High temperature internal friction in a Ti–46Al–1Mo–0.2Si intermetallic, comparison with creep behaviour

Advanced gamma-TiAl based intermetallics Mo-bearing have been developed to obtain the fine-grained microstructure required for superplastic deformation to be used during further processing. In the present work we have studied an alloy of Ti-46.8Al-1Mo-0.2Si (at%) with two different microstructures, ascast material with a coarse grain size above 300 mu m, and the hot extruded material exhibiting a grain size smaller than 20 mu m. We have used a mechanical spectrometer especially developed for high temperature internal friction measurements to study the defect mobility processes taking place at high temperature. The internal friction spectra at different frequencies has been studied and analyzed up to 1360 K in order to characterize the relaxation processes appearing in this temperature range. A relaxation peak, with a maximum in between 900 K and 1080 K, depending on the oscillating frequency, has been attributed to Ti-atoms diffusion by the stress-induced reorientation of Al-V-Ti-Al elastic dipoles. The high temperature background in both microstructural states, as-cast and extruded, has been analyzed, measuring the apparent activation parameters, in particular the apparent energies of E-cast(IF) = 4.4 +/- 0.05 eV and E-ext(IF) = 4.75 +/- 0.05 eV respectively. These results have been compared to those obtained on the same materials by creep deformation. We may conclude that the activation parameters obtained by internal friction analysis, are consistent with the ones measured by creep. Furthermore, the analysis of the high temperature background allows establish the difference on creep resistance for both microstructural states. (c) 2015 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd.This work was supported by the Spanish MICINN project CONSOLIDER-INGENIO 2010 CSD2009-00013, as well as by the Consolidated Research Group IT-10-310 from the Education Department and the project ETORTEK ACTIMAT from the Industry Department of the Basque Governmen

Fotoblastismo negativo en la especie invasora Eschscholzia californica Cham. (Papaveraceae): Patrones de variación altitudinal en el rango nativo e introducido

Negative photoblastism is defined as the inhibitory effect of light on seed germination. This effect can be modulated by abiotic variables, such as temperature, light condition and water potential. This conditions change notoriously at higher altitudes, could promote differentiations in the photoblastic response among populations. Also, this physiological attribute poses an interesting conflict for plant regeneration, because prevents seed germination on the soil surface, however, it can also to reduce the mortality of seeds germinants in unsuitable conditions and consequently, seedling mortality. Eschscholzia californica is one of the few species with negative photoblastism and it is invasive in Chile, growing primarily in open and disturbed places. Some invasive species have the potential to adapt their morphological and ecophysiological characteristics faced to new environmental conditions. In this study, we examined variation in negative photoblastism between populations from central Chile (invasive) and California (native) located at the extremes of their altitudinal distribution. We used common garden experiments where seeds from different origins were germinated under controlled lab condition in Chile. If negative photoblastism is conserved, we would see similar responses among seeds original from this climatic analogues regions. Also, we evaluated whether seed burial increases seed germination of this species as a mechanism for escaping the intense luminosity at the soil surface, by planting seeds at different soil depths. For this experiment, we expected an increase of germination at higher soil depth. The results indicate no differences in negative photoblastism between Chilean and Californian populations. A significant variation across altitudinal range in California suggests the existence of genetic differentiation in the native region, however, the absence of differences across the altitudinal range in Chile suggests trait conservatism at local scale. Seed germination was zero at the soil surface and increased when seeds were experimentally buried, suggesting that negative photoblastism is inhibited. Three possible explanations are given to explain the pattern of establishment of E. californica despite having negative photoblastism. This is a fairly specialist trait, related with Mediterranean climates and does not explain by itself the invasiveness described for this specie. In any case, is clear that more studies are necessary to disentangle the adaptive value of this physiological trait.El fotoblastismo negativo es definido como el efecto inhibitorio de la luz sobre la germinación de las semillas. Este efecto puede ser modulado por variables abióticas, tales como temperatura, condición lumínica y potencial hídrico. Estas condiciones cambian notoriamente a mayores altitudes, pudiendo promover diferenciación en la respuesta fotoblástica entre poblaciones. Adicionalmente, este atributo fisiológico presenta un interesante conflicto para la regeneración de la planta, porque previene la germinación de las semillas sobre el suelo, sin embargo también puede reducir la mortalidad de semillas germinantes en condiciones desfavorables y consecuentemente, la mortalidad de plántulas. Eschscholzia californica es una de las pocas especies con fotoblastismo negativo y es invasora en Chile, creciendo primariamente en sitios abiertos e intervenidos. Algunas especies invasoras tienen el potencial de adaptar sus características morfológicas y fisiológicas enfrentadas a nuevas condiciones ambientales. En este estudio, examinamos la existencia de variación en el fotoblastismo negativo entre poblaciones de Chile central (invasivas) y California (nativas) localizadas en los extremos de su distribución altitudinal. Utilizamos experimentos de jardín común donde semillas de distintos orígenes fueron germinadas bajo condiciones controladas de laboratorio en Chile. Si el fotoblastismo negativo es conservado, observaríamos similares respuestas entre semillas originarias de estas regiones climáticas análogas. También evaluamos si el entierro de las semillas incrementa su germinación, como un mecanismo para escapar de la intensidad luminosa de la superficie, plantando semillas a diferentes profundidades del suelo. Los resultados indican que no hay diferencias en el fotoblastismo negativo entre las poblaciones de Chile y California. Una significativa variación a través del rango altitudinal de California sugiere la existencia de diferenciación genética en la región nativa, sin embargo, la ausencia de diferencias a través del rango altitudinal de Chile sugiere conservatismo del rasgo a escala local. La germinación de semillas fue cero en la superficie del suelo y se incrementó cuando las semillas fueron experimentalmente enterradas, sugiriendo que el fotoblastismo negativo es inhibido. Tres posibles explicaciones son entregadas para explicar el patrón de establecimiento de E. californica a pesar de poseer fotoblastismo negativo. Este es un rasgo bastante especialista, relacionado con climas mediterráneos y no explica por sí solo la invasibilidad descrita para esta especie. De todas formas, es claro que más estudios son necesarios para dilucidar el valor adaptativo de este atributo fisiológico

Calibration of the Logarithmic-Periodic Dipole Antenna (LPDA) Radio Stations at the Pierre Auger Observatory using an Octocopter

An in-situ calibration of a logarithmic periodic dipole antenna with a frequency coverage of 30 MHz to 80 MHz is performed. Such antennas are part of a radio station system used for detection of cosmic ray induced air showers at the Engineering Radio Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory, the so-called Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA). The directional and frequency characteristics of the broadband antenna are investigated using a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) carrying a small transmitting antenna. The antenna sensitivity is described by the vector effective length relating the measured voltage with the electric-field components perpendicular to the incoming signal direction. The horizontal and meridional components are determined with an overall uncertainty of 7.4^{+0.9}_{-0.3} % and 10.3^{+2.8}_{-1.7} % respectively. The measurement is used to correct a simulated response of the frequency and directional response of the antenna. In addition, the influence of the ground conductivity and permittivity on the antenna response is simulated. Both have a negligible influence given the ground conditions measured at the detector site. The overall uncertainties of the vector effective length components result in an uncertainty of 8.8^{+2.1}_{-1.3} % in the square root of the energy fluence for incoming signal directions with zenith angles smaller than 60{\deg}.Comment: Published version. Updated online abstract only. Manuscript is unchanged with respect to v2. 39 pages, 15 figures, 2 table

Azimuthal asymmetry in the risetime of the surface detector signals of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The azimuthal asymmetry in the risetime of signals in Auger surface detector stations is a source of information on shower development. The azimuthal asymmetry is due to a combination of the longitudinal evolution of the shower and geometrical effects related to the angles of incidence of the particles into the detectors. The magnitude of the effect depends upon the zenith angle and state of development of the shower and thus provides a novel observable, $(\sec \theta)_\mathrm{max}$, sensitive to the mass composition of cosmic rays above $3 \times 10^{18}$ eV. By comparing measurements with predictions from shower simulations, we find for both of our adopted models of hadronic physics (QGSJETII-04 and EPOS-LHC) an indication that the mean cosmic-ray mass increases slowly with energy, as has been inferred from other studies. However, the mass estimates are dependent on the shower model and on the range of distance from the shower core selected. Thus the method has uncovered further deficiencies in our understanding of shower modelling that must be resolved before the mass composition can be inferred from $(\sec \theta)_\mathrm{max}$.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Multi-resolution anisotropy studies of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory

We report a multi-resolution search for anisotropies in the arrival directions of cosmic rays detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory with local zenith angles up to $80^\circ$ and energies in excess of 4 EeV ($4 \times 10^{18}$ eV). This search is conducted by measuring the angular power spectrum and performing a needlet wavelet analysis in two independent energy ranges. Both analyses are complementary since the angular power spectrum achieves a better performance in identifying large-scale patterns while the needlet wavelet analysis, considering the parameters used in this work, presents a higher efficiency in detecting smaller-scale anisotropies, potentially providing directional information on any observed anisotropies. No deviation from isotropy is observed on any angular scale in the energy range between 4 and 8 EeV. Above 8 EeV, an indication for a dipole moment is captured; while no other deviation from isotropy is observed for moments beyond the dipole one. The corresponding $p$-values obtained after accounting for searches blindly performed at several angular scales, are $1.3 \times 10^{-5}$ in the case of the angular power spectrum, and $2.5 \times 10^{-3}$ in the case of the needlet analysis. While these results are consistent with previous reports making use of the same data set, they provide extensions of the previous works through the thorough scans of the angular scales.Comment: Published version. Added journal reference and DOI. Added Report Numbe

Ultrahigh-energy neutrino follow-up of Gravitational Wave events GW150914 and GW151226 with the Pierre Auger Observatory

On September 14, 2015 the Advanced LIGO detectors observed their first gravitational-wave (GW) transient GW150914. This was followed by a second GW event observed on December 26, 2015. Both events were inferred to have arisen from the merger of black holes in binary systems. Such a system may emit neutrinos if there are magnetic fields and disk debris remaining from the formation of the two black holes. With the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory we can search for neutrinos with energy above 100 PeV from point-like sources across the sky with equatorial declination from about -65 deg. to +60 deg., and in particular from a fraction of the 90% confidence-level (CL) inferred positions in the sky of GW150914 and GW151226. A targeted search for highly-inclined extensive air showers, produced either by interactions of downward-going neutrinos of all flavors in the atmosphere or by the decays of tau leptons originating from tau-neutrino interactions in the Earth's crust (Earth-skimming neutrinos), yielded no candidates in the Auger data collected within $\pm 500$ s around or 1 day after the coordinated universal time (UTC) of GW150914 and GW151226, as well as in the same search periods relative to the UTC time of the GW candidate event LVT151012. From the non-observation we constrain the amount of energy radiated in ultrahigh-energy neutrinos from such remarkable events.Comment: Published version. Added journal reference and DOI. Added Report Numbe

The Pierre Auger Observatory: Contributions to the 34th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2015)

Contributions of the Pierre Auger Collaboration to the 34th International Cosmic Ray Conference, 30 July - 6 August 2015, The Hague, The NetherlandsComment: 24 proceedings, the 34th International Cosmic Ray Conference, 30 July - 6 August 2015, The Hague, The Netherlands; will appear in PoS(ICRC2015

Evidence for a mixed mass composition at the `ankle' in the cosmic-ray spectrum

We report a first measurement for ultra-high energy cosmic rays of the correlation between the depth of shower maximum and the signal in the water Cherenkov stations of air-showers registered simultaneously by the fluorescence and the surface detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Such a correlation measurement is a unique feature of a hybrid air-shower observatory with sensitivity to both the electromagnetic and muonic components. It allows an accurate determination of the spread of primary masses in the cosmic-ray flux. Up till now, constraints on the spread of primary masses have been dominated by systematic uncertainties. The present correlation measurement is not affected by systematics in the measurement of the depth of shower maximum or the signal in the water Cherenkov stations. The analysis relies on general characteristics of air showers and is thus robust also with respect to uncertainties in hadronic event generators. The observed correlation in the energy range around the `ankle' at $\lg(E/{\rm eV})=18.5-19.0$ differs significantly from expectations for pure primary cosmic-ray compositions. A light composition made up of proton and helium only is equally inconsistent with observations. The data are explained well by a mixed composition including nuclei with mass $A > 4$. Scenarios such as the proton dip model, with almost pure compositions, are thus disfavoured as the sole explanation of the ultrahigh-energy cosmic-ray flux at Earth.Comment: Published version. Added journal reference and DOI. Added Report Numbe

Energy Estimation of Cosmic Rays with the Engineering Radio Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) is part of the Pierre Auger Observatory and is used to detect the radio emission of cosmic-ray air showers. These observations are compared to the data of the surface detector stations of the Observatory, which provide well-calibrated information on the cosmic-ray energies and arrival directions. The response of the radio stations in the 30 to 80 MHz regime has been thoroughly calibrated to enable the reconstruction of the incoming electric field. For the latter, the energy deposit per area is determined from the radio pulses at each observer position and is interpolated using a two-dimensional function that takes into account signal asymmetries due to interference between the geomagnetic and charge-excess emission components. The spatial integral over the signal distribution gives a direct measurement of the energy transferred from the primary cosmic ray into radio emission in the AERA frequency range. We measure 15.8 MeV of radiation energy for a 1 EeV air shower arriving perpendicularly to the geomagnetic field. This radiation energy -- corrected for geometrical effects -- is used as a cosmic-ray energy estimator. Performing an absolute energy calibration against the surface-detector information, we observe that this radio-energy estimator scales quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy as expected for coherent emission. We find an energy resolution of the radio reconstruction of 22% for the data set and 17% for a high-quality subset containing only events with at least five radio stations with signal.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO