Gillespie Dj

Response of piezoelectric bimorphs as a function of temperature

The temperature dependence of the response of piezoelectric ‘‘bimorphs’’ ■ (■ Registered trademark of Vernitron Corp., Bedford, OH) has been studied. This response is markedly decreased as temperature is decreased. Since the bimorphs are voltage limited, the amount of motion available is thus reduced as the temperature is lowered. This effect is important in the design specifications for the use of bimorphs at low temperatures.

A Search for Anomalies in the Palladium-Deuterium System

A polycrystalline palladium rod is electrolytically charged with deuterium up to a deuterium/palladium ratio of 0.81 while several sample parameters are simultaneously measured in situ, including electrical resistivity, sample dimensions, cell temperature, and neutron production. Various charging rates are used in an attempt to provoke any anomalous behavior, such as a previously unknown crystallographic or chemical phase change, that might account for reports of heat or neutron production. Neither the electrical resistivity nor sample dimensions manifest evidence of any anomaly.

A search for neutrons in single-phase palladium-deuterium

A palladium rod is charged to relatively high levels of deuterium without passing through the two-phase region of this system. This is accomplished by a combination of gaseous high-temperature-high-pressure initial charging followed by electrolytic charging to a final deuterium/palladium ratio of 0.88. Attempts of detect neutron production during low-temperature thermal cycling and room-temperature slow discharge of deuterium have yielded negative results. Data collected during more rapid discharge of deuterium are statistically unconvincing, but weakly suggestive of some possible neutron production.

Search for neutrons from a titanium-deuterium system

504This paper reports on titanium sponge charged with deuterium using high-pressured gas techniques. The titanium deuteride is then taken through thermal excursions between 77 K and room temperature while evidence is simultaneously sought for neutron count rates above background due to these excursions. No statistically significant evidence for neutron production in the deuterated titanium is found.

Measure of the elastic and transport properties of TaSe3 through the stress-induced phase transition.

Abstract It is known that a stress-induced phase transition exists in TaSe3. [1, 2] We have simultaneously measured the stress, strain and resistance in TaSe3 samples through this phase transition. We have performed these measurements over a range of temperature from 25K to 300K We have also evaluated Youngs modulus, Y, over this same range and find values which are comparable with those obtained for TaS3 and NbSe3. The modulus appears to have two levels; a high stress and low stress value which is consistent with the origin of the transition being structural in nature. The dramatic electronic properties that this material exhibits under stress are discussed in terms of this structural transition.