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Davis, Joshua

Publications and source records attributed to Davis, Joshua.

The Instability of Monolayer-Thick PbSe on VSe 2

Two-dimensional monolayers derived from 3D bulk structures remain a relatively unexplored class of materials because of the challenge of stabilizing non-epitaxial interfaces. Here, we report an unusual reconstruction during the deposition of precursors when targeting the synthesis of heterostructures with an odd number of PbSe monolayers. Multilayer elemental precursors of Pb|Se + V|Se were deposited to have correct number of atoms to form [(PbSe) 1+δ ] q (VSe 2 ) 1 where q is the number of PbSe monolayers in the heterostructure. Structural analysis of the self-assembled precursor via xray reflectivity, x-ray diffraction, and HAADF-STEM suggests three different behaviors upon deposition. Precursors with q 7 and even values of q have the targeted nanoarchitectures after deposition which are maintained as the products are selfassembled through a near diffusionless process. Significant lateral surface diffusion occurred during deposition of precursors with q = 1, 3, and 5 resulting in the precursor having a different nanoarchitecture than targeted. Additional perpendicular long range diffusion occurs during self-assembly of these precursors resulting in different final products than targeted. DFT calculations of PbSe blocks show that the odd numbered layers are less stable than even numbered layers, which suggests an energetic driving force for the observed rearrangement. This work highlights the importance of understanding the reaction mechanism when attempting to prepare 2D layers of constituents with bulk 3D structures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Model Validation of an RSRM Transporter Through Full-scale Operational and Modal Testing

The Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) segments, which are part of the current Space Shuttle system and will provide the first stage of the Ares launch vehicle, must be transported from their manufacturing facility in Promontory, Utah, to a railhead in Corinne, Utah. This approximately 25-mile trip on secondary paved roads is accomplished using a special transporter system which lifts and conveys each individual segment. ATK Launch Systems (ATK) has recently obtained a new set of these transporters from Scheuerle, a company in Germany. The transporter is a 96-wheel, dual tractor vehicle that supports the payload via a hydraulic suspension. Since this system is a different design than was previously used, computer modeling with validation via test is required to ensure that the environment to which the segment is exposed is not too severe for this space-critical hardware. Accurate prediction of the loads imparted to the rocket motor is essential in order to prevent damage to the segment. To develop and validate a finite element model capable of such accurate predictions, ATA Engineering, Inc., teamed with ATK to perform a modal survey of the transport system, including a forward RSRM segment. A set of electrodynamic shakers was placed around the transporter at locations capable of exciting the transporter vehicle dynamics. Forces from the shakers with varying phase combinations were applied using sinusoidal sweep excitation. The relative phase of the shaker forcing functions was adjusted to match the shape characteristics of each of several target modes, thereby customizing each sweep run for exciting a particular mode. The resulting frequency response functions (FRF) from this series of sine sweeps allowed identification of all target modes and other higher-order modes, allowing good comparison to the finite element model. Furthermore, the survey-derived modal frequencies were correlated with peak frequencies observed during road-going operating tests. This correlation enabled verification of the most significant modes contributing to real-world loading of the motor segment under transport. After traditional model updating, dynamic simulation of the transportation environment was compared to the measured operating data to provided further validation of the analysis model. KEYWORDS Validation, correlation, modal test, rocket motor, transporter

Brillhart, Ralph↗