Springer Science and Business Media LLC

The results of first calculations of the differential cross sections for muonic hydrogen scattering on hydrogen molecules are presented. They are functions of the initial and final kinetic energy of the system and the scattering angle. These calculations are based on the respective set of cross sections for muonic hydrogen scattering on hydrogen nuclei, obtained within the framework of the adiabatic method. The Fermi pseudopotential method is used to estimate the molecular binding effects. The influence of electrons on the cross sections under consideration is described in terms of the effective screening potential. Rotational and vibrational transitions are taken into account. The calculated molecular differential cross sections show a strong angular dependence. This effect is very significant for the electronic contributions to the cross sections, e.g. for collision energies above approximately 0.1 eV only the cross sections of small scattering angles are influenced considerably by the screening. Since these differential cross sections give detailed information about the final energies and complicated angular distributions of the scattered muonic atoms they are the proper basis for calculations concerning the deceleration of muonic hydrogen atoms in molecular hydrogen targets and for Monte Carlo simulations of different experiments in muonic physics.

A Mossbauer effect study has been done for Fe−C and Fe−M−C (M: Al, Mn) γ-iron. From the obtained fractional intensity of each component of spectra, the local interaction energies between carbon atoms were determined by means of Monte-Carlo simulation. The interaction energiees between carbon atoms and M atoms are also derived.

The origin of magnetic frustration in antiferromagnetic ionic systems is discussed in terms first of cationic topology and then of competing superexchange and supersuperexchange interactions. Some selected examples based on ferric fluorides and oxyfluorides are presented to illustrate both the origins of magnetic frustration and the contribution of zero-field and in-field Mössbauer experiments.

The 1 K phase transition in UCu5, which shows up in specific heat data within the antiferromagnetic state belowT N =16 K, was investigated by zero field μSR. The data reveal a pronounced increase in the internal field spread at theμ + sites below 1.2 K while the average fields seem to be unaffected. These results are compatible with the onset of a charge density wave state below 1.2 K.

The steel ASTM A213 P22 is used for superheater outlet header in power plants. During duty cycles lasting over tens of years the temperature is of the order of 545°C and the pressure 125 atm. The microscopic changes in these steels are hard to analyze under working conditions, but they are believed to be responsible for the appearance of creeps in such devices. Investigation of the microscopic modifications will help to predict future failures due to creeps, increasing the reliability and saving a lot of money. We report the investigation of such changes in ASTM A213 P22 steel in use for 30 years as a Superheater header at Haifa power station. The analysis has been carried out using Mössbauer Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy. As a result it seems that the morphology and phase change of the carbide phases M3C/M7C3 and M23C6 are the most prominent changes leading to the material failures.