On the basis of high-resolution x-ray diffraction measurements, the strain-stress analysis of GaN/(00.1)α-Al2O3 heteroepitaxial structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy is performed. The deformation state of the heteroepitaxial structures is investigated depending on the relative content of N in the Ga1-xNx buffer layer with the given thickness (=4 nm) and growth conditions. Using the extrapolating technique, the a- and c-lattice parameters, as well as the in-plane and out-of-plane strains (of the order of -10-3 and 10-4, respectively) are determined for GaN epilayers from θ-2θ x-ray diffraction spectra. For GaN epilayers, both the biaxial in-plane and in-depth strains (of the order of -10-3 and 10-3, respectively) and the hydrostatic strain component (of the order of -10-4) are extracted from the measured strains. It is supposed that the hydrostatic strain in the epilayers is caused by native point defects. The maximal level for the biaxial stress in the GaN epilayer, -1.3 GPa, is achieved for the sample with a relative content, x = 0.377, of N in the Ga1-xNx buffer layer.

Aims. This is the second paper of a series in which we present measurements of the supernova (SN) rates from the SUDARE survey. The aim of this survey is to constrain the core collapse (CC) and Type Ia SN progenitors by analysing the dependence of their explosion rate on the properties of the parent stellar population averaging over a population of galaxies with different ages in a cosmic volume and in a galaxy sample. In this paper, we study the trend of the SN rates with the intrinsic colours, the star formation activity and the masses of the parent galaxies. To constrain the SN progenitors we compare the observed rates with model predictions assuming four progenitor models for SNe Ia with different distribution functions of the time intervals between the formation of the progenitor and the explosion, and a mass range of 8−40 M for CC SN progenitors. Methods. We considered a galaxy sample of approximately 130 000 galaxies and a SN sample of approximately 50 events. The wealth of photometric information for our galaxy sample allows us to apply the spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting technique to estimate the intrinsic rest frame colours, the stellar mass and star formation rate (SFR) for each galaxy in the sample. The galaxies have been separated into star-forming and quiescent galaxies, exploiting both the rest frame U − V vs. V − J colour−colour diagram and the best fit values of the specific star formation rate (sSFR) from the SED fitting. Results. We found that the SN Ia rate per unit mass is higher by a factor of six in the star-forming galaxies with respect to the passive galaxies, identified as such both on the U − V vs. V − J colour−colour diagram and for their sSFR. The SN Ia rate per unit mass is also higher in the less massive galaxies that are also younger. These results suggest a distribution of the delay times (DTD) less populated at long delay times than at short delays. The CC SN rate per unit mass is proportional to both the sSFR and the galaxy mass, confirming that the CC SN progenitors explode soon after the end of the star formation activity. The trends of the Type Ia and CC SN rates as a function of the sSFR and the galaxy mass that we observed from SUDARE data are in agreement with literature results at different redshifts suggesting that the ability of the stellar populations to produce SN events does not vary with cosmic time. The expected number of SNe Ia is in agreement with that observed for all four DTD models considered both in passive and star-forming galaxies so we can not discriminate between different progenitor scenarios. The expected number of CC SNe is higher than that observed, suggesting a higher limit for the minimum progenitor mass. However, at least part of this discrepancy between expected and observed number of CC SNe may reflect a fluctuation due to the relatively poor statistics. We also compare the expected and observed trends of the SN Ia rate with the intrinsic U − J colour of the parent galaxy, assumed to be a tracer of the age distribution. While ...

There have been comparatively few investigations reported of radiation effects in zeolites, although it is known that these materials may be modified substantially by exposure to ionizing radiation. Thus, by exposure to γ-rays or high-energy particles, the charge states of atoms may be changed so to create, and accumulate, lattice point defects, and to form structurally disordered regions. Such a technique may permit the creation, in a controlled fashion, of additionally useful properties of the material while preserving its essential stoichiometry and structure. Accordingly, we present an application, in which the cation-exchange capacity of a natural zeolite (clinoptilolite) is substantially enhanced, for the treatment/decontamination of water contaminated with radionuclides e.g. 134Cs, 137Cs and 90Sr, by its exposure to high-energy (8 MeV) electrons, and to different total doses.

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Research on cement hydration was performed at the full-field soft transmission X-ray microscope XM-1 located at beamline 6.1.2 at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) in Berkeley CA which is operated by the Center for X-ray Optics, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California. A series of works [1][2][3] has been conducted using this microscope for the insitu observation and qualitative analysis of through-solution hydration products and products of topochemical reactions, which form in cementitious aqueous solutions. This paper studies the precipitation of the calcium hydroxide (CH) crystals from the cement solution. The analysis of successive images of the hydration process provides critical quantitative information about the growth rate of calcium hydroxide (CH) crystals, the supersaturation ratio, and the kinetic and diffusion coefficients of the growth process.ASTM Type II portland cement and 6% 4 3 C A S admixture were mixed in aqueous solution and saturated with respect to CH and gypsum. The 4 3 C A S admixture was included in the experimental program because of the general research program on expansive cements, and adding 4 3 C A S to portland cement is an efficient method of generating ettringite and significant early-age expansion. The solution/solid materials ratio was 10 cm 3 /g, which is higher than the one existing in regular concrete and mortars; to compensate for this dilution, the solution was originally saturated with CH and gypsum. To allow sufficient transmission of the soft X-rays, a small droplet was taken from the supernatant solution and assembled in the sample holder, and then squeezed between two silicon nitride windows for the analysis. The X-ray optical setup of the microscope XM-1 is described elsewhere [2].In this experiment, a wavelength of 2.4 nm (516.6 eV) was used. The radiation transmitting the sample was detected using an X-ray CCD camera, with a resolution of 35 nm provided by