A K-band spectral mini-survey of Galactic B[e] stars

We present a mini-survey of Galactic B[e] stars mainly undertaken with the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). B[e] stars show morphological features with hydrogen emission lines and an infrared excess, attributed to warm circumstellar dust. In general, these features are assumed to arise from dense, non-spherical, disk-forming circumstellar material in which molecules and dust can condensate. Due to the lack of reliable luminosities, the class of Galactic B[e] stars contains stars at very different stellar evolutionary phases like Herbig AeBe, supergiants or planetary nebulae. We took near-infrared long-slit K-band spectra for a sample of Galactic B[e] stars with the LBT-Luci I. Prominent spectral features, such as the Brackett gamma line and CO band heads are identified in the spectra. The analysis shows that the stars can be characterized as evolved objects. Among others we find one LBV candidate (MWC314), one supergiant B[e] candidate with 13CO (MWC137) and in two cases (MWC623 and AS 381) indications for the existence of a late-type binary companion, complementary to previous studies. For MWC84, IR spectra were taken at different epochs with LBT-Luci I and the GNIRS spectrograph at the Gemini North telescope. The new data show the disappearance of the circumstellar CO emission around this star, previously detectable over decades. Also no signs of a recent prominent eruption leading to the formation of new CO disk emission are found during 2010 and 2013.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS (in press

Residual stress induced stabilization of martensite phase and its effect on the magneto-structural transition in Mn rich Ni-Mn-In/Ga magnetic shape memory alloys

The irreversibility of the martensite transition in magnetic shape memory alloys (MSMAs) with respect to external magnetic field is one of the biggest challenges that limits their application as giant caloric materials. This transition is a magneto-structural transition that is accompanied with a steep drop in magnetization (i.e., 'delta M') around the martensite start temperature (Ms) due to the lower magnetization of the martensite phase. In this communication, we show that 'delta M' around Ms in Mn rich Ni-Mn based MSMAs gets suppressed by two orders of magnitude in crushed powders due to the stabilization of the martensite phase at temperatures well above the Ms and the austenite finish (Af) temperatures due to residual stresses. Analysis of the intensities and the FWHM of the x-ray powder diffraction patterns reveals stabilized martensite phase fractions as 97, 75 and 90% with corresponding residual microstrains as 5.4, 5.6 and 3% in crushed powders of the three different Mn rich Ni-Mn alloys, namely, Mn1.8Ni1.8In0.4, Mn1.75Ni1.25Ga and Mn1.9Ni1.1Ga, respectively. Even after annealing at 773 K, the residual stress stabilised martensite phase does not fully revert to the equilibrium cubic austenite phase as the magneto-structural transition is only partially restored with reduced value of 'delta M'. Our results have very significant bearing on application of such alloys as inverse magnetocaloric and barocaloric materials

Deformation of NaCoF3 perovskite and post-perovskite up to 30 GPa and 1013 K: implications for plastic deformation and transformation mechanism

Texture, plastic deformation, and phase transformation mechanisms in perovskite and post-perovskite are of general interest for our understanding of the Earth's mantle. Here, the perovskite analogue NaCoF3 is deformed in a resistive-heated diamond anvil cell (DAC) up to 30 GPa and 1013 K. The in situ state of the sample, including crystal structure, stress, and texture, is monitored using X-ray diffraction. A phase transformation from a perovskite to a post-perovskite structure is observed between 20.1 and 26.1 GPa. Normalized stress drops by a factor of 3 during transformation as a result of transient weakening during the transformation. The perovskite phase initially develops a texture with a maximum at 100 and a strong 010 minimum in the inverse pole figure of the compression direction. Additionally, a secondary weaker 001 maximum is observed later during compression. Texture simulations indicate that the initial deformation of perovskite requires slip along (100) planes with significant contributions of {110} twins. Following the phase transition to post-perovskite, we observe a 010 maximum, which later evolves with compression. The transformation follows orientation relationships previously suggested where the c axis is preserved between phases and hh0 vectors in reciprocal space of post-perovskite are parallel to [010] in perovskite, which indicates a martensitic-like transition mechanism. A comparison between past experiments on bridgmanite and current results indicates that NaCoF3 is a good analogue to understand the development of microstructures within the Earth's mantle

Allanite at high pressure : effect of REE on the elastic behaviour of epidote-group minerals

The compressional behaviour of a natural allanite from Lago della Vecchia (upper Cervo valley, Italy) metagranitoids [A1(Ca0.69Fe0.312+)\u3a31.00A2(Ca0.46Ce0.24La0.12Sm0.02Pr0.05Nd0.09Th0.02)\u3a31.00M1(Al0.65Fe0.343+Ti0.02)\u3a31.01M2(Al0.99)M3(Fe0.543+Fe0.362+Mg0.06Ti0.024+Al0.01)\u3a30.99Si1,Si2,Si3(Si2.80Al0.20)\u3a33.00O11(OH,O)] has been investigated up to 16 GPa (at 298 K) by means of in situ synchrotron single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Experiments have been conducted under hydrostatic conditions, using a diamond anvil cell and the mix methanol:ethanol:water = 16:3:1 (up to 10 GPa) and neon (up to 16 GPa) as pressure-transmitting media. No phase transition has been observed within the pressure-range investigated. Data collected in decompression prove that, at least up to 16 GPa (at 298 K), the deformation mechanisms are fully reversible. A third-order Birch\u2013Murnaghan Equation of State (BM-EoS) was fitted to the P\u2013V data (up to 10 GPa), giving: V0 = 470.2(2) \uc53, KP0,T0 = 131(4) GPa and K\u2032= 1.9(8). The evolution of the lattice parameters with pressure shows a slight anisotropic compression pattern, with KP0,T0(a):KP0,T0(b):KP0,T0(c) = 1.24:1.52:1. The monoclinic \u3b2-angle decreases monotonically with pressure, with: \u3b2P(\ub0) = \u3b2P0\u2013 0.0902(4)P (R2 = 0.997, with P in GPa). The main deformation mechanisms at the atomic scale are described based on a series of structure refinements at different pressures. A comparison between the compressional behavior of allanite, epidote and clinozoisite is carried out

High-pressure behavior and phase stability of Na2B4O6(OH)2·3H2O (kernite)

The high-pressure behavior of kernite [ideally Na2B4O6(OH)2\ub73H2O, a ~ 7.02 \u212b, b ~ 9.16 \u212b, c ~ 15.68 \u212b, \u3b2 = 108.9\ub0, Sp Gr P21/c, at ambient conditions], an important B-bearing raw material (with B2O3 48 51 wt%) and a potential B-rich aggregate in radiation shielding materials, has been studied by single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction up to 14.6 GPa. Kernite undergoes an iso-symmetric phase transition at 1.6-2.0 GPa (to kernite-II). Between 6.6-7.5 GPa, kernite undergoes a second phase transition, possibly iso-symmetric in character (to kernite-III). The crystal structure of kernite-II was solved and refined. The isothermal bulk modulus (KV0 = \u3b2-1 P0,T0, where \u3b2P0,T0 is the volume compressibility coefficient) of the ambient-pressure polymorph of kernite was found to be KV0 = 29(1) GPa and a marked anisotropic compressional pattern, with K(a)0: K(b)0: K(c)0~1:3:1.5., was observed. In kernite-II, the KV0 increases to 43.3(9) GPa and the anisotropic compressional pattern increases pronouncedly. The mechanisms, at the atomic scale, which govern the structure deformation, have been described

Universal phase transitions of B1 structured stoichiometric transition-metal carbides

The high-pressure phase transitions of B1-structured stoichiometric transition metal carbides (TMCs, TM=Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, and Ta) were systematically investigated using ab initio calculations. These carbides underwent universal phase transitions along two novel phase-transition routes, namely, B1\rightarrowdistorted TlI (TlI')\rightarrowTlI and/or B1\rightarrowdistorted TiB (TiB')\rightarrowTiB, when subjected to pressures. The two routes can coexist possibly because of the tiny enthalpy differences between the new phases under corresponding pressures. Four new phases result from atomic slips of the B1-structured parent phases under pressure. After completely releasing the pressure, taking TiC as a representative of TMCs, only its new TlI'-type phase is mechanically and dynamically stable, and may be recovered.Comment: [email protected]

Pressure, stress, and strain distribution in the double-stage diamond anvil cell

Double stage diamond anvil cells (DAC) of two designs have been assembled and tested. We used a standard symmetric DAC as a primary stage and CVD microanvils machined by a focused ion beam - as a second. We evaluated pressure, stress, and strain distributions in Au and Fe-Au samples as well as in secondary anvils using synchrotron x-ray diffraction with a micro-focused beam. A maximum pressure of 240 GPa was reached independent of the first stage anvil culet size. We found that the stress field generated by the second stage anvils is typical of conventional DAC experiments. The maximum pressures reached are limited by strains developing in the secondary anvil and by cupping of the first stage diamond anvil in the presented experimental designs. Also, our experiments show that pressures of several megabars may be reached without sacrificing the first stage diamond anvils

Thermomechanical response of thickly tamped targets and diamond anvil cells under pulsed hard x-ray irradiation

In the laboratory study of extreme conditions of temperature and density, the exposure of matter to high intensity radiation sources has been of central importance. Here, we interrogate the performance of multi-layered targets in experiments involving high intensity, hard x-ray irradiation, motivated by the advent of extremely high brightness hard x-ray sources, such as free electron lasers and 4th-generation synchrotron facilities. Intense hard x-ray beams can deliver significant energy in targets having thick x-ray transparent layers (tampers) around samples of interest for the study of novel states of matter and materials’ dynamics. Heated-state lifetimes in such targets can approach the microsecond level, regardless of radiation pulse duration, enabling the exploration of conditions of local thermal and thermodynamic equilibrium at extreme temperature in solid density matter. The thermal and mechanical responses of such thick layered targets following x-ray heating, including hydrodynamic relaxation and heat flow on picosecond to millisecond timescales, are modeled using radiation hydrocode simulation, finite element analysis, and thermodynamic calculations. Assessing the potential for target survival over one or more exposures and resistance to damage arising from heating and resulting mechanical stresses, this study doubles as an investigation into the performance of diamond anvil high pressure cells under high x-ray fluences. Long used in conjunction with synchrotron x-ray radiation and high power optical lasers, the strong confinement afforded by such cells suggests novel applications at emerging high intensity x-ray facilities and new routes to studying thermodynamic equilibrium states of warm, very dense matter