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Smooth modulation structure of Mg–B alloy in the quenched reaction product of Mg and amorphous B was studied. It indicates that the MgB2 formed possibly in spinodal decomposition, thus resulting in MgB2 nanodomains. It was found that the nanodomains with small angle boundaries of atomic-scale width were distributed within the subgrains that constitute the clusters in MgB2 grains. This nanostructural characteristic may be intrinsic in the quenched reaction product of Mg and amorphous B. It makes the nanodomain boundaries not act as barriers to the current percolation path, thus exhibiting no weak-link problem in the MgB2.

It has previously been reported that x-rays are emitted when adhesive tape is peeled in a vacuum but no account of the dependence of the x-ray emission on the pressure of the environment has been given to date. In this paper we present detailed experimental data on the number and angular distribution of x-ray photons as a function of pressure. We find that x-rays are emitted for pressures between p0=10−3 and p1=10−2 mBar, with ∼106 counts/(cm2 s) recorded by a 256×256 pixel2 silicon array sensor placed 35 mm from the tape. The main role of the tape is found to be the build-up of an acceleration potential sufficient to produce x-rays by bremsstrahlung of free electrons in a low-pressure gas. The source of the free electrons is the gas. Our model shows that the production rate of uncompensated tape charge and absorption of positive ions from the gas define p1. The angular distribution of the radiation shows a pressure-independent 20° wide peak in the direction perpendicular to electron motion. Ordinary brem...

Correlation of upper critical field (Hc2) and critical current density (Jc) with processing temperature of nano-C doped MgB2 has been studied in comparison to SiC and pure MgB2. SiC and C doped MgB2 exhibit opposite trends in the dependence of Jc and Hc2 on sintering temperature. This is explained by different reactivities of carbon available upon creation of MgB2 for the two types of doping. Nanocarbon doped MgB2 requires sintering temperatures in excess of 900°C to obtain high boron substitution for carbon, enhancing the vortex pinning and impurity scattering of charge carriers. However, carbon substitution in nano-SiC doped MgB2 occurs at less than 650°C, allowing lower sintering temperature and high degree of carbon substitution. Both pure and SiC doped MgB2 benefit from low sintering temperature, which results in more grain boundary defects. Substantial carbon substitution can compensate for the disadvantage of sintering at high temperature of nano-C doped MgB2, giving the best Jc of 4.8×103A∕cm2 at ...

The influence of heating rates and annealing temperatures on the transition temperatures (Tc) and critical current densities (Jc) of pure MgB2, carbon nanotube- and nano-SiC-doped in situ monofilamentary MgB2∕Fe wires was investigated. It was found that higher Jc was obtained for pure MgB2 samples when heat treated with slower heating rates. SiC-doped samples also have higher Jc with slower heating rates, but the Jc is less sensitive to annealing temperatures. However, the Jc of the carbon nanotube-doped wire was found to be insensitive to heating rates. The variation in Tc and Jc with heating rate, and the different behaviors of differently doped MgB2∕Fe wires, make it essential to carefully select the optimum heating rates for heat treatment.