Equilibrium relations of lead-tin sulphides in the system SnS-PbSnS2 were studied using a sealed silica-tube technique. A complete series of solid solutions forms in the system, and lattice parameters were found to vary lineally with composition. The melting temperature of the solid solution decreases with increasing amount of PbS from herzenbergite at 880 °C to teallite at 725 °C.

Evidences were found to indicate the existence of this series of solid solution in ore deposits.

Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental energy conversion mechanism in nature. Major attempts to study this process in controlled settings on Earth have largely been limited to reproducing approximately two-dimensional (2-D) reconnection dynamics. Other experiments describing reconnection near three-dimensional null points are non-driven, and do not induce any of the 3-D modes of spine fan, torsional fan or torsional spine reconnection. In order to study these important 3-D modes observed in astrophysical plasmas (e.g. the solar atmosphere), laboratory set-ups must be designed to induce driven reconnection about an isolated magnetic null point. As such, we consider the limited range of fundamental resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and kinetic parameters of dynamic laboratory plasmas that are necessary to induce the torsional spine reconnection (TSR) mode characterized by a driven rotational slippage of field lines – a feature that has yet to be achieved in operational laboratory magnetic reconnection experiments. Leveraging existing reconnection models, we show that within a ${\lesssim}1~\text{m}^{3}$ apparatus, TSR can be achieved in dense plasma regimes (${\sim}10^{24}~\text{m}^{-3}$) in magnetic fields of ${\sim}10^{-1}~\text{T}$. We find that MHD and kinetic parameters predict reconnection in thin ${\lesssim}20~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$ current sheets on time scales of ${\lesssim}10~\text{ns}$. While these plasma regimes may not explicitly replicate the plasma parameters of observed astrophysical phenomena, studying the dynamics of the TSR mode within achievable set-ups signifies an important step in understanding the fundamentals of driven 3-D magnetic reconnection and the self-organization of current sheets. Explicit control of this reconnection mode may have implications for understanding particle acceleration in astrophysical environments, and may even have practical applications to fields such as spacecraft propulsion.

Neighboring tidewater glaciers often exhibit asynchronous dynamic behavior, despite relatively uniform regional atmospheric and oceanic forcings. This variability may be controlled by a combination of local factors, including glacier and fjord geometry, fjord heat content and circulation, and glacier surface melt. In order to characterize and understand contrasts in adjacent tidewater glacier and fjord dynamics, we made coincident ice-ocean-atmosphere observations at high temporal resolution (minutes to weeks) within a 10 000 km2 area near Uummannaq, Greenland. Water column velocity, temperature and salinity measurements reveal systematic differences in neighboring fjords that imply contrasting circulation patterns. The observed ocean velocity and hydrography, combined with numerical modeling, suggest that subglacial discharge plays a major role in setting fjord conditions. In addition, satellite remote sensing of seasonal ice flow speed and terminus position reveal both speedup and slow-down in response to melt, as well as differences in calving style among the neighboring glaciers. Glacier force budgets and modeling also point toward subglacial discharge as a key factor in glacier behavior. For the studied region, individual glacier and fjord geometry modulate subglacial discharge, which leads to contrasts in both fjord and glacier dynamics.

Recent scholarship in political science identifies emotions as an important antecedent to political behavior. Existing work, however, has focused much more on the political effects of emotions than on their causes. Here, we begin to examine how personality moderates emotional responses to political events. We hypothesized that the personality trait need for affect (NFA) would moderate the emotions evoked by disturbing political news. Drawing data from a survey experiment conducted on a national sample, we find that individuals high in NFA have an especially vivid emotional response to disturbing news—a moderating relationship that has the potential to surpass those associated with symbolic attachments.

Recent advances in laser deposition technology have made the production of advanced composite materials more technically feasible. By utilizing the unique characteristics of the laser deposition process, materials can be made that are difficult to produce by conventional methods. Structural silicide materials hold promise for high temperature applications, unfortunately, their low toughness has prevented their practical use [1-4]. The introduction of a second phase can greatly increase their low temperature mechanical properties. Laser direct deposition can be used to deposit these materials near net shape and produce an in-situ alloy that has the desired structure for improving properties. In-situ alloying was accomplished by using an Optomec LENS™ (Laser Engineered Net Shaping) machine to deposit elemental niobium-silicon and molybdenum-silicon-boron powder blends. The resultant microstructures showed a homogeneous structure with a primary silicide phase surrounded by a continuous eutectic phase. These deposits were characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and by energy dispersive spectroscopy.

In vitro runoff transcription using T7 RNA polymerase has been the method of choice to produce milligram quantities of RNA for structural studies. Unfortunately, the T7 enzyme often adds one or more extra nucleotides at the 3′ end, which results in a heterogeneous RNA product (Milligan et al., 1987). This heterogeneity can be observed at the 5′ end as well, depending on the transcription template (Ferre-D'Amare & Doudna, 1996). The lack of homogeneity, which potentially is deleterious for structural studies, can be overcome with the use of cis- and/or trans-acting ribozymes, which produce clean RNA ends after their catalytic reaction (Ferre-D'Amare & Doudna, 1996). This procedure has been scaled up for large quantities of RNA for NMR and X-ray crystallographic studies, and is useful for purification of larger RNAs (greater than 50 nt) where single-nucleotide resolution by gel electrophoresis is difficult. Ribozymes that have been used in this manner include the hairpin ribozyme, the hammerhead ribozyme (HH), the hepatitis delta ribozyme (δ), and the Neurospora varkud satellite RNA ribozyme (VS) (Guo & Collins, 1995; Price et al., 1995; Ferre-D'Amare & Doudna, 1996). All of these ribozymes leave a 5′-hydroxyl and a 3′-cyclic phosphate as products of cleavage.

Microstructure of TiAl produced by Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS) has been characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It has been shown that the substrate has a significant effect on the microstructure deposited. Depending on operational parameters, either equiaxed γ-TiAl/α2 -Ti3AI or single phase α 2 microstructure can be obtained. In-situ heating experiments reveal that nucleation of lamellae often starts at grain boundaries in this retained α 2grains. By careful control of post heat treatment, an ultra fine lamellar microstructure may be obtained, which may significantly improve tensile property in these alloys [3].

Lattice defects are introduced into the structure to suppress the motion of magnetic vortices and enhance the critical current density in high temperature superconductors. Point defects are not very effective pinning sites for the cuprate superconductors; however, extended defects, such as linear tracks, have been shown to be strong pinning sites. We study the superconducting cuprate TI-2212 (the numbers designate Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu stoichiometry). Large enhancements of vortex pinning potential were observed in TI-2212 after high-intermediate energy heavy-ion irradiations where non-continuous extended defects were induced at dE/dx of 9 to 15.2 keV/nm (60 MeV Au, 60 MeV Cu, and 30 MeV Au) and continuous linear defects were induced at 19.5keV/nm (88MeV Au). Our research addresses the question of pinning in highly anisotropic materials like Tl-2212 where the vortices are “pancakes” rather than “rods” and suitable defect structures may be discontinuous extended damage domains. The defect microstructure and the effectiveness of the pinning potential in TI-2212 after irradiation by intermediate energy Au at lower dE/dx of 5–15 keV/nm, where recoils are more significant, is studied using high resolution transmission electron microscopy digital imaging and a SQUID magnetometer. The nature of the ion irradiation damage at these intermediate dE/dx will be correlated to the average vortex pinning potential and the TRIMRC calculations for recoils.

Aluminum titanate ceramic powder, used in plasma spray coating as a wear resistant material, was prepared from a gel precursor followed by high temperature calcination. The chemically derived gel was made from aluminum sulfate and titanium isopropoxide in an oxalic acid aqueous system. The soluble complex was studied by 13C NMR spectroscopy which showed that the mole ratio of oxalic acid bound to Al and Ti was 2:1. A coprecipitation took place when ammonium hydroxide was added. The gel was examined by solid-state NMR spectroscopy which suggested that aluminum titanium hydroxyl oxalate was present with Al in a distorted octahedral environment. EDX mapping showed that Al and Ti were evenly distributed throughout the gel particles. Thermal analysis indicated that dehydration and combustion of organic groups took place between 100 and 400 ° C. Gel which was heat treated at 1500 °C was identified as a pure AI2TiO5 crystalline phase by XRD.