Crater depth prediction in granular collisions: A uniaxial compression model.

Impact crater experiments in granular media traditionally involve loosely packed sand targets. However, this study investigates granular impact craters on both loosely and more tightly packed sand targets. We report experiments that consistently adhere to power-law scaling laws for diameter as a function of impacting energy, similar to those reported by other groups for their experiments utilizing both solid and granular projectiles. In contrast, we observe significant deviations in the depth versus energy power law predicted by previous models. To address this discrepancy, we introduce a physical model of uniaxial compression that explains how depth saturates in granular collisions. Furthermore, we present an energy balance alongside this model that describes the energy transfer mechanisms acting during crater formation. We found a better way to transfer vertical momentum to horizontal degrees of freedom as the impact surface compacts, resulting in shallow craters on compacted sandbox targets. Our results reveal depth-to-diameter aspect ratios from approximately 0.051 to 0.094, allowing us to interpret the shallowness of planetary craters at the light of the uniaxial compression mechanism proposed in this work.

Production and characterization of thin a-C:(H) films for gas permeation barrier functionality against He, CO(2), N(2), O(2) and H(2)O.

This work reports on (i) the gas barrier properties of a-C:H films rf-sputtered in Ar-H(2) plasmas from a graphite target on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and (ii) the influence of the film chemical structure and defect properties on the gas permeability. The intrinsic permeabilities of the films to He, CO(2), O(2), N(2) gases and H(2)O vapour were determined and found to be orders of magnitude lower than that of the bare PET. Indirect evidence was given to a solubility-diffusion process as the more probable permeation mechanism, over a gas flow through microdefects or gas transport through nanodefects by a Knudsen diffusion mechanism. The barrier capability of the films was found to scale as the gas molecular diameter within the He, CO(2), O(2) and N(2) series, and inversely with the gas critical temperature for the CO(2), O(2), N(2) and H(2)O series. A correlation between the film Urbach energy, E(u), and the gas permeability was established, except for H(2)O. Such findings further favour a bulk diffusion contributing mechanism to permeation over the gas state transport. Conversely, this E(u)-permeability relation shed more light on the origin of the valence band tailing of the amorphous carbon electron structure.

Occurrence of cyclic AMP and related enzymes during germination of Pinus pinea seeds.

The occurrence of cAMP, adenylate cyclase and cAMP phosphodiesterase has been tested in Pinus pinea seed during germination. The study has been carried out on dormant and imbibed seeds, seedlings, endospermic residues, roots and cotyledons. cAMP has been detected by the protein binding method and its occurrence has been verified by HPLC detections. cAMP phosphodiesterase shows a very high activity at acidic pH, while being completely inactive at pH 7.4. At this pH value, well detectable levels of adenylate cyclase have been observed. Therefore, the classical pathway of synthesis and breakdown of cAMP, already accepted for animal and bacterial cells, seems to be operating in Pinus pinea plant too.

Mechanical characterization of thin TiO2 films by means of microelectromechanical systems-based cantilevers.

The measurement of mechanical parameters by means of microcantilever structures offers a reliable and accurate alternative to traditional methods, especially when dealing with thin films, which are extensively used in microfabrication technology and nanotechnology. In this work, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based piezoresistive cantilevers were realized and used for the determination of Young's modulus and residual stress of thin titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) deposited by sputtering from a TiO(2) target using a rf plasma discharge. Films were deposited at different thicknesses, ranging from a few to a hundred nanometers. Dedicated silicon microcantilevers were designed through an optimization of geometrical parameters with the development of analytical as well as numerical models. Young's modulus and residual stress of sputtered TiO(2) films were assessed by using both mechanical characterization based on scanning profilometers and piezoresistive sensing elements integrated in the silicon cantilevers. Results of MEMS-based characterization were combined with the tribological and morphological properties measured by microscratch test and x-ray diffraction analysis.