The neutron and its role in cosmology and particle physics

Experiments with cold and ultracold neutrons have reached a level of precision such that problems far beyond the scale of the present Standard Model of particle physics become accessible to experimental investigation. Due to the close links between particle physics and cosmology, these studies also permit a deep look into the very first instances of our universe. First addressed in this article, both in theory and experiment, is the problem of baryogenesis ... The question how baryogenesis could have happened is open to experimental tests, and it turns out that this problem can be curbed by the very stringent limits on an electric dipole moment of the neutron, a quantity that also has deep implications for particle physics. Then we discuss the recent spectacular observation of neutron quantization in the earth's gravitational field and of resonance transitions between such gravitational energy states. These measurements, together with new evaluations of neutron scattering data, set new constraints on deviations from Newton's gravitational law at the picometer scale. Such deviations are predicted in modern theories with extra-dimensions that propose unification of the Planck scale with the scale of the Standard Model ... Another main topic is the weak-interaction parameters in various fields of physics and astrophysics that must all be derived from measured neutron decay data. Up to now, about 10 different neutron decay observables have been measured, much more than needed in the electroweak Standard Model. This allows various precise tests for new physics beyond the Standard Model, competing with or surpassing similar tests at high-energy. The review ends with a discussion of neutron and nuclear data required in the synthesis of the elements during the "first three minutes" and later on in stellar nucleosynthesis.Comment: 91 pages, 30 figures, accepted by Reviews of Modern Physic

Epoxy composites with increased operational characteristics, filled with dispersed mineral fillers

The aim of this work is to increase the physicochemical, deformation and strength properties and to reduce the combustibility of composites on the base of epoxy resin by introducing a oligo(resorcinophenyl phosphate) with terminal phenyl groups Fyrolflex - modifier of polyfunctional action, and disperse mineral fillers – diorite and chromite. Result of the studies established that the optimum amount of modifier in the composition of the epoxy resin is 40 mass parts, which provides an increase in the operational properties of the composites: the breaking stress at bending increases by 2 times, the breaking stress at compression increases by 28%, the impact strength increases twice, while the modulus of elasticity and hardness of composites slightly decrease. The addition of modifier into the epoxy polymer provides an increase in heat resistance from 86 to 132–156 °C, also it improves the thermal stability of the composite, which manifests itself in a shift from the initial temperature to higher temperatures (from 200 to 230 °C), while it is noticed furthermore that yield of carbonized Structures was risen from 40 to 54%, providing less release of volatile pyrolysis products into the gas phase, which leads to the decrease in flammability of the epoxy composite and it can be shown in the reduction of its loss in mass while cauterizing in air from 78 to about 4.7% and an increase in the oxygen index from 19 to 28% by volume what transfers the material into class with low flammability. The rational content of diorite and chromite (100 parts by weight of chromite and 50 parts by mass of diorite) is chosen as a filler, which ensures an increase in physical and mechanical characteristics and a reduction in the cost of production: the breaking stress increases by 15–30% and the elastic modulus at bending increases 3.5–4.5 times, the breaking stress increases by 35%, and the tensile modulus by 50–240%, the hardness increases by 68–95%, while the impact strength remains at the level of the unfilled plasticized composite. In addition, it is proved that the addition of both diorite and chromite provides an increase in the thermal and heat resistance of epoxy composites, also lowers combustibility of the epoxy composite: the weight loss at ignition in air is reduced to 1.2–2.2% and the oxygen index rises from 28 to 30–35% by volume, thus the material does not support combustion in air and belongs to the class of hardly flammable. The study was carried out with the financial support of a grant for young scientists of the SSTU named after Gagarin Yu.A. (project SGTU-287)

Chromium doped NH2(CH3)2Ga(SO4)2 × 6H2O crystal – representative of a new family of magnetoelectric materials

The paper is devoted to the detailed study of electric and magnetic properties and magnetoelectric interactions in NH _2 (CH _3 ) _2 Ga(SO _4 ) _2  × 6H _2 O crystals doped with chromium—DMAGaS:Cr. The temperature dependence of the specific heat revealed clear evidence of a series of phase transitions related to the electric dipoles ordering. The different types of the DMA cation ordering in the structure of DMAGaS:Cr were evidenced in the temperature evolution of the EPR spectra. In addition, a considerable magnetoelectric coupling was demonstrated within the paramagnetic and ferroelectric phase of DMAGaS:Cr crystal. In the narrow temperature range in the vicinity of the Curie point, this crystal was found to possess the largest values of the coefficient of ME interaction as well as the largest magnetodielectric effect within the family of ferroics with organic cation. The model describing the ME effect was proposed. The magnetic field through the magnetostriction effect changes the level of the local lattice deformations caused by metal ion substitution. The applied magnetic field changes Cr-Cr distances and modifies the hydrogen bonds and process of DMA group ordering, affecting spontaneous polarization