Calcite crystals exposed to clay volatiles react with some components of these volatiles, giving rise to a variety of surface morphologies. F, Cl, and S in different proportions were detected by electron microprobe analysis of the calcite surfaces. Under identical experimental conditions, volatiles from every clay mineral examined caused a specific morphology and chemical composition of the calcite surfaces, but these varied with temperature of the calcite. Changes in pH values and mass spectra of the volatiles after passage through calcite demonstrate that even on rapid heating some clay volatile-calcite reactions occur at temperatures as low as 150°C. Species other than those detectable by electron microprobe analysis also participate in the reactions in which CO2 is liberated.

BaxSr(1−x)TiO3 (BST) thin films were fabricated on a Ti substrate using micro-arc oxidation (MAO) in an aqueous solution with the addition of 0.6 M Ba(OH)2, 0.4 M Sr(OH)2, and 0.05 M EDTA. The morphology, composition, and electrical properties of BST films prepared under different processing times were characterized, and MAO growth characteristics of BST films were discussed. Results indicate that dielectric and ferroelectric properties of BST films are positively correlated with surface morphology dependent on MAO spark patterns. To obtain a smooth and compact film, the large spark stage should be avoided. During MAO processes, elements from the substrate and electrolyte solution migrate in opposite directions under an electric field, resulting in Ba, Sr, Ti, and O elements exhibiting a gradient distribution between the BST film and the Ti substrate. BST film prepared using MAO is composed of two layers: an outer loose layer and an inner dense layer. In addition, because of the position of discharge breakdown continually changing, the interface between the film and the substrate is uneven. As MAO processing time increases, BST film thickness increases and ferroelectric property improves. When processing time is 15 min, the residual polarization intensity (2Pr) of the BST film is about 4.9 μC/cm2.

The effect of laser fluence and nature of ambient environments on the sputtering yield, surface modifications, crater depth, UV-visible absorption spectra, chemical composition, and micro hardness of Zr has been investigated. Nd: YAG laser (532 nm, 10 Hz, 6 ns) at different fluences varying from 16 to 60.8 Jcm−2 was employed as an irradiation source. All measurements are performed under two ambient environments of Ar and O2 at a constant pressure of 10 Torr. Quartz crystal microbalance has been employed for the measurement of sputtering yield of laser irradiated Zr. It is revealed that sputtering yield increases monotonically with increasing fluence under both environments however, it is higher in Ar as compared to O2 environment. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) has been used to explore the surface morphology. SEM analysis exhibits the formation of cones, ridges, and cracks at the central ablated areas whereas, laser-induced periodic surface structures, periodic ridges and sharp cones are observed at inner boundaries in both environments of Ar and O2. Sharp spikes are observed in both environments, however, their height and distinctness are more pronounced in Ar as compared to O2. Cones are characteristic features in Ar, whereas, cavities and channels are dominant features in O2 environment at outer boundaries. The formation and growth of surface structures are dependent upon laser fluence and ambient gas nature. The depth profilometry has been used to measure the crater depth of irradiated Zr target by using an optical microscope. UV visible spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analyses reveal the oxide formation in the case of Zr irradiation in O2 environment. The Vicker Micro-hardness tester has been employed to measure the hardness. The higher observed values of sputtering yield, crater depth and hardness of laser ablated Zr in Ar as compared to O2 are well correlated with distinct surface structures.

The effect of nature and pressure of ambient environment on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and ablation mechanisms of silicon (Si) have been investigated. A Q-switched Nd-YAG laser with the wavelength of 1064 nm, pulse duration of 10 ns, and pulsed energy of 50 mJ was employed. Si targets were exposed under ambient environments of inert gases of argon, neon, and helium for different pressures ranging from 5 to 760 torr. The influence of nature and pressure of ambient gases on the emission intensity of Si plasma have been explored by using the LIBS spectrometer system. The plasma parameters such as electron temperature and number density were determined by applying Boltzmann plot and Stark broadening method, respectively. Our experimental results suggest that the nature and pressure of ambient environment play a significant role for generation, recombination, and expansion of plasma and consequently affect the excitation temperature as well as electron density of plasma. The surface morphological analysis of laser-irradiated Si was performed by using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Various kinds of structures, for example laser-induced periodic surface structures or ripples, cones, droplets, and craters have been generated and their density and size are found to be strongly dependent upon the ambient environment. A quantitative analysis of particulate size and crater depth measured from SEM images showed a strong correlation between plasma parameters and the growth of micro/nanostructures on the modified Si surface.

Field mapping of fluvial terraces, aerial photographs, ground penetrating radar and seismic data from gas and oil exploration were used at four different locations to detect young tectonic and halokinetic movements in the North-German-Basin.

i) The course of the Rivers Weser and Aller follow precisely a shallow Tertiary graben on the northwestern flank of the Verden salt diapir. Recent local depressions and vegetation anomalies on the alluvial plain have the same orientation as the strike direction of the faults at subsurface depth. Apparently, the river follows tectonic lines, and thus the river sediments can be used for the interpretation of recent crustal movements.

ii) The Wedehof diapir, in contrast, is topped by a local topographic high which follows exactly the shape of the underlying salt. Either the diapir formed an obstacle for the advance of the continental glaciers or one has to assume halokinetic uplift of more than 50 m during the post-Saalian Pleistocene. Either way, the Wedehof diapir shows control of the modern surface morphology by halokinesis.

iii) The course of the river Hunte, in contrast, outside the area of salt diapirism, shows anomalies of incision and terrace width over a local updoming caused by tectonic inversion of distinct blocks in the basin. The confluence of several tributaries of the Hunte lies exactly over the updoming of Barnstorf. Thus, the rivers do not avoid the local high, but focus in this area, which is characterised by a graben on top of the domestructure, as visible in seismic profiles. Again, tectonism controls river development.

iv) The last case study is from Lake Plön, where seismic profiles reveal that linear shorelines of the lake parallel the flanks of two local graben structures of Tertiary age. It is apparent that the Weichselian glaciers that formed the lake and the surrounding moraines interacted with the existing grabens.

The Tertiary morphology in the North German basin was apparently draped by Quaternary glacial deposits, but rivers and lakes that dominate the topography of the modern landscape still reflect the geodynamic centers of Tertiary tectonism and halokinesis. Faults from the depth of the Tertiary penetrate the Quaternary strata and allow upward fluid migration, which becomes visible on aerial photographs as linear vegetation anomalies.

The graded composition buffer layers are very commonly used in the semiconductor triple-junction solar cell device. To grow a strain-free 1.0-eV In0.3Ga0.7As thin film on a GaAs substrate, a total of 2.2% misfit strain must be relaxed through well-designed buffer layer structures. In this work, a phase-field model of a multilayered system is developed to probe the roughness of top surface morphology and predict optimal buffer layer thickness. Our simulation shows time evolution of the thin film morphology and the root-mean-square roughness of the surface with different buffer layer thickness designs. The strain distribution is investigated to explain the surface morphology evolution with the effect of the buffer layer. The simulation results show that the buffer layer thickness is a key parameter that affects the quality of the In0.3Ga0.7As epilayers. The simulation results can be effective in improving the design of graded buffer layers.

Sites of past human activity were investigated to assess the visual recovery of the desert pavement following impacts from human trampling and vehicle traffic. Visually disturbed and nearby control sites were assessed using comparative photographic records, a field-based Visual Site Assessment, and Desert Pavement Recovery Assessment. Sites included: vehicle and walking tracks at Marble Point and Taylor Valley; a campsite, experimental treading trial site, and vehicle tracks in Wright Valley; and vehicle and walking tracks at Cape Roberts. The time since last disturbance ranged from three months to over 50 years. This investigation also attempted to determine what has the greatest lasting visual impact on soil surfaces in the Ross Sea region: dispersed trafficking or track formation? Walking tracks remained visible in the landscape (due to larger clasts concentrating along track margins) long after the desert pavement surface had recovered. However, randomly dispersed footprints were undetectable within five years. For many sites, allowing widespread trampling will give lower medium-term visible impact than concentrating traffic flow by track formation. For steep slopes and sites where repeated visits occur, use of a single track is recommended. Some 1950s vehicle tracks remain visible in the Antarctic landscape, but where visually obvious impacts were remediated, evidence of former occupation was almost undetectable.

Single and multilayer diamond films were grown on silicon by varying substrate distance in hot-filament chemical vapor deposition. The grown films were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. From SEM surface images, it was observed that the films grown at substrate distances of 8, 7, and 6 mm and temperatures of 740, 780, and 830 °C possessed cauliflower, pseudocubes, and finally well-faceted cubes morphology. SEM fracture cross-sectional investigations revealed that growth of pseudocubes initiated on the top of cauliflower structure. By using the parametric relations gathered from single layer diamond growth studies, first time, multilayer diamond coatings were grown in situ with tunable thickness by only varying the substrate distance from filament assembly during deposition.

One-dimensional (1D) nanofibers of polypyrrole (PPY) are fabricated on glass substrates in the presence of different dopants, namely, hydrochloric acid (HCl), ferric chloride (FeCl3·6H2O), p-toluene sulfonic acid, camphor sulfonic acid, and polystyrene sulfonic acid using a simple in situ vapor phase chemical oxidative polymerization method. Preliminary morphological details investigated using light microscopic study reveal 1D configuration for all the doped PPY structures, indicating a fibrous/tubular appearance. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy confirms preferential growth of these PPY structures as fine fibers arranged in a brush-/comb-like pattern, having an average diameter of 70 nm. Such brush-like growing pattern observed for the PPY nanostructures without the aid of nanoporous membranes and/or sophisticated techniques is not very commonly reported in the literature. The undertaken work suggests applications of nanodimensioned fabricated PPY structures in the practical nanodevices and/or functional glass for sensing, optoelectronic, photocatalysis, and solar energy systems.

A comparative study of superficial changes on the superalloy Inconel 600, induced by a picosecond Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064, 532, and 266 nm, is presented. All of the laser wavelengths, as well as the used fluences of 2.5 (1064 nm), 4.3 (532 nm), and 0.6 J/cm2 (266 nm) were found to be adequate for inducing surface variations. Quite different surface features were produced depending on the laser wavelength used. The measured surface damage thresholds were 0.25, 0.13 and 0.10 J/cm2 for 1064, 532, and 266 nm, respectively. Drastic differences, in function of the wavelength used, were recorded for the crater depths, as well the appearance of hydrodynamic effects and periodic surface structures. Differences in crater depths were explained via an easier propagation of the first harmonic laser radiation (1064 nm) through the ejected material and plasma compared to a radiation at 532 and 266 nm. Finally, changes in the surface oxygen content caused by ultrashort laser pulses were considered.

We reported the surface morphology and electrical property of super-thin Pt films, ∼2 nm thick, deposited on 6H-SiC (0001) substrates and subsequently annealed from 400 to 1000 °C. The surfaces of the films were found to have a feature of islands growth, and the sizes of the islands increased with increasing annealing temperature. Free carbon, produced by selective reactions between Pt and SiC, diffused toward the top surface across the product layers due to low solubility and composition gradient of carbon throughout the reaction zone. A dramatic change of electrical conductivity of the films was observed. A mechanism analysis reveals that the origin came from the contribution of aggregation of islands on the surface and formation of Pt silicides and a thin layer of crystalline graphite.

The surface morphology of hollow silica microspheres has influence on their applications. After a thorough investigation of the deposition of silica nanoparticles on polystyrene (PS) beads and the surface morphology and texture of the resultant hollow silica shells with scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and N2-sorption measurements, the influence of surfactant [cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)] concentration on the surface morphology of hollow silica microspheres templated by PS beads is explained. Previously, CTAB was believed to turn the surface charge of PS beads from negative into positive so that negatively charged silica could be deposited on the PS template. Here, we show CTA+ cations preferentially assemble with silica species to form silica-CTA+ composite nanoparticles. Since the zeta potential of silica-CTA+ composite nanoparticles is smaller than that of pure silica nanoparticles, these composite nanoparticles encounter less repulsion when they are deposited on the surface of PS beads and close to each other. As more CTAB is added, the silica-CTA+ nanoparticles are less negatively charged, and more compact and smooth hollow silica microspheres are obtained.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have become strongly promising nano-particles for developingnovel smart polymer matrix nanocomposites to satisfy the ever increasing designrequirements of the recent avenues of space industry and other special structuralapplications. The objective of this paper is to investigate the influence of doped anddispersed CNTs in polymer matrix on its intrinsic properties. Three different types ofpolymers; polyvinylchloride (PVC), polymethylemethacrylate (PMMA), and polystyrene (PS)were subjected to this experimental investigation. CNTs/polymer matrix composites with acontent ratio of CNTs up to 5% by weight were synthesized in lab. The nanocomposites werethen characterized by measuring their mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. Inaddition, thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy(FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were applied, and the results are presentedand discussed. It can be generally concluded that both PMMA and PS polymers disclosed muchbetter matching ability and cross linking ability with the interweaving CNTs than the PVC.Both PMMA and PS polymers may thus be nominated for further extension of the investigationto cover a wider range of CNTs content ratios in an endeavour towards searching formaximum specific performance properties of such nanocomposites.

The in vitro transformation of the miracidium to the mother sporocyst of Schistosoma margrebowiei was initiated by placing the miracidium in mammalian physiological saline. The transformation occurs in stages: the cilia cease beating; the ciliated plates become detached from the intercellular ridges and underlying muscle layers; the intercellular ridges spread over the body surface eventually forming a new tegument; the sporocyst changes from an ovoid to a tubular shape in about 48 h at room temperature. The surfaces of the miracidium, sporocyst and cercaria of S. margrebowiei display stage-specific carbohydrates on their surfaces as indicated by lectin staining. Ricin120 stains the cilia alone of the miracidium whereas peanut agglutinin stains the larval surface except for the cilia. The intercellular ridges of the miracidium stain with concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin, and these lectins stain the entire surface of the mature mother sporocyst. The cercaria is the only larval stage which stains positively with asparagus pea lectin. Bulinus nasutus is incompatible with Schistosoma margrebowiei; the haemolymph of this snail contains an agglutinin which agglutinates a wide variety of mammalian erythrocytes including those of human ABO blood groups. The haemagglutinin titre of B. nasutus plasma is reduced after incubation with miracidia of S. margrebowiei indicating that the agglutinin is absorbed onto the surface of this larval stage but not that of the mother sporocyst or cercaria. The possible roles of agglutinins in host–parasite interactions together with the significance of the differences in the surface carbohydrates of the larval stages are discussed.

Evaporation rate and subsequent exposure to humid air affect the surface morphology and composition of cesium iodide (CsI) films and, in turn, their photoemissive efficiency when used as photocathodes. The surface morphology and elemental composition of 300-nm-thick CsI films grown at two different rates (1 nm/s and 0.04 nm/s), both freshly evaporated and after 24-h exposure to humid air were investigated by means of atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy/electron diffraction spectroscopy. The CsI film freshly evaporated at a slow rate exhibited a granular surface presenting circular holes or craters where the CsI material was moved from the center to the boundaries. After 24-h exposure to humid air, this film coalesced in large grain showing a marked increase of surface roughness. Conversely, the CsI film grown at a fast rate mostly retained its original surface uniformity and homogeneity with no presence of holes and craters after 24-h exposure to humid air. Further, surface roughness and average peak height decreased, but the surface coalesced in large grains spaced by small fractures where the CsI coverage was almost lost. In conclusion, the films grown at a fast evaporation rate were affected by 24-h exposure to humid air less than those grown at a slow rate, and are thus expected to possess a greater long-term stability.

Optical properties of GaN epilayers of a cubic phase are studied. We show a strong influence of the sample morphology on intensity of the edge emission. Whereas edge luminescence is reduced at the grain boundaries, red emission is spatially homogeneous.

Smooth, anisotropic etching of InN and GaN is obtained in BI3- or BBr3-based Inductively Coupled Plasmas. Etch selectivities of 100:1 were achieved for InN over both GaN and AlN in the BI3 mixtures, while for BBr3 discharges values of 100:1 for InN over AlN and 25:1 for InN over GaN were measured. The etched surface morphologies of InN and GaN with both mixtures are similar or better than those of control samples.