Notched and Unnotched Fatigue Behavior of Angle-Ply Graphite/Epoxy Composites

The axial fatigue behavior of both notched and unnotched graphite/epoxy composites was studied. In unnotched studies, conducted on a 0/+ or - 30 3S AS/3501 laminate, S-N curves were determined for various stress ratios R using simply supported test specimens. Apparent fatigue limits in tension-tension (T-T) and compression-compression (C-C) cycling occurred at about 60% of the respective static strengths. The overall results were expressed in the form of a constant life diagram showing the relationship between mean stress and stress amplitude. The diagram illustrates a skew-symmetry in fatigue life caused by the relatively low compressive strength of the unrestrained test specimens used. In effect, a maximum in fatigue properties occurs at a positive value of mean stress. Results are of significance in situations where structural members are buckling or crippling critical in design

Magnetocaloric effect in Gd/W thin film heterostructures

In an effort to understand the impact of nanostructuring on the magnetocaloric effect, we have grown and studied gadolinium in MgO/W(50 $\textrm{\AA}$)/[Gd(400 $\textrm{\AA}$)/W(50 $\textrm{\AA}$)]$_8$ heterostructures. The entropy change associated with the second order magnetic phase transition was determined from the isothermal magnetization for numerous temperatures and the appropriate Maxwell relation. The entropy change peaks at a temperature of 284 K with a value of approximately 3.4 J/kg-K for a 0-30 kOe field change; the full width at half max of the entropy change peak is about 70 K, which is significantly wider than that of bulk Gd under similar conditions. The relative cooling power of this nanoscale system is about 240 J/kg, somewhat lower than that of bulk Gd (410 J/kg). An iterative Kovel-Fisher method was used to determine the critical exponents governing the phase transition to be $\beta=0.51$, and $\gamma=1.75$. Along with a suppressed Curie temperature relative to the bulk, the fact that the convergent value of $\gamma$ is that predicted by the 2-D Ising model may suggest that finite size effects play an important role in this system. Together, these observations suggest that nanostructuring may be a promising route to tailoring the magnetocaloric response of materials

Nonlinear Breathing-like Localized Modes in C60 Nanocrystals

We study the dynamics of nanocrystals composed of C60 fullerene molecules. We demonstrate that such structures can support long-lived strongly localized nonlinear oscillatory modes, which resemble discrete breathers in simple lattices. We reveal that at room temperatures the lifetime of such nonlinear localized modes may exceed tens of picoseconds; this suggests that C60 nanoclusters should demonstrate anomalously slow thermal relaxation when the temperature gradient decays in accord to a power law, thus violating the Cattaneo-Vernotte law of thermal conductivity.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

Suppression of Superconductivity in Mesoscopic Superconductors

We propose a new boundary-driven phase transition associated with vortex nucleation in mesoscopic superconductors (of size of the order of, or larger than, the penetration depth). We derive the rescaling equations and we show that boundary effects associated with vortex nucleation lowers the conventional transition temperature in mesoscopic superconductors by an amount which is a function of the size of the superconductor. This result explains recent experiments in small superconductors where it was found that the transition temperature depends on the size of the system and is lower than the critical Berezinsk\u{i}-Kosterlitz-Thouless temperature.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. Lett. Vol. 86 (15 Jan. 2001

A rotor-mounted digital instrumentation system for helicopter blade flight research measurements

A rotor mounted flight instrumentation system developed for helicopter rotor blade research is described. The system utilizes high speed digital techniques to acquire research data from miniature pressure transducers on advanced rotor airfoils which are flight tested on an AH-1G helicopter. The system employs microelectronic pulse code modulation (PCM) multiplexer digitizer stations located remotely on the blade and in a hub mounted metal canister. As many as 25 sensors can be remotely digitized by a 2.5 mm thick electronics package mounted on the blade near the tip to reduce blade wiring. The electronics contained in the canister digitizes up to 16 sensors, formats these data with serial PCM data from the remote stations, and transmits the data from the canister which is above the plane of the rotor. Data are transmitted over an RF link to the ground for real time monitoring and to the helicopter fuselage for tape recording. The complete system is powered by batteries located in the canister and requires no slip rings on the rotor shaft

Nanoindentation-induced deformation of Ge

The deformation mechanisms of crystalline (100) Ge were studied using nanoindentation, cross sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) and Raman microspectroscopy. For a wide range of indentation conditions using both spherical and pointed indenters, multiple discontinuities were found in the force–displacement curves on loading, but no discontinuities were found on unloading. Raman microspectroscopy, measured from samples which had plastically deformed on loading, showed a spectrum shift from that in pristine Ge, suggesting only residual strain. No evidence (such as extra Raman bands) was found to suggest that any pressure-induced phase transformations had occurred, despite the fact that the material had undergone severe plastic deformation.Selected area diffraction pattern studies of the mechanically damaged regions also confirmed the absence of additional phases. Moreover, XTEM showed that, at low loads, plastic deformation occurs by twinning and dislocation motion. This indicates that the hardness of Gemeasured by indentation is not primarily dominated by phase transformation, rather by the nucleation and propagation of twin bands and/or dislocations

Giant pop-ins and amorphization in germanium during indentation

Sudden excursions of unusually large magnitude (>1 μm), “giant pop-ins,” have been observed in the force-displacement curve for high load indentation of crystalline germanium(Ge). A range of techniques including Raman microspectroscopy, focused ion-beam cross sectioning, and transmission electron microscopy, are applied to study this phenomenon. Amorphous material is observed in residual indents following the giant pop-in. The giant pop-in is shown to be a material removal event, triggered by the development of shallow lateral cracks adjacent to the indent. Enhanced depth recovery, or “elbowing,” observed in the force-displacement curve following the giant pop-in is explained in terms of a compliant response of plates of material around the indent detached by lateral cracking. The possible causes of amorphization are discussed, and the implications in light of earlier indentation studies of Ge are considered

Vortex Loop Phase Transitions in Liquid Helium, Cosmic Strings, and High-T_c Superconductors

The distribution of thermally excited vortex loops near a superfluid phase transition is calculated from a renormalized theory. The number density of loops with a given perimeter is found to change from exponential decay with increasing perimeter to algebraic decay as T_c is approached, in agreement with recent simulations of both cosmic strings and high-T_c superconductors. Predictions of the value of the exponent of the algebraic decay at T_c and of critical behavior in the vortex density are confirmed by the simulations, giving strong support to the vortex-folding model proposed by Shenoy.Comment: Version to appear in Phys. Rev. Lett, with a number of corrections and addition