5,788 research outputs found
Quantitative Phase Field Model of Alloy Solidification
We present a detailed derivation and thin interface analysis of a phase-field
model that can accurately simulate microstructural pattern formation for
low-speed directional solidification of a dilute binary alloy. This advance
with respect to previous phase-field models is achieved by the addition of a
phenomenological "antitrapping" solute current in the mass conservation
relation [A. Karma, Phys. Rev. Lett 87, 115701 (2001)]. This antitrapping
current counterbalances the physical, albeit artificially large, solute
trapping effect generated when a mesoscopic interface thickness is used to
simulate the interface evolution on experimental length and time scales.
Furthermore, it provides additional freedom in the model to suppress other
spurious effects that scale with this thickness when the diffusivity is unequal
in solid and liquid [R. F. Almgren, SIAM J. Appl. Math 59, 2086 (1999)], which
include surface diffusion and a curvature correction to the Stefan condition.
This freedom can also be exploited to make the kinetic undercooling of the
interface arbitrarily small even for mesoscopic values of both the interface
thickness and the phase-field relaxation time, as for the solidification of
pure melts [A. Karma and W.-J. Rappel, Phys. Rev. E 53, R3017 (1996)]. The
performance of the model is demonstrated by calculating accurately for the
first time within a phase-field approach the Mullins-Sekerka stability spectrum
of a planar interface and nonlinear cellular shapes for realistic alloy
parameters and growth conditions.Comment: 51 pages RevTeX, 5 figures; expanded introduction and discussion; one
table and one reference added; various small correction
Ferromagnetism and temperature-dependent Electronic Structure of hcp Gadolinium
We use a combination of a many-body model analysis with an ab initio band
structure calculation to derive the temperature dependent electronic
quasiparticle structure of the rare-earth metal Gadolinium. As a local-moment
system Gd is properly represented by the ferromagnetic (multiband)
Kondo-lattice model (s-f (d-f) model). The single-particle part of the
model-Hamiltonian is taken from an augmented spherical wave (ASW) band
calculation. The proposed method avoids the double counting of relevant
interactions by exploiting an exact limiting case of the model and takes into
account the correct symmetry of atomic orbitals. The a priori only weakly
correlated 5d conduction bands get via interband exchange coupling to the
localized 4f levels a distinct temperature dependence which explains by a
Rudermann-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) -type mechanism the ferromagnetism of Gd.
We get a self-consistently derived Curie temperature of 294.1 K and a
T=0-moment of 7.71 , surprisingly close to the experimental
values. The striking induced temperature-dependence of the 5d conduction bands
explains respective photoemission data. The only parameter of the theory
(interband exchange coupling J) is uniquely fixed by the band calculation.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figure
Microstructural characterization of AISI 431 martensitic stainless steel laser-deposited coatings
High cooling rates during laser cladding of stainless steels may alter the microstructure and phase constitution of the claddings and consequently change their functional properties. In this research, solidification structures and solid state phase transformation products in single and multi layer AISI 431 martensitic stainless steel coatings deposited by laser cladding at different processing speeds are investigated by optical microscopy, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), orientation imaging microscopy (OIM), ternary phase diagram, Schaeffler and TTT diagrams. The results of this study show how partitionless solidification and higher solidification rates alter the microstructure and phase constitution of martensitic stainless steel laser deposited coatings. In addition, it is shown that while different cladding speeds have no effect on austenite–martensite orientation relationship in the coatings, increasing the cladding speed has resulted in a reduction of hardness in deposited coatings which is in contrast to the common idea about obtaining higher hardness values at higher cladding speeds.
Mini-Collagens in Hydra Nematocytes
We have isolated and characterized four collagen-related c-DNA clones (N-COL 1, N-COL 2, N-COL 3, N-COL 4) that are highly expressed in developing nematocytes in hydra. All four c-DNAs as well as their corresponding transcripts are small in size (600-1,000 bp). The deduced amino acid sequences show that they contain a central region consisting of 14 to 16 Gly-X-Y triplets. This region is flanked amino-terminal by a stretch of 14-23 proline residues and carboxy-terminal by a stretch of 6-9 prolines. At the NH2- and COOH-termini are repeated patterns of cysteine residues that are highly conserved between the molecules. A model is proposed which consists of a central stable collagen triple helix of 12-14 nm length from which three 9-22 nm long polyproline II type helices emerge at both ends. Disulfide linkage between cysteine- rich segments in these helices could lead to the formation of oligomeric network structures. Electrophoretic characterization of nematocyst extracts allows resolution of small proline-rich polypeptides that correspond in size to the cloned sequences
Are the current MRI criteria using the DWI-FLAIR mismatch concept for selection of patients with wake-up stroke to thrombolysis excluding too many patients?
Feedback control of unstable cellular solidification fronts
We present a numerical and experimental study of feedback control of unstable
cellular patterns in directional solidification (DS). The sample, a dilute
binary alloy, solidifies in a 2D geometry under a control scheme which applies
local heating close to the cell tips which protrude ahead of the other. For the
experiments, we use a real-time image processing algorithm to track cell tips,
coupled with a movable laser spot array device, to heat locally. We show,
numerically and experimentally, that spacings well below the threshold for a
period-doubling instability can be stabilized. As predicted by the numerical
calculations, cellular arrays become stable, and the spacing becomes uniform
through feedback control which is maintained with minimal heating.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl
Post-magmatic fracturing, fluid flow, and vein mineralization in supra-subduction zones: a comparative study on vein calcites from the Troodos ophiolite and the Izu–Bonin forearc and rear arc
Based on the published data of pillow lava-hosted mineralized veins, this study compares post-magmatic fracturing, fluid flow, and secondary mineralization processes in the Troodos and Izu–Bonin supra-subduction zone (SSZ) and discusses the crucial factors for the development of distinct vein types. Thin section and cathodoluminescence petrography, Raman spectroscopy, fluid inclusion microthermometry, and trace element and isotope (87Sr/86Sr, δ18O, δ13C, Δ47) geochemistry indicate that most veins consist of calcite that precipitated from pristine to slightly modified seawater at temperatures 15 Myr after subduction initiation. Therefore, high-T mineralization (calcite, quartz, analcime) up to 230 °C is restricted to the Troodos SSZ
Trapped Ion Imaging with a High Numerical Aperture Spherical Mirror
Efficient collection and analysis of trapped ion qubit fluorescence is
essential for robust qubit state detection in trapped ion quantum computing
schemes. We discuss simple techniques of improving photon collection efficiency
using high numerical aperture (N.A.) reflective optics. To test these
techniques we placed a spherical mirror with an effective N.A. of about 0.9
inside a vacuum chamber in the vicinity of a linear Paul trap. We demonstrate
stable and reliable trapping of single barium ions, in excellent agreement with
our simulations of the electric field in this setup. While a large N.A.
spherical mirror introduces significant spherical aberration, the ion image
quality can be greatly improved by a specially designed aspheric corrector lens
located outside the vacuum system. Our simulations show that the spherical
mirror/corrector design is an easy and cost-effective way to achieve high
photon collection rates when compared to a more sophisticated parabolic mirror
setup.Comment: 5 figure
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