Magnetocaloric Effect in Half-Metallic Double Perovskite Sr_{0.4}Ba_{1.6-x}Sr_{x}FeMoO_{6}

The magnetocaloric effect in half-metallic double perovskite Sr $_{0.4}$ Ba $_{1.6-x}$ Sr $_{x}$ FeMoO $_{6}$ (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6) was investigated. It is shown that Sr $_{0.4}$ Ba $_{1.6-x}$ Sr $_{x}$ FeMoO $_{6}$ exhibits a magnetic entropy change of 0.078 J $\,\cdot \, $ kg $^{-1}\,\cdot \, $ K $^{-1}$ upon 0.2 T magnetic field variation. Through these results, polycrystalline samples of Sr $_{0.4}$ Ba $_{1.6-x}$ Sr $_{x}$ FeMoO $_{6 }$ have some potential applications for magnetic refrigerants over a wide-temperature range, including room temperature.     

Annealing Effect on Microstructure and Superconductivity of K_{x}Fe_{y}Se_{2} Synthesized by an Easy One-step Method

High-quality superconducting K $_{x}$ Fe $_{y}$ Se $_{2}$ single crystals were synthesized using an easy one-step method. Detailed annealing studies were performed to make clear the phase formation process in K $_{x}$ Fe $_{y}$ Se $_{2}$ . Compatible observations were found in temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction patterns, back-scattered electron images and corresponding electromagnetic properties, which proved that good superconductivity performance was closely related to the microstructure of superconducting component. Analysis based on the scaling behavior of flux pinning force indicated that the dominant pinning mechanism was $\Delta T_\mathrm{c}$ pinning and independent of connectivity. The annealing dynamics studies were also performed, which manifested that the humps in temperature-dependent resistance curves were induced by competition between the metallic/superconducting and the semiconducting/insulating phases.     

Study of Glass-Transition Kinetics of Pb-Modified Se_{80}In_{20} System by Using Non-isothermal Differential Scanning Calorimetry

Glass-transition kinetics of $\mathrm{Se}_{80}\mathrm{In}_{20-\mathrm{x}}\mathrm{Pb}_{\mathrm{x}}$ ( $x =$ 0, 5, 10, and 15) chalcogenide glasses have been carried out at different heating rates by using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) under the non-isothermal condition. The glass-transition temperature $T_{\mathrm{g}}$ and peak glass-transition temperature $T_{\mathrm{pg}}$ have been determined from DSC thermograms. The reduced glass temperature $T_{\mathrm{rg}}$ , total relaxation time $\tau _{T_{g}}$ thermal-stability parameters $K^{l}$ and $S$ , the activation energy of glass transition $E_{\mathrm{g}}$ , the fragility index $F_{\mathrm{i}}$ , and the average coordination number $\langle Z\rangle $ have been calculated on the basis of the experimental results. The temperature differences $(T_{\mathrm{c}}-T_{\mathrm{g}}), K_{\mathrm{gl}}, K^{l}, S$ , and $E_{\mathrm{g}}$ are found to be maxima for $\mathrm{Se}_{80}\mathrm{In}_{10}\mathrm{Pb}_{10}$ glass. This indicates that $\mathrm{Se}_{80}\mathrm{In}_{10}\mathrm{Pb}_{10}$ glass has the highest thermal stability and glass-forming ability in the investigated compositional range. These results could be explained on the basis of modification of the chemical bond formation due to incorporation of Pb in the Se–In glassy matrix.     

Theoretical Investigations on Electrocaloric Properties of \mathrm{PbZr}_{0.95}\mathrm{Ti}_{0.05}\mathrm{O}_{3} Thin Film

Based on a phenomenological model, the electrocaloric effect (ECE) accompanied with the ferroelectric-to-paraelectric phase transition in a PbZr $_{0.95}$ 0.95 Ti $_{0.05}$ 0.05 O $_{3}$ 3 thin film was investigated. The extracted data reveal many features of the ECE such as electrocaloric entropy changes, heat capacity changes, and temperature changes as functions of temperature due to different electric fields shifts. From the behavior of the PbZr $_{0.95}$ 0.95 Ti $_{0.05}$ 0.05 O $_{3}$ 3 thin film in phase transitions, it leads to a large change of heat capacity of 105.94 J  ${\cdot }\,$ · kg ${^{-1}}\,{\cdot }\,{^{\circ }}$ ? 1 · ° C, a temperature change of 22.44 K, and a relative cooling power of 1469 J  ${\cdot }$ ·  kg $^{-1}$ ? 1 .     

Effect of Previous Milling of Precursors on Magnetoelectric Effect in Multiferroic {\mathrm{Bi}_{5}\mathrm{Ti}_{3}\mathrm{FeO}_{15}} Ceramic

$\mathrm{Bi}_{5}\mathrm{Ti}_{3}\mathrm{FeO}_{15}$ Bi 5 Ti 3 FeO 15 magnetoelectric (ME) ceramics have been synthesized and investigated. The ME effect can be described as an induced electric polarization under an external magnetic field or an induced magnetization under an external electric field. The materials in the ME effect are called ME materials, and they are considered to be a kind of new promising materials for sensors, processors, actuators, and memory systems. Multiferroics, the materials in which both ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity can coexist, are the prospective candidates which can potentially host the gigantic ME effect. $\mathrm{Bi}_{5}\mathrm{Ti}_{3}\mathrm{FeO}_{15}$ Bi 5 Ti 3 FeO 15 , an Aurivillius compound, was synthesized by sintering a mixture of $\mathrm{Bi}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{3}, \mathrm{Fe}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{3}$ Bi 2 O 3 , Fe 2 O 3 , and $\mathrm{TiO}_{2}$ TiO 2 oxides. The precursor materials were prepared in a high-energy attritorial mill for (1, 5, and 10) h. The orthorhombic $\mathrm{Bi}_{5}\mathrm{Ti}_{3}\mathrm{FeO}_{15}$ Bi 5 Ti 3 FeO 15 ceramics were obtained by a solid-state reaction process at 1313 K. The ME voltage coefficient ( $\alpha _\mathrm{ME}$ α ME ) was measured using the dynamic lock-in method. The highest ME voltage coefficient ( $\alpha _\mathrm{ME} = 8.28\,\text{ mV }{\cdot }\text{ cm }^{-1}{\cdot }\text{ Oe }^{-1})$ α ME = 8.28 mV · cm ? 1 · Oe ? 1 ) is obtained for the sample milled for 1 h at $H_\mathrm{DC }= 4$ H DC = 4  Oe (1 Oe = 79.58  $\text{ A }{\cdot }\text{ m }^{-1})$ A · m ? 1 ) .     

Evidence for One-Gap Superconductivity in Mg(B_{1-x}C_{x})_{2} Single Crystals at x=0.132 by Point-Contact Spectroscopy

We report the results of directional point-contact measurements in Mg(B $_{1-x}$ C $_{x})_{2}$ single crystals. The amplitudes of the gaps, $\Delta_{\pi}$ and $\Delta_{\sigma}$ , were determined for each C content by fitting the experimental low-temperature normalized conductance curves of our “soft” point contacts with the BTK model generalized to the two-band case. We found that, on increasing the carbon content, $\Delta_{\sigma}$ decreases almost linearly with $T_{c}$ and $\Delta_{\pi}$ slightly increases until, at $x=0.132$ (where $T_{c}=19$ K), they assume the same value $\Delta =3.2 \pm 0.9$ meV. This result is confirmed by the temperature and magnetic-field dependence of the conductance curves at this C content, which do not show any evidence of two distinct gap values. In particular, the Δ versus T curve follows very well a standard BCS curve, with a gap ratio $2\Delta /k_{B} T_{c}=3.9$ . These experimental findings are compared to the theoretical predictions of the two-band model in the Eliashberg formulation.     

Molecular beam epitaxy of semipolar AlN(11\bar{2}2) and GaN(11\bar{2}2) on m-sapphire

We report on the plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy of semipolar $\hbox{AlN}(11\bar{2}2)$ and GaN( $11\bar{2}2$ ) films on $(1\bar{1}00)$ m-plane sapphire. AlN deposited on m-sapphire settles into two main crystalline orientation domains, $\hbox{AlN}(11\bar{2}2)$ and $\hbox{AlN}(10\bar{1}0),$ whose ratio depends on the III/V ratio. Growth under moderate nitrogen-rich conditions enables to isolate the $(11\bar{2}2)$ orientation. The in-plane epitaxial relationships of $\hbox{AlN}(11\bar{2}2)$ on m-plane sapphire are $[11\bar{2}\bar{3}]_{\rm AlN} \vert \vert [0001]_{\rm sapphire}$ and $[1\bar{1}00]_{\rm AlN} \vert \vert [11\bar{2}0]_{\rm sapphire}.$ GaN deposited directly on m-sapphire results in ( $11\bar{2}2$ )-oriented layers with ( $10\bar{1}\bar{3}$ )-oriented inclusions. A ～100 nm-thick AlN( $11\bar{2}2$ ) buffer imposes the ( $11\bar{2}2$ )-orientation for the GaN layer grown on top. By studying the Ga-desorption on GaN( $11\bar{2}2$ ), we conclude that these optimal growth conditions corresponds to a Ga excess of one monolayer on the GaN( $11\bar{2}2$ ) surface.     

A Study of Some Thermophysical Parameters in Glassy \mathrm{{Se}}_{80}\mathrm{{Te}}_{20} and \mathrm{{Se}}_{80}\mathrm{{Te}}_{10}\mathrm{{M}}_{10} (Cd, In, and Sb) Alloys

The present paper reports a comparative study of some thermophysical properties (thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, thermal effusivity, and specific heat per unit volume) for $\mathrm{{Se}}_{80}\mathrm{{Te}}_{20}$ Se 80 Te 20 and $\mathrm{{Se}}_{80}\mathrm{{Te}}_{10}\mathrm{{M}}_{10}$ Se 80 Te 10 M 10 (Cd, In, and Sb) alloys. The transient plane source technique is used for this purpose. The thermal conductivity is highest for $\mathrm{{Se}}_{80}\mathrm{{Te}}_{10}\mathrm{{In}}_{10}$ Se 80 Te 10 In 10 as compared to the other ternary alloys. This is explained in terms of the thermal conductivity of additive elements Cd, In, and Sb. The composition dependence of the thermal diffusivity and specific heat per unit volume is also discussed.     

Magnetic Properties of Nanocrystalline Nickel–Cobalt Ferrites (\mathrm{Ni}_{1/2}{\mathrm{{Co}}}_{1/2}{\mathrm{{Fe}}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{4})

In this study, the nanocrystalline nickel–cobalt ferrites $(\mathrm{Ni}_{1/2}\mathrm{Co}_{1/2}\mathrm{Fe}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{4})$ were prepared via the citrate route method at $27\,^{\circ }\mathrm{C}$ . The samples were calcined at $300\,^{\circ }\mathrm{C}$ for 3 h. The crystalline structure and the single-phase formations were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Prepared materials showed the cubic spinel structure with m3m symmetry and Fd3m space group. The analyses of XRD patterns were carried out using POWD software. It gave an estimation of lattice constant “ $a$ ” of 8.3584 Å, which was in good agreement with the results reported in JCPDS file no. 742081. The crystal size of the prepared materials calculated by Scherer’s formula was 27.6 nm and the electrical conductivity was around $10^{-5}~\mathrm{S}\,\cdot \, \mathrm{m}^{-1}$ . The permeability component variations with frequency were realized. The magnetic properties of the prepared materials were analyzed by a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). It showed a saturation magnetization of $27.26\,\mathrm{emu} \cdot \mathrm{m}^{-1}$ and the behavior of a hard magnet.     

Transfer Partial Molar Isentropic Compressibilities of (l-Alanine/l-Glutamine/Glycylglycine) from Water to 0.512 {\mathrm{mol}}\!\cdot \!{\mathrm{kg}}^{-1} Aqueous {\mathrm{KNO}}_{3}/0.512\, {\mathrm{mol}}\!\cdot \! {\mathrm{kg}}^{-1} Aqueous {\mathrm{K}}_{2}{\mathrm{SO}}_{4} Solutions Between 298.15 K and 323.15 K

Speeds of sound of (l-alanine/l-glutamine/glycylglycine $\,+\, 0.512\, {\mathrm{mol}}\cdot {\mathrm{kg}}^{-1}$ + 0.512 mol · kg ? 1 aqueous ${\mathrm{KNO}}_{3}/0.512\, {\mathrm{mol}}\cdot {\mathrm{kg}}^{-1}$ KNO 3 / 0.512 mol · kg ? 1 aqueous ${\mathrm{K}}_{2}{\mathrm{SO}}_{4}$ K 2 SO 4 ) systems have been measured for several molal concentrations of amino acid/peptide at different temperatures: $T$ T = (298.15 to 323.15) K. Using the speed-of-sound and density data, the parameters, partial molar isentropic compressibilities $\phi _{\kappa }^{0}$ ? κ 0 and transfer partial molar isentropic compressibilities $\Delta _{\mathrm{tr}} \phi _{\kappa }^{0}$ Δ tr ? κ 0 , have been computed. The trends of variation of $\phi _{\kappa }^{0}$ ? κ 0 and $\Delta _{\mathrm{tr}} \phi _{\kappa }^{0}$ Δ tr ? κ 0 with changes in molal concentration of the solute and temperature have been discussed in terms of zwitterion–ion, zwitterion–water dipole, ion–water dipole, and ion–ion interactions operative in the systems.     

Dislocation structure at a \{ {\overline{1} 2\overline{1} 0} \}/ {\langle} 10\overline{1} 0 {\rangle} low-angle tilt grain boundary in LiNbO3

LiNbO₃ is a ferroelectric material with a rhombohedral R3c structure at room temperature. A LiNbO₃ bicrystal with a $ \{ {\overline{1} 2\overline{1} 0} \}/ {\langle}10\overline{1} 0{\rangle}$ 1° low-angle tilt grain boundary was successfully fabricated by diffusion bonding. The resultant boundary was then investigated using high-resolution TEM. The boundary composed a periodic array of dislocations with $ b = { 1}/ 3{\langle} \overline{1} 2\overline{1} 0{\rangle} $ . They dissociated into two partial dislocations by climb. A crystallographic consideration suggests that the Burgers vectors of the partial dislocations should be $ 1/ 3{\langle}01\overline{1} 0{\rangle} $ and $ 1/ 3{\langle}\overline{1} 100{\rangle} $ , and a stacking fault on $ \{ {\overline{1} 2\overline{1} 0} \} $ is formed between the two partial dislocations. From the separation distance of a partial dislocation pair, a stacking fault energy on $ \{ {\overline{1} 2\overline{1} 0} \} $ was estimated to be 0.25?J/m² on the basis of isotropic elasticity theory.     

Experimental Measurements of Thermophysical Properties of \mathrm{Al}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{3}– and \mathrm{TiO}_{2}–Ethylene Glycol Nanofluids

This paper presents measurements of the thermal conductivity and the dynamic viscosity of $\mathrm{Al}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{3}$ Al 2 O 3 –ethylene glycol and $\mathrm{TiO}_{2}$ TiO 2 –ethylene glycol (1 % to 3 % particle volume fraction) nanofluids carried out in the temperature range from $0\,^{\circ }$ 0 ° C to $50\,^{\circ }$ 50 ° C. The thermal-conductivity measurements were performed by using a transient hot-disk TPS 2500S apparatus instrumented with a 7577 probe (2.001 mm in radius) having a maximum uncertainty $(k=2)$ ( k = 2 ) lower than 5.0 % of the reading. The dynamic-viscosity measurements and the rheological analysis were carried out by a rotating disk type rheometer Haake Mars II instrumented with a single-cone probe (60 mm in diameter and $1^{\circ }$ 1 ° ) having a maximum uncertainty $(k=2)$ ( k = 2 ) lower than 5.0 % of the reading. The thermal-conductivity measurements of the tested nanofluids show a great sensitivity to particle volume fraction and a lower sensitivity to temperature: $\mathrm{TiO}_{2}$ TiO 2 –ethylene glycol and $\mathrm{Al}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{3}$ Al 2 O 3 –ethylene glycol nanofluids show a thermal-conductivity enhancement (with respect to pure ethylene glycol) from 1 % to 19.5 % and from 9 % to 29 %, respectively. $\mathrm{TiO}_{2}$ TiO 2 –ethylene glycol and $\mathrm{Al}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{3}$ Al 2 O 3 –ethylene glycol nanofluids exhibit Newtonian behavior in all the investigated temperature and particle volume fraction ranges. The relative viscosity shows a great sensitivity to the particle volume fraction and weak or no sensitivity to temperature: $\mathrm{TiO}_{2}$ TiO 2 –ethylene glycol and $\mathrm{Al}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{3}$ Al 2 O 3 –ethylene glycol nanofluids show a dynamic viscosity increase with respect to ethylene glycol from (4 to 5) % to 30 % and from 14 % to 50 %, respectively. Present experimental measurements were compared both with available measurements carried out by different researchers and computational models for thermophysical properties of nanofluids.     

Spherical and rod-like Gd 2 O 3 :Eu 3?+? nanophosphors—Structural and luminescent properties

A comparative study of spherical and rod-like nanocrystalline Gd $_{\boldsymbol 2}$ O $_{\boldsymbol 3}$ :Eu $^{\boldsymbol{3+}}$ (Gd $_{\boldsymbol{1\cdot92}}$ Eu $_{\boldsymbol{0\cdot08}}$ O $_{\boldsymbol 3}$ ) red phosphors prepared by solution combustion and hydrothermal methods have been reported. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) results confirm the as-formed product in combustion method showing mixed phase of monoclinic and cubic of Gd $_{\boldsymbol 2}$ O $_{\boldsymbol 3}$ :Eu $^{\boldsymbol{3+}}$ . Upon calcinations at 800 $^{\boldsymbol\circ}$ C for 3?h, dominant cubic phase was achieved. The as-formed precursor hydrothermal product shows hexagonal Gd(OH) $_{\boldsymbol 3}$ :Eu $^{\boldsymbol{3+}}$ phase and it converts to pure cubic phase of Gd $_{\boldsymbol 2}$ O $_{\boldsymbol 3}$ :Eu $^{\boldsymbol{3+}}$ on calcination at 600 $^{\boldsymbol \circ}$ C for 3?h. TEM micrographs of hydrothermally prepared cubic Gd $_{\boldsymbol 2}$ O $_{\boldsymbol 3}$ :Eu $^{\boldsymbol{3+}}$ phase shows nanorods with a diameter of 15?nm and length varying from 50 to 150?nm, whereas combustion product shows the particles to be of irregular shape, with different sizes in the range 50?C250?nm. Dominant red emission (612?nm) was observed in cubic Gd $_{\boldsymbol 2}$ O $_{\boldsymbol 3}$ :Eu $^{\boldsymbol{3+}}$ which has been assigned to $^{\boldsymbol 5}{\bf \textit{D}}_{\boldsymbol 0}$ $\boldsymbol \to$ $^{\boldsymbol 7}{\bf \textit{F}}_{\boldsymbol 2}$ transition. However, in hexagonal Gd(OH) $_{\boldsymbol 3}$ :Eu $^{\boldsymbol{3+}}$ , emission peaks at 614 and 621?nm were observed. The strong red emission of cubic Gd $_{\boldsymbol 2}$ O $_{\boldsymbol 3}$ :Eu $^{\boldsymbol{3+}}$ nanophosphors by hydrothermal method are promising for high performance display materials. The variation in optical energy bandgap ( $\boldsymbol{E}_{\boldsymbol{\rm g}}$ ) was noticed in as-formed and heat treated systems in both the techniques. This is due to more ordered structure in heat treated samples and reduction in structural defects.     

Elastic Properties of Monoclinic \hbox {ZrO}_{2} at Finite Temperatures Via First Principles

The structural and elastic properties of orthorhombic $\hbox {ZrO}_{2}\,(m\hbox {-ZrO}_{2})$ as a function of temperature are investigated by the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) correction scheme in the framework of density functional theory (DFT) and the quasi-harmonic Debye model. The thirteen independent elastic constants of $m\hbox {-ZrO}_{2}$ at temperatures to 3200 K are theoretically investigated for the first time. It is found that with increasing temperature, all elastic constants change, especially $C_{35}\hbox { and }C_{25}$ change rapidly in the temperature range of 1400 K to 1600 K and 2200 K to 2600 K, respectively. We also obtain the bulk modulus $B$ , shear modulus $G$ , Young’s moduli $E$ , as well as Poisson’s ratio $\sigma $ of $m\hbox {-ZrO}_{2}$ at high temperatures. Our work suggests that it is very important to predict the melting properties of materials via the elastic constants at temperatures.     

Surface Recombination Velocity Dependence on Morphological Properties of CdTe Thin Films Prepared by Close-Spaced Sublimation

Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin films were prepared on glass substrates by employing the close-spaced sublimation technique. Different source ( $T_\mathrm{sou}$ ) and substrate temperatures ( $T_\mathrm{sub}$ ) were used in order to change the structural properties of layers. The ranges chosen were: $550\,^{\circ }\hbox {C} \le T_\mathrm{sou} \le 650\,^{\circ }\hbox {C}$ and $400\,^{\circ }\hbox {C} \le T_\mathrm{sub} \le 600\,^{\circ }\hbox {C}$ . The environment in the growing chamber was also changed with the purpose to study its influence on the crystalline properties of the surface and volume of the material. Three different surroundings were used: vacuum, high-purity argon, and high-purity oxygen. The surface recombination velocity (SRV) was calculated from photoacoustic (PA) measurements by employing the open PA cell configuration. The behavior of the experimental results was analyzed as a function of the structural characteristics of the films: texture and grain size. Scanning electron microscopy, optical absorption, X-ray diffraction, and dark resistivity measurements were also employed to analyze the properties of the CdTe films. The minimum value for the SRV was found for $T_\mathrm{sou} = 650\,^{\circ }\hbox {C},\, T_\mathrm{sub} = 600\,^{\circ }\hbox {C}$ in an oxygen ambient.     

Effect of Structural Relaxation on the In-Plane Electrical Resistance of Oxygen-Underdoped ReBa_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta } (Re = Y,Ho) Single Crystals

The effect of jumpwise temperature variation and room-temperature storing on the basal-plane electrical resistivity $\rho _{ab}$ of underdoped ReBa $_2$ Cu $_3$ O $_{7-\delta }$ (Re = Y, Ho) single crystals is investigated. Reducing the oxygen content has been revealed to lead to the phase segregation accompanied by both, labile component diffusion and structural relaxation in the sample volume. Room-temperature storing of ${\text {YBa}}_2{\text {Cu}}_3{\text {O}}_{7-\delta }$ single crystals with different oxygen hypostoichiometries leads to a substantial widening of the rectilinear segment in $\rho _{ab}(T)$ in conjunction with a narrowing of the temperature range of existence of the pseudogap state. It is established that the excess conductivity obeys an exponential law in a broad temperature range, while the pseudogap’s temperature dependence is described satisfactory in the framework of the BCS-BEC crossover theory. Substituting yttrium with holmium essentially effects the charge distribution and the effective interaction in CuO planes, thereby stimulating disordering processes in the oxygen subsystem. This is accompanied by a notable shift of the temperature zones corresponding to transitions of the metal-insulator type and to the regime of manifestation of the pseudogap anomaly.     

Modulated IR Radiometry Applied to Study \text{ TiO}_{2} Coatings with Gold Nanocluster Inclusions

In this work Au: $\text{ TiO}_{2}$ thin films prepared by dc reactive magnetron sputtering were studied. The thin films, with an amount of gold of about 15 at %, were subsequently annealed at constant temperatures between $200\,^{\circ }\text{ C}$ and $800\,^{\circ }\text{ C}$ , are here analyzed with respect to their thermal behavior. The changes of the material properties with increasing annealing temperature from initially amorphous to a gradually increasing crystalline structure and the formation of nanoclusters and gold nanoparticles of increasing size, from 5 nm to 17 nm, are analyzed with the help of the phase lag signals measured by modulated IR radiometry. The obtained results seem to indicate the formation of strong subsurface heat sources, which can be explained with the help of the surface plasmon resonance effect and which can be described by the theory of semitransparent coatings, with effects of semi-transparency both in the visible and the infrared spectrum.     

\text{ CO}_{2} Laser-Based Pulsed Photoacoustic Ammonia Detection

Detecting ammonia traces is relevant in health, manufacturing, and security areas, among others. As ammonia presents a strong absorption band (the $\nu _{2}$ mode) around 10  $\upmu $ m, some of the physical properties which may influence its detection by means of pulsed photoacoustic (PA) spectroscopy with a TEA $\text{ CO}_{2}$ laser have been studied. The characteristics of the ammonia molecule and the laser intensity may result in a nonlinear dependence of the PA signal amplitude on the laser fluence. Ammonia absorption can be described as a simple two-level system with power broadening. As $\text{ NH}_{3}$ is a polar molecule, it strongly undergoes adsorption phenomena in contact with different surfaces. Therefore, physical adsorption–desorption at the cell’s wall is studied. A theoretical model, based on Langmuir’s assumptions, fits well to the experimental results with stainless steel. Related to these studies, measurements led to the conclusion that, at the used fluenced values, dissociation by multiphotonic absorption at the 10P(32) laser line may be discarded. A calibration of the system was performed, and a detection limit around 190 ppb (at 224 $\text{ mJ}\cdot \text{ cm}^{-2}$ ) was achieved.     

Thermal Conductivity of Standard Sands. Part III. Full Range of Saturation

The thermal conductivity $(\lambda )$ ( λ ) of three unsaturated standard quartz sands (Ottawa C-109 and C-190, and Toyoura) was measured by a transient thermal-conductivity probe, at room temperature of approximately $25\,^{\circ }\text{ C }$ 25 ° C and at loose and tight compactions. The measurements were carried out at different degrees of saturation $(S_\mathrm{r})$ ( S r ) from dryness to full saturation. In general, a sharp $\lambda $ λ increase was observed at low $S_\mathrm{r}$ S r , followed by a moderate rise until full saturation. However, experiments on loosely compacted C-190 samples revealed $\lambda $ λ deviation from a general trend ( $\lambda $ λ vs $S_\mathrm{r})$ S r ) caused by water percolation. Alternatively, successful experiments were carried out on loosely packed unsaturated C-190 samples using 1 % agar gel. For loosely compacted C-109 and Toyoura, $\lambda $ λ data obtained from 1 % agar gel closely agreed with $\lambda $ λ data for water as a saturation medium. The measured data were used to verify a model by de Vries for unsaturated soils. The model largely underestimates experimental data at $S_\mathrm{r}<0.5$ S r < 0.5 and produces an overall root-mean-square error of about $0.2\, \text{ W }~{\cdot }~\text{ m }^{-1}~{\cdot }~\text{ K }^{-1}$ 0.2 W · m ? 1 · K ? 1 . Measured $\lambda $ λ data agreed with data by a steady-state technique (a guarded hot-plate apparatus) at dryness and full saturation and exceeded the steady-state data in the unsaturated region. However, TCP data can be considered more reliable due to a lower temperature increase during $\lambda $ λ measurements and a shorter testing time. Consequently, in the case of unsaturated soils, evaporation and migration of water and steam can be avoided.     

Evaluation of Power Heat Losses in Multidomain Iron Particles Under the Influence of AC Magnetic Field in RF Range

The magnetic properties and hyperthermia effect were studied in a magnetorheological fluid (MRF) containing iron particles of $1 \upmu \mathrm{m}\, \text{ to}\, 5 \,\upmu \mathrm{m}$ in diameter. The measurements showed that the magnetization in the saturation state reaches a value of 171 $\text{ A}\cdot \text{ m}^{2}\cdot \mathrm{kg}^{-1}$ with very small values of coercivity and remanence. They also showed the ferromagnetic behavior in the system together with a value of the magnetic susceptibility of 1.7. Theoretical and experimental results of the calorimetric effect investigation under a changeable magnetic field of high frequency ( $f = 504$ kHz) in an MRF will be presented in the article. The sample was subjected to an alternating magnetic field of different strengths ( $H = 0$ to 4 $\text{ kA}\cdot \text{ m}^{-1})$ . It results from a theoretical analysis that the heat power density (released in the MRF sample) referenced to the eddy current is proportional to the square of frequency, the magnetic field amplitude, and the iron grain diameter. Experimental results indicate that there are some reasons for the released heat energy such as: energy losses from magnetic hysteresis and eddy currents induced in the iron grains. If the magnetic field intensity amplitude grows, the participation of losses connected with magnetic hysteresis is increased. From the calorimetric measurements, the conclusion is as follows: for a magnetic field $H<1946\,\text{ A}\cdot \mathrm{m}^{-1}$ , the eddy current processes dominate in the heat generation mechanism, whereas hysteresis processes for the total release of thermal energy dominate for higher magnetic fields. Both mechanisms take equal parts in heating the tested sample at a magnetic field intensity amplitude $H= 1946\,\text{ A}\cdot \mathrm{m}^{-1}$ . The specific absorption rate referenced to the mass unit of the MRF sample at the amplitude of the magnetic field strength 4 $\text{ kA}\cdot \mathrm{m}^{-1}$ equals 24.94 $\text{ W} \cdot \mathrm{kg}^{-1}$ at a frequency $f$ = 504 kHz.