Relationship between cooling rate and microsegregation in bottom-chilled directionally solidified ductile irons

This study explores the relationship between cooling rate and microsegregation of directionally solidified ductile iron. The unidirectional heat transfer system used in this research is made up of a copper mold kept chilled by circulating water and embedded in the bottom of Furan sand mold. Thermocouples are connected to the computer measuring system to record the cooling curves of the castings at a distance of 0, 30, 60 and 90 mm from the chilled copper mold surface. Alloys including Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni and Ti were added to the specimens. Electron microprobe analysis (EPMA) was employed to examine distribution of elements between the dendrite arms and nodular graphite. Results show that unidirectional heat transfer affects directly the solidification mode and microstructure of the casting. The cooling curves reveal that local solidification time increases with increasing distance from the chilled copper mold surface. Different solidification rates with corresponding microstructure and element segregation were observed in the same unidirectionally solidified casting. Local solidification time was closely related to element segregation. The effective segregation coefficient (Keff) calculated using the Scheil equation was found to vary, according to the stage of solidification. The actual segregation characteristics of complex alloys generally follow the Scheil equation

Multiple Facets of Damage Caused by Exposure to Low-Dose Radiation and the Legal Remedy

In addition to the toll in human life, there are at least three facets of damage caused by the protracted exposure to low-dose radiation: bodily injury, mental anguish, and property injury. After examining cases and compensation schemes in the United States and Taiwan, this article concludes that both the Taiwanese administrative compensation scheme and U.S. federal courts\u27 interpretation of the Price-Anderson Act favor finding injury to the claimants\u27 property, but not adverse effects to their health. To redress the injustice caused by the systemic bias, this article argues that the tort system should be adapted to tolerate gray area, such as the adoption of the probability of causation. This article further argues that the probability of causation should be applied in calculating damages in the radiation-exposure context

D0−Dˉ0D^0 - \bar D^0 Mixing in the Presence of Isosinglet Quarks

We analyse $\Delta C=2$ transitions in the framework of a minimal extension of the Standard Model where either a $Q=2/3$ or a $Q=-1/3$ isosinglet quark is added to the standard quark spectrum. In the case of a $Q=2/3$ isosinglet quark, it is shown that there is a significant region of parameter space where $D^0 - \bar D^0$ mixing is sufficiently enhanced to be observed at the next round of experiments. On the contrary, in the case of a $Q=-1/3$ isosinglet quark, it is pointed out that obtaining a substancial enhancement of $D^0 - \bar D^0$ mixing, while complying with the experimental constraints on rare kaon decays, requires a contrived choice of parameters.Comment: 10 pages plus four figures. The figures are not included but are available upon reques

Bounds on charged higgs boson in the 2HDM type III from Tevatron

We consider the Two Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM) of type III which leads to Flavour Changing Neutral Currents (FCNC) at tree level. In the framework of this model we can use an appropriate form of the Yukawa Lagrangian that makes the type II model limit of the general type III couplings apparent. This way is useful in order to compare with the experimental data which is model dependent. The analytical expressions of the partial width $\Gamma (t \to H^+ b)$ are derived and we compare with the data available at this energy range. We examine the limits on the new parameters $\lambda_{ij}$ from the validness of perturbation theory.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. typos correcte

Charm multiplicity and the branching ratios of inclusive charmless b quark decays in the general two-Higgs-doublet models

In the framework of general two-Higgs-doublet models, we calculate the branching ratios of various inclusive charmless b decays by using the low energy effective Hamiltonian including next-to-leading order QCD corrections, and examine the current status and the new physics effects on the determination of the charm multiplicity $n_c$ and semileptonic branching ratio $B_{SL}$. Within the considered parameter space, the enhancement to the ratio $BR(b \to s g)$ due to the charged-Higgs penguins can be as large as a factor of 8 (3) in the model III (II), while the ratio $BR(b \to no charm)$ can be increased from the standard model prediction of 2.49% to 4.91% (2.99%) in the model III (II). Consequently, the value of $B_{SL}$ and $n_c$ can be decreased simultaneously in the model III. The central value of $B_{SL}$ will be lowered slightly by about 0.003, but the ratio $n_c$ can be reduced significantly from the theoretical prediction of $n_c= 1.28 \pm 0.05$ in the SM to $n_c= 1.23 \pm 0.05$, $1.18 \pm 0.05$ for $m_{H^+}=200, 100$ GeV, respectively. We find that the predicted $n_c$ and the measured $n_c$ now agree within roughly one standard deviation after taking into account the effects of gluonic charged Higgs penguins in the model III with a relatively light charged Higgs boson.Comment: 25 pages, Latex file, axodraw.sty, 6 figures. Final version to be published in Phys.Rev.

The fermi arc and fermi pocket in cuprates in a short-range diagonal stripe phase

In this paper we studied the fermi arc and the fermi pocket in cuprates in a short-range diagonal stripe phase with wave vectors $(7\pi/8, 7\pi/8)$, which reproduce with a high accuracy the positions and sizes of the fermi arc and fermi pocket and the superstructure in cuprates observed by Meng et al\cite{Meng}. The low-energy spectral function indicates that the fermi pocket results from the main band and the shadow band at the fermi energy. Above the fermi energy the shadow band gradually departs away from the main band, leaving a fermi arc. Thus we conclude that the fermi arc and fermi pocket can be fully attributed to the stripe phase but has nothing to do with pairing. Incorporating a d-wave pairing potential in the stripe phase the spectral weight in the antinodal region is removed, leaving a clean fermi pocket in the nodal region.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

The lifetime of B_c-meson and some relevant problems

The lifetime of the B_c-meson is estimated with consistent considerations on all of the heavy mesons ($B^0, B^\pm, B_s, D^0, D^\pm D_s$) and the double heavy meson B_c. In the estimate, the framework, where the non-spectator effects for nonleptonic decays are taken into account properly, is adopted, and the parameters needed to be fixed are treated carefully and determined by fitting the available data. The bound-state effects in it are also considered. We find that in decays of the meson B_c, the QCD correction terms of the penguin diagrams and the main component terms c_1O_1, c_2O_2 of the effective interaction Lagrangian have direct interference that causes an enhancement about 3 ~ 4% in the total width of the B_c meson.Comment: 27 pages, 0 figur

Mn clusterisation in Ga1-xMnxN

Local structure of Mn atoms in Ga1-xMnxN has been investigated by the Mn L3 edge x-ray absorption spectrum (XAS) at total electron yield mode, which preferentially looks at atoms near the surface. A modeling defects configuration, the Mn5 micro-clusters complexed with substitutional MnGa and interstitial MnI is found for the higher Mn doping concentration. This new configuration is also confirmed by the total energy calculations.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Solid. State Commu

Charmless Two-body Baryonic B Decays

We study charmless two-body baryonic B decays in a diagramatic approach. Relations on decay amplitudes are obtained. In general there are more than one tree and more than one penguin amplitudes. The number of independent amplitudes can be reduced in the large m_B limit. It leads to more predictive results. Some prominent modes for experimental searches are pointed out.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures. To appear in Phys. Rev.