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At least 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Observation of increased nanostructure cone growth on Cr due to grazing-incidence Ta seed atom deposition in a He plasma

Nanostructure cone growth on chromium during helium plasma exposure in the PISCES-A linear plasma device is found to increase with the deposition of heavy tantalum atoms. Tantalum is found to be especially effective at increasing cone growth if the tantalum is incident on the surface at a grazing angle (~5° or less). Tantalum atoms at grazing incidence are observed to be dominantly deposited at the cone tips, consistent with reduced sputtering of the cone tips and increased cone growth. Monte-Carlo simulations are found to be qualitatively consistent with the experimental observation that grazing-incidence heavy atom deposition on a lighter substrate will tend to increase cone growth.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

MMTF DISCOVERY OF GIANT IONIZATION CONES IN MR 2251-178: IMPLICATIONS FOR QUASAR RADIATIVE FEEDBACK

We report the discovery of giant ionization cones in the 140 kpc nebula around quasar MR 2251-178 based on deep [O III] {lambda}5007/H{beta} and [N II] {lambda}6583/H{alpha} flux ratio maps obtained with the Maryland-Magellan Tunable Filter on the Baade-Magellan 6.5 m Telescope. These cones are aligned with the weak double-lobed radio source observed on smaller scale (<30 kpc). They have an opening angle {approx}120 Degree-Sign {+-} 10 Degree-Sign and subtend {approx}65%-90% of 4{pi} sr, where the uncertainty takes into account possible projection effects. The material in the outer ionization cones is matter-bounded, indicating that all ionizing photons emitted through the cones escape from the system. The quasar ionizing flux is {approx}2-3 times fainter outside of these cones, despite the largely symmetric geometry of the nebula in [O III]. Overall, adding up the contributions from both inside and outside the cones, we find that {approx}65%-95% of the quasar ionizing radiation makes its way out of the system. These results emphasize the need for line ratio maps to quantify the escape fraction of ionizing radiation from quasars and the importance of quasar radiative feedback on the intergalactic medium.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Twelve inequivalent Dirac cones in two-dimensional ZrB 2

Theoretical evidence of the existence of 12 inequivalent Dirac cones at the vicinity of the Fermi energy in monolayered ZrB 2 is presented. Two-dimensional ZrB 2 is a mechanically stable d- and p-orbital compound exhibiting a unique electronic structure with two Dirac cones out of high-symmetry points in the irreducible Brillouin zone with a small electron-pocket compensation. First-principles calculations demonstrate that while one of the cones is insensitive to lattice expansion, the second cone vanishes for small perturbation of the vertical Zr position. Internal symmetry breaking with external physical stimuli, along with the relativistic effect of spin-orbit coupling, is able to remove selectively the Dirac cones. A rational explanation in terms of d- and p-orbital mixing is provided to elucidate the origin of the infrequent Dirac cones in a flat structure. In conclusion, the versatility of transition-metal d orbitals combined with the honeycomb lattice provided by the B atoms yields particular features in a two-dimensional material.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Magnetic field induced antiferromagnetic cone structure in multiferroic BiFeO 3

Neutron diffraction measurements were performed under high magnetic fields up to 17 T in a multiferroic BiFeO 3 single crystal, in which an intermediate magnetic (IM) phase has been found between the cycloid and canted antiferromagnetic phases [S. Kawachi et al., Phys. Rev. Mater. 1, 024408 (2017)]. We clearly found that the incommensurate magnetic peaks, which split perpendicular to the magnetic field in the cycloid phase, rotate by 90 deg to align parallel to the field in the IM phase. The magnetic structure in the IM phase can be best described by an antiferromagnetic cone (AF cone) structure. The transition from the cycloid to AF cone is of first order and the direction of the magnetic wave vector and the easy plane of the cycloidal component are rotated by 90 deg without changing the cycloidal modulation period, whereas the transition from the AF cone to canted antiferromagnetic phase is gradual and the cone angle becomes smaller gradually without changing the modulation period. Interestingly, the cycloidal component as well as the cone angle in the IM phase shows a large hysteresis between the field increasing and decreasing processes. Finally, this result, combined with the magnetostriction with a large hysteresis previously reported in the IM phase, suggests a strong magnetoelastic coupling.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

High-resolution helical cone-beam micro-CT with theoretically-exact reconstruction from experimental data

Purpose: In this paper we show that optimization-based autofocus may be used to overcome the instabilities that have, until now, made high-resolution theoretically-exact tomographic reconstruction impractical. To our knowledge, this represents the first successful use of theoretically-exact reconstruction in helical micro computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging. We show that autofocus-corrected, theoretically-exact helical CT is a viable option for high-resolution micro-CT imaging at high cone-angles ({approx}50 deg.). The elevated cone-angle enables better utilization of the available X-ray flux and therefore shorter image acquisition time than conventional micro-CT systems. Methods: By using the theoretically-exact Katsevich 1PI inversion formula, we are not restricted to a low-cone-angle regime; we can in theory obtain artefact-free reconstructions from projection data acquired at arbitrary high cone-angles. However, this reconstruction method is sensitive to misalignments in the tomographic data, which result in geometric distortion and streaking artefacts. We use a parametric model to quantify the deviation between the actual acquisition trajectory and an ideal helix, and use an autofocus method to estimate the relevant parameters. We define optimal units for each parameter, and use these to ensure consistent alignment accuracy across different cone-angles and different magnification factors. The tomographic image is obtained from a set of virtual projections in which software correction for hardware misalignment has been applied. Results: We make significant modifications to the autofocus method that allow this method to be used in helical micro-CT reconstruction, and show that these developments enable theoretically-exact reconstruction from experimental data using the Katsevich 1PI (K1PI) inversion formula. We further demonstrate how autofocus-corrected, theoretically-exact helical CT reduces the image acquisition time by an order of magnitude compared to conventional circular scan micro-CT. Conclusions: Autofocus-corrected, theoretically-exact cone-beam reconstruction is a viable option for reducing acquisition time in high-resolution micro-CT imaging. It also opens up the possibility of efficiently imaging long objects.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2012

Dynamic cone beam CT angiography of carotid and cerebral arteries using canine model

Purpose: This research is designed to develop and evaluate a flat-panel detector-based dynamic cone beam CT system for dynamic angiography imaging, which is able to provide both dynamic functional information and dynamic anatomic information from one multirevolution cone beam CT scan. Methods: A dynamic cone beam CT scan acquired projections over four revolutions within a time window of 40 s after contrast agent injection through a femoral vein to cover the entire wash-in and wash-out phases. A dynamic cone beam CT reconstruction algorithm was utilized and a novel recovery method was developed to correct the time-enhancement curve of contrast flow. From the same data set, both projection-based subtraction and reconstruction-based subtraction approaches were utilized and compared to remove the background tissues and visualize the 3D vascular structure to provide the dynamic anatomic information. Results: Through computer simulations, the new recovery algorithm for dynamic time-enhancement curves was optimized and showed excellent accuracy to recover the actual contrast flow. Canine model experiments also indicated that the recovered time-enhancement curves from dynamic cone beam CT imaging agreed well with that of an IV-digital subtraction angiography (DSA) study. The dynamic vascular structures reconstructed using both projection-based subtraction and reconstruction-based subtraction were almost identical as the differences between them were comparable to the background noise level. At the enhancement peak, all the major carotid and cerebral arteries and the Circle of Willis could be clearly observed. Conclusions: The proposed dynamic cone beam CT approach can accurately recover the actual contrast flow, and dynamic anatomic imaging can be obtained with high isotropic 3D resolution. This approach is promising for diagnosis and treatment planning of vascular diseases and strokes.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Technical Note: Suppression of artifacts arising from simultaneous cone-beam imaging and RF transponder tracking in prostate radiotherapy

Purpose: Artifacts in treatment-room cone-beam reconstructions have been observed at the authors' center when cone-beam acquisition is simultaneous with radio frequency (RF) transponder tracking using the Calypso 4D system (Calypso Medical, Seattle, WA). These artifacts manifest as CT-number modulations and increased CT-noise. The authors present a method for the suppression of the artifacts. Methods: The authors propose a three-stage postprocessing technique that can be applied to image volumes previously reconstructed by a cone-beam system. The stages are (1) segmentation of voxels into air, soft-tissue, and bone; (2) application of a 2D spatial-filter in the axial plane to the soft-tissue voxels; and (3) normalization to remove streaking along the axial-direction. The algorithm was tested on patient data acquired with Synergy XVI cone-beam CT systems (Elekta, Crawley, United Kingdom). Results: The computational demands of the suggested correction are small, taking less than 15 s per cone-beam reconstruction on a desktop PC. For a moderate loss of spatial-resolution, the artifacts are strongly suppressed and low-contrast visibility is improved. Conclusions: The correction technique proposed is fast and effective in removing the artifacts caused by simultaneous cone-beam imaging and RF-transponder tracking.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Auto calibration of a cone-beam-CT

Purpose: This paper introduces a novel autocalibration method for cone-beam-CTs (CBCT) or flat-panel CTs, assuming a perfect rotation. The method is based on ellipse-fitting. Autocalibration refers to accurate recovery of the geometric alignment of a CBCT device from projection images alone, without any manual measurements. Methods: The authors use test objects containing small arbitrarily positioned radio-opaque markers. No information regarding the relative positions of the markers is used. In practice, the authors use three to eight metal ball bearings (diameter of 1 mm), e.g., positioned roughly in a vertical line such that their projection image curves on the detector preferably form large ellipses over the circular orbit. From this ellipse-to-curve mapping and also from its inversion the authors derive an explicit formula. Nonlinear optimization based on this mapping enables them to determine the six relevant parameters of the system up to the device rotation angle, which is sufficient to define the geometry of a CBCT-machine assuming a perfect rotational movement. These parameters also include out-of-plane rotations. The authors evaluate their method by simulation based on data used in two similar approaches [L. Smekal, M. Kachelriess, S. E, and K. Wa, 'Geometric misalignment and calibration in cone-beam tomography,' Med. Phys. 31(12), 3242-3266 (2004); K. Yang, A. L. C. Kwan, D. F. Miller, and J. M. Boone, 'A geometric calibration method for cone beam CT systems,' Med. Phys. 33(6), 1695-1706 (2006)]. This allows a direct comparison of accuracy. Furthermore, the authors present real-world 3D reconstructions of a dry human spine segment and an electronic device. The reconstructions were computed from projections taken with a commercial dental CBCT device having two different focus-to-detector distances that were both calibrated with their method. The authors compare their reconstruction with a reconstruction computed by the manufacturer of the CBCT device to demonstrate the achievable spatial resolution of their calibration procedure. Results: Compared to the results published in the most closely related work [K. Yang, A. L. C. Kwan, D. F. Miller, and J. M. Boone, 'A geometric calibration method for cone beam CT systems,' Med. Phys. 33(6), 1695-1706 (2006)], the simulation proved the greater accuracy of their method, as well as a lower standard deviation of roughly 1 order of magnitude. When compared to another similar approach [L. Smekal, M. Kachelriess, S. E, and K. Wa, 'Geometric misalignment and calibration in cone-beam tomography,' Med. Phys. 31(12), 3242-3266 (2004)], their results were roughly of the same order of accuracy. Their analysis revealed that the method is capable of sufficiently calibrating out-of-plane angles in cases of larger cone angles when neglecting these angles negatively affects the reconstruction. Fine details in the 3D reconstruction of the spine segment and an electronic device indicate a high geometric calibration accuracy and the capability to produce state-of-the-art reconstructions. Conclusions: The method introduced here makes no requirements on the accuracy of the test object. In contrast to many previous autocalibration methods their approach also includes out-of-plane rotations of the detector. Although assuming a perfect rotation, the method seems to be sufficiently accurate for a commercial CBCT scanner. For devices which require higher dimensional geometry models, the method could be used as a initial calibration procedure.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

Cone beam x-ray luminescence computed tomography: A feasibility study

Purpose: The appearance of x-ray luminescence computed tomography (XLCT) opens new possibilities to perform molecular imaging by x ray. In the previous XLCT system, the sample was irradiated by a sequence of narrow x-ray beams and the x-ray luminescence was measured by a highly sensitive charge coupled device (CCD) camera. This resulted in a relatively long sampling time and relatively low utilization of the x-ray beam. In this paper, a novel cone beam x-ray luminescence computed tomography strategy is proposed, which can fully utilize the x-ray dose and shorten the scanning time. The imaging model and reconstruction method are described. The validity of the imaging strategy has been studied in this paper. Methods: In the cone beam XLCT system, the cone beam x ray was adopted to illuminate the sample and a highly sensitive CCD camera was utilized to acquire luminescent photons emitted from the sample. Photons scattering in biological tissues makes it an ill-posed problem to reconstruct the 3D distribution of the x-ray luminescent sample in the cone beam XLCT. In order to overcome this issue, the authors used the diffusion approximation model to describe the photon propagation in tissues, and employed the sparse regularization method for reconstruction. An incomplete variables truncated conjugate gradient method and permissible region strategy were used for reconstruction. Meanwhile, traditional x-ray CT imaging could also be performed in this system. The x-ray attenuation effect has been considered in their imaging model, which is helpful in improving the reconstruction accuracy. Results: First, simulation experiments with cylinder phantoms were carried out to illustrate the validity of the proposed compensated method. The experimental results showed that the location error of the compensated algorithm was smaller than that of the uncompensated method. The permissible region strategy was applied and reduced the reconstruction error to less than 2 mm. The robustness and stability were then evaluated from different view numbers, different regularization parameters, different measurement noise levels, and optical parameters mismatch. The reconstruction results showed that the settings had a small effect on the reconstruction. The nonhomogeneous phantom simulation was also carried out to simulate a more complex experimental situation and evaluated their proposed method. Second, the physical cylinder phantom experiments further showed similar results in their prototype XLCT system. With the discussion of the above experiments, it was shown that the proposed method is feasible to the general case and actual experiments. Conclusions: Utilizing numerical simulation and physical experiments, the authors demonstrated the validity of the new cone beam XLCT method. Furthermore, compared with the previous narrow beam XLCT, the cone beam XLCT could more fully utilize the x-ray dose and the scanning time would be shortened greatly. The study of both simulation experiments and physical phantom experiments indicated that the proposed method was feasible to the general case and actual experiments.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

SU-E-J-109: Testing the KV Imaging Center Congruence with Radiation Isocenter of Small MLC and SRS Cone Field On Two Machines

Purpose: Orthogonal kV image pairs are used for target localization when fiducial markers are implanted. CBCT is used to verify cone SRS setup. Therefore it is necessary to evaluate the isocenter congruence between radiation fields and kV imaging center. This study used a simple method to evaluate the isocenter congruence, and compared the results for MLC and cone fields on two different Linacs. Methods: Varian OBI block was attached on the couch. It has a central 1mm BB with markers on three surfaces to align with laser. KV and MV images were taken at four cardinal angles. A 3x3cm2 MLC field and a 20mm cone field were irradiated respectively. On each kV image, the distance from BB center to the kV graticule center were measured. On the MV image of MLC field, the center of radiation field was determined manually, while for cone field, the Varian AM maintenance software was used to analyze the distance between BB and radiation field. The subtraction of the two distances gives the discrepancy between kV and radiation centers. Each procedure was repeated on five days at Trilogy and TrueBeam respectively. Results: The maximum discrepancy was found in the longitudinal direction at 180° gantry angel. It was 1.5±0.1mm for Trilogy and 0.6±0.1mm for TrueBeam. For Trilogy, although radiation center wobbled only 0.7mm and image center wobbled 0.8mm, they wobbled to the opposite direction. KV Pair using gantry 180° should be avoided in this case. Cone vs. kV isocenter has less discrepancy than MLC for Trilogy. Conclusion: Radiation isocenter of MLC and cone field is different, so is between Trilogy and TrueBeam. The method is simple and reproducible to check kV and radiation isocenter congruence.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS1975

Pulsar average waveforms and hollow cone beam models

An analysis of pulsar average waveforms at radio frequencies from 40 MHz to 15 GHz is presented. The analysis is based on the hypothesis that the observer sees one cut of a hollow-cone beam pattern and that stationary properties of the emission vary over the cone. The distributions of apparent cone widths for different observed forms of the average pulse profiles (single, double/unresolved, double/resolved, triple and multiple) are in modest agreement with a model of a circular hollow-cone beam with random observer-spin axis orientation, a random cone axis-spin axis alignment, and a small range of physical hollow-cone parameters for all objects.

Backer, D. C.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Whiskers, cones and pyramids created in sputtering by ion bombardment

A thorough study of the role which foreign atoms play in cone formation during sputtering of metals revealed many experimental facts. Two types of cone formation were distinquished, deposit cones and seed cones. Twenty-six combinations of metals for seed cone formation were tested. The sputtering yield variations with composition for combinations which form seed cones were measured. It was demonstrated that whisker growth becomes a common occurrence when low melting point material is sputter deposited on a hot nonsputtered high melting point electrode.

Wehner, G. K.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Heating distribution comparison between asymmetric and symmetric blunt cones

An experiment was performed to compare the heating distribution between symmetric and asymmetric large-angle blunt cones, with cone angles of 100, 120, and 140 deg. These hot-wall data were obtained from models made from typical thermal protection insulation for proposed aeroassisted orbital transfer vehicles. Experimental data are compared with predictions using a boundary-layer integral matrix procedure with kinetics to determine how well the heating distribution over an asymmetric cone could be approximated using axisymmetric solutions for a cone and spherical segment. In addition, a relationship between the stagnation-point heat-transfer rate and the bow-shock standoff distance for these cones is discussed. The heat-distribution data from the symmetric and asymmetric cones were very similar. Numerical results compared well with the measured wall temperatures at the stagnation point but slightly underpredicted them over the conical portion of the models.

Stewart, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

A comparison of experimental and computational results for 5 and 10 degree cones at high Mach numbers

Experiments were performed on 5 and 10 deg slender cones at a velocity of approximately 5 km/sec in the NASA-Ames ballistic ranges. The flowfields for the cones were computed using ideal-gas and chemical nonequilibrium-air parabolized Navier-Stokes codes. Experimentally determined drag coefficients and shock shapes are compared with the results of the computer codes. Both the flight-data analysis methods and the computational codes are examined to achieve the most meaningful comparison. Under the conditions of the experiments, skin-friction drag makes up approximately 50 percent of the total drag for the 5 deg cone and 30 percent of the total drag for the 10 deg cone. Computed drag coefficients of the 10 deg cone agree well with the experimental values; predictions fall below the experimental values for the 5 deg cone.

Strawa, A. W.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Factors influencing the effective spray cone angle of pressure-swirl atomizers

The spray cone angles produced by several simplex pressure-swirl nozzles are examined using three liquids whose viscosities range from 0.001 to 0.012 kg/ms (1 to 12 cp). Measurements of both the visible spray cone angle and the effective spray cone angle are carried out over wide ranges of injection pressure and for five different values of the discharge orifice length/diameter ratio. The influence of the number of swirl chamber feed slots on spray cone angle is also examined. The results show that the spray cone angle widens with increase in injection pressure but is reduced by increases in liquid viscosity and/or discharge orifice length/diameter ratio. Variation in the number of swirl chamber feed slots between one and three has little effect on the effective spray cone angle.

Chen, S. K.↗
NASA NTRS1958

Elliptic Cones Alone and with Wings at Supersonic Speed

To help fill the gap in the knowledge of aerodynamics of shapes intermediate between bodies of revolution and flat triangular wings, force and moment characteristics for elliptic cones have been experimentally determined for Mach numbers of 1.97 and 2.94. Elliptic cones having cross-sectional axis ratios from 1 through 6 and with lengths and base areas equal to circular cones of fineness ratios 3.67 and 5 have been studied for angles of bank of 0 degree and 90 degrees. Elliptic and circular cones in combination with triangular wings of aspect ratios 1 and 1.5 also have been considered. The angle-of-attack range was from 0 degree to about 16 degrees, and the Reynolds number was 8 x 10(6), based on model length. In addition to the forces and moments at angle of attack, pressure distributions for elliptic cones at zero angle of attack have been determined. The results of this investigation indicate that there are distinct aerodynamic advantages to the use of elliptic cones.

Jorgensen, Leland H↗
NASA NTRS1961

Aerodynamic Characteristics of Towed Cones Used as Decelerators at Mach Numbers from 1.57 to 4.65

Towed and sting-supported cones were tested in the wake of various payloads at supersonic speeds to determine their drag and stability characteristics. The investigation extended over a Mach number range from 1.57 to 4.65 and included such variables as Reynolds number, cone angle, ratio of cone base diameter to payload base diameter, and trailing distance. The results of this investigation showed that the cones towed in the wake of a symmetrical payload at supersonic speeds, in general, have good drag and stability characteristics if towed in the supersonic flow region. A cone with an included angle between 80 deg and 90 deg will give maximum drag while still maintaining stability in the Mach number region of this investigation. In order to minimize wake effects, the ratio of cone base diameter to payload base diameter should be at least one and preferably around three. A trailing distance of three times the payload base diameter, in most cases, is of sufficient length to avoid low drag and instability of the decelerator.

Charczenko, Nickolai↗
NASA NTRS2002

Boundary Layer Transition on Slender Cones in Conventional and Low Disturbance Mach 6 Wind Tunnels

An experimental investigation was conducted on a 5-degree half-angle cone and a 5-degree half-angle flared cone in a conventional Mach 6 wind tunnel to examine the effects of facility noise on boundary layer transition. The influence of tunnel noise was inferred by comparing transition onset locations determined from the present test to that previously obtained in a Mach 6 low disturbance quiet tunnel. Together, the two sets of experiments are believed to represent the first direct comparison of transition onset between a conventional and a low disturbance wind tunnel using a common test model and transition detection technique. In the present conventional hypersonic tunnel experiment, separate measurements of heat transfer and adiabatic wall temperatures were obtained on the conical models at small angles of attack over a range of Reynolds numbers, which resulted in laminar, transitional, and turbulent flow. Smooth model turbulent heating distributions are compared to that obtained with transition forced via discrete surface roughness. The model nosetip radius was varied to examine the effects of bluntness on transition onset. Despite wall to total temperature differences between the transient heating measurements and the adiabatic wall temperature measurement, the two methods for determining sharp cone transition onset generally yielded equivalent locations. In the 'noisy' mode of the hypersonic low disturbance tunnel, transition onset occurred earlier than that measured in the conventional hypersonic tunnel, suggesting higher levels of freestream acoustic radiation relative to the conventional tunnel. At comparable freestream conditions, the transition onset Reynolds number under low disturbance conditions was a factor of 1.3 greater than that measured on flared cone in the LaRC conventional hypersonic tunnel and a factor of 1.6 greater that the flared cone run in the low disturbance tunnel run 'noisy'. Navier-Stokes mean flow computations and linear stability analysis were conducted to assess the experimental results and have indicated N factors associated with sharp flared cone transition onset to be approximately a factor of 2 lower than that inferred from the corresponding low disturbance tunnel measurements.

Horvath, Thomas J.↗