Effect of heat treatments on tensile properties and microstructures of wrought Mg−Zn−Zr-RE alloys

The effect of heat treatments on the tensile properties and microstructures of wrought Mg–Zn–Zr-Rare earth alloys MB25 and MB26 have been studied in this paper. It was shown that the homogenization of the cast ingots decreased the strength of the extruded bars because some grain boundary phases were dissolved during the process of this treatment, while the ageing treatment of the extruded bars increased the strength due to the dispersive precipitation of MgZn₂ phase. The quenching + ageing treatments of the extruded bars decreases the strength and plasticity because of the growing up of the grains.Abbreviations ED electron diffraction - GB grain boundary - RE rare earth - TEM transmission electron microscope     

Ultrastructure of the spermatozoa and eggs of the ocean pout (Macrozoarces americanus L.), an internally fertilizing marine fish

Ultrastructure of sperm and eggs of the ocean pout (Macrozoarces americanus L.), an internally fertilizing marine teleost, was examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the sperm do not have an acrosome but have a very long mid-piece (one to two times the sperm head length) containing numerous well-developed elongated mitochondria. The sperm also have two tails (is biflagellate) each consisting of nine peripheral and one central pair (9 +/- 2) of microtubules. This long mid-piece and the biflagellate nature of the sperm appear to be associated with the long life-span of the sperm and with sperm dispersal in the ovary to fertilize the eggs internally. The ocean pout eggs are enveloped by a porous chorionic membrane similar to that found in other teleosts but have two micropyles, a condition likely related to a mechanism of egg fertilization which increases the egg fertility in the presence of low sperm numbers. Following insemination, some biochemically undefined excretions appeared on the surface of fertilized eggs and led to the acquisition of adherent capability of the eggs which formed a tightly associated egg mass in sea water.     

Quantitative Analysis of Structural Changes in Steel Caused by High-Temperature Holding in Hydrogen

We give a quantitative estimate of changes in the structure of 15Kh2MFA steel after its long-term exposure to the combined action of high temperature, tensile stresses, and hydrogen as the factors of degradation of this steel under conditions of oil hydrocracking. Under laboratory conditions, we study the effect of high-temperature hydrogen degradation of 15Kh2MFA heat-resistant steel on changes in the quantitative characteristics of its structural elements, in particular, in the dimension and average distance between carbides as well as in their orientation from one grain to another. Algorithms for the solution of the formulated problems are described, and the possibilities of proposed approaches for the quantitative automatic processing of metallographic images are shown.     

First-principles study of the tensile and fracture of the Al/TiN interface

Employing the density functional theory, we investigate the tensile and fracture processes of the Al/TiN(0 0 1) interface. The simulation presents directly the strain–stress relationship, the ideal tensile strength and the process of bond breaking of the system. Through the analysis of deformation, we find that the softer Al layers deform larger than the harder TiN layers during the tensile process. And fracture occurs between the interface and the sub-interface Al layers. In addition, the results show that during the tensile process, the ripple of the interfacial TiN layer decreases gradually with the increment of the strain. Charge transfer was detected from the Al to TiN layers near the interface area during the tensile process by means of charge density and density of states analyses. The charge transfer affects the fracture process. Compared to our previous study of the Al/TiN(1 1 1) interface, the Al/TiN(0 0 1) interface has smaller work of adhesion and larger tensile strength than the Al/TiN(1 1 1) interface. Our investigation shows that the fractures of the Al/TiN(0 0 1) and (1 1 1) interface systems both happen in the Al layers near the interface.     

A subunit interaction in chloroplast ATP synthase determined by genetic complementation between chloroplast and bacterial ATP synthase genes

F1F0-ATP synthases utilize protein conformational changes induced by a transmembrane proton gradient to synthesize ATP. The allosteric cooperativity of these multisubunit enzymes presumably requires numerous protein-protein interactions within the enzyme complex. To correlate known in vitro changes in subunit structure with in vivo allosteric interactions, we introduced the beta subunit of spinach chloroplast coupling factor 1 ATP into a bacterial F1 ATP synthase. A cloned atpB gene, encoding the complete chloroplast beta subunit, complemented a chromosomal deletion of the cognate uncD gene in Escherichia coli and was incorporated into a functional hybrid F1 ATP synthase. The cysteine residue at position 63 in chloroplast beta is known to be located at the interface between alpha and beta subunits and to be conformationally coupled, in vitro, to the nucleotide binding site > 40 A away. Enlarging the side chain of chloroplast coupling factor 1 beta residue 63 from Cys to Trp blocked ATP synthesis in vivo without significantly impairing ATPase activity or ADP binding in vitro. The in vivo coupling of nucleotide binding at catalytic sites to transmembrane proton movement may thus involve an interaction, via conformational changes, between the amino-terminal domains of the alpha and beta subunits.     

Relative Yield and Period of Individual Groups of Delayed Neutrons in 233U, 235U, and 239Pu Fission by Epithermal Neutrons

The relative yield of delayed neutrons and the half-life of their precursor nuclei in fissioning of ²³³U, ²³⁵U, and ²³⁹Pu by epithermal neutrons are measured on a setup which is based on a KG-2.5 electrostatic accelerator. The experimental samples are irradiated in a polyethylene cube, one face of which is irradiated by a neutron beam consisting of T(p, n)³He neutrons. A procedure is developed for averaging the group parameters of delayed neutrons from different series of measurements, taking account of their correlation. A comparative analysis of the data of this work and in ENDF/BVI in terms of the average half-life of the precursor nuclei of the delayed neutrons and using the dependence of the reactivity on the asymptotic period of the reactor is performed.It is shown that the data of this work agree, to within the uncertainty limits, with the recommended experimental data and differ substantially from the ENDF/BVI data.     

Application of MHD Effects in Electrolytes for Modeling Vortex Processes in Natural Phenomena and in Solving Engineering-Physical Problems

This paper gives an overview of the experimental results obtained by the method of MHD modeling in thin electrolyte layers and used to solve problems connected with the appearance of monotonic and vibrational instabilities. Primary consideration is given to the generation and interaction of transient vortex processes. As examples, the results of the investigations of flows in systems of two, three, and four vortices and periodic vortex structures, as well as of flows in the presence of obstacles of different permittivity modeling plants or technogenic screening devices intended to protect objects against pollution are presented. We consider the ways of using the results obtained in studying natural phenomena and in solving engineering-technical problems connected with mass and heat transfer and electrotransmission.     

An electrooptic intensity modulator with improved linearity

A highly linear electrooptic modulator has been designed, fabricated, and evaluated. The design of this modulator consists of only a simple modification to the directional coupler. Two-tone testing has demonstrated that, for an optical modulation depth of 30% per channel, the third-order intermodulation distortion is more than 30 dB lower than that of the conventional directional coupler or Mach-Zehnder modulators. This improvement was not observed to be accompanied by any increase in second harmonic distortion. Also included are results of two-tone computer simulations which predict the improvement in linearity of this device for a range of modulation depths.<>     

Circular core polarization-maintaining optical fibers withelliptical stress-induced cladding

The reproducible technology for producing high-birefringence fibers with stress-induced elliptical cladding and circular core is described. The authors have obtained fibers that have a birefringence of about (1-3) 10^-4, a mode coupling parameter of about (2-7) 10 ^-5 m^-1, and loss of less than 0.5 dB/km at 1.6 μm. The authors have found effects restricting the capability of test fibers to maintain the state of linear polarization