Il Nuovo Cimento D 

About: Il Nuovo Cimento D is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Electron & Scattering. It has an ISSN identifier of 0392-6737. Over the lifetime, 2409 publications have been published receiving 12240 citations.

Undulations, steric interaction and cohesion of fluid membranes

Abstract: The theory of undulations of fluid membranes is reviewed and in some parts extended. The functional dependences of the steric interaction of undulating membranes are derived in a new way from simple physical arguments. Discussing the competition between steric repulsion and van der Waals attraction, one finds that membranes which usually separate (e.g. giant egg lecithin vesicles) should cohere if under lateral tension. The contours of two cohering vesicles observed when egg lecithin was swelling are analysed to show that the net energy of cohesion can be extremely small (≲10−5 erg cm−2).

Mechanical alloying of the Fe−Zr system. Correlation between input energy and end products

Abstract: Kinematic equations describing velocity and acceleration of a ball in a vial of a planetary ball-mill have been derived. The consequent energy transfer from the mill to the system constituted by the powder, the balls and the vials have been evaluated by theoretical-empirical approach. Mixtures of elemental iron and zirconium powders corresponding to the average Fe2Zr composition have been mechanically alloyed in different milling conditions. The end products strongly depend on the operative milling conditions and a clear correlation between them and the input energy has been found.

The Johnson-Mehl- Avrami-Kohnogorov model: A brief review

Abstract: The kinetics of isothermal phase transformations have been described by the Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kohnogorov (JMAK) phenomenological model since the 40’s. Although many theoretical investigators have given a fundamental contribution to extend the range of applicability of the model, the experimentalists keep using the model in its original form, owing to its simplicity, at times risking to overinterpret the experimental results. The early attempts to apply the JMAK model to surface science date back to the 70’s, but it has been systematically applied only in the last few years. There is not enough space here to review thoroughly the model and its applications. For this reason, after a historic introduction, we describe here in some detail the model and finally we review in brief its application to surface science.

Optical spectroscopy of opal matrices with CdS embedded in its pores: Quantum confinement and photonic band gap effects

Abstract: The spectra of transmission and reflection of synthetic opal which has 3-dimensional periodic structure were measured at different orientations of incident beam relative to the sample facets. It is shown that opal behaves as «semi-metallic» photonic band gap (PBG) material in the vicinity of photon energy 2.3 eV. The synthesis of CdS microcrystals embedded in the pores of opal was made for the first time in an attempt to form a system of quantum dots. Optical spectra (reflection and transmission, photoluminescence and Raman scattering) were studied. The results demonstrate good crystallinity of microcrystals embedded in opal matrix and exhibit well-pronounced quantum confinement effects in fundamental edge absorption spectra. The spectral overlap of the PBG of opal with electronic band gap of many of II–VI semiconductors seems to make opal/semiconductor system a promising media for experimental studies of such PBG-related effects as inhibition of spontaneous emission, microcavity polariton, etc.

Stochastic resonance in perspective

Abstract: We outline the historical development of stochastic resonance (SR), a phenomenon in which the signal and/or the signal-to-noise ratio in a nonlinear system increase with increasing intensity of noise. We discuss basic theoretical ideas explaining and describing SR, and we review some revealing experimental data that place SR within the wider context of statistical physics. We emphasize the close relationship of SR to some effects that are well known in condensed-matter physics.