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Failure of critical train components (CTCs) affects normal train operation or can cause serious accidents, resulting in economic losses. The design and manufacture of large, complex and precise punches is critical for the manufacture of CTCs. During extrusion, punches are at high temperature, which has a negative influence on the processing accuracy and reliability of CTCs. Hot compound deformation due to a long punch stroke reduces the life of punches, increasing manufacturing costs. Therefore, ensuring the timely cooling of punches is important for machining accuracy. A cooling strategy for punches under hot compound extrusion of CTCs is proposed. Based on computer-aided engineering technology, the cooling process of a punch was numerically simulated. Then, the design of an auxiliary mould was optimised and the process parameters were adjusted. The theoretical temperature rise of the punch was calculated and a formula for temperature rise and cooling of the punch obtained. According to the forced convective heat transfer of cooling water, the convective heat transfer coefficients on the surface of the cooling pipe were calculated. The interior and external heat dissipation of the punch were simulated using finite elements and the production beat and compound extrusion parameters were calculated. Interior circulation cooling equipment was then designed. Variations in the temperature field distribution were obtained after punch extrusion and heat dissipation using infrared temperature measuring equipment. The experimental and theoretical results agreed.

Generally, traditional uncertainty design optimization (UDO) methods are based on probability density distribution function or fuzzy membership function. In this situation, a large amount of uncertain information is necessary to construct the UDO model accurately. While, the interval UDO methods require less design information. Only the upper and lower bounds of interval uncertainty are utilized to construct the optimization model. In this study, to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of UBDO considering interval uncertainty, a reliability-based multidisciplinary design optimization (RBMDO) strategy using the point-infilled Kriging model is proposed. In the given method, a double-nested RBMDO model considering interval uncertainty is established. The collaborative optimization is utilized to deal with coupling relationships among complex systems. Then, the point-infilled Kriging response surface strategy is introduced to approximate the RBMDO model. The procedure of the interval multidisciplinary collaborative optimization method based on the Kriging model is discussed. Two examples are given to illustrate the application of the proposed method.

To investigate the occurrence and development pattern of large-scale hazardous chemicals emergencies, a statistical analysis of 195 large and above accidents of hazardous chemicals in China during 2000–2020 was conducted. A general description of the characteristics of larger and above accidents based on statistical data was analyzed, and then the system risk of the hazardous chemical industry was calculated and evaluated by the entropy weight method and the TOPSIS method comprehensively. Results show that: (1) The geographical distribution of large and above hazardous chemical accidents (LAHCA) varies significantly; (2) The high-temperature season has high probabilities of having large and above accidents; (3) Human factors and management factors are the main causes of LAHCA; (4) During the period from 2000 to 2020, due to the rapid development of the chemical industry, the overall risk of accidents involving hazardous chemicals were upswing accompanied by volatility, and the risk of serious accidents remains high. The development history of safety regulations in China’s hazardous chemical sector and the industry’s projected course for future growth were then discussed. Finally, based on the findings of the aforementioned statistics and research, specific recommendations were provided for the safety management of the hazardous chemical sector. This study expects to provide a practical and effective reference for the construction of safety management as well as accident prevention in the hazardous chemical industry.

Refining and chemical integration is the major trend in the development of the world petrochemical industry, showing intensive and large-scale development. The accident risks caused by this integration are complex and diverse, and pose new challenges to petrochemical industry safety. In order to clarify the characteristics of the accident and the risk root contained in the production process of the enterprise, avoid the risk reasonably and improve the overall safety level of the petrochemical industry, in this paper, 159 accident cases of dangerous chemicals in China from 2017–2021 were statistically analyzed. A Bayesian network (BN)-based risk analysis model was proposed to clarify the characteristics and root causes of accident risks in large refining enterprises. The prior probability parameter in the Bayesian network was replaced by the comprehensive weight, which combined subjective and objective weights. A hybrid method of fuzzy set theory and a noisy-OR gate model was employed to eliminate the problem of the conditional probability parameters being difficult to obtain and the evaluation results not being accurate in traditional BN networks. Finally, the feasibility of the methods was verified by a case study of a petrochemical enterprise in Zhoushan. The results indicated that leakage, fire and explosion were the main types of accidents in petrochemical enterprises. The human factor was the main influencing factors of the top six most critical risk root causes in the enterprise. The coupling risk has a relatively large impact on enterprise security. The research results are in line with reality and can provide a reference for the safety risk management and control of petrochemical enterprises.

To systematically study the soil and water conservation functions of different straw mulching application rates on sloping farmland in karst area of Southwest China, the observation of runoff plots...

Coal and gas outburst, usually takes place in tectonic soft coal areas. It is generally difficult to obtain soft coal samples, which influences the accuracy of outburst hazard determination of coal...

Aiming at the vibration signals of rolling bearings of a hot die forging press, which are nonlinear, unstable, and easily disturbed by strong background noise, a fault diagnosis method based on a short-time Fourier transform and optimized convolutional neural network was proposed. First, the Fourier transform was applied to the vibration signals of rolling bearings of a hot die forging press to obtain complete time-frequency samples. After spectrum compression, it is input into the convolutional neural network model. By optimizing activation function and adjusting network parameters, the purpose of efficient and fast detection in the case of small samples can be achieved. Through the simulation test, the feasibility and effectiveness are verified. The results show that the proposed method has high recognition accuracy for fault diagnosis of rolling bearings of hot die forging press.

Organic mulch is an important agronomic measure which has proven effective for soil and water conservation worldwide. However, the appropriate mulch application rate, mulch material for soil erosio...

Transgenic Bt cotton was first introduced into Qiuxian County (Hebei, China) in order to control the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, in 1998. Owing to the high selection pressures in this region, monitoring of Bt resistance in H. armigera is critical to verify the efficacy of transgenic cotton and construct the new management strategy. The F2 screen was conducted to detect the resistance allele frequency in the field population of H. armigera in Qiuxian County from 2010 to 2012. The annual values were 0.0389 (95% CI: 0.0064–0.0714), 0.0372 (95% CI: 0.0036–0.0708) and 0.0781 (95% CI: 0.0318–0.1244), respectively. In order to test the optional insecticides to control H. armigera, through leaf-dip bioassay, the resistance of field population from Qiuxian to 6 insecticides were detected. The results showed Qiuxian population was kept high resistance to cyhalothrin (Resistance Ratio = 61.8–95.2) and to beta-cypermethrin (Resistance Ratio = 50.9–82.3), low to moderate resistance to phoxim (Resist...

The German Labour Law regulates the relation between employers and employees and intends to establish social justice on the basis of private law by (labour) contract. In order to provide a fair and just working environment, it creates a balance between the (supposedly) stronger bargaining position of the employer and protection of employee’s rights. The aim is therefore not to provide employers and employees with equal rights but to elevate the employee to a near equal level of rights (and duties) as the “more powerful” employer.

Das deutsche Arbeitsrecht regelt die Rechtsbeziehungen zwischen Arbeitgebern und Arbeitnehmern und dient der Herstellung sozialer Gerechtigkeit auf privatrechtlicher (arbeitsvertraglicher) Grundlage. Das Arbeitsrecht soll der angenommenen starkeren Verhandlungsposition des Arbeitgebers weitgehende Schutzrechte der Arbeitnehmer entgegenstellen und so fur faire und gerechte Arbeitsbeziehungen sorgen. Es geht also innerhalb des Systems nicht um gleichrangige Zuweisung von Rechten und Pflichten, sondern es werden bewusst Arbeitnehmer gegenuber den ohnehin als „machtiger“ angesehenen Arbeitgebern in eine Position der ungefahren Gleichberechtigung hineinversetzt.

ドイツ労働法は使用者と労働者との関係を規範化し、労働契約を通じて私法に基づく社 会公正を実現する。公平かつ公正な労働環境を作るために、労働法は強い立場にある使 用者(合理的な推定)と権益を保護される必要のある労働者とのバランスを取る。したがっ て、労働法の目的は使用者と労働者に平等な権利を与えるのではなく、「強い」使用者に 近い権利(義務)を労働者に持たせる。そうしないと、使用者は契約締結の自由を利用し て自分の利益を守り、弱い立場にある労働者の権益を損害する可能性がある。労働者は 通常、保護することに値すると思われるが、一部の労働者は労働法に保護されない、例え ば、フリーランス。

An important and continuing theme of modern solid state physics is the realization of exotic excitations in materials (e.g. quasiparticles) that have no analogy (or have not yet been observed) in the actual physical vacuum of free space. Although they are not fundamental particles, such quasiparticles do constitute the most basic description of the excited states of the "vacuum" in which they reside. In this regard the magnetic textures of the excited states of spin ices, magnetic pyrochlore oxides with dominant Ising interactions, are proposed to be modeled as effective magnetic charge monopoles. Recent inelastic neutron scattering experiments have established the pyrochlore material Yb$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$ (YbTO) as a quantum spin ice, where in addition to the Ising interactions there are substantial transverse terms that may induce quantum dynamics and - in principle - coherent monopole motion. Here we report a combined time domain terahertz spectroscopy (TDTS) and microwave cavity study of YbTO to probe its complex dynamic magnetic susceptibility. We find that the form of the susceptibility is consistent with monopole motion and a magnetic monopole conductivity can be defined and measured. Using the unique phase sensitive capabilities of these techniques, we observe a sign change in the reactive part of the magnetic response. In generic models of monopole motion this is only possible through introducing inertial effects, e.g. a mass dependent term, to the equations of motion. Analogous to conventional electric charge systems, measurement of the conductivity's spectral weight allows us to derive a value for the magnetic monopole mass, which we find to be approximately 1800 electron masses. Our results establish the magnetic monopoles of quantum spin ice as true coherently propagating quasiparticles of this system.

Depolarized reflected light microscopy and high resolution optical reflectivity measurements have been conducted on free-standing films of an achiral four-ring hockey stick shaped liquid crystal exhibiting SmA-B2–SmX* transition sequence. A layer thinning transition above the bulk isotropic-SmA phase transition has been observed. This behaviour was highly irreproducible, indicating an irregular layer thinning transition. From optical reflectivity data, both thickness of the free-standing films and the smectic interlayer spacing were determined. This is the first report of the layer thinning transition in a hockey stick shaped liquid crystal.

An ongoing limitation of terahertz spectroscopy is that the technique is generally limited to the study of relatively large samples of order 4 mm across due to the generally large size of the focal beam spot. We present a nested concentric parabolic reflector design which can reduce the terahertz focal spot size. This parabolic reflector design takes advantage of the feature that reflected rays experience a relative time delay which is the same for all paths. The increase in effective optical path for reflected light is equivalent to the aperture diameter itself. We have shown that the light throughput of an aperture of 2 mm can be increased by a factor 15 as compared to a regular aperture of the same size at low frequencies. This technique can potentially be used to reduce the focal spot size in terahertz spectroscopy and enable the study of smaller samples.

International audience; In 2006, employing ellipsometry and resonant x-ray diffraction, our research group discovered a liquid crystal mesophase having a six-layer periodicity in a ternary mixture (mixture A) as well as in a binary mixture (mixture B). This phase showsantiferroelectric-like properties. Subsequently, J. K. Vij’s group used field-induced birefringence to explore the physical properties of various binary mixtures similar to mixture B. Recently, Y. Takanishi et al. obtained dielectric responses and twodimensional microbeam resonant x-ray diffraction profiles as a function of temperature from a different binary mixture with one compound of the mixture containing a central bromine atom. They discovered another new mesophase which shows a six-layer structure and displays ferrielectric-like responses along with a different phase sequence. This article will review the sequence of events leading up to the discovery of the new phases with a six-layer periodicity and highlight differences in conclusions about the new phases and an ongoing debate about the existence of a phase with five-layer periodicity.

Theoretical models of the spin-orbital liquid (SOL) FeSc2S4 have predicted it to be in close proximity to a quantum critical point separating a spin-orbital liquid phase from a long-range ordered magnetic phase. Here, we examine the magnetic excitations of FeSc2S4 through time-domain terahertz spectroscopy under an applied magnetic field. At low temperatures an excitation emerges that we attribute to a singlet-triplet excitation from the SOL ground state. A threefold splitting of this excitation is observed as a function of applied magnetic field. As singlet-triplet excitations are typically not allowed in pure spin systems, our results demonstrate the entangled spin and orbital character of singlet ground and triplet excited states. Using experimentally obtained parameters we compare to existing theoretical models to determine FeSc2S4's proximity to the quantum critical point. In the context of these models, we estimate the characteristic length of the singlet correlations to be ξ/(a/2)≈8.2 (where a/2 is the nearest neighbor lattice constant), which establishes FeSc2S4 as a SOL with long-range entanglement.

International audience; For more than one decade, SmC∗d4, SmC∗d3, andSmC∗ A were the only three confirmed commensurate SmC* variant phases with periodicities less than or equal four layers. In 2006, employing ellipsometry and resonant X-ray diffraction (RXRD), our research team first discovered a new liquid crystal mesophase having a six-layer periodicity in one ternary mixture which includes one sulfur-containing compound. From our ellipsometric results, this phase showed antiferroelectric-like optical response. This novel discovery inspired renewed interest to search for liquid crystal mesophases with commensurateperiodicities greater than four layers. Soon after, another mesophase having a six-layer structure and showing a ferrielectric-like dielectric response, instead, was uncovered by RXRD measurements on a different binary mixture which has one bromine-containing compound. Meanwhile mesophases having a 5-, 8-, 12- or 15-layer periodicity were reported. However, numerous questions remain to be addressed associated with these unusual reported phases. Theoretical models giving rise to mesophases with periodicities greater than four layers have been developed; but, to date, none of them haveprovided satisfactory explanations of all the physical phenomena related to the mesophases exhibiting a six-layer structure. Moreover, the question “what is the source of long-range interactions between liquid-like smectic layers, which are responsible for establishing mesophases with long periodicities and mean-field behavior of the smectic-A–smectic-C transition?” remains unanswered for more than three decades.

Theoretical models of the spin-orbital liquid (SOL) FeSc2S4 have predicted it to be in close proximity to a quantum critical point separating a spin-orbital liquid phase from a long-range ordered magnetic phase. Here, we examine the magnetic excitations of FeSc2S4 through time-domain terahertz spectroscopy under an applied magnetic field. At low temperatures an excitation emerges that we attribute to a singlet-triplet excitation from the SOL ground state. A threefold splitting of this excitation is observed as a function of applied magnetic field. As singlet-triplet excitations are typically not allowed in pure spin systems, our results demonstrate the entangled spin and orbital character of singlet ground and triplet excited states. Using experimentally obtained parameters we compare to existing theoretical models to determine FeSc2S4's proximity to the quantum critical point. In the context of these models, we estimate the characteristic length of the singlet correlations to be ξ/(a/2)≈8.2 (where a/2 is the nearest neighbor lattice constant), which establishes FeSc2S4 as a SOL with long-range entanglement.

We present the technical details of a broadband microwave spectrometer for measuring the complex conductance of thin films covering the range from 50 MHz up to 16 GHz in the temperature range 300 mK-6 K and at applied magnetic fields up to 8 T. We measure the complex reflection from a sample terminating a coaxial transmission line and calibrate the signals with three standards with known reflection coefficients. Thermal isolation of the heat load from the inner conductor is accomplished by including a section of NbTi superconducting cable (transition temperature around 8-9 K) and hermetic seal glass bead adapters. This enables us to stabilize the base temperature of the sample stage at 300 mK. However, the inclusion of this superconducting cable complicates the calibration procedure. We document the effects of the superconducting cable on our calibration procedure and the effects of applied magnetic fields and how we control the temperature with great repeatability for each measurement. We have successfully extracted reliable data in this frequency, temperature, and field range for thin superconducting films and highly resistive graphene samples.

In condensed matter systems, formation of long-range order (LRO) is often accompanied by new excitations. However, in many geometrically frustrated magnetic systems, conventional LRO is suppressed, while non-trivial spin correlations are still observed. A natural question to ask is then what is the nature of the excitations in this highly correlated state without broken symmetry? Frequently, applying a symmetry breaking field stabilizes excitations whose properties reflect certain aspects of the anomalous state without LRO. Here we report a THz spectroscopy study of novel excitations in quantum spin ice Yb2Ti2O7 under a001directed magnetic field. At large positive fields, both right- and left-handed magnon and two-magnon-like excitations are observed. The g-factors of these excitations are dramatically enhanced in the low-field limit, showing a crossover of these states into features consistent with the quantum string-like excitations proposed to exist in quantum spin ice in small001fields.

LiZn2Mo3O8 has been proposed to contain S=½Mo3O13 magnetic clusters arranged on a triangular lattice with antiferromagnetic nearest-neighbor interactions. Here, microwave and terahertz electron spin resonance, Li7 nuclear magnetic resonance, and muon spin rotation spectroscopies are used to characterize the local magnetic properties of LiZn2Mo3O8. These results show the magnetism in LiZn2Mo3O8 arises from a single isotropic S=½electron per cluster and that there is no static long-range magnetic ordering down to T = 0.07 K. Further, there is evidence of gapless spin excitations with spin fluctuations slowing down as the temperature is lowered. These data indicate strong spin correlations, which, together with previous data, suggest a low-temperature resonating valence-bond state in LiZn2Mo3O8.

With the discovery of the smectic-C(d6)(*) (SmC(d6)(*)) phase showing six-layer periodicity [S. Wang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 027801 (2010)] and a recent report of the observation of a possible alternative structure, the need for a reliable and accurate method for distinguishing different possible structures is more urgent than ever. Through simulations using the tensorial structure factor method, we present the resonant x-ray diffraction (RXRD) spectra for different possible structures as proposed in several theoretical studies. Subtle distinctions between models are shown. The ability and limitations of RXRD as a technique for determining the structure of this particular phase is discussed.

10 pages; International audience; The polarity and structure of the phases of a liquid crystal constituted by thiophene-based bent-core molecules is investigated by means of optical second-harmonic generation (SHG), and resonant and conventional X-ray diffraction. The material studied is representative of a wide family of mesogens that contain silyl groups at the ends of the chains. These bulky terminal groups have been reported to give rise to smectic phases showing ferroelectric switching. However, the analysis of the SHG signal before and after application of electric fields has allowed us to establish unambiguously that the reported ferroelectricity is not intrinsic to the material but stabilized by the cell substrates once an electric field has been applied. In addition, the results obtained from resonant X-ray diffraction indicate that virgin samples have antiferroelectric undulated synclinic smectic structures.

In condensed matter systems, the formation of long range order (LRO) with broken symmetry is often accompanied by new types of excitations. However, in many magnetic pyrochlore oxides, geometrical frustration suppresses conventional LRO while at the same time non-trivial spin correlations are observed. For such materials, a natural question to ask then is what is the nature of the excitations in this highly correlated state without broken symmetry? Frequently the application of a symmetry breaking field can stabilize excitations whose properties still reflect certain aspects of the anomalous state without long-range order. Here we report evidence of novel magnetic excitations in the quantum spin ice material Yb$_2$Ti$_2$O$_7$, obtained from time-domain terahertz spectroscopy (TDTS). At large fields, both magnon and two-magnon-like excitations are observed in a $$ directed magnetic field illustrating the stabilization of a field induced LRO state. The unique ability of TDTS to measure complex response functions allows a direct study of magnetic responses in different polarization channels, revealing the existence of an unusual left-hand polarized magnon. The g-factors of these excitations are dramatically enhanced in the low-field limit, showing a cross-over of these one- and two-magnon states into features consistent with quantum string-like excitations proposed to exist in quantum spin ice in a small $$ applied field., Comment: 15 pages

The presence of optical polarization anisotropies, such as Faraday/Kerr effects, linear birefringence, and magnetoelectric birefringence are evidence for broken symmetry states of matter. The recent discovery of a Kerr effect using near-IR light in the pseudogap phase of the cuprates can be regarded as a strong evidence for a spontaneous symmetry breaking and the existence of an anomalous long-range ordered state. In this work we present a high precision study of the polarimetry properties of the cuprates in the THz regime. While no Faraday effect was found in this frequency range to the limits of our experimental uncertainty (1.3 milli-radian or 0.07$^\circ$), a small but significant polarization rotation was detected that derives from an anomalous linear dichroism. In YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_y$ the effect has a temperature onset that mirrors the pseudogap temperature T$^*$ and is enhanced in magnitude in underdoped samples. In $x=1/8$ La$_{2-x}$Ba$_{x}$CuO$_4$, the effect onsets above room temperature, but shows a dramatic enhancement near a temperature scale known to be associated with spin and charge ordered states. These features are consistent with a loss of both C$_4$ rotation and mirror symmetry in the electronic structure of the CuO$_2$ planes in the pseudogap state., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

We investigate the field-tuned quantum phase transition in a 2D low-disorder amorphous InO(x) film in the frequency range of 0.05 to 16 GHz employing microwave spectroscopy. In the zero-temperature limit, the ac data are consistent with a scenario where this transition is from a superconductor to a metal instead of a direct transition to an insulator. The intervening metallic phase is unusual with a small but finite resistance that is much smaller than the normal state sheet resistance at the lowest measured temperatures. Moreover, it exhibits a superconducting response on short length and time scales while global superconductivity is destroyed. We present evidence that the true quantum critical point of this 2D superconductor metal transition is located at a field B(sm) far below the conventionally defined critical field B(cross) where different isotherms of magnetoresistance cross each other. The superfluid stiffness in the low-frequency limit and the superconducting fluctuation frequency from opposite sides of the transition both vanish at B≈B(sm). The lack of evidence for finite-frequency superfluid stiffness surviving B(cross) signifies that B(cross) is a crossover above which superconducting fluctuations make a vanishing contribution to dc and ac measurements.

We investigate the field-tuned quantum phase transition in a 2D low-disorder amorphous InO(x) film in the frequency range of 0.05 to 16 GHz employing microwave spectroscopy. In the zero-temperature limit, the ac data are consistent with a scenario where this transition is from a superconductor to a metal instead of a direct transition to an insulator. The intervening metallic phase is unusual with a small but finite resistance that is much smaller than the normal state sheet resistance at the lowest measured temperatures. Moreover, it exhibits a superconducting response on short length and time scales while global superconductivity is destroyed. We present evidence that the true quantum critical point of this 2D superconductor metal transition is located at a field B(sm) far below the conventionally defined critical field B(cross) where different isotherms of magnetoresistance cross each other. The superfluid stiffness in the low-frequency limit and the superconducting fluctuation frequency from opposite sides of the transition both vanish at B≈B(sm). The lack of evidence for finite-frequency superfluid stiffness surviving B(cross) signifies that B(cross) is a crossover above which superconducting fluctuations make a vanishing contribution to dc and ac measurements.

The recent discovery of the new smectic-C{sub d6}* (SmC{sub d6}*) phase [S. Wang et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 104 027801 (2010)] also revealed the existence of a noisy region in the temperature window between the SmC{sub d6}* phase and the smectic-C{sub d4}* (SmC{sub d4}*) phase. Characterized by multiple resonant peaks spanning a wide region in Q{sub Z}, the corresponding structure of this temperature window has been a mystery. In this Letter, through a careful resonant x-ray diffraction study and simulations of the diffraction spectra, we show that this region is in fact an unusually large coexistence region of the SmC{sub d6}* phase and the SmC{sub d4}* phase. The structure of the noisy region is found to be a heterogeneous mixture of local SmC{sub d6}* and SmC{sub d4}* orders on the sub-{micro}m scale.

Null transmission ellipsometry was employed to study the field induced transition of the surface arrangements in freestanding films of smectic liquid crystals. The interlayer interaction between the two surfaces obtained from the threshold voltage for the transition is found to be antiferroelectric and is quasilong ranged. The possible microscopic origins of the measured interaction and its relevance to the interlayer interaction in antiferroelectric liquid crystal materials are discussed.

Two modified mean-field ${J}_{1}\ensuremath{-}{J}_{2}$ models are studied to explain the surface reduction of twisting power in the helical smectic-${C}_{\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{*}$ phase in free-standing liquid crystal films. Profiles of the surface interlayer interaction are calculated from the experimental results. The calculations reveal the existence of a strong surface field and indicate that the surface field is the reason for the observed reduced twisting power near the surface region. Our results provide a quantitative study of the interlayer interactions through surface effects in smectic liquid crystals.

5 pages; International audience; The chiral antiferroelectric structure of an achiral bent-core liquid crystal is characterized by resonant x-ray scattering at chlorine K edge. The "forbidden" reflections resulting from the glide or screw symmetry elements are restored by the anisotropy of the tensor structure factor, which we calculate for two possible structural models. A careful analysis of the polarization states of the restored "forbidden" reflections enables an unambiguous identification of a chiral structure (i.e., the so-called anticlinic, antiferroelectric smectic-Cor Sm-CAPA) coexisting with the achiral synclinic antiferroelectric smectic-C or Sm-CSPA. The method proves to be quite powerful as it identifies the chiral structure within coexisting phases despite an imperfect orientation of the sample. The volume fraction of the chiral phase and the distribution of alignment are extracted from the data.