Coupled phase transformations and plastic flows under torsion at high pressure in rotational diamond anvil cell: Effect of contact sliding

A three-dimensional large-sliding contact model coupled with strain-induced phase transformations (PTs) and plastic flow in a disk-like sample under torsion at high pressure in rotational diamond anvil cell (RDAC) is formulated and studied. Coulomb and plastic friction are combined and take into account variable parameters due to PT. Results are obtained for weaker, equal-strength, and stronger high pressure phases, and for three values of the kinetic coefficient in a strain-controlled kinetic equation and friction coefficient. All drawbacks typical of problem with cohesion are overcome, including eliminating mesh-dependent shear band and artificial plastic zones. Contact sliding intensifies radial plastic flow, which leads to larger reduction in sample thickness. Larger plastic strain and increased pressure in the central region lead to intensification of PT. However, the effect of the reduction in the friction coefficient on PT kinetics is nonmonotonous. Sliding increases away from the center and with growing rotation and is weakly dependent on the kinetic coefficient. Also, cyclic back and forth torsion is studied and compared to unidirectional torsion. Multiple experimental phenomena, e.g., pressure self-multiplication effect, steps (plateaus) at pressure distribution, flow to the center of a sample, and oscillatory pressure distribution for weaker high-pressure phase, are reproduced and interpreted. Reverse PT in high pressure phase that flowed to the low pressure region is revealed. Possible misinterpretation of experimental PT pressure is found. Obtained results represent essential progress toward understanding of strain-induced PTs under compression and shear in RDAC and may be used for designing experiments for synthesis of new high pressure phases and reduction in PT pressure for known phases, as well as for determination of PT kinetics from experiments

Strain-induced phase transformation under compression in a diamond anvil cell: Simulations of a sample and gasket

Combined high pressure phase transformations (PTs) and plastic flow in a sample within a gasket compressed in diamond anvil cell (DAC) are studied for the first time using finite element method. The key point is that phase transformations are modelled as strain-induced, which involves a completely different kinetic description than for traditional pressure-induced PTs. The model takes into account, contact sliding with Coulomb and plastic friction at the boundaries between the sample, gasket, and anvil. A comprehensive computational study of the effects of the kinetic parameter, ratio of the yield strengths of high and low-pressure phases and the gasket, sample radius, and initial thickness on the PTs and plastic flow is performed. A new sliding mechanism at the contact line between the sample, gasket, and anvil called extrusion-based pseudoslip is revealed, which plays an important part in producing high pressure. Strain-controlled kinetics explains why experimentally determined phase transformation pressure and kinetics (concentration of high pressure phase vs. pressure) differ for different geometries and properties of the gasket and the sample: they provide different plastic strain, which was not measured. Utilization of the gasket changes radial plastic flow toward the center of a sample, which leads to high quasi-homogeneous pressure for some geometries. For transformation to a stronger high pressure phase, plastic strain and concentration of a high-pressure phase are also quasi-homogeneous. This allowed us to suggest a method of determining strain-controlled kinetics from experimentation, which is not possible for weaker and equal-strength high-pressure phases and cases without a gasket. Some experimental phenomena are reproduced and interpreted. Developed methods and obtained results represent essential progress toward the understanding of PTs under compression in the DAC. This will allow one optimal design of experiments and conditions for synthesis of new high pressure phases

Plastic flows and phase transformations in materials under compression in diamond anvil cell: Effect of contact sliding

Modeling of coupled plastic flows and strain-induced phase transformations (PTs) under high pressure in a diamond anvil cell is performed with the focus on the effect of the contact sliding between sample and anvils. Finite element software ABAQUS is utilized and a combination of Coulomb friction and plastic friction is considered. Results are obtained for PTs to weaker, equal-strength, and stronger high pressure phases, using different scaling parameters in a strain-controlled kinetic equation, and with various friction coefficients. Compared to the model with cohesion, artificial shear banding near the constant surface is eliminated. Sliding and the reduction in friction coefficient intensify radial plastic flow in the entire sample (excluding a narrow region near the contact surface) and a reduction in thickness. A reduction in the frictioncoefficient to 0.1 intensifies sliding and increases pressure in the central region. Increases in both plastic strain and pressure lead to intensification of strain-induced PT. The effect of self-locking of sliding is revealed. Multiple experimental phenomena are reproduced and interpreted. Thus, plastic flow and PT can be controlled by controlling friction

Strain-induced phase transformations under compression, unloading, and reloading in a diamond anvil cell

Strain-induced phase transformations (PTs) in a sample under compression, unloading, and reloading in a diamond anvil cell are investigated in detail, by applying finite element method. In contrast to previous studies, the kinetic equation includes the pressure range in which both direct and reverse PTs occur simultaneously. Results are compared to the case when “no transformation” region in the pressure range exists instead, for various values of the kinetic parameters and ratios of the yield strengths of low and high pressure phases. Under unloading (which has never been studied before), surprising plastic flow and reverse PT are found, which were neglected in experiments and change interpretation of experimental results. They are caused both by heterogeneous stress redistribution and transformation-induced plasticity. After reloading, the reverse PT continues followed by intense direct PT. However, PT is less pronounced than after initial compression and geometry of transformed zone changes. In particular, a localized transformed band of a weaker high pressure phase does not reappear in comparison with the initial compression. A number of experimental phenomena are reproduced and interpreted

High-precision measurement of the half-life of 62^{62}Ga

The beta-decay half-life of 62Ga has been studied with high precision using on-line mass separated samples. The decay of 62Ga which is dominated by a 0+ to 0+ transition to the ground state of 62Zn yields a half-life of T_{1/2} = 116.19(4) ms. This result is more precise than any previous measurement by about a factor of four or more. The present value is in agreement with older literature values, but slightly disagrees with a recent measurement. We determine an error weighted average value of all experimental half-lives of 116.18(4) ms.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in PR

First observation of 54Zn and its decay by two-proton emission

The nucleus 54Zn has been observed for the first time in an experiment at the SISSI/LISE3 facility of GANIL in the quasi-fragmentation of a 58Ni beam at 74.5 MeV/nucleon in a natNi target. The fragments were analysed by means of the ALPHA-LISE3 separator and implanted in a silicon-strip detector where correlations in space and time between implantation and subsequent decay events allowed us to generate almost background free decay spectra for about 25 different nuclei at the same time. Eight 54Zn implantation events were observed. From the correlated decay events, the half-life of 54Zn is determined to be 3.2 +1.8/-0.8 ms. Seven of the eight implantations are followed by two-proton emission with a decay energy of 1.48(2) MeV. The decay energy and the partial half-life are compared to model predictions and allow for a test of these two-proton decay models.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in PR

Bulk Nanocrystalline Thermoelectrics Based on Bi-Sb-Te Solid Solution

A nanopowder from p-Bi-Sb-Te with particles ~ 10 nm were fabricated by the ball milling using different technological modes. Cold and hot pressing at different conditions and also SPS process were used for consolidation of the powder into a bulk nanostructure and nanocomposites. The main factors allowing slowing-down of the growth of nanograins as a result of recrystallization are the reduction of the temperature and of the duration of the pressing, the increase of the pressure, as well as addition of small value additives (like MoS2, thermally expanded graphite or fullerenes). It was reached the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT=1.22 (at 360 K) in the bulk nanostructure Bi0,4Sb1,6Te3 fabricated by SPS method. Some mechanisms of the improvement of the thermoelectric efficiency in bulk nanocrystalline semiconductors based on BixSb2-xTe3 are studied theoretically. The reduction of nanograin size can lead to improvement of the thermoelectric figure of merit. The theoretical dependence of the electric and heat conductivities and the thermoelectric power as the function of nanograins size in BixSb2-xTe3 bulk nanostructure are quite accurately correlates with the experimental data.Comment: 35 pages, 24 figures, 4 tables, 52 reference

Superconducting thin films of MgB2 on (001)-Si by pulsed laser deposition

Superconducting thin films have been prepared on Si-substrates, using pulsed laser deposition from a target composed of a mixture of Mg and MgB2 powders. The films were deposited at room temperature and post-annealed at 600 degrees C. The zero resistance transition temperatures were 12 K, with an onset transition temperature of 27 K. Special care has been taken to avoid oxidation of Mg in the laser plasma and deposited film, by optimizing the background pressure of Ar gas in the deposition chamber. For this the optical emission in the visible range from the plasma has been used as indicator. Preventing Mg from oxidation was found to be essential to obtain superconducting films

Coupling running through the Looking-Glass of dimensional Reduction

The dimensional reduction, in a form of transition from four to two dimensions, was used in the 90s in a context of HE Regge scattering. Recently, it got a new impetus in quantum gravity where it opens the way to renormalizability and finite short-distance behavior. We consider a QFT model $g\,\varphi^4\,$ with running coupling defined in both the two domains of different dimensionality; the \gbar(Q^2)\, evolutions being duly conjugated at the reduction scale $\,Q\sim M.$ Beyond this scale, in the deep UV 2-dim region, the running coupling does not increase any more. Instead, it {\it slightly decreases} and tends to a finite value \gbar_2(\infty) \,< \, \gbar_2(M^2)\, from above. As a result, the global evolution picture looks quite peculiar and can propose a base for the modified scenario of gauge couplings behavior with UV fixed points provided by dimensional reduction instead of leptoquarks.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures,Version to match the one which (besides the Appendix) will appear in "Particles and Nuclei (PEPAN), Letters", v.7, No 6(162) 2010 pp 625-631. Slightly edited, one more reference and related numerical estimate adde