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We report a Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission observation of magnetic reconnection occurring at the edge of a large‐scale magnetic flux rope (MFR), the cross‐section of which was about 2 RE. The MFR was observed at the duskside in the Earth's magnetotail and was highly oblique with its axis approximately along the XGSM direction. We find an electron‐scale current sheet near the edge of this MFR. The Hall magnetic and electric field, super‐Alfvénic electron outflow, parallel electric field, and positive energy dissipation were observed associated with the current sheet, which indicates that MMS detected a reconnecting current sheet with a large guide field. Interestingly, ions were not coupled in this reconnection, akin to the electron‐only reconnection observed in the turbulent magnetosheath. We further find that the electron‐only reconnection is commonly associated with a macroscopic MFR. This result will shed new light on understanding the multiscale coupling associated with an MFR in space plasmas. Key Points: MMS observed an electron‐only reconnection at the edge of a macroscopic magnetic flux rope in the magnetotailElectron‐only reconnection is ubiquitous in space plasma [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonisothermal densification in 8% yttria doped zirconia (8YSZ) particulate matter of 250 nm median particle size was studied under 215 V/cm dc electric field and 9 °C/min heating rate, using time-resolved in-situ high temperature energy dispersive x-ray diffractometry with a polychromatic 200 keV synchrotron probe. Densification occurred in the 876-905 °C range, which resulted in 97% of the theoretical density. No local melting at particle-particle contacts was observed in scanning electron micrographs, implying densification was due to solid state mass transport processes. The maximum current draw at 905 °C was 3 A, corresponding to instantaneous absorbed power density of 570 W/cm3. Densification of 8YSZ was accompanied by anomalous elastic volume expansions of the unit cell by 0.45% and 2.80% at 847 °C and 905 °C, respectively. The anomalous expansion at 905 °C at which maximum densification was observed is characterized by three stages: (I) linear stage, (II) anomalous stage, and (III) anelastic recovery stage. The densification in stage I (184 s) and II (15 s) was completed in 199 s, while anelastic relaxation in stage III lasted 130 s. The residual strains ([variant_greek_epsilon]) at room temperature, as computed from tetragonal (112) and (211) reflections, are [variant_greek_epsilon](112) = 0.05% and [variant_greek_epsilon](211) = 0.13%, respectively. Time dependence of (211) and (112) peak widths (β) show a decrease with both exhibiting a singularity at 905 °C. An anisotropy in (112) and (211) peak widths of {β(112)/β(211)} = (3:1) magnitude was observed. No phase transformation occurred at 905 °C as verified from diffraction spectra on both sides of the singularity, i.e., the unit cell symmetry remains tetragonal. We attribute the reduction in densification temperature and time to ultrafast ambipolar diffusion of species arising from the superposition of mass fluxes due to Fickian diffusion, thermodiffusion (Soret effect), and electromigration, which in turn are a consequence of a superposition of chemical, temperature, and electrical potential gradients. On the other hand, we propose defect pile-up at particle-particle contacts and subsequent tunneling as a mechanism creating the 'burst-mode' discontinuous densification at the singularities observed at 847 and 905 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Interface crack between magnetoelectroelastic and orthotropic materials is studied. • Full-field solution in the cracked bi-materials is given. • Crack propagation can either be enhanced or retarded. Abstract In this paper, an interface crack between magnetoelectroelastic and orthotropic half-spaces under anti-plane shear and in-plane electric and magnetic loadings has been studied. By using integral transform techniques the mixed boundary value problem for interface crack was reduced to the solution of singular integral equations, which can be further reduced to solving a Riemann-Hilbert problem with closed form solution. An analytic full-field solution for stresses, electric fields, magnetic fields, electric displacement and magnetic induction in the cracked bi-materials is given, and of particular interests, the analytical expression of the stresses, electric displacements and magnetic inductions along the interface has been obtained. The crack sliding displacements (CSDs) of the interface crack are provided, and it is found that the stress distributions inside the orthotropic material are dependent on the elastic stiffness of the orthotropic material. The results of the stress intensity factors indicate that the crack propagation can either be enhanced or retarded depending on the magnitude and direction of the electric and magnetic loadings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of resistive-type superconducting fault current limiters (RSFCLs) in electrical networks is very attractive due to their relative compactness, light weight, and good performance. However, this technology still has drawbacks: asymmetrical quench, uncertain limiting velocity, passive action and incapability of enlarging capacity. Here, we present an active quenching technique which can potentially solve these problems. The quenching process is triggered using high-frequency (HF) AC fields, which are generated by two coupled copper coils attached on both sides of the YBCO sample. Our experiments show that this approach is effective in guaranteeing uniform quench and therefore is expected to be able to significantly extend the service life of the device. Moreover, the quench speed can be considerably increased by the HF field. We find that the performance of acceleration is positively correlated to the transport current, intensity and frequency of the AC field. In addition, a DC magnetic field is added around the sample holder simultaneously with the AC field, to study the field-angular-frequency dependence of the quench time t(BACfACBDC휃DC). Experimental results prove that the DC magnetic field can cooperate with the HF AC field to accelerate quench, which means better performance can be produced with lower costs with the two fields acting together. In all, this technique showed outstanding performance regarding quench acceleration and tape protection. We believe the HF-assisted quenching technology has a promising future in current-limiting devices and hope our findings could be helpful for its potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: It has been proposed that, in the near‐Earth magnetotail, earthward propagating flux ropes can merge with the Earth's dipole magnetic field and dissipate its magnetic energy. However, the reconnection diffusion region related to this process has not been identified. Here we report the first in situ observation of magnetic reconnection between an earthward propagating flux rope and the closed magnetic field lines connecting to Earth. Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft crossed a vertical current sheet between the leading edge of the flux rope (negative Bz) and the geomagnetic field (positive Bz). The subion‐scale current sheet, super‐Alfvénic electron outflow, Hall magnetic and electric field, conversion of magnetic energy to plasma energy (J·E > 0), and magnetic null were observed during the crossing. All the above signatures indicate that MMS detected the reconnection diffusion region. This result is also relevant to other planets with intrinsic magnetosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relaxor ferroelectrics, with their strong dependence of polarization on the applied electric field, are of considerable technological importance. On a microscopic scale, however, there exists competition as well as coexistence between short-range and long-range polar order. The conventional picture is that the polar nano-regions (PNRs) that appear at high temperatures beyond the Curie transition, form nuclei for the field-induced long-range order at low temperatures. Here, we report high-energy X-ray diffuse-scattering measurements on the relaxor Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PZN) to study the short-range polar order under an electric field applied along the [111] direction. In contrast to conventional expectations, the overall diffuse-scattering intensity is not suppressed. On the other hand, the field induces a marked change on the shape of the three-dimensional diffuse-scattering intensity pattern, corresponding to a redistribution of PNRs in real space. We show that these surprising results are consistent with a model in which the PNRs with [110]-type polarizations, orthogonal to that of the surrounding environment, are embedded and persist in the [111]-polarized ferroelectric order of the bulk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A moving screw dislocation in a transversely isotropic piezoelectric material is investigated in detail. The analytical expressions for displacement, electric potential, stresses, electric displacements, strains, and electric fields are obtained. When the velocity of the dislocation is zero, or when the piezoelectric constant is zero, the results derived in this paper can reduce to known results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, an interface crack between magnetoelectroelastic and orthotropic half-spaces has been studied in detail. By using integral transform techniques the present mixed boundary value problem was reduced to the solution of singular integral equations, which can be further reduced to solving a Riemann-Hilbert problem with closed form solution. The crack-tip singularities of the interface crack have been investigated for possible combinations of the magnetoelectroelastic and orthotropic materials, a criterion based on the coefficient of the Riemann-Hilbert problem is introduced to study the possible singularity behavior of the interface crack, and it is shown that there can be either oscillatory or non-oscillatory singularity for the interface crack depending on the particular combination of the bi-materials. A closed form solution for stresses, electric fields, magnetic fields, electric displacement and magnetic induction in the cracked biomaterials is given, and of particular interests, the analytical expression of the stresses, electric displacements and magnetic inductions along the interface has been obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]