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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 973 records · Page 54
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

The influence of the iron content on the reductive decomposition of A{sub 3−x}Fe{sub x}Al{sub 2}Si{sub 3}O{sub 12} garnets (A = Mg, Mn; 0.47 ≤ x ≤ 2.85)

Thermally-induced reductive decomposition of natural iron-bearing garnets of the almandine-pyrope and almandine-spessartine series were studied at temperatures up to 1200 °C (heating rate of 10 °C/min) under atmosphere of forming gas (10% of H{sub 2} in N{sub 2}). Crystallochemical formula of the studied garnet was calculated as {sup VIII}(A{sub 3−x}Fe{sub x}{sup 2+}){sup VI}(Al,Fe{sup 3+}){sub 2}Si{sub 3}O{sub 12}, where the amount of Fe{sup 3+} in the octahedral sites is negligible with the exception of pyrope, A = Mg, Mn, and 0.47 ≤ x ≤ 2.85. The observed decomposition temperature, determined from differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry, is greater than 1000 °C in all cases and showed almost linear dependence on the iron content in the dodecahedral sites of the studied garnets, with the exception of garnet with a near-pyrope composition (Prp{sub 80}Alm{sub 20}). The initial garnet samples and decomposition products were characterized in details by means of X-ray powder diffraction and {sup 57}Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. We found that all studied garnets have common decomposition products such as metallic iron (in general, rounded particles below 4 μm) and Fe-spinel; the other identified decomposition products depend on starting chemical composition of the garnet: Fe-cordierite, olivine (fayalite or tephroite), cristobalite, pyroxene (enstatite or pigeonite), and anorthite. Anorthite and pigeonite were only present in garnets with Ca in the dodecahedral site. All the identified phases were usually well crystallized.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Trace element content and magnetic properties of commercial HOPG samples studied by ion beam microscopy and SQUID magnetometry

In this study, the impurity concentration and magnetic response of nine highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) samples with different grades and from different providers were determined using ion beam microscopy and SQUID magnetometry. Apart from sideface contaminations in the as-received state, bulk contamination of the samples in most cases consists of disk-shaped micron-sized particles made of Ti and V with an additional Fe contamination around the grain perimeter. The saturation magnetization typically increases with Fe concentration, however, there is no simple correlation between Fe content and magnetic moment. The saturation magnetization of one, respectively six, out of nine samples clearly exceeds the maximum contribution from pure Fe or Fe{sub 3}C. For most samples the temperature dependence of the remanence decreases linearly with T – a dependence found previously for defect-induced magnetism (DIM) in HOPG. We conclude that apart from magnetic impurities, additional contribution to the ferromagnetic magnetization exists in pristine HOPG in agreement with previous studies. A comparative study between the results of ion beam microscopy and the commonly used EDX analysis shows clearly that EDX is not a reliable method for quantitative trace elemental analysis in graphite, clarifying weaknesses and discrepancies in the element concentrations given in the recent literature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Quantitative analysis of oxygen content in copper oxide films using ultra microbalance

Copper oxide films were prepared on quartz substrates through electron beam physical vapor deposition in a vacuum chamber, and the films were observed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The oxygen content of the films were analyzed using an ultra microbalance. Results indicated that when the substrate was heated to 600°C and the oxygen flow rate was 5 sccm, the film was composed of 47% Cu and 53% Cu2O (mass percent), and the oxidation ratio of copper was 25%. After the deposition process at the same condition, i.e. the substrate at temperature of 600°C and blowed by oxygen flowrate of 5 sccm, then in-stu annealed at 600°C in low oxygen pressure of 10 Pa for 30 minutes, the film composition became 22% Cu2O and 78% CuO (mass percent), and the oxidation ratio of copper greatly increased to about 88%.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

High In-content InGaN layers synthesized by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy: Growth conditions, strain relaxation, and In incorporation kinetics

We report the interplay between In incorporation and strain relaxation kinetics in high-In-content In{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}N (x = 0.3) layers grown by plasma-assisted molecular-beam epitaxy. For In mole fractions x = 0.13–0.48, best structural and morphological qualities are obtained under In excess conditions, at In accumulation limit, and at a growth temperature where InGaN decomposition is active. Under such conditions, in situ and ex situ analyses of the evolution of the crystalline structure with the layer thickness point to an onset of misfit relaxation after the growth of 40 nm, and a gradual relaxation during more than 200 nm, which results in an inhomogeneous strain distribution along the growth axis. This process is associated with a compositional pulling effect, i.e., indium incorporation is partially inhibited in presence of compressive strain, resulting in a compositional gradient with increasing In mole fraction towards the surface.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Optical and structural characteristics of high indium content InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells with varying GaN cap layer thickness

The optical and structural properties of InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells (MQWs) with different thicknesses of low temperature grown GaN cap layers are investigated. It is found that the MQW emission energy red-shifts and the peak intensity decreases with increasing GaN cap layer thickness, which may be partly caused by increased floating indium atoms accumulated at quantum well (QW) surface. They will result in the increased interface roughness, higher defect density, and even lead to a thermal degradation of QW layers. An extra growth interruption introduced before the growth of GaN cap layer can help with evaporating the floating indium atoms, and therefore is an effective method to improve the optical properties of high indium content InGaN/GaN MQWs.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Impact of Mg content on native point defects in Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}O (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.56)

We used depth-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy and surface photovoltage spectroscopy to measure the densities, energy levels, and spatial distributions of zinc/magnesium cation and oxygen vacancies in isostructural, single-phase, non-polar Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1−x}O alloys over a wide (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.56) range. Within this wide range, both defect types exhibit strong Mg content-dependent surface segregation and pronounced bulk density minima corresponding to unit cell volume minima, which can inhibit defect formation due to electrostatic repulsion. Mg in ZnO significantly reduces native defect densities and their non-polar surface segregation, both major factors in carrier transport and doping of these oxide semiconductors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Effects of layer-multiplying and interface on the content of β-transcrystallization in PP

The alternating multilayered polypropylene (PP layer)/β-nucleating agent filled-polypropylene (β-PP layer) were prepared through layer-multiplying extrusion combined with an assembly of layer-multiplying elements (LM Es). The content of β-crystal was firstly evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), which indicated that the relative amount of the β-crystal increased from 38.67% to 81.22% with the increase of layer numbers from 2-layer to 128-layer. It was well consistent with the results of X-ray diffraction (XRD). The morphology observation of β-crystal by polarizing microscope (POM) revealed that the closely packed nuclei in the interface could induce numerous β-transcrystallization in pure PP layer due to the confinement effect. The non-isothermal crystallization kinetic analysis via Mozhishen’s methods manifested that the crystallization rate was greatly enhanced by the augment of the layered interface.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Runaway electron dynamics in tokamak plasmas with high impurity content

The dynamics of high energy runaway electrons is analyzed for plasmas with high impurity content. It is shown that modified collision terms are required in order to account for the collisions of the relativistic runaway electrons with partially stripped impurity ions, including the effect of the collisions with free and bound electrons, as well as the scattering by the full nuclear and the electron-shielded ion charge. The effect of the impurities on the avalanche runaway growth rate is discussed. The results are applied, for illustration, to the interpretation of the runaway electron behavior during disruptions, where large amounts of impurities are expected, particularly during disruption mitigation by massive gas injection. The consequences for the electron synchrotron radiation losses and the resulting runaway electron dynamics are also analyzed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Investigation of new approaches for InGaN growth with high indium content for CPV application

We propose to use two new approaches that may overcome the issues of phase separation and high dislocation density in InGaN-based PIN solar cells. The first approach consists in the growth of a thick multi-layered InGaN/GaN absorber. The periodical insertion of the thin GaN interlayers should absorb the In excess and relieve compressive strain. The InGaN layers need to be thin enough to remain fully strained and without phase separation. The second approach consists in the growth of InGaN nano-structures for the achievement of high In content thick InGaN layers. It allows the elimination of the preexisting dislocations in the underlying template. It also allows strain relaxation of InGaN layers without any dislocations, leading to higher In incorporation and reduced piezo-electric effect. The two approaches lead to structural, morphological, and luminescence properties that are significantly improved when compared to those of thick InGaN layers. Corresponding full PIN structures have been realized by growing a p-type GaN layer on the top the half PIN structures. External quantum efficiency, electro-luminescence, and photo-current characterizations have been carried out on the different structures and reveal an enhancement of the performances of the InGaN PIN PV cells when the thick InGaN layer is replaced by either InGaN/GaN multi-layered or InGaN nanorod layer.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

Visible photoluminescence and room temperature ferromagnetism in high In-content InGaN:Yb nanorods grown by molecular beam epitaxy

We report the growth of high indium content InGaN:Yb nanorods grown on c-plane sapphire (0001) substrates using plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction patterns recorded during and after the growth revealed crystalline nature of the nanorods. The nanorods were examined using electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The photoluminescence studies of the nanorods showed the visible emissions. The In composition was calculated from x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the photoluminescence spectroscopy. The In-concentration was obtained from photoluminescence using modified Vegard's law and found to be around 37% for InGaN and 38% for Yb (5 ± 1%)-doped InGaN with a bowing parameter b = 1.01 eV. The Yb-doped InGaN showed significant enhancement in photoluminescence properties compared to the undoped InGaN. The Yb-doped InGaN nanorods demonstrated the shifting of the photoluminescence band at room temperature, reducing luminescence amplitude temperature dependent fluctuation, and significant narrowing of excitonic emission band as compared to the undoped InGaN. The magnetic properties measured by superconducting quantum interference devices reveals room temperature ferromagnetism, which can be explained by the double exchange mechanism and magnetostriction.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Relating the strangeness content of the nucleon with the mass shift of the ϕ meson in nuclear matter

The behavior of the ϕ meson at finite density is studied, making use of a QCD sum rule approach in combination with the maximum entropy method. It is demonstrated that a possible mass shift of the ϕ in nuclear matter is strongly correlated to the strangeness content of the nucleon, which is proportional to the strange sigma term, σ{sub sN}. In contrast to earlier studies, our results show that, depending on the value of σ{sub sN}, the ϕ meson could receive both a positive or negative mass shift at nuclear matter density. We find that these results depend only weakly on potential modifications of the width of the ϕ meson peak and on assumptions made on the behavior of four-quark condensates at finite density.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Tailoring of optical band gap by varying Zn content in Cd{sub 1-x}Zn{sub x}S thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis method

Cd{sub 1-X}Zn{sub X}S thin films (X = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) have been grown on glass substrate by spray pyrolysis technique using equimolar concentration aqueous solution of cadmium chloride, zinc acetate and thiourea. Prepared thin films have been characterized by UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The optical band gap of the films has been studied by transmission spectra in wavelength range 325-600nm. It has been observed that optical band gap increases with increasing zinc concentration. The optical band gap of these thin films varies from 2.59 to 3.20eV with increasing Zn content.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Dynamic control of the spatial frequency content of an intense laser via intra-beam energy transfer

We present theory and simulations demonstrating that bandwidth-inducing optical smoothing techniques such as smoothing by spectral dispersion (SSD) can initiate intra-beam energy transfer (IBET) within a single beam. IBET consists of energy transfer between the different frequency components of the beam and results in a simultaneous and correlated redistribution of the temporal and spatial frequencies of the laser's electric field. We identify a threshold in bandwidth for IBET to occur and validate the theory with simulations. The bandwidth and the color cycling of SSD can result in IBET in conditions relevant for high-energy density experiments at the National Ignition Facility and Omega Laser. We show that IBET could be used to manipulate a laser's spatial frequency content within a plasma. In particular, this technique could be used to increase a laser's effective f-number, with potential applications for self-guiding in plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

An electron paramagnetic resonance study of the electron transport in heavily Si-doped high Al content AlxGa1−xN

High Al mole fraction AlGaN is an ultrawide bandgap semiconductor with potential applications in power electronics and deep UV detectors. Although n-type material is achievable with Si-doping, the role of Si is controversial, particularly for AlxGa1−xN with x > 0.8. For this paper, AlGaN films were grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy onto bulk AlN substrates and doped with 1018–1020 cm−3 Si. We examine electron transport in heavily Si-doped AlxGa1−xN with x ≥ 0.65 using magnetic resonance, which allows us to probe the neutral donors directly rather than the free carriers and avoids complications due to electrical contacts. Transport was studied through the temperature-dependent linewidth of the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signature for the neutral donor. Analysis shows evidence of hopping conductivity in the most lightly doped samples and impurity band formation in the most heavily doped ones. The EPR results, which are consistent with Hall measurements performed on the same samples, are promising for the development of highly conducting high Al content AlGaN.

Materials Science↗
DOE OSTI2025

Simulations of muon imaging with the LANL GMT detector for spent nuclear fuel cask content verification

Atmospheric muons are typically high energy, highly penetrating charged particles. They interact with matter primarily through multiple Coulomb scatterings. Muon scattering intensities can be used to characterize the density and atomic number of the matter that they pass through. Previously, the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) muon tomography team performed muon imaging of the partially filled MC-10 spent nuclear fuel (SNF) cask at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). This experiment demonstrated the feasibility of muon imaging for the verification of spent fuel container contents. That original effort used the mini muon tracker array, consisting of two arrays of drift tubes on either side of the SNF cask. The reconstructed image quality was limited by statistics, largely due to low muon flux at high zenith angles. A LANL led team will perform new measurements with a larger array, the Giant Muon Tracker (GMT), to improve data collection rates and statistics. In this work, simulations were performed with the GMT near the partially filled INL MC-10 cask. For more general fuel diversion detection, a full MC-10 cask and casks with a singular missing fuel bundle were also simulated. To understand minimum measurement times needed for missing bundle identification, 100 000 to millions of tracked muons (corresponding to 1.4 days to several weeks measurement time) were analyzed. Simulated images were then analyzed visually and numerically to explore techniques designed to minimize the collection time needed to identify the diversion of fuel in each scenario.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Spontaneous and induced emission of XeCl* excimer molecules under pumping of Xe – CCl{sub 4} and Ar – Xe – CCl{sub 4} gas mixtures with a low CCl{sub 4} content by fast electrons and uranium fission fragments

The spontaneous and induced emission of XeCl* excimer molecules upon excitation of Xe – CCl{sub 4} and Ar – Xe – CCl{sub 4} gas mixtures with a low CCl{sub 4} content by high-energy charged particles [a pulsed high-energy electron beam and products of neutron nuclear reaction {sup 235}U(n, f)] has been experimentally studied. The electron energy was 150 keV, and the pump current pulse duration and amplitude were 5 ns and 5 A, respectively. The energy of fission fragments did not exceed 100 MeV, the duration of the neutron pump pulse was 200 μs, and the specific power contribution to the gas was about 300 W cm{sup -3}. Electron beam pumping in a cell 4 cm long with a cavity having an output mirror transmittance of 2.7% gives rise to lasing on the B → X transition in the XeCl* molecule (λ = 308 nm) with a gain α = 0.0085 cm{sup -1} and fluorescence efficiency η ≈ 10%. Pumping by fission fragments in a 250-cm-long cell with a cavity formed by a highly reflecting mirror and a quartz window implements amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) with an output power of 40 – 50 kW sr{sup -1} and a base ASE pulse duration of ∼200 ms. .

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Adapting C 4 photosynthesis to atmospheric change and increasing productivity by elevating Rubisco content in sorghum and sugarcane

Meta-analyses and theory show that with rising atmospheric [CO 2 ], Rubisco has become the greatest limitation to light-saturated leaf CO 2 assimilation rates (A sat ) in C 4 crops. So would transgenically increasing Rubisco increase A sat and result in increased productivity in the field? Here, we successfully overexpressed the Rubisco small subunit (RbcS) with Rubisco accumulation factor 1 (Raf1) in both sorghum and sugarcane, resulting in significant increases in Rubisco content of 13 to 25% and up to 90% respectively. A sat increased 12 to 15% and Rubisco enzyme activity ~40% in three independent transgenic events of both species. Sorghum plants also showed increased speeds of photosynthetic induction and decreased bundle sheath leakiness. These improvements translated into average increases of 15.5% in biomass in field-grown sorghum and a 37 to 81% increase in greenhouse-grown sugarcane. This suggests a potential opportunity to achieve substantial increases in productivity of this key economically important clade of C 4 crops, future proofing their value under global atmospheric change.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Three-dimensional high-content imaging of unstained soft tissue with subcellular resolution using a laboratory-based X-ray microscope

With increasing interest in studying biological systems across spatial scales—from centimeters down to nanometers—histology continues to be the gold standard for tissue imaging at cellular resolution, providing an essential bridge between macroscopic and nanoscopic analysis. However, its inherently destructive and two-dimensional nature limits its ability to capture the full three-dimensional complexity of tissue architecture. Here, we show that phase-contrast X-ray microscopy can enable three-dimensional virtual histology with subcellular resolution. This technique provides direct quantification of electron density without restrictive assumptions, allowing for direct characterization of cellular nuclei in a standard laboratory setting. By combining high spatial resolution and soft tissue contrast, with automated segmentation of cell nuclei, we demonstrated virtual Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining using machine learning-based style transfer, yielding volumetric datasets compatible with existing histopathological analysis tools. Furthermore, by integrating electron density and the sensitivity to nanometric features of the dark field contrast channel, we achieve stain-free, high-content imaging capable of distinguishing nuclei and extracellular matrix.

3D virtual histology↗