Eric E. Hellstrom | Flórida State University - Estados Unidos

• Grant number: 08/09586-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• Start date: December 06, 2008
• End date: December 20, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Durval Rodrigues Junior
• Grantee: Durval Rodrigues Junior
• Visiting researcher: Eric E. Hellstrom
• Visiting researcher institution: Florida State University, United States
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (EEL). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Lorena , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Dr. Eric E. Hellstrom is a professor and researcher working in the Applied Superconductivity Center (ASC) and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL), Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA. Dr. Hellstrom has worked on superconductivity, materials development, and characterization. His research is well known and well referenced by researchers in the field. His expertise includes work on low and high temperature superconductors, mainly on Bi2223 and Bi2212 wires and tapes, and coated conductors (Y123). This includes preparing materials using high energy ball milling and mechanical alloying. Dr. Hellstrom is part of an international collaboration working with the research group of Prof. Dr. Durval Rodrigues Jr. at the Departamento de Engenharia de Materiais, of the Escola de Engenharia de Lorena (former FAENQUIL), Universidade de São Paulo, Lorena, SP. This collaborative project has been developed to study the influence co-doping MgB2 with AlB2-type diborides, carbon and SiC has on the improvement of the transport properties and the upper critical magnetic field Hc2 of important new superconductor MgB2. As part of this collaboration, Dr. Rodrigues spent a sabbatical year in the USA at from August/2006 to January/2008 working within ASC. Several papers have been published as result of this collaboration between the American and Brazilian groups, and other papers are in progress. We intend to expand this collaboration even further in the future, probably having additional exchanges of students and researchers. The continuation of the collaboration work is natural and includes Dr. Eric Hellstrom visiting Brazil. Dr. Hellstrom will visit the facilities in Lorena. The intention is to discuss the most recent studies and have Dr. Hellstrom giving a series of seminars for the research group in Lorena, mainly graduate students (master and PhD) as well as undergraduate students (Scientific Initiation). This will be the first time Dr. Hellstrom has visited Lorena and the direct exchange of information will be of very important. Another seminar is planned for the Department of Materials Physics, at the main Campus of USP at São Paulo-Capital. These seminars intend to show, diffuse and create correlations with the work that has been developed at the Applied Superconductivity Center in Tallahassee, which is one of the premier superconductivity centers in the world. Dr. Hellstrom will help to define the new equipment that will be purchased at Lorena to prepare samples using high energy ball milling in a glove-box, using funds already approved by CNPq under the Edital Universal number 480834/2007-5. To make the best use of Dr. Hellstrom's time in Brazil, the visit is planned to for the first two weeks of December/2008. Dr. Hellstrom will participate in the VII Brazilian School on Superconductivity (Escola Brasileira de Supercondutividade - EBS2008) and Workshop on Frontiers of Superconductivity and Magnetism - Materials, Mechanisms and Applications, to be held in Muro Alto, PE, from December 08 to December 12, 2008 (www.df.ufpe.br/~ebs2008). During this Workshop he will have an invited talk and he will be responsible by the short-course on "Materials Processing and Applications of Superconductivity". There will be a large number of students attending his event, and they will receive valuable, new information on Dr. Hellstrom's research. These scientific events are of very important to promote and advance the area of superconductivity in Brazil and for the development of new researchers. The new edition of the EBS and the Workshop intend to create more interest on the part of Brazilian students in this important, frontier area of research and development. Dr. Hellstrom will be finished teaching courses at Florida State University on December 5th, 2008, we plan to start his activities in Brazil with the Workshop in Pernambuco. From there, Dr. Hellstrom will travel to São Paulo state and continue his planned activities. (AU)