Theoretical simulation studies of pulsed field magnetisation of (RE)BCO bulk superconductors

The magnetisation of bulk high temperature superconductors (HTS), such as RE-Ba-Cu-O [(RE)BCO, where RE is a rare earth element or Y], by a practical technique is essential for their application in high field, permanent magnet-like devices. Research to-date into the pulsed field magnetisation (PFM) of these materials, however, has been limited generally to experimental techniques, with relatively little progress in the development of theoretical models. This is because not only is a multi-physics approach needed to take account of the heating of the samples but also the high electric fields generated are well above the regime in which there are reliable experimental results. This paper describes a framework of theoretical simulation using the finite element method (FEM) that is applicable to both single- and multi-pulse magnetisation processes of (RE)BCO bulk superconductors. The model incorporates the heat equation and provides a convenient way of determining the distribution of trapped field, current density and temperature change within a bulk superconductor at each stage of the magnetisation process. An example of the single-pulse magnetisation of a (RE)BCO bulk is described. Potentially, the model may serve as a cost-effective tool for the optimisation of the bulk geometry and the magnetisation profile in multi-pulse magnetisation processes. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Effect of alkali and alkaline earth fluoride introduction on thermal stability and structure of fluorophosphate glasses

The thermal stability and structure of RF-RF2-AIF(3)-Al(PO3)(3) fluorophosphate glasses were investigated. Analyses of infrared absorbance spectra and Raman spectra reveal that with increasing number of alkali and alkaline earth fluoride components, the sum of P-O-P bond and O-P-O bond increases and glass network is strengthened. Consequently, the inhibition to nucleation and crystallization processes is improved, which is proved by the increment of thermal stability factors AT and S determined by differential scanning calorimetry. In addition, it was found that LiF has poor ability to form glass in univalent alkali fluorides and MgF2 has comparative strong ability to form glass in bivalent alkaline earth fluorides. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Properties of grain boundaries in bulk, melt processed YB2Cu3O7-δ fabricated using bridge-shaped seeds

Single grain REBa2C3uO7 ((RE)BCO, where RE is a rare earth element or yttrium) bulk superconducting materials have significant potential for a variety of engineering applications due to their ability to trap high magnetic fields. However, it is well known that the presence of grain boundaries coupled with a high angle of misorientation (typically 5�) significantly reduces the critical current density, J c , in all forms of high temperature superconducting materials. It is of considerable fundamental and technological interest, therefore, to investigate the grain boundary properties of bulk, film and tape (RE)BCO. We report a successful multi-seeding technique for the fabrication of fully aligned, artificial (0��misalignment) grain boundaries within large grain YBCO bulk superconductors using bridge-shaped seeds. The microstructure and critical current densities of the grain boundaries produced by this technique have been studied in detail.

Simulation studies on the magnetization of (RE)BCO bulk superconductors using various split-coil arrangements

Simulation studies were conducted on the magnetization of (RE)BCO (RE-Ba-Cu-O, where RE represents a rare earth element) bulk superconductors using various split-coil arrangements by solving the critical state equation using the commercial software FlexPDE. A pair of coaxial coils of identical size is identified as an optimum arrangement for practical magnetization at 77K by the zero-field cooling technique. In general, the magnetization process is likely to be most effective when the outer radius of the coils lies between 100% and 50% of the sample radius. A relatively large coil pair is necessary for samples with either a smaller aspect ratio or larger values of J c0. Two different regimes of flux penetration are found to be involved in the magnetization process. For a sufficiently small sample, the penetration field is determined by flux propagation from beneath the coil to the centre of the sample; for a sufficiently large sample, the definitive propagation route is from beneath the coil to the periphery of the sample. Effective split-coil magnetization occurs only in the former regime, and both penetration regimes are completely different from that involved in the solenoidal-coil magnetization process. © 2012 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Identification of differentially expressed genes from the cross-subfamily cloned embryos derived from zebrafish nuclei and rare minnow enucleated eggs

Cross-species nuclear transfer (NT) has been used to retain the genetic viability of a species near extinction. However, unlike intra-species NT, most embryos produced by cross-species NT were unable to develop to later stages due to incompatible nucleocytoplasmic interactions between the donor nuclei and the recipient cytoplasm from different species. To study the early nucleocytoplasmic interaction in cross-species NT, two laboratory fish species (zebrafish and rare minnow) from different subfamilies were used to generate cross-subfamily NT embryos in the present study. Suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was performed to screen out differentially expressed genes from the forward and reverse subtractive cDNA libraries. After dot blot and real-time PCR analysis, 80 of 500 randomly selective sequences were proven to be differentially expressed in the cloned embryos. Among them, 45 sequences shared high homology with 28 zebrafish known genes, and 35 sequences were corresponding to 22 novel expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Based on functional clustering and literature mining analysis, up-and down-regulated genes in the cross-subfamily cloned embryos were mostly relevant to transcription and translation initiation, cell cycle regulation, protein binding, etc. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the determination of genes involved in the early development of cross-species NT embryos of fish. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In-situ synthesis of AlN powders and composite AlN powders with yttrium addition

Using Al-Mg and Al-Mg-Y alloys as raw materials and nitrogen as gas reactants, AIN powders and composite AIN powders by in-situ synthesis method were prepared. AIN lumps prepared by the nitriding of Al-Mg and Al-Mg-Y alloys have porous microstructure, which is favorable for pulverization. They have high purity, containing 1.23 % (mass fraction) oxygen impurity, and consisted of AIN single phase . The average particle size of AIN powders is 6.78 mum. Composite AlN powders consist of AlN phases and rare, earth oxide Y2O3 phase. The distribution of particle size of AIN powders shows two peaks. In view, of packing factor, AIN powders with such size distribution can easily be sintered to high density.

高Tc超导体R_1Ba_2Cu_3O_(2-x)(R-rare earth)的磁性和超异电性研究

本论文合成了R_1Ba_2Cu_3O_(2-x) (R = La、Nd、Sm、Eu、Gd、Dr、Ho、Er、Tm、Yb)、Y_2Ba_2Cu_3O_(2-x) (x = 0.10～1.17)和Y_1Ba_2Cu_3O_(7-x)S_x (x = 0～2)，并对磁性和超导电性进行了较为系统的研究。R_1Ba_2Cu_3O_(2-x)的磁化率在T > Tc的很宽的温度范围内服从Curic-Weiss定律，求得的有效磁矩略大于理论值，差值与Y_1Ba_2Cu_3O_(2-x)中Cu~(2+)磁矩相近，说明Cu~(2+)的磁矩对体系磁性有额外贡献，这贡献随R~(3+)离子中自旋平行的电子权的增多而增大。其高温下的磁化率CT > 700K)相对Curic-Weiss定律发生较大偏离，这偏离可能的来源有三个：高温下稀土离子发生较大的能级反转效应，高温下结构相变对磁性的影响，高温下氧含量减少造成Cu~(2+)磁矩增大。R_1Ba_2Cu_3O_(2-x)磁化率在T < Tc时也服从Curic-Weiss定律，R~(3+)磁矩是定域的，表明超导与磁性相互独立。互不相关，稀土磁矩与传导电子间无相互作用。用Sr取代R_1Ba_2Cu_3O_(2-x)中的Ba，没能使体系产生磁有序的变化，但却使有效磁矩增大，并完全破坏了样品的超导电性。Sm~(3+)磁化率不服从Curic-Weiss定律，在Sm_1Ba_2Cu_3O_(2-x)中Sm~(3+)显示了典型Van VlccK离子的特性。Y_1Ba_2Cu_3O_(2-x)随氧含量减少发生超导体一半导体一绝缘体的转化，当氧含量由6.90减小至6.49时发生由正交到四方的结构相变。当(7-x) = 5.83时有较多杂质相出现，123相开始分解。样品磁化率均服从Curic-Weiss定律，并随氧含量增大磁化率－温度曲线越来越趋于平缓（直线），当(7-x) = 6.90时磁化率基本不随温度变化，这时Pauli顺磁性占主导地位，这说明氧含量增加定域磁矩减少，求得的有效磁矩Peff随氧含量增大总趋势减小。提出了电子“巡游”的观点，较好地解释了上述现象，并推测出Cu(2)的d电子是离域的，对样品磁矩没有贡献，样品Peff来源于部分Cu(1)的定域Cu~(2+)的磁矩，上述推测被EPR结果证实。正交相Y_1Ba_2Cu_3O_(2-x)的EPR谱显示了中心对称成准立方晶场中Cu~(2+)(d~9, S = 1/2, I = 3/2)的EPR物性。而四方相样品的EPR谱却出现了明显的各向异性，说明观察到的为Cu(1)的EPR信号，由Cu(1)~(2+)的写域磁矩产生。Y_1Ba_2Cu_3O_(2-x)的EPR信号束源于本体相，而非Y_2Cu_2O_5、BaCuO_2、Y_2BaCuO_5等杂质相。各样品EPR信号的自旋浓度远小于1spin/cu，并随氧含量减小而增大，当(7-x) = 6.49、6.40时自旋浓度出现陡增，这时伴随由正交到四方的转化，证明了电子“巡游”观点的正确。用硫部分取代Y_1Ba_2Cu_3O_2g中的氧，当Y_1Ba_2Cu_3O_(2-x)Sx中x = 0.11时Tc = 92.6K，比Y_1Ba_2Cu_3O_(7-x)升高2K，但由于杂质相的存在，ΔTc加宽。其他样品多为半导体和绝缘体。硫取代0，当x = 0.04，0.06，0.11和1.20时磁化率服从Curic-Weiss定律，并且x = 0.87，1.2时分别在230K、240K出现反铁磁有序。其他样品由于Cu被还原为＋1价而变成抗磁性。x = 0.11 (Tc = 92.6K)，EPR谱为正交场中Cu~(2+)的信号。自旋浓度与温度无关。当所有Cu均为Cu~(1+)时，测问的是-s-的EPR信号，而Cu为混合价态(+1和+2时)测问是上述两种信号的叠加。