Dielectric Study of Nematic LC Built with Bent-Core Molecules

Here we report results of the study of bent-core (BC) cybotactic nematic LC by dielectric spectroscopy and electro-optic measurements. In the absence of electric field, this material is uniaxial and exhibits only one relaxation process corresponding to the fluctuations of the polar clusters. The application of the external electric field induces biaxialityandthesecondrelaxationprocessappearsinthedielectricspectra.Thisisassigned to the collective mode. Possible models for cluster transformation under electric field are discussed

Low energy magnetic excitation spectrum of the unconventional ferromagnet CeRh3_{3}B2_{2}

The magnetic excitation spectrum of the unconventional ferromagnet CeRh$_{3}$B$_{2}$ was measured by inelastic neutron scattering on single crystal sample in the magnetically ordered and paramagnetic phases. The spin-wave excitation spectrum evidences high exchange interaction along the c-axis about two orders of magnitude higher than the ones in the basal plane of the hexagonal structure. Both strong out of plane and small in plane anisotropies are found. This latter point confirms that considering the $J$=5/2 multiplet alone is not adequate for describing the ground state of CeRh$_{3}$B$_{2}$. Quasielastic scattering measured above $T_{Curie}$ is also strongly anisotropic between the basal plane and the c-axis and suggests localized magnetism.Comment: 8 Figure

Occurrence of Five Different Orthogonal Smectic Phases in a Bent-Core (BC) Liquid Crystal

Five orthogonal smectic phases (Sm-A, Sm-Ab, Sm-APR, Sm-APAR, and Sm-APA) were observed in a 4-cyanoresorcinol bisbenzoate with twoterephthalate–based wings achiral bent-core(BC) compound. The phase behavior was investigated by polarising optical microscopy, second harmonic electro-optic response(EO2) and dielectric spectroscopy. The field dependent biaxiality of polar and non-polar Sm-A phases was studied. It is obviously of enormous scientific significance and practical interest to find five different orthogonal smectic phases in a low molecular weight bent-core (BC) compound at relatively low temperatures

The field strength necessary for the formation of blue jets in the middle atmosphere

The formation of blue jets in air at low pressures is simulated using an apokamp discharge. The field strength is measured in the discharge channel. Assuming the applicability of similarity laws to gas discharges, the field strength in a storm cloud during the formation of blue jets is assessed to be from 6 x 1010 to 1.9 x 109 V/m, which is much higher than the values characteristic of the development of cloud-to-ground lightning discharges. A hypothesis is suggested that excess magnitudes of characteristic fields is among features of high-voltage pulsed discharge within a cloud, which results in the formation of blue jets at altitudes of about 12-18 k

Laboratory demonstration in the air red and blue mini-jets

The properties of apokamps (miniature plasma jets) with length up to 60 cm at low pressures are studied. It is shown that several properties of apokamps resembles that ones for large-scale transient luminous events (sprites, starters and blue jets) observed in the Earth upper atmosphere. The images and spectra of apokamps in these conditions are presented. For the first time red downward directed mini jets in air at pressures of fraction of Torr were obtained

Flexoelectric Polarization Studies in Bent-Core Nematic Liquid Crystals

The flexoelectric polarization (Pf) of four bent-core nematic liquid crystals (LCs) has been measured using the pyroelectric effect. Hybrid aligned nematic cells are fabricated for measuring the pyroelectric response over the entire range of the nematic phase. It is found that the magnitude of flexoelectric polarization Pf and the sum of the flexoelectric coefficients |e1 +e3| for the bent-core LCs studied here are three to six times higher than for the calamitics. Pf is found to depend on the transverse dipole moment of LC molecules. However,|e1 +e3| values are by no means giant as |e3| alone had been reported for a bent-core nematic system previously. The dependence of the sum of “splay and bend flexoelectric coefficients” is discussed in terms of the shape of the molecule and of the dipole moment directed normal to the molecular axis

On the question of the source of the apokamp

The object of this work is the apokamp—a new type of plasma jet, which is formed from a bright offshoot emerging at the bending point of a channel of a high-voltage pulse-periodic discharge under conditions where the electrodes have a capacitive decoupling with the ground. The aim of this work is the identification of distinctive properties of the offshoot in comparison with the apokamp. The differences in the spectra of the offshoot and plasma jet (apokamp) were detected experimentally in air under normal conditions. The results of the previous studies, according to which the apokamp is a wave of ionization, were confirmed. The launch of a helium plasma jet from the offshoot of the pulse-periodic discharge in a mode of the apokamp forming was demonstrated experimentally. It was shown that the offshoot of high-voltage pulsed discharge in the mode with the apokamp is a medium that is strongly heated and conducting electric current

Dielectric barrier discharge KrCl - and XeCl-excilamps radiation power control by pressure jump method

The energy dissipation processes in dielectric barrier discharge KrCl- and XeCl-excilamps at various voltage, frequencies and pulse duration are revealed by a pressure jump method. It is offered and tested a way of radiation power calculation in conditions of non-uniform filling of device bulb by discharge plasma. The previous data (Pikulev A.A., Sosnin E.A., 2010-2013) are confirmed. The regularity was formulated: conditions of maximal ultraviolet radiation power corresponds to conditions of maximal heat release in plasma. © (2015) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only