NMR Study of Disordered Inclusions in the Quenched Solid Helium

Phase structure of rapidly quenched solid helium samples is studied by the NMR technique. The pulse NMR method is used for measurements of spin-lattice $T_1$ and spin-spin $T_2$ relaxation times and spin diffusion coefficient $D$ for all coexisting phases. It was found that quenched samples are two-phase systems consisting of the hcp matrix and some inclusions which are characterized by $D$ and $T_2$ values close to those in liquid phase. Such liquid-like inclusions undergo a spontaneous transition to a new state with anomalously short $T_2$ times. It is found that inclusions observed in both the states disappear on careful annealing near the melting curve. It is assumed that the liquid-like inclusions transform into a new state - a glass or a crystal with a large number of dislocations. These disordered inclusions may be responsible for the anomalous phenomena observed in supersolid region.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Effect of temperature on the development of C-S-H during early hydration of C3S

International audienceIt is known that accelerating or retarding hydration of OPC by temperature has consequences on the final properties of concrete, the lower the temperature the higher the final compressive strength. It seems that this effect is related to the properties of the hydration layer formed at early age. Early hydration of C3S has then been studied at temperature ranging from 5 to 45°C in isothermal conditions. The percentage of hydration is estimated from calorimetric measurements and the surface developed by the growth of C-S-H is estimated from Nuclear Magnetic Relaxation Dispersion method. Both data are numerically simulated according to a C-S-H growth model described previously. The good agreement between the experimental and numerical data validates the C-S-H growth model on the tricalcium silicate surface. The higher the temperature, the denser the C-S-H layer is

Microstructure evolution of hydrated cement pastes

International audienceWe propose an original method based on both proton nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion and high-resolution NMR spectra to investigate the microstructure of synthesized Ca3SiO5-hydrated cement paste. This method allows a clear assessment of the local proton chemical sites as well as the determination of dynamical information of moving proton species in pores. We show also how the microstructure evolves during and after completion of hydration in a range of length scales between 2 and 500 nm. In particular, we show how the pore size distribution of the cement paste reaches progressively a power-law characteristic of a surface-fractal distribution with a dimension Df = 2.6, which takes into account the hierarchical order in the material. Last, we study how this pore size distribution is modified during setting by varying either the water-to-cement ratio or addition of ultrafine particles. This shows that our method could be relevant to relate the mechanical properties to the microstructure of the material. This proposed NMR method is general enough for the characterization of microstructure of any porous media with reactive surface involving water confinement

All optical method for investigation of spin and charge transport in semiconductors : combination of spatially and time-resolved luminescence

International audienceA new approach is demonstrated for investigating charge and spin diffusion as well as surface and bulk recombination in unpassivated doped semiconductors. This approach consists in using two complementary, conceptually related, techniques, which are time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) and spatially resolved microluminescence (μ PL) and is applied here to p + GaAs. Analysis of the sole TRPL signal is limited by the finite risetime. On the other hand, it is shown that joint TRPL and μ PL can be used to determine the diffusion constant, the bulk recombination time, and the spin relaxation time. As an illustration, the temperature variation of these quantities is investigated for p + GaAs

The Effect of the Lipid Layer on Tear Film Behaviour

This paper investigates the effect of surfactants during tear film deposition and subsequent thinning. The surfactants occur naturally on the surface of the tear film in the form of a lipid layer. A lubrication model is developed that describes lipid spreading and film height evolution. It is shown that lipids may play an important role in drawing the tear film up the cornea during the opening phase of the blink. Further, nonuniform distributions of lipids may lead to a rapid thinning of the tear film behind the advancing lipid front (shock). Experiments using a fluorescein dye technique and using a tearscope were undertaken in order to visualise the motion of the lipid layer and any associated shocks immediately after a blink. It is found that the lipid layer continues to spread upwards on the cornea after the opening phase of the blink, in agreement with the model. Using the experimental data, lipid particles were tracked in order to determine the surface velocity and these results are compared to the model predictions