100 research outputs found
Crystallographic disorder and electron scattering on structural two-level systems in ZrAs1.4Se0.5
Single crystals of ZrAs1.4Se0.5 (PbFCl type structure) were grown by chemical
vapour transport. While their thermodynamic and transport properties are
typical for ordinary metals, the electrical resistivity exhibits a shallow
minimum at low temperatures. Application of strong magnetic fields does not
influence this anomaly. The minimum of the resistivity in ZrAs1.4Se0.5
apparently originates from interaction between the conduction electrons and
structural two-level systems. Significant disorder in the As-Se substructure is
inferred from X-ray diffraction and electron microprobe studies
Nucleation of a sodium droplet on C60
We investigate theoretically the progressive coating of C60 by several sodium
atoms. Density functional calculations using a nonlocal functional are
performed for NaC60 and Na2C60 in various configurations. These data are used
to construct an empirical atomistic model in order to treat larger sizes in a
statistical and dynamical context. Fluctuating charges are incorporated to
account for charge transfer between sodium and carbon atoms. By performing
systematic global optimization in the size range 1<=n<=30, we find that Na_nC60
is homogeneously coated at small sizes, and that a growing droplet is formed
above n=>8. The separate effects of single ionization and thermalization are
also considered, as well as the changes due to a strong external electric
field. The present results are discussed in the light of various experimental
data.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figure
Rough Fibrils Provide a Toughening Mechanism in Biological Fibers
Spider silk is a fascinating
natural composite material. Its combination
of strength and toughness is unrivalled in
nature, and as a result, it has gained considerable
interest from the medical, physics,
and materials communities. Most of this
attention has focused on the one to tens of
nanometer scale: predominantly the primary
(peptide sequences) and secondary (ÎČ sheets,
helices, and amorphous domains) structure, with some insights into tertiary structure (the
arrangement of these secondary structures) to describe the origins of the mechanical and
biological performance. Starting with spider silk, and relating our findings to collagen fibrils,
we describe toughening mechanisms at the hundreds of nanometer scale, namely, the fibril
morphology and its consequences for mechanical behavior and the dissipation of energy.
Under normal conditions, this morphology creates a nonslip fibril kinematics, restricting
shearing between fibrils, yet allowing controlled local slipping under high shear stress,
dissipating energy without bulk fracturing. This mechanism provides a relatively simple target
for biomimicry and, thus, can potentially be used to increase fracture resistance in synthetic
materials
The Conservation Status of Marine Bony Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean
The greater Caribbean biogeographic region covered in this report (representing 38 countries and territories) encompasses an outstanding marine bony shorefish richness of approximately 1,360 species, with many (53%) being endemic. This report provides an overview of the conservation status of greater Caribbean shorefishes, with detailed information available through the IUCN Red List, and gives recommendations
Advances in modelling of biomimetic fluid flow at different scales
The biomimetic flow at different scales has been discussed at length. The need of looking into the biological surfaces and morphologies and both geometrical and physical similarities to imitate the technological products and processes has been emphasized. The complex fluid flow and heat transfer problems, the fluid-interface and the physics involved at multiscale and macro-, meso-, micro- and nano-scales have been discussed. The flow and heat transfer simulation is done by various CFD solvers including Navier-Stokes and energy equations, lattice Boltzmann method and molecular dynamics method. Combined continuum-molecular dynamics method is also reviewed
In-situ AFM Experiments with Discontinuous DIC Applied to Damage Identification in Biomaterials
International audienceNatural materials (e.g. nacre, bone, and spider silk) exhibit unique and outstanding mechanical properties. This performance is due to highly evolved hierarchical designs. Building a comprehensive understanding of the multi-scale mechanisms that enable this performance represents a critical step toward realizing strong and tough bio-inspired materials. This paper details a multi-scale experimental investigation into the toughening mechanisms in natural nacre. By applying extended digital image correlation and other image processing techniques, quantitative information is extracted from otherwise prodominantly qualitative experiments. In situ three point bending fracture tests are performed to identify and quantify the toughening mechanisms involved during the fracture of natural nacre across multiple length scales. At the macro and micro scales, fracture tests performed in situ with a macro lens and optical microscope enable observation of spreading of damage outward from the crack tip. This spreading is quantified using an iso-contour technique to assess material toughness. At the nanoscale, fracture tests are performed in situ an atomic force microscope to link the larger-scale damage spreading to sliding within the tablet-based microstructure. To quantify the magnitude of sliding and its distribution, images from the in situ AFM fracture tests are analyzed using new algorithms based on digital image correlation techniques which allow for discontinuous displacement fields. Ultimately, this comprehensive methodology provides a framework for broad experimental investigations into the failure mechanisms of bio- and bio-inspired materials
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