Raman-based geobarometry of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks: applications, problems, and perspectives

Raman-based geobarometry has recently become increasingly popular because it is an elegant way to obtain information on peak metamorphic conditions or the entire pressure-temperature-time (P-T-t) path of metamorphic rocks, especially those formed under ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) conditions. However, several problems need to be solved to get reliable estimates of metamorphic conditions. In this paper we present some examples of difficulties which can arise during the Raman spectroscopy study of solid inclusions from ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks

Influence of tungsten nanoparticles on microstructure and mechanical properties of an Al-5%Mg alloy produced by casting

This paper investigates the impact of tungsten nanoparticles on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the Al-5Mg alloy. Tungsten concentrations of up to 0.5 wt.% led to a slight modification of the Al-5Mg alloy microstructure, and grain refinement occurred due to the inhibition of crystal growth along the boundaries. Dispersion hardening with tungsten nanoparticles made it possible to increase the ultimate strength by the Orowan mechanism with a simultaneous increase in the plasticity of the Al-5Mg alloy. An increase in the tungsten content to 0.8 wt.% made it possible to modify the microstructure of the Al-5Mg alloy, due to the formation of the Al12W phase and an increase in crystallisation centres. The modification of the microstructure, as well as dispersion strengthening by nanoparticles, led to a simultaneous increase in the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and ductility of the Al-5Mg alloy

Evaluation of the possibility of obtaining welded joints of plates from Al-Mg-Mn aluminum alloys, strengthened by the introduction of TiB2 particles

In the work, the possibility of obtaining strong welded joints of aluminum alloys modified with particles is demonstrated. For research, strengthened aluminum alloys of the Al-Mg-Mn system with the introduction of TiB2 particles were obtained. TiB2 particles in specially prepared Al-TiB master alloys obtained by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis were introduced ex situ into the melt according to an original technique using ultrasonic treatment. Plates from the studied cast alloys were butt-welded by one-sided welded joints of various depths. To obtain welded joints, the method of electron beam welding was used. Mechanical properties of the studied alloys and their welded joints under tension were studied. It was shown that the introduction of particles resulted in a change in the internal structure of the alloys, characterized by the formation of compact dendritic structures and a decrease in the average grain size from 155 to 95 µm. The change in the internal structure due to the introduction of particles led to an increase in the tensile strength of the obtained alloys from 163 to 204 MPa. It was found that the obtained joints have sufficient relative strength values. Relative strength values reach 0.9 of the nominal strength of materials already at the ratio of the welded joint depth to the thickness of the welded plates, equal to 0.6 for the initial alloy and in the range of 0.67–0.8 for strengthened alloys

Precursor synthesis and properties of iron and lithium co-doped cadmium oxide

Lithium and iron co-doped cadmium oxide Cd0.9(Li1-xFex)0.1O (x = 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7) with NaCl structure has been synthesized using formate of the composition Cd0.9(Li1-xFex)0.1(HCOO)2·2H2O as a precursor. The NMR spectroscopy results demonstrate that the structure of lithium-doped cadmium oxide appears to have impurity centers only of one type. All the synthesized samples show a metal-like conductivity as indicated by the growth of their electrical resistance with temperature increasing in the interval 78–330 K. The study of the magnetic properties of the Cd0.9(Li1-xFex)0.1O samples at 5 and 300 K revealed that they are ferromagnets, whose saturation magnetization increases with the iron concentration both at low and room temperature reaching the maximal values in the samples with a Li and Fe concentration of 3 and 7 at.%, respectively. An enhancement of the iron concentration in Cd0.9(Li1-xFex)0.1O from x = 0.5 to x = 0.7 leads to an abrupt growth of the magnetization from 0.30 to 1.94 emu/g at 5 K and from 0.16 to 1.03 emu/g at 300 K. Iron doping with a simultaneous reduction of the lithium concentration also results in an increase of the band gap. The properties of these compounds are explained on the basis of first-principles calculations of their band structure.The research was carried out within the state assignment of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (theme “Spin”, No. AAAA-A18-118020290104-2), supported in part by “Electrical Engineering” Shanghai class 2 Plateau Discipline, the Government of the Russian Federation (Decree No. 211, Contract No. 02.A03.21.0006), “Electrical Engineering” Shanghai class 2 Plateau Discipline and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC, Nos. 12074242, 51862032). Absorption spectra were obtained using the equipment at the Center for Joint Use "Spectroscopy and Analysis of Organic Compounds" at the Postovsky Institute of Organic Synthesis, UB RAS. The optical measurements were carried out in accordance with the scientific and research plans and state assignment of the Institute of Solid State Chemistry, UB RAS (Grant No. AAAA-A19-119031890025-9). E.V.C. acknowledges funding by Saint Petersburg State University project for scientific investigations (ID No. 73028629). TPeer reviewe

Alignment of the CMS tracker with LHC and cosmic ray data

© CERN 2014 for the benefit of the CMS collaboration, published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License by IOP Publishing Ltd and Sissa Medialab srl. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation and DOI.The central component of the CMS detector is the largest silicon tracker ever built. The precise alignment of this complex device is a formidable challenge, and only achievable with a significant extension of the technologies routinely used for tracking detectors in the past. This article describes the full-scale alignment procedure as it is used during LHC operations. Among the specific features of the method are the simultaneous determination of up to 200 000 alignment parameters with tracks, the measurement of individual sensor curvature parameters, the control of systematic misalignment effects, and the implementation of the whole procedure in a multi-processor environment for high execution speed. Overall, the achieved statistical accuracy on the module alignment is found to be significantly better than 10μm

Differential cross section measurements for the production of a W boson in association with jets in proton–proton collisions at √s = 7 TeV

Measurements are reported of differential cross sections for the production of a W boson, which decays into a muon and a neutrino, in association with jets, as a function of several variables, including the transverse momenta (pT) and pseudorapidities of the four leading jets, the scalar sum of jet transverse momenta (HT), and the difference in azimuthal angle between the directions of each jet and the muon. The data sample of pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV was collected with the CMS detector at the LHC and corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5.0 fb[superscript −1]. The measured cross sections are compared to predictions from Monte Carlo generators, MadGraph + pythia and sherpa, and to next-to-leading-order calculations from BlackHat + sherpa. The differential cross sections are found to be in agreement with the predictions, apart from the pT distributions of the leading jets at high pT values, the distributions of the HT at high-HT and low jet multiplicity, and the distribution of the difference in azimuthal angle between the leading jet and the muon at low values.United States. Dept. of EnergyNational Science Foundation (U.S.)Alfred P. Sloan Foundatio

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good

Juxtaposing BTE and ATE – on the role of the European insurance industry in funding civil litigation

One of the ways in which legal services are financed, and indeed shaped, is through private insurance arrangement. Two contrasting types of legal expenses insurance contracts (LEI) seem to dominate in Europe: before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE) legal expenses insurance. Notwithstanding institutional differences between different legal systems, BTE and ATE insurance arrangements may be instrumental if government policy is geared towards strengthening a market-oriented system of financing access to justice for individuals and business. At the same time, emphasizing the role of a private industry as a keeper of the gates to justice raises issues of accountability and transparency, not readily reconcilable with demands of competition. Moreover, multiple actors (clients, lawyers, courts, insurers) are involved, causing behavioural dynamics which are not easily predicted or influenced. Against this background, this paper looks into BTE and ATE arrangements by analysing the particularities of BTE and ATE arrangements currently available in some European jurisdictions and by painting a picture of their respective markets and legal contexts. This allows for some reflection on the performance of BTE and ATE providers as both financiers and keepers. Two issues emerge from the analysis that are worthy of some further reflection. Firstly, there is the problematic long-term sustainability of some ATE products. Secondly, the challenges faced by policymakers that would like to nudge consumers into voluntarily taking out BTE LEI