The theory and development of user-friendly software for the measurement of surface roughness and geometrical parameters

Computers with analytical capabilities have proven their worth in sophisticated gaging applications, but they can intimidate operators. Dedicated keyboards with a logical button-to-button function connection present the user with multiple options. They can be cumbersome and often require adaptation for different parameters or program options. Standard P.C. keyboards do provide more programming flexibility but keys are not easily related to function. This paper discusses the development of a touch screen and related software functions as a dedicated keyboard which presents a very limited number of operating options at any one time. Using simple color graphic icons or “windows”, the described software guides the operator through the measurement process via a logical series of questions and menu operations. The program presents only specific questions or options that are relevant to the current measurement, which provides for a more friendly interface between operator and instrument.     

Nitrogen plasma source ion implantation of AISI S1 tool steel

Significant economic savings can be achieved by improving the wear lifetime of precision manufacturing tools through nitrogen-ion implantation. This near-ambient temperature, surface modification process preserves dimensional integrity and surface finish while eliminating delamination problems that are often associated with overlay coatings. Conventional ion implantation is a line-of-sight process which requires elaborate manipulation and masking to uniformly implant components of complex shapes. A recently developed process, plasma source ion implantation (PSII), circumvents this line-of-sight restriction and makes ion implantation more attractive economically. In this article, the effects of PSII of nitrogen at a target bias of 50 kV, to a dose of 0.3 × 10¹⁸ atoms/cm² on the surface microstructure and mechanicalproperties of AISI S1 tool steel are presented.     

Absorption spectra of solid rare earth complexes obtained from the inner filter effect on luminescence

The inner filter effect is observed in luminescence whenever a second substance is present that has absorptions which overlap the luminescence. This results in a diminution of the luminescence at those wavelengths and is generally observed in solution. In the present communication we show that this effect can be observed when a solid rare earth complex is physically mixed with a solid luminescent organic matrix with which it does not interact. The resulting luminescence is reduced in emission intensity at those wavelengths corresponding to the absorptions of the rare earth ion. This is illustrated with a mixture of Na₃[Ho(ODA)₃] ·2NaClO₄·6H₂O and pyrene at 77 K, and it is shown that the absorption spectrum of the holmium complex can be extracted from the luminescence spectrum of pyrene. This absorption spectrum is in good agreement with that obtained by conventional spectroscopy with a single crystal.     

Surface electronic structure of rare earth metals

Angle-resolved UV photoemission has been used to investigate the electronic structure of the (0001) surfaces of scandium, yttrium, praseodymium and gadolinium. Off-normal emission spectra were recorded with high angular resolution, enabling detailed mapping of the dispersion of valence band features. Yttrium and gadolinium show similar results to published data from Ho(0001), suggesting minimal 4f influence in the lanthanide bandstructures. Differences seen on praseodymium and scandium may be due to 4f derived states and surface states respectively.     

The electronic structure of organometallic complexes of the f elements XXVIII: Interpretation of the optical and magnetochemical data of a cyclohexylisocyanide adduct derived from Tris(η-cyclopentadienyl)samarium(III)

The absorption spectrum of Cp₃Sm·CNC₆H₁₁ has been measured at room temperature and at low temperatures in a hydrocarbon glass and in a KBr pellet. Electron paramagnetic resonance and magnetic susceptibility measurements are also reported in this paper. The observed optical bands were assigned on the basis of calculations which assumed that the crystal field parameters of the samarium complex were the same as for the previously analyzed Cp₃Pr·CNC₆H₁₃. The parameters of an empirical Hamiltonian were fitted to the energies of 39 levels to give an r.m.s. deviation of 21 cm⁻. On the basis of the wavefunctions of the crystal field ground state obtained from the fit, the ground state g values and the temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility were calculated and compared with the experimental values.