330 research outputs found
Intrinsic nano-diffusion-couple for studying high temperature diffusion in multi-component superalloys
We present a new approach for the quantitative study of high-temperature diffusion in compositionally complex superalloys on the nano-scale. As key element, the approach utilizes the γ/γ\u27-microstructure itself as intrinsic nano-diffusion-couple (NDC). By establishing equilibrium at one temperature followed by annealing at a different temperature, well-defined transient states are generated which are studied using STEM-EDXS. We demonstrate this approach for a multi-component superalloy of CMSX-4 type. The temporal evolution of element concentrations is consistently revealed for γ- and γ\u27-forming elements and is compared to diffusion simulations based on DICTRA. Excellent agreement is obtained for Ni, Co, and Cr whereas diffusion of Al and, in particular, Re lacks behind in experiment. Finally, it is demonstrated that transient states can also be captured by in situ TEM using chip-based heating devices. The NDC approach offers great opportunities for diffusion studies in compositionally complex superalloys and might be extended to other two-phase multi-component systems
Thermo-photo degradation of 2-propanol using a composite ceria-titania catalyst: Physico-chemical interpretation from a kinetic model
This work describes a study carried out to construct and determine a kinetic formalism for the gas-phase degradation of 2-propanol using a combined thermo-photo based process. Outstanding catalytic performance was observed for a composite ceria-titania system with respect its parent ceria and titania reference systems. Thermo-photo as well as parallel photo- and thermal-alone experiments were carried out to interpret catalytic behavior. The kinetic experiments were conducted using a continuous flow reactor free of internal and external mass-heat transfer and designed using a Box-Behnken formalism. The kinetic expression developed for the thermo-photo degradation process explicitly includes the effect of the photon absorption in the reaction rate and leads to a mathematical formula with two components having different physico-chemical nature. This fact is used to settle down a fitting procedure using two steps (two separated experimental sets of data concerning temperature, light intensity, oxygen, water and/or 2-propanol concentrations) with, respectively, four and three parameters. The kinetic formalism was validated by fitting the experimental data from these two independent experiments, rendering a good agreement with the model predictions. The parameters coming from the kinetic modelling allow an interpretation of the catalytic properties of the ceria-titania catalyst, quantifying separately its enhanced performance (with respect to its parent systems) in the photonic and thermal components for the process. The procedure is applicable to a wide variety of thermo-photo processes in order to contribute to the understanding of their physical roots
Coherent Acoustic Perturbation of Second-Harmonic-Generation in NiO
We investigate the structural and magnetic origins of the unusual ultrafast
second-harmonicgeneration (SHG) response of femtosecond-laser-excited nickel
oxide (NiO) previously attributed to oscillatory reorientation dynamics of the
magnetic structure induced by d-d excitations. Using time-resolved x-ray
diffraction from the (3/2 3/2 3/2) magnetic planes, we show that changes in the
magnitude of the magnetic structure factor following ultrafast optical
excitation are limited to = 1.5% in the first 30 ps. An
extended investigation of the ultrafast SHG response reveals a strong
dependence on wavelength as well as characteristic echoes, both of which give
evidence for an acoustic origin of the dynamics. We therefore propose an
alternative mechanism for the SHG response based on perturbations of the
nonlinear susceptibility via optically induced strain in a spatially confined
medium. In this model, the two observed oscillation periods can be understood
as the times required for an acoustic strain wave to traverse one coherence
length of the SHG process in either the collinear or anti-collinear geometries.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figure
Ultrafast relaxation dynamics of the antiferrodistortive phase in Ca doped SrTiO3
The ultrafast dynamics of the octahedral rotation in Ca:SrTiO3 is studied by
time resolved x-ray diffraction after photo excitation over the band gap. By
monitoring the diffraction intensity of a superlattice reflection that is
directly related to the structural order parameter of the soft-mode driven
antiferrodistortive phase in Ca:SrTiO3, we observe a ultrafast relaxation on a
0.2 ps timescale of the rotation of the oxygen octahedron, which is found to be
independent of the initial temperaure despite large changes in the
corresponding soft-mode frequency. A further, much smaller reduction on a
slower picosecond timescale is attributed to thermal effects. Time-dependent
density-functional-theory calculations show that the fast response can be
ascribed to an ultrafast displacive modification of the soft-mode potential
towards the normal state, induced by holes created in the oxygen 2p states
Dynamic pathway of the photoinduced phase transition of TbMnO
We investigate the demagnetization dynamics of the cycloidal and sinusoidal
phases of multiferroic TbMnO by means of time-resolved resonant soft x-ray
diffraction following excitation by an optical pump. Using orthogonal linear
x-ray polarizations, we suceeded in disentangling the response of the
multiferroic cycloidal spin order from the sinusoidal antiferromagnetic order
in the time domain. This enables us to identify the transient magnetic phase
created by intense photoexcitation of the electrons and subsequent heating of
the spin system on a picosecond timescale. The transient phase is shown to be a
spin density wave, as in the adiabatic case, which nevertheless retains the
wave vector of the cycloidal long range order. Two different pump photon
energies, 1.55 eV and 3.1 eV, lead to population of the conduction band
predominantly via intersite - transitions or intrasite -
transitions, respectively. We find that the nature of the optical excitation
does not play an important role in determining the dynamics of magnetic order
melting. Further, we observe that the orbital reconstruction, which is induced
by the spin ordering, disappears on a timescale comparable to that of the
cycloidal order, attesting to a direct coupling between magnetic and orbital
orders. Our observations are discussed in the context of recent theoretical
models of demagnetization dynamics in strongly correlated systems, revealing
the potential of this type of measurement as a benchmark for such complex
theoretical studies
Ultrafast Laser-Induced Melting of Long-Range Magnetic Order in Multiferroic TbMnO3
We performed ultrafast time-resolved near-infrared pump, resonant soft X-ray
diffraction probe measurements to investigate the coupling between the
photoexcited electronic system and the spin cycloid magnetic order in
multiferroic TbMnO3 at low temperatures. We observe melting of the long range
antiferromagnetic order at low excitation fluences with a decay time constant
of 22.3 +- 1.1 ps, which is much slower than the ~1 ps melting times previously
observed in other systems. To explain the data we propose a simple model of the
melting process where the pump laser pulse directly excites the electronic
system, which then leads to an increase in the effective temperature of the
spin system via a slower relaxation mechanism. Despite this apparent increase
in the effective spin temperature, we do not observe changes in the wavevector
q of the antiferromagnetic spin order that would typically correlate with an
increase in temperature under equilibrium conditions. We suggest that this
behavior results from the extremely low magnon group velocity that hinders a
change in the spin-spiral wavevector on these time scales.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure
Choroidal malignant melanoma treated with ruthenium plaque (own experience)
The authors present the results of treatment in 15 cases of melanoma malignum chorioideae treated with brachytherapy using ruthenium plaque on the basis of ultrasonographic and clinical evaluation
Stan Scheller: The Forerunner of Clinical Studies on Using Propolis for Poor and Chronic Nonhealing Wounds
For hundreds of years poor and chronic nonhealing wounds have constituted a serious problem to medicine. What is more, treating such wounds is an expensive let alone a long-lasting process. The following paper describes Professor Scheller's achievements in using propolis for poor and chronic non-healing wounds. The authors' intention was to present the results connected with the use of the ethanolic extract propolis, in the treatment of patients suffering from burns, venous crural ulceration, local sacral bone pressure ulcers, suppurative osteitis and arthritis, suppurative postoperative local wound complications, and infected traumatic wounds
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