3,707 research outputs found
Development and evaluation of die and container materials
X = 0.75 Beta prime Sialon (a silicon aluminum oxynitride) and Sibeon (silicon beryllium oxynitride) are promising die materials. In sessile drop tests in contact with molten silicon, beryllium contamination was less than ppm and aluminum contamination 50 ppm. A shaping die of the Sialon material was successfully fabricated. Dry milling studies for the preparation of Si3N4-Al2O3-ALN mixtures were performed with butanol, acetic anhydride, oleic acid, and triethanolamine milling aids. Optimum mixing was achieved with 0.15 percent triethanolamine using a milling time of 8 hours. Preliminary evaluation of Sibeon materials indicates that they are more resistent to molten silicon attack than Sialon. Silicon contamination from the beryllium was less than aluminum contamination even though the aluminum impurity level in the Sibeon was only 450 to 1300 ppm. Work designed to produce an aluminum-free Sibeon is described
The effect of pre-exposure on family resemblance categorization for stimuli of varying levels of perceptual difficulty
This study investigated the effect that pre-exposure to a set of stimuli has on the prevalence of family resemblance categorization. 64 participants were tested to examine the effect that pre-exposure type (same-stimuli vs unrelated-stimuli) and the perceptual difficulty of the stimuli (perceptually similar vs perceptually different) has on categorization strategy. There was a significant effect of perceptual difficulty, indicating that perceptually different stimuli evoked a higher level of family resemblance sorting than perceptually similar stimuli. There was no significant main effect of pre-exposure type; however, there was a significant interaction between pre-exposure type and level of perceptual difficulty. Post-hoc tests revealed that this interaction was the result of an increase in family resemblance sorting for the perceptually different stimuli under relevant preexposure but no such effect for perceptually similar stimuli. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed
Vesignieite: a kagome antiferromagnet with dominant third-neighbor exchange
The spin- kagome antiferromagnet is an archetypal frustrated
system predicted to host a variety of exotic magnetic states. We show using
neutron scattering measurements that deuterated vesignieite
BaCuVO(OD), a fully stoichiometric kagome
magnet with 1% lattice distortion, orders magnetically at
K into a multi-k coplanar variant of the predicted triple-k
octahedral structure. We find this structure is stabilized by a dominant
antiferromagnetic 3-neighbor exchange with minor
1- or 2--neighbour exchange. The spin-wave
spectrum is well described by a -only model including a tiny symmetric
exchange anisotropy
Toward Perfection: Kapellasite, Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2, a New Model S = 1/2 Kagome Antiferromagnet
The search for the resonating valence bond (RVB) state continues to underpin
many areas of condensed matter research. The RVB is made from the dimerisation
of spins on different sites into fluctuating singlets, and was proposed by
Anderson to be the reference state from which the transition to BCS
superconductivity occurs. Little is known about the state experimentally, due
to the scarcity of model materials. Theoretical work has put forward the S =
1/2 kagome antiferromagnet (KAFM) as a good candidate for the realization of
the RVB state. In this paper we introduce a new model system, the S = 1/2 KAFM
Kapellasite, Cu3Zn(OH)6Cl2. We show that its crystal structure is a good
approximation to a 2-dimensional kagome antiferromagnet and that susceptibility
data indicate a collapse of the magnetic moment below T = 25 K that is
compatible with the spins condensing into the non-magnetic RVB state.Comment: Communication, 3 pages, 3 figure
Prototype Backscatter Moessbauer Spectrometer for Measurement of Martian Surface Mineralogy
We have designed and successfully tested a prototype of a backscatter Moessbauer spectrometer (BaMS) targeted for use on the Martian surface to (1) determine oxidation states of iron, and (2) identify and determine relative abundances of iron-bearing mineralogies. No sample preparation is required to perform measurements; it is only necessary to bring sample and instrument into physical contact. The prototype meets our projected specification for a flight instrument in terms of mass, power, and volume. A Moessbauer spectrometer on the Martian surface would provide wide variety of information about the current state of the Martian surface, and this information is described
Aging in a topological spin glass
We have examined the nonconventional spin glass phase of the 2-dimensional
kagome antiferromagnet (H_3 O) Fe_3 (SO_4)_2 (OH)_6 by means of ac and dc
magnetic measurements. The frequency dependence of the ac susceptibility peak
is characteristic of a critical slowing down at Tg ~ 18K. At fixed temperature
below Tg, aging effects are found which obey the same scaling law as in spin
glasses or polymers. However, in clear contrast with conventional spin glasses,
aging is remarkably insensitive to temperature changes. This particular type of
dynamics is discussed in relation with theoretical predictions for highly
frustrated non-disordered systems.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
The Optical Polarization and Warm Absorber in IRAS 17020+4544
We report the detection of ionized absorption in the ASCA spectrum of the
narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy IRAS 17020+4544. Subsequent optical
spectropolarimetry revealed high polarization increasing from 3% in the red to
5% in the blue, indicating electron or dust scattering as a likely origin. The
broad emission line H is somewhat less polarized than the continuum,
supporting a location of the polarizing material within the AGN. The Balmer
line decrement and reddened optical spectrum support the presence of a dusty
warm absorber in this object.
We compared the broad band optical polarization and ionized X-ray absorption
of a collection of Seyfert 1 and 1.5 galaxies, excluding classes of objects
that are likely to have significant neutral X-ray absorption. Warm absorber
objects are generally more likely to have high optical polarization than
objects with no detected ionized absorption. This result lends additional
support to the idea that the warm absorber is associated with dust and implies
either that dust transmission is responsible for at least part of the
polarization or that the polarization is revealed because of the dimming of the
optical spectrum. Spectropolarimetry of Seyfert 1s generally locates the
scattering material inside the narrow-line region and often close to or within
the broad line region, consistent with estimates of the location of the dusty
warm absorber.Comment: 11 pages using (AASTeX) aaspp4.sty and 3 Postscript figures. Accepted
for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letter
Are "EIT Waves" Fast-Mode MHD Waves?
We examine the nature of large-scale, coronal, propagating wave fronts (``EIT
waves'') and find they are incongruous with solutions using fast-mode MHD
plane-wave theory. Specifically, we consider the following properties:
non-dispersive single pulse manifestions, observed velocities below the local
Alfven speed, and different pulses which travel at any number of constant
velocities, rather than at the ``predicted'' fast-mode speed. We discuss the
possibility of a soliton-like explanation for these phenomena, and show how it
is consistent with the above-mentioned aspects.Comment: to be published in the Astrophysical Journa
Moessbauer Spectroscopy for Lunar Resource Assessment: Measurement of Mineralogy and Soil Maturity
First-order assessment of lunar soil as a resource includes measurement of its mineralogy and maturity. Soils in which the mineral ilmenite is present in high concentrations are desirable feedstock for the production of oxygen at a lunar base. The maturity of lunar soils is a measure of their relative residence time in the upper 1 mm of the lunar surface. Increasing maturity implies increasing load of solar wind species (e.g., N, H, and He-3), decreasing mean grain size, and increasing glass content. All these physicochemical properties that vary in a regular way with maturity are important parameters for assessing lunar soil as a resource. For example, He-3 can be extracted and potentially used for nuclear fusion. A commonly used index for lunar soil maturity is I(sub s)/FeO, which is the concentration of fine-grained metal determined by ferromagnetic resonance (I(sub s)) normalized to the total iron content (as FeO). I(sub s)/FeO has been measured for virtually every soil returned by the Apollo and Luna missions to the Moon. Because the technique is sensitive to both oxidation state and mineralogy, iron Moessbauer spectroscopy (FeMS) is a viable technique for in situ lunar resource assessment. Its utility for mineralogy is apparent from examination of published FeMS data for lunar samples. From the data published, it can be inferred that FeMS data can also be used to determine soil maturity. The use of FeMS to determine mineralogy and maturity and progress on development of a FeMS instrument for lunar surface use are discussed
The 3D printing of a polymeric electrochemical cell body and its characterisation
An undivided flow cell was designed and constructed using additive manufacturing technology and its mass transport characteristics were evaluated using the reduction of ferricyanide, hexacyanoferrate (III) ions at a nickel surface. The dimensionless mass transfer correlation Sh = aRebScdLee was obtained using the convective-diffusion limiting current observed in linear sweep voltammetry; this correlation compared closely with that reported in the literature from traditionally machined plane parallel rectangular flow channel reactors. The ability of 3D printer technology, aided by computational graphics, to rapidly and conveniently design, manufacture and re-design the geometrical characteristics of the flow cell ishighlighted
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