7,316 research outputs found
Demixing kinetics of phase separated polymer solutions in microgravity
Phase separated solutions of two neutral polymers in buffer provide a useful and versatile medium for the partition separation of biological cells. However, the efficiency of such separations is orders of magnitude lower than the thermodynamic limit. To test the hypothesis that this inefficiency is at least partially due to the convection and sedimentation that occur during the gravity driven demixing that follows introduction of cells to the systems, a series of experiments were begun aimed at performing cell partition in a low g environment. Demixing of isopycnic three polymer solvent systems was studied, experiments were performed on KC-135 aircraft and one shuttle middeck experiment was completed. Analysis of the results of these experiments and comparisons with the predictions of scaling relations for the dependence of phase domain size on time, derived for a number of possible demixing mechanisms, are presented
Stuffed Rare Earth Pyrochlore Solid Solutions
Synthesis and crystal structures are described for the compounds
Ln2(Ti2-xLnx)O7-x/2, where Ln = Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, and x ranges from 0
to 0.67. Rietveld refinements on X-ray powder diffraction data indicate that in
Tb and Dy titanate pyrochlores, extra Ln3+ cations mix mainly on the Ti4+ site
with little disorder on the original Ln3+ site. For the smaller rare earths
(Ho-Lu), stuffing additional lanthanide ions results in a pyrochlore to defect
fluorite transition, where the Ln3+ and Ti4+ ions become completely randomized
at the maximum (x=0.67). In all of these Ln-Ti-O pyrochlores, the addition of
magnetic Ln3+ in place of nonmagnetic Ti4+ adds edge sharing tetrahedral spin
interactions to a normally corner sharing tetrahedral network of spins. The
increase in spin connectivity in this family of solid solutions represents a
new avenue for investigating geometrical magnetic frustration in the rare earth
titanate pyrochlores.Comment: 25 pages, 7 figures, submitted to J. Solid State Che
Demixing of aqueous polymer two-phase systems in low gravity
When polymers such as dextran and poly(ethylene glycol) are mixed in aqueous solution biphasic systems often form. On Earth the emulsion formed by mixing the phases rapidly demixes because of phase density differences. Biological materials can be purified by selective partitioning between the phases. In the case of cells and other particulates the efficiency of these separations appears to be somewhat compromised by the demixing process. To modify this process and to evaluate the potential of two-phase partitioning in space, experiments on the effects of gravity on phase emulsion demixing were undertaken. The behavior of phase systems with essentially identical phase densities was studied at one-g and during low-g parabolic aircraft maneuvers. The results indicate the demixing can occur rather rapidly in space, although more slowly than on Earth. The demixing process was examined from a theoretical standpoint by applying the theory of Ostwald ripening. This theory predicts demizing rates many orders of magnitude lower than observed. Other possible demixing mechanisms are considered
Anisotropic Release of the Residual Zero-point Entropy in the Spin Ice Compound Dy2Ti2O7: Kagome-ice Behavior
We report the specific heat and entropy of single crystals of the spin ice
compound Dy2Ti2O7 at temperatures down to 0.35 K. We apply magnetic fields
along the four characteristic directions: [100], [110], [111] and [112].
Because of Ising anisotropy, we observe anisotropic release of the residual
zero-point entropy, attributable to the difference in frustration
dimensionality. In the high magnetic field along these four directions, the
residual entropy is almost fully released and the activation entropy reaches
Rln2. However, in the intermediate field region, the entropy in fields along
the [111] direction is different from those for the other three field
directions. For the [111] direction the frustration structure changes from that
of three-dimensional(3D) pyrochlore to that of two-dimensional(2D) Kagome-like
lattice with constraint due to the ice rule, leading to different values of
zero-point entropy.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Maintaining friendships in early stage dementia: Factors to consider
Friendships and the importance of social connectiveness play a critical role in aging well, regardless of gender, race, social class, or impairment. Yet, dementia takes its toll on social relationships, and many friends withdraw and ‘disappear’, because they can no longer bear to see the changes that are taking place in their diagnosed friend. The dementia care literature documents this abandonment; however, this study examines the opposite occurrence. In order to understand more clearly the role of long-term friendships and how such friendships remain and continue, despite the diagnosis of dementia, this qualitative study examines in depth eight people in the early stages of dementia who have been able to maintain strong friendships despite the diagnosis. Factors that seem to play important roles are: (1) the importance of the friendships, (2) factors affecting the quality of the relationships, (3) mutually beneficial relationships, (4) core values, (5) acceptance and disclosure, and (6) recognition of strengths and understanding of limitations
Low Temperature Spin Freezing in Dy2Ti2O7 Spin Ice
We report a study of the low temperature bulk magnetic properties of the spin
ice compound Dy2Ti2O7 with particular attention to the (T < 4 K) spin freezing
transition. While this transition is superficially similar to that in a spin
glass, there are important qualitative differences from spin glass behavior:
the freezing temperature increases slightly with applied magnetic field, and
the distribution of spin relaxation times remains extremely narrow down to the
lowest temperatures. Furthermore, the characteristic spin relaxation time
increases faster than exponentially down to the lowest temperatures studied.
These results indicate that spin-freezing in spin ice materials represents a
novel form of magnetic glassiness associated with the unusual nature of
geometrical frustration in these materials.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figure
Low-temperature muon spin rotation studies of the monopole charges and currents in Y doped Ho2Ti2O7
In the ground state of Ho2Ti2O7 spin ice, the disorder of the magnetic moments follows the same rules as the proton disorder in water ice. Excitations take the form of magnetic monopoles that interact via a magnetic Coulomb interaction. Muon spin rotation has been used to probe the low-temperature magnetic behaviour in single crystal Ho2−xYxTi2O7 (x = 0, 0.1, 1, 1.6 and 2). At very low temperatures, a linear field dependence for the relaxation rate of the muon precession λ(B), that in some previous experiments on Dy2Ti2O7 spin ice has been associated with monopole currents, is observed in samples with x = 0, and 0.1. A signal from the magnetic fields penetrating into the silver sample plate due to the magnetization of the crystals is observed for all the samples containing Ho allowing us to study the unusual magnetic dynamics of Y doped spin ice
Characterization of doping levels in heteronuclear, gas-phase, van der Waals clusters and their energy absorption from an intense optical field
A simple mass spectrometric method has been developed to quantify dopant
levels in heteronuclear clusters in the gas phase. The method is demonstrated
with reference to quantification of the water content in supersonic beams of
water-doped argon clusters. Such doped clusters have assumed much importance in
the context of recently-reported doping-induced enhancement in the emission of
energetic charged particles and photons upon their interaction with intense
laser pulses. We have also measured the energy that a doped cluster absorbs
from the optical field; we find that energy absorption increases with
increasing level of doping. The oft-used linear model of energy absorption is
found to be quantitatively inadequate.Comment: To appear in Chemical Physics Letter
- …