Spectroscopic studies of the ferroelectric and magnetic phase transitions in multiferroic Sr1-xBaxMnO3.

Dielectric response of perovskite Sr1-xBaxMnO3 (x = 0.43 and 0.45) ceramics was investigated using microwave, THz and infrared spectroscopic techniques in order to study the ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic phase transitions with critical temperatures TC ≈ 350 K and TN ≈ 200 K, respectively. The two lowest-frequency polar phonons are overdamped above TN and they exhibit pronounced softening on heating towards TC. Nevertheless, permittivity ε' in the THz range shows only a small anomaly at TC because the phonon contribution to ε' is rather small. The phonons are coupled with a central mode which provides the main contribution to the dielectric anomaly at TC. Thus, the ferroelectric phase transition has characteristics of a crossover from displacive to order-disorder type. At the same time, the intrinsic THz central peak is partially screened by conductivity and related Maxwell-Wagner relaxation, which dominates the microwave and lower-frequency spectra. Below TN, the ferroelectric distortion markedly decreases, which has an influence on the frequencies of both the central and soft modes. Therefore, ε' in the THz range increases at TN on cooling. In spite of the strong spin-phonon coupling near TN, surprisingly no magnetodielectric effect was observed in the THz spectra upon applying magnetic field of up to 7 T, which is in contradiction with the theoretically expected huge magnetoelectric coupling. We explain this fact as due to the insensitivity of TN to magnetic field.

Observations of Co4+ in a higher spin state and the increase in the Seebeck coefficient of thermoelectric Ca3Co4O9.

Ca3Co4O9 has a unique structure that leads to exceptionally high thermoelectric transport. Here we report the achievement of a 27% increase in the room-temperature in-plane Seebeck coefficient of Ca3Co4O9 thin films. We combine aberration-corrected Z-contrast imaging, atomic-column resolved electron energy-loss spectroscopy, and density-functional calculations to show that the increase is caused by stacking faults with Co4+-ions in a higher spin state compared to that of bulk Ca3Co4O9. The higher Seebeck coefficient makes the Ca3Co4O9 system suitable for many high temperature waste-heat-recovery applications.

Effect of substrate on the atomic structure and physical properties of thermoelectric Ca3Co4O9 thin films.

The incommensurately layered cobalt oxide Ca(3)Co(4)O(9) exhibits an unusually high Seebeck coefficient as a polycrystalline bulk material, making it ideally suited for many high temperature thermoelectric applications. In this paper, we investigate properties of Ca(3)Co(4)O(9) thin films grown on cubic perovskite SrTiO(3), LaAlO(3), and (La(0.3)Sr(0.7))(Al(0.65)Ta(0.35))O(3) substrates and on hexagonal Al(2)O(3) (sapphire) substrates using the pulsed laser deposition technique. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analysis indicate strain-free growth of films, irrespective of the substrate. However, depending on the lattice and symmetry mismatch, defect-free growth of the hexagonal CoO(2) layer is stabilized only after a critical thickness and, in general, we observe the formation of a stable Ca(2)CoO(3) buffer layer near the substrate-film interface. Beyond this critical thickness, a large concentration of CoO(2) stacking faults is observed, possibly due to weak interlayer interaction in this layered material. We propose that these stacking faults have a significant impact on the Seebeck coefficient and we report higher values in thinner Ca(3)Co(4)O(9) films due to additional phonon scattering sites, necessary for improved thermoelectric properties.

Barium dithionate as an EPR dosemeter.

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) dosimetry is growing in popularity and this success has encouraged the search for other dosimetric materials. Previous studies of gamma-irradiated barium dithionate (BaS(2)O(6) x 2H(2)O) have shown promise for its use as a radiation dosemeter. This work studies in greater detail several essential attributes of the system. Special attention has been directed to the study of EPR response dependences on microwave power, irradiation temperature, minimum detectable dose and post-irradiation stability.

A study of the magnetic resonance in a single-crystal Ni(50.47)Mn(28.17)Ga(21.36) alloy.

The single-crystal non-stoichiometric magnetic shape memory alloy Ni(1-x-y)Mn(x)Ga(y) with x = 0.2817, y = 0.2136 is studied using magnetic resonance spectroscopy: ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and conduction electron spin resonance (CESR). The temperature dependence of the integral intensity, the resonance field and the line-width are measured across the wide temperature interval from 4.2 to 570 K. Three phase transformations are found in this alloy: [Formula: see text] with a Curie temperature of 360 K, austenite-to-martensite (direct with T(ms) = 312 K and reverse with T(as) = 313 K), and a transformation at T = 45 K, suggestive of the spin-glass state. The angular dependence of the FMR signals is measured in the martensitic and austenitic states before and after the martensite-to-austenite transition. The experimental data are used for determination of the magnetization M(m) and anisotropy parameters K(1) and K(2) in the martensitic state. The obtained coefficient K(2) is determined to be not small and, moreover, it is comparable with K(1). The temperature dependence of the resonance signals is also investigated at temperatures significantly higher than T(C), where FMR was transformed to CESR. In the paramagnetic austenitic state (above T(C)) the alloy reveals an extremely intensive signal of CESR, which suggests a high concentration of conduction electrons and correlates with the large value of the magnetic-field-induced strain observed in the alloys of such composition. The temperature dependence of the skin layer depth is found from the sharp decay of the CESR signal with temperature, which is related to the disappearing large magnetic resistance after transformation to the paramagnetic state.

Temperature stabilization of alanine dosimeters used for food processing and sterilization

The International Atomic Energy Agency has established a dose quality audit service for radiation processing facilities. The objective of the service is to provide an independent check on the routine dosimetry system in use at the facility. The audit service is based on the use of alanine EPR dosimetry. Generally, alanine dosimeters are irradiated at the facility together with a product, and the response is then analyzed at the IAEA laboratory. Practice of the audit service has shown that the main uncertainty in alanine dosimetry is due to absence of temperature control at the irradiation facilities. Here, a method for stabilizing the temperature of the dosimeter during irradiation is proposed.

Anthropometry in body composition. An overview.

Anthropometry is a simple reliable method for quantifying body size and proportions by measuring body length, width, circumference (C), and skinfold thickness (SF). More than 19 sites for SF, 17 for C, 11 for width, and 9 for length have been included in equations to predict body fat percent with a standard error of estimate (SEE) range of +/- 3% to +/- 11% of the mean of the criterion measurement. Recent studies indicate that not only total body fat, but also regional fat and skeletal muscle, can be predicted from anthropometrics. Our Rosetta database supports the thesis that sex, age, ethnicity, and site influence anthropometric predictions; the prediction reliabilities are consistently higher for Whites than for other ethnic groups, and also by axial than by peripheral sites (biceps and calf). The reliability of anthropometrics depends on standardizing the caliper and site of measurement, and upon the measuring skill of the anthropometrist. A reproducibility of +/- 2% for C and +/- 10% for SF measurements usually is required to certify the anthropometrist.

The first international intercomparison of EPR-dosimetry with teeth: first results.

Intercomparison of EPR-dosimetric techniques using tooth enamel had been performed in order to check whether the results produced by different laboratories are consistent and accurate. Participants were supposed to evaluate doses applied to pulverized enamel samples, using routine techniques from their laboratories. The intercomparison has demonstrated a great variety of methods used for dose reconstruction. Peculiarities of experimental approaches are discussed systematically in terms of procedure for recording the EPR-spectra, determination of the amplitude of the radiation induced signal, determination of the dose, and error propagation.