quantified area of eelgrass in Western Europe. Eelgrass meadows in the low salinity Baltic Sea support the highest diversity (4–6 spp.) of angiosperms overall, but eelgrass productivity is low (<2 g dw m-2 d-1) and meadows are isolated and genetically impoverished. Higher salinity areas support monospecific meadows, with higher productivity (3–10 g dw m-2 d-1) and greater genetic connectivity. The salinity gradient further imposes functional differences in biodiversity and food webs, in particular a decline in number, but increase in biomass of mesograzers in the Baltic. Significant declines in eelgrass depth limits and areal cover are documented, particularly in regions experiencing high human pressure. The failure of eelgrass to re-establish itself in affected areas, despite nutrient reductions and improved water quality, signals complex recovery trajectories and calls for much greater conservation effort to protect existing meadows. The knowledge base for Nordic eelgrass meadows is broad and sufficient to establish monitoring objectives across nine national borders. Nevertheless, ensuring awareness of their vulnerability remains challenging. Given the areal extent of Nordic eelgrass systems and the ecosystem services they provide, it is crucial to further develop incentives for protecting them