144 research outputs found
Neutron Diffraction Study of Field Cooling Effects on Relaxor Ferroelectrics Pb[(Zn_{1/3} Nb_{2/3})_{0.92} Ti_{0.08}] O_{3}
High-temperature (T) and high-electric-field (E) effects on Pb[(Zn_{1/3}
Nb_{2/3})_{0.92} Ti_{0.08}]O_3 (PZN-8%PT) were studied comprehensively by
neutron diffraction in the ranges 300 <= T <= 550 K and 0 <= E <= 15 kV/cm. We
have focused on how phase transitions depend on preceding thermal and
electrical sequences. In the field cooling process (FC, E parallel [001] >= 0.5
kV/cm), a successive cubic (C) --> tetragonal (T) --> monoclinic (M_C)
transition was observed. In the zero field cooling process (ZFC), however, we
have found that the system does not transform to the rhombohedral (R) phase as
widely believed, but to a new, unidentified phase, which we call X. X gives a
Bragg peak profile similar to that expected for R, but the c-axis is always
slightly shorter than the a-axis. As for field effects on the X phase, we found
an irreversible X --> M_C transition via another monoclinic phase (M_A) as
expected from a previous report [Noheda et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 3891
(2001)]. At a higher electric field, we confirmed a c-axis jump associated with
the field-induced M_C --> T transition, which was observed by strain and x-ray
diffraction measurements.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, revise
National Bibliography and Bibliographical Control: A Symposium
published or submitted for publicatio
Energetics and Vibrational States for Hydrogen on Pt(111)
We present a combination of theoretical calculations and experiments for the
low-lying vibrational excitations of H and D atoms adsorbed on the Pt(111)
surface. The vibrational band states are calculated based on the full
three-dimensional adiabatic potential energy surface obtained from first
principles calculations. For coverages less than three quarters of a monolayer,
the observed experimental high-resolution electron peaks at 31 and 68meV are in
excellent agreement with the theoretical transitions between selected bands.
Our results convincingly demonstrate the need to go beyond the local harmonic
oscillator picture to understand the dynamics of this system.Comment: In press at Phys. Rev. Lett - to appear in April 200
Shedding light on plant litter decomposition: Advances, implications and new directions in understanding the role of photodegradation
Litter decomposition contributes to one of the largest fluxes of carbon (C) in the terrestrial biosphere and is a primary control on nutrient cycling. The inability of models using climate and litter chemistry to predict decomposition in dry environments has stimulated investigation of non-traditional drivers of decomposition, including photodegradation, the abiotic decomposition of organic matter via exposure to solar radiation. Recent work in this developing field shows that photodegradation may substantially influence terrestrial C fluxes, including abiotic production of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and methane, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Research has also produced contradictory results regarding controls on photodegradation. Here we summarize the state of knowledge about the role of photodegradation in litter decomposition and C cycling and investigate drivers of photodegradation across experiments using a meta-analysis. Overall, increasing litter exposure to solar radiation increased mass loss by 23% with large variation in photodegradation rates among and within ecosystems. This variation was tied to both litter and environmental characteristics. Photodegradation increased with litter C to nitrogen (N) ratio, but not with lignin content, suggesting that we do not yet fully understand the underlying mechanisms. Photodegradation also increased with factors that increased solar radiation exposure (latitude and litter area to mass ratio) and decreased with mean annual precipitation. The impact of photodegradation on C (and potentially N) cycling fundamentally reshapes our thinking of decomposition as a solely biological process and requires that we define the mechanisms driving photodegradation before we can accurately represent photodegradation in global C and N models. © 2012 US Government
- …