Measurement of average particle size in metal powders by microwave cavity perturbation in the magnetic field

The magnetic absorption of metallic powders, particularly at microwave frequencies, is of great theoretical and practical interest and has been the subject of previous research examining the dependence of absorption on the ratio of the particle skin depth to radius. Here, the validity of the theoretical approach concerning the peak in the absorption spectrum is verified using a 3D simulation of a hexagonal, close-packed particle matrix. Clear experimental data is given for the real and imaginary parts of the magnetic permeability of metal alloy powders (Ti6Al4V), of varying size, obtained by using the cavity perturbation technique across three separate frequencies in the GHz range. The results are shown to be congruent with existing theory. Further verification of the absorption peak is given by the testing of the powder at lowered conductivity by elevating the temperature. The results demonstrate the applicability of the relatively simple microwave cavity perturbation approach to the determination of the average particle size in a metal powder when compared with other, more complex and time-consuming methods

Non-linear Microwave Surface Impedance of Epitaxial HTS Thin Films in Low DC Magnetic Fields

We have carried out non-linear microwave (8 GHz) surface impedance measurements of three YBaCuO thin films in dc magnetic fields $H_{dc}$ (parallel to c axis) up to 12 mT using a coplanar resonator technique. In zero dc field the three films, deposited by the same method, show a spread of low-power residual surface resistance, $R_{res}$ and penetration depth, $\lambda$ (T=15 K) within a factor of 1.9. However, they exhibit dramatically different microwave field, $H_{rf}$ dependences of the surface resistance, $R_s$, but universal $X_s(H_{rf})$ dependence. Application of a dc field was found to affect not only absolute values of $R_s$ and $X_s$, but the functional dependences $R_s(H_{rf})$ and $X_s(H_{rf})$ as well. For some of the samples the dc field was found to decrease $R_s$ below its zero-field low-power value.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. To be published in IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., June 199

Temperature correction for cylindrical cavity perturbation measurements

The need for accurate material property measurements using microwave cavities requires a form of compensation to correct for changes in temperature and other external influences. This paper details a method for temperature correcting microwave cavity perturbation measurements by monitoring two modes; one which is perturbed by the sample and one which is not (referred to as a nodal mode). The nodal modes used (TM310 and TE311 for an axial sample in a cylindrical cavity) are subject only to sample-independent influences. To demonstrate this technique, the bulk permittivity of a PTFE rod has been measured under varying temperature conditions. The results show that without correction, the measured temperature-dependent dielectric constant has large variations associated with the stepped and linear temperature ramping procedures. The corrected response mitigates systematic errors in the real part. However, the correction of the imaginary part requires careful consideration of the mode coupling strength. This paper demonstrates the importance of temperature correction in dynamic cavity perturbation experiments

Plantations, not farmlands, cause biotic homogenisation of ground-active beetles in South-Eastern Australia

Following landscape change, species invasions and extinctions may lead to biotic homogenisation, resulting in increased taxonomic and functional similarity between previously distinct biotas. Biotic homogenisation is more likely to occur in landscapes where the matrix contrasts strongly with native vegetation patches. To test this, we examined the distribution of ground-active beetles in a landscape of remnant Eucalyptus open woodland patches where large areas of lower contrast matrix (farmland) are being transformed to high-contrast pine plantations in south-eastern Australia. We sampled beetles from 30 sites including six replicates of five categories; (1) remnants adjacent to farmland, (2) remnants adjacent to plantation, (3) farmland, (4) plantation, and, (5) remnants between pine plantation and farmland. Community composition in the pine matrix was similar to native patches embedded in pine (ANOSIM, Global R=. 0.49, P<. 0.000), which we suggest is due to biotic homogenisation. Remnant patches with edges of both farmland and pine plantation did not represent an intermediate community composition between patches surrounded by either matrix type, but rather a unique habitat with unique species. Farmland supported the greatest number of individuals (. F=. 9.049, df. =. 25, P<. 0.000) and species (. F=. 5.875, df. =. 25, P=. 0.002), even compared to native remnant patches. Our results suggest that matrix transformations can reduce species richness and homogenise within-patch populations. This may increase the risk of species declines in fragmented landscapes where plantations are not only replacing native vegetation patches, but also other matrix types that may better support biodiversity. Our findings are particularly concerning given expanding plantation establishment worldwide

A new growth model for red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) that accommodates seasonal and ontogenic changes in growth rates

The red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) is a popular gamefish found throughout the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and along the eastern seaboard as far north as Massachusetts. Juvenile red drum grow extremely rapidly, especially during the warmer months, but adults grow very little. In fact, the change in growth with age is so abrupt that the standard von Bertalanffy curve has proven inadequate— the predicted lengths of younger fish are generally too large and the predicted lengths of older fish too small (see Beckman et al., 1988; Murphy and Taylor, 1990)

Dual mode microwave microfluidic sensor for temperature variant liquid characterization

A dual mode, microstrip, microfluidic sensor was designed, built, and tested, which has the ability to measure a liquid's permittivity at 2.5 GHz and, simultaneously, compensate for temperature variations. The active liquid volume is small, only around 4.5 μL. The sensor comprises two quarter ring microstrip resonators, which are excited in parallel. The first of these is a microfluidic sensor whose resonant frequency and quality factor depend on the dielectric properties of a liquid sample. The second is used as a reference to adjust for changes in the ambient temperature. To validate this method, two liquids (water and chloroform) have been tested over a temperature range from 23 °C to 35 °C, with excellent compensation results

Unusual microwave response and bulk conductivity of very thin fese0.3te0.7 films as a function of temperature

Results of X-band microwave surface impedance measurements of FeSe1-xTex very thin film are reported. The effective surface resistance shows appearance of peak at T less and near Tc when plotted as function of temperature. The authors suggests that the most well-reasoned explanation can be based on the idea of the changing orientation of the microwave magnetic field at a SN phase transition near the surface of a very thin film. The magnetic penetration depth exhibits a power-law behavior of delta lambda proportional to T with an exponent n = 2.4 at low temperatures, which is noticeably higher than in the published results on FeSe1-xTexsingle crystal. However the temperature dependence of the superfluid conductivity remains very different from the behavior described by the BCS theory. Experimental results are fitted very well by a two-gap model with delta1/kTc=0.43 and delta2/kTc=1.22,thus supporting s(+-)- wave symmetry. The rapid increase of the quasiparticle scattering time is obtained from the microwave impedance measurements.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figure

Linear Temperature Variation of the Penetration Depth in YBCO Thin Films

We have measured the penetration depth $\lambda(T)$ on $\rm YBa_{2}Cu_{3}O_{7}$ thin films from transmission at 120, 330 and 510~GHz, between 5 and 50~K. Our data yield simultaneously the absolute value and the temperature dependence of $\lambda(T)$. In high quality films $\lambda(T)$ exhibits the same linear temperature dependence as single crystals, showing its intrinsic nature, and $\lambda(0)=1750\,{\rm \AA}$. In a lower quality one, the more usual $T^2$ dependence is found, and $\lambda(0)=3600\,{\rm \AA}$. This suggests that the $T^2$ variation is of extrinsic origin. Our results put the $d$-wave like interpretation in a much better position.Comment: 12 pages, revtex, 4 uuencoded figure