Elastic solutions of a cylindrical rod containing periodically distributed inclusions with axisymmetric eigenstrains

Summary. In this paper, we give the elastic solution for a special type of microstructure – a circular cylindrical rod containing periodically distributed inclusions along its axial direction. Each inclusion has the same uniform axisymmetric transformation strain (eigenstrain). Analytical elastic solutions are obtained for the displacements, stresses and elastic strain energy of the rod. The effects of microstructure and its evolution (growth of inclusions) on the elastic stress and strain fields as well as the strain energy of the rod are quantitatively demonstrated. As a result of such microstructure evolution nominal stress-strain relation with strain softening is derived for a rod under uniaxial tension.     

Programmable group-delay module using binary polarization switching

We demonstrate the first programmable group-delay module based on polarization switching. With a unique binary tuning mechanism, the device can generate any differential group delay value from -45 to +45 ps with a resolution of 1.40 ps, or any true-time-delay value from 0 to 45 ps with a resolution of 0.7 ps. The delay varying speeds for both applications are under 1 ms and can be as fast as 0.1 ms. We evaluate both the dynamic and static performances of the device while paying special attention to its dynamic figures of merit for polarization-mode dispersion emulation and compensation applications. Our experiment shows that the device exhibits a negligible transient-effect induced power penalty (<0.2 dB) in a 10-Gb/s nonreturn-to-zero system.     

Microstructural and textural characterization of a hot-rolled IF steel

The present paper reports the experimental results on the microstructural and textural characterization of a hot-rolled IF steel. The IF steel was hot-rolled in multiple passes in the austenitic field (1,070 °C) followed by air-cooling. SEM, TEM, and LOM were used to image the microstructure of the material. The global texture was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The mesotexture of selected regions was investigated by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Results show the presence of a diffuse (nearly random) and weak texture in the hot-band that consists of recrystallized polygonal grains and subgrains. The fraction of boundaries with misorientations comprised in the interval 2° ≤ ψ < 15° was found to be lower than 5%. It can be concluded that these low angle boundaries and the presence of subgrains can be associated to the existence of a few areas softened by recovery during or after hot rolling in austenitic field.     

Long-wavelength infrared photoinduced switching of a resonanttunneling diode using the intersubband transition

Voltage switching induced by long-wavelength infrared light from a CO₂ laser was observed using a double-barrier resonant tunneling diode (RTD) biased in the bistable region and the intersubband transition (IT) between the quantum confined states. Possible optoelectronic and all-optical switching applications involving hysteresis are proposed and discussed     

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.