Fundamental Parameters Line Profile Fitting in Laboratory Diffractometers.

The fundamental parameters approach to line profile fitting uses physically based models to generate the line profile shapes. Fundamental parameters profile fitting (FPPF) has been used to synthesize and fit data from both parallel beam and divergent beam diffractometers. The refined parameters are determined by the diffractometer configuration. In a divergent beam diffractometer these include the angular aperture of the divergence slit, the width and axial length of the receiving slit, the angular apertures of the axial Soller slits, the length and projected width of the x-ray source, the absorption coefficient and axial length of the sample. In a parallel beam system the principal parameters are the angular aperture of the equatorial analyser/Soller slits and the angular apertures of the axial Soller slits. The presence of a monochromator in the beam path is normally accommodated by modifying the wavelength spectrum and/or by changing one or more of the axial divergence parameters. Flat analyzer crystals have been incorporated into FPPF as a Lorentzian shaped angular acceptance function. One of the intrinsic benefits of the fundamental parameters approach is its adaptability any laboratory diffractometer. Good fits can normally be obtained over the whole 20 range without refinement using the known properties of the diffractometer, such as the slit sizes and diffractometer radius, and emission profile

Magnetoresistivity as a probe to the field-induced change of magnetic entropy in RAl2 compounds (R=Pr,Nd,Tb,Dy,Ho,Er)

The heat capacity C-P(T) of the ferromagnetic compounds RAl2 (R=Pr,Nd,Tb,Dy,Ho,Er) was measured at zero and applied magnetic field of 5 T in the temperature interval from 2 to 200 K. From these results are calculated the magnetic component of the entropy change, -Delta S-mag(T)=S(0,T)-S(H,T). From resistivity measurements, rho(H,T), from 2 to 300 K in the same compounds, we calculated the resistivity change due to the applied magnetic field, -Delta rho(mag)(T)=[rho(mag)(0,T)-rho(mag)(H,T)]. The results are compared and we observed a similar dependence between -Delta rho(mag)(T) and (T/T-C)(m)Delta S-mag(T) with m=0 for T >= T-C and m=1 for T <= T-C. A simple model using a Hamiltonian considering molecular and crystalline electric fields, in a mean field approximation, is adopted for the calculus. Our results show that theory and experiment are in good agreement showing that the magnetoresistivity is a probe to the field-induced change of magnetic entropy in these compounds and can be extended to other materials. A model for the factor connecting both quantities, -Delta S-mag(T) and -Delta rho(mag)(T), is developed. This factor contains mainly the effective exchange integral which is related to Fermi energy that in turn is related to the electron effective mass.741

Pathotypic diversity of Hyaloperonospora brassicae collected from Brassica oleracea

Downy mildew caused by Hyaloperonospora brassicae is an economically destructive disease of brassica crops in many growing regions throughout the world. Specialised pathogenicity of downy mildews from different Brassica species and closely related ornamental or wild relatives has been described from host range studies. Pathotypic variation amongst Hyaloperonospora brassicae isolates from Brassica oleracea has also been described; however, a standard set of B. oleracea lines that could enable reproducible classification of H. brassicae pathotypes was poorly developed. For this purpose, we examined the use of eight genetically refined host lines derived from our previous collaborative work on downy mildew resistance as a differential set to characterise pathotypes in the European population of H. brassicae. Interaction phenotypes for each combination of isolate and host line were assessed following drop inoculation of cotyledons and a spectrum of seven phenotypes was observed based on the level of sporulation on cotyledons and visible host responses. Two host lines were resistant or moderately resistant to the entire collection of isolates, and another was universally susceptible. Five lines showed differential responses to the H. brassicae isolates. A minimum of six pathotypes and five major effect resistance genes are proposed to explain all of the observed interaction phenotypes. The B. oleracea lines from this study can be useful for monitoring pathotype frequencies in H. brassicae populations in the same or other vegetable growing regions, and to assess the potential durability of disease control from different combinations of the predicted downy mildew resistance genes

Cycling Rate-Induced Spatially-Resolved Heterogeneities in Commercial Cylindrical Li-Ion Batteries

Synchrotron high-energy X-ray diffraction computed tomography has been employed to investigate, for the first time, commercial cylindrical Li-ion batteries electrochemically cycled over the two cycling rates of C/2 and C/20. This technique yields maps of the crystalline components and chemical species as a cross-section of the cell with high spatiotemporal resolution (550 × 550 images with 20 × 20 × 3 µm3 voxel size in ca. 1 h). The recently developed Direct Least-Squares Reconstruction algorithm is used to overcome the well-known parallax problem and led to accurate lattice parameter maps for the device cathode. Chemical heterogeneities are revealed at both electrodes and are attributed to uneven Li and current distributions in the cells. It is shown that this technique has the potential to become an invaluable diagnostic tool for real-world commercial batteries and for their characterization under operating conditions, leading to unique insights into “real” battery degradation mechanisms as they occur

Magnetocaloric effect in GdGeSi compounds measured by the acoustic detection technique: Influence of composition and sample treatment

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)In this paper we explore the acoustic detection method applied to the investigation of the magnetocaloric effect in Gd and Gd(5)(Ge(1-x)Si(x))(4) compounds, in the temperature range from 230 to 360 K and for magnetic fields up to 20 kOe. Measurements were performed in as-cast materials, both for powder and pellet samples, and in tree samples with compositions around Gd(5)Ge(2)Si(2) that underwent different thermal treatments. Small differences were observed when comparing powder and pellet samples of Gd and Gd(5)(Ge(1-x)Si(x))(4) compounds with 0.500<x <= 1.00. For the alloys with composition around Gd(5)Ge(2)Si(2), which exhibit giant magnetostriction and coexistence of distinct phases, expressive changes were observed when comparing powder and pellet samples. Based on these cases, it is easy to see that the acoustic method can distinguish a second-order phase transition from a first-order magnetic-crystallographic one, and that it presents good sensitivity to detect spurious material phase in small quantities. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3357375]1077Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)FAEPEX-UnicampFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES