Lithium colloids and color center creation in electron-irradiated Li2NH observed by electron-spin resonance

4 pagesInternational audienceWe have irradiated Li2NH powder with MeV electrons at room temperature and investigated the introduced defects with electron spin resonance. CESR indicates the presence of nanosize metallic Li colloids seen as a Lorentzian line with a g = 2.0023 and a line width DeltaH = 50 microT. A second, broader, signal (DeltaH = 3 to 4 mT) appears superimposed upon the Li line at low T (Curie-type behavior) which exhibits complex T-dependence with a break near 180 K for its g-value and DeltaH. We are suggesting for the latter a vacancy-type defect in the NH-sublattice, with freezing of its H-component below 180 K. When heated both the Li colloids and the color centers anneal around 100 C probably due to hydrogen evolution and subsequent chemical degradation

Magnetization measurements on Li2Pd3B superconductor

Magnetization in DC magnetic fields and at different temperatures have been measured on the Li2Pd3B compound. This material was recently found to show superconductivity at 7-8K. Critical fields Hc1(0) and Hc2(0) have been determined to be 135Oe and 4T, respectively. Critical current density, scaling of the pinning force within the Kramer model and the irreversibility field data are presented. Several superconductivity parameters were deduced: x(csi)=9.1 nm, l(lamda)=194nm and k=21. The material resembles other boride superconductors from the investigated points of view.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

First-principles study on the intermediate compounds of LiBH4_4

We report the results of the first-principles calculation on the intermediate compounds of LiBH$_4$. The stability of LiB$_3$H$_8$ and Li$_2$B$_n$H$_n (n=5-12)$ has been examined with the ultrasoft pseudopotential method based on the density functional theory. Theoretical prediction has suggested that monoclinic Li$_2$B$_{12}$H$_{12}$ is the most stable among the candidate materials. We propose the following hydriding/dehydriding process of LiBH$_4$ via this intermediate compound : LiBH$_4 \leftrightarrow {1/12}$Li$_{2}$B$_{12}$H$_{12} + {5/6}$ LiH $+ {13/12}$H$_2 \leftrightarrow$LiH $+$ B $+ {3/2}$H$_2$. The hydrogen content and enthalpy of the first reaction are estimated to be 10 mass% and 56 kJ/mol H$_2$, respectively, and those of the second reaction are 4 mass% and 125 kJ/mol H$_2$. They are in good agreement with experimental results of the thermal desorption spectra of LiBH$_4$. Our calculation has predicted that the bending modes for the $\Gamma$-phonon frequencies of monoclinic Li$_2$B$_{12}$H$_{12}$ are lower than that of LiBH$_4$, while stretching modes are higher. These results are very useful for the experimental search and identification of possible intermediate compounds.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, submitted to PR

CANGAROO-III Observation of TeV Gamma Rays from the vicinity of PSR B1 706-44

Observation by the CANGAROO-III stereoscopic system of the Imaging Cherenkov Telescope has detected extended emission of TeV gamma rays in the vicinity of the pulsar PSR B1706$-$44. The strength of the signal observed as gamma-ray-like events varies when we apply different ways of emulating background events. The reason for such uncertainties is argued in relevance to gamma-rays embedded in the "off-source data", that is, unknown sources and diffuse emission in the Galactic plane, namely, the existence of a complex structure of TeV gamma-ray emission around PSR B1706$-$44.Comment: 10 pages, 13 figures, to be published in Ap