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At least 109 records · Page 6

Sluggish, chemical bias and percolation phenomena in atomic transport by vacancy and interstitial diffusion in Ni-Fe alloys

In this paper, we report the results of extended atomistic modeling of intrinsic mobility of point defects and associated atomic transport in Ni-Fe model binary alloys. We consider the effects of composition and temperature and present evidence of the sluggish and chemically biased diffusion, and percolation effects occurring in atomic transport via the vacancy and interstitial migration mechanisms. The results are analyzed and discussed in the light of previous studies and some experimental observations. It is demonstrated that the sluggish diffusion, the chemically biased diffusion, and the percolation are interlinked phenomena that are defined by the chemical complexity of particular alloys. Methods for predicting these phenomena in multicomponent alloys are discussed.We report a fundamental understanding of sluggish diffusion, chemically-biased diffusion, as well as percolation phenomena, in Ni-Fe random alloys for vacancy and interstitial atom migration mechanisms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A Prospective Longitudinal Clinical Trial Evaluating Quality of Life After Breast-Conserving Surgery and High-Dose-Rate Interstitial Brachytherapy for Early-Stage Breast Cancer

Purpose: To prospectively examine quality of life (QOL) of patients with early stage breast cancer treated with accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) using high-dose-rate (HDR) interstitial brachytherapy. Methods and Materials: Between March 2004 and December 2008, 151 patients with early stage breast cancer were enrolled in a phase 2 prospective clinical trial. Eligible patients included those with Tis-T2 tumors measuring ≤3 cm excised with negative surgical margins and with no nodal involvement. Patients received 3.4 Gy twice daily to a total dose of 34 Gy. QOL was measured using European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30, version 3.0, and QLQ-BR23 questionnaires. The QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 questionnaires were evaluated during pretreatment and then at 6 to 8 weeks, 3 to 4 months, 6 to 8 months, and 1 and 2 years after treatment. Results: The median follow-up was 55 months. Breast symptom scores remained stable in the months after treatment, and they significantly improved 6 to 8 months after treatment. Scores for emotional functioning, social functioning, and future perspective showed significant improvement 2 years after treatment. Symptomatic fat necrosis was associated with several changes in QOL, including increased pain, breast symptoms, systemic treatment side effects, dyspnea, and fatigue, as well as decreased role functioning, emotional functioning, and social functioning. Conclusions: HDR multicatheter interstitial brachytherapy was well tolerated, with no significant detrimental effect on measured QOL scales/items through 2 years of follow-up. Compared to pretreatment scores, there was improvement in breast symptoms, emotional functioning, social functioning, and future perspective 2 years after treatment.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Dosimetric Consequences of Interobserver Variability in Delineating the Organs at Risk in Gynecologic Interstitial Brachytherapy

Purpose: To investigate the dosimetric variability associated with interobserver organ-at-risk delineation differences on computed tomography in patients undergoing gynecologic interstitial brachytherapy. Methods and Materials: The rectum, bladder, and sigmoid of 14 patients treated with gynecologic interstitial brachytherapy were retrospectively contoured by 13 physicians. Geometric variability was calculated using κ statistics, conformity index (CI{sub gen}), and coefficient of variation (CV) of volumes contoured across physicians. Dosimetric variability of the single-fraction D{sub 0.1cc} and D{sub 2cc} was assessed through CV across physicians, and the standard deviation of the total EQD2 (equivalent dose in 2 Gy per fraction) brachytherapy dose (SD{sup TOT}) was calculated. Results: The population mean ± 1 standard deviation of κ, CI{sub gen}, and volume CV were, respectively: 0.77 ± 0.06, 0.70 ± 0.08, and 20% ± 6% for bladder; 0.74 ± 06, 0.67 ± 0.08, and 20% ± 5% for rectum; and 0.33 ± 0.20, 0.26 ± 0.17, and 82% ± 42% for sigmoid. Dosimetric variability was as follows: for bladder, CV = 31% ± 19% (SD{sup TOT} = 72 ± 64 Gy) for D{sub 0.1cc} and CV = 16% ± 10% (SD{sup TOT} = 9 ± 6 Gy) for D{sub 2cc}; for rectum, CV = 11% ± 5% (SD{sup TOT} = 16 ± 17 Gy) for D{sub 0.1cc} and CV = 7% ± 2% (SD{sup TOT} = 4 ± 3 Gy) for D{sub 2cc}; for sigmoid, CV = 39% ± 28% (SD{sup TOT} = 12 ± 18 Gy) for D{sub 0.1cc} and CV = 34% ± 19% (SD{sup TOT} = 4 ± 4 Gy) for D{sub 2cc.} Conclusions: Delineation of bladder and rectum by 13 physicians demonstrated substantial geometric agreement and resulted in good dosimetric agreement for all dose-volume histogram parameters except bladder D{sub 0.1cc.} Small delineation differences in high-dose regions by the posterior bladder wall may explain these results. The delineation of sigmoid showed fair geometric agreement. The higher dosimetric variability for sigmoid compared with rectum and bladder did not correlate with higher variability in the total brachytherapy dose but rather may be due to the sigmoid being positioned in low-dose regions in the cases analyzed in this study.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Thermodynamic stability of elemental boron allotropes with varying numbers of interstitial atoms

Elemental boron exists in multiple allotropes, each characterized by structures containing icosahedral subunits. These structures have interstitial sites between the icosahedral subunits that are partially occupied. The number of atoms in the unit cell varies depending on the occupancy of these interstitial sites. Here we have investigated the thermodynamic stability of boron allotropes for different numbers of atoms in the unit cell by calculating the free energies, including the contribution of phonons. It has been found that β-rhombohedral boron is most stable with 107 atoms/cell at low temperatures, while it becomes most stable with 105 atoms/cell above 1700 K. This suggests the occurrence of a phase transition at this temperature, which could account for the large variation in the number of atoms in the unit cell for β-rhombohedral boron samples. α-tetragonal boron is consistently most stable with 52 atom/cell and becomes unstable with more than 52 atoms/cell. Similar to β-rhombohedral boron, β-tetragonal boron may undergo a phase transition between 192 and 190 atoms/cell configurations. However, the thermodynamic stability of pure β-tetragonal boron has been questioned in comparison with other allotropes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Influence of injected interstitials on the void swelling in two structural variants of 304L stainless steel induced by self-ion irradiation at 500 °C

The two variants of AISI 304L stainless steel (SS) with different grain size distributions were ion irradiated at 500 °C to a peak dose of ~60 dpa. In the coarse-grained annealed variant, a peak swelling of ~12% was observed closer to the specimen surface rather than at the depth of peak displacement damage. The forward shift in depth between peak swelling and peak dose is proposed to be a consequence of suppression of void nucleation by injected interstitials. The swelling behavior in the front portion of the ion range mirrors that of neutron-induced swelling in this steel, exhibiting significant curvature with increasing dose as the swelling rate approaches the terminal swelling rate of 1%/dpa. Furthermore, an ultrafine grain variant of this steel produced by severely plastic deformation exhibits a similar suppression of void nucleation in the injected interstitial region, but also shows a significantly extended transient regime, not reaching the terminal swelling rate by 60 dpa.

304 stainless steel↗

Interstitial Nature of Mn 2+ Doping in 2D Perovskites

Halide perovskites doped with magnetic impurities (such as the transition metals Mn 2+ , Co 2+ , Ni 2+ ) are being explored for a wide range of applications beyond photovoltaics, such as spintronic devices, stable light-emitting diodes, single-photon emitters, and magneto-optical devices. However, despite several recent studies, there is no consensus on whether the doped magnetic ions will predominantly replace the octahedral B-site metal via substitution or reside at interstitial defect sites. Here, by performing correlated nanoscale X-ray microscopy, spatially and temporally resolved photoluminescence measurements, and magnetic force microscopy on the inorganic 2D perovskite Cs 2 PbI 2 Cl 2 , we show that doping Mn 2+ into the structure results in a lattice expansion. The observed lattice expansion contrasts with the predicted contraction expected to arise from the B-site metal substitution, thus implying that Mn 2+ does not replace the Pb 2+ sites. Photoluminescence and electron paramagnetic resonance measurements confirm the presence of Mn 2+ in the lattice, while correlated nano-XRD and X-ray fluorescence track the local strain and chemical composition. Density functional theory calculations predict that Mn 2+ atoms reside at the interstitial sites between two octahedra in the triangle formed by one Cl – and two I – atoms, which results in a locally expanded structure. These measurements show the fate of the transition metal dopants, the local structure, and optical emission when they are doped at dilute concentrations into a wide band gap semiconductor.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Atomic motifs govern the decoration of grain boundaries by interstitial solutes

Abstract Grain boundaries, the two-dimensional defects between differently oriented crystals, tend to preferentially attract solutes for segregation. Solute segregation has a significant effect on the mechanical and transport properties of materials. At the atomic level, however, the interplay of structure and composition of grain boundaries remains elusive, especially with respect to light interstitial solutes like B and C. Here, we use Fe alloyed with B and C to exploit the strong interdependence of interface structure and chemistry via charge-density imaging and atom probe tomography methods. Direct imaging and quantifying of light interstitial solutes at grain boundaries provide insight into decoration tendencies governed by atomic motifs. We find that even a change in the inclination of the grain boundary plane with identical misorientation impacts grain boundary composition and atomic arrangement. Thus, it is the smallest structural hierarchical level, the atomic motifs, that controls the most important chemical properties of the grain boundaries. This insight not only closes a missing link between the structure and chemical composition of such defects but also enables the targeted design and passivation of the chemical state of grain boundaries to free them from their role as entry gates for corrosion, hydrogen embrittlement, or mechanical failure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Precise lattice location of substitutional and interstitial Mg in AlN

The lattice site location of radioactive {sup 27}Mg implanted in AlN was determined by means of emission channeling. The majority of the {sup 27}Mg was found to substitute for Al, yet significant fractions (up to 33%) were also identified close to the octahedral interstitial site. The activation energy for interstitial Mg diffusion is estimated to be between 1.1 eV and 1.7 eV. Substitutional Mg is shown to occupy ideal Al sites within a 0.1 Å experimental uncertainty. We discuss the absence of significant displacements from ideal Al sites, in the context of the current debate, on Mg doped nitride semiconductors.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Roto-translational states of the interstitial molecular hydrogen in silicon: A theoretical study

A theoretical study of the interstitial molecular hydrogen in the silicon single-crystal is reported. H{sub 2} and Si have been approximated as a rigid object and a static matrix, respectively. A five-dimensional numerical-analytical representation of an ab initio potential energy surface of the system has been constructed. This representation has been used to calculate rotational, translational, and roto-translational energy levels of the interstitial hydrogen, where three levels of theory, 2D, 3D, and 5D were considered. The potential energy surface, the band structure of energy levels, and the roto-translational states obtained are presented together with the symmetry analysis of the roto-translational wavefunctions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Minimizing the diffusivity difference between vacancies and interstitials in multi-principal element alloys

Interstitial atoms usually diffuse much faster than vacancies, which is often the root cause for the ineffective recombination of point defects in metals under irradiation. Here, via ab initio modeling of single-defect diffusion behavior in the equiatomic NiCoCrFe(Pd) alloy, we demonstrate an alloy design strategy that can reduce the diffusivity difference between the two types of point defects. The two diffusivities become almost equal after substituting the NiCoCrFe base alloy with Pd. The underlying mechanism is that Pd, with a much larger atomic size (hence larger compressibility) than the rest of the constituents, not only heightens the activation energy barrier ( E a ) for interstitial motion by narrowing the diffusion channels but simultaneously also reduces E a for vacancies due to less energy penalty required for bond length change between the initial and the saddle states. Our findings have a broad implication that the dynamics of point defects can be manipulated by taking advantage of the atomic size disparity, to facilitate point-defect annihilation that suppresses void formation and swelling, thereby improving radiation tolerance.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Recombination radius of a Frenkel pair and capture radius of a self-interstitial atom by vacancy clusters in bcc Fe

The recombination radius of a Frenkel pair is a fundamental parameter for the object kinetic Monte Carlo (OKMC) and mean field rate theory (RT) methods that are used to investigate irradiation damage accumulation in neutron irradiated nuclear materials. The recombination radius in bcc Fe has been studied both experimentally and numerically, however there is no general consensus about its value. The detailed atomistic processes of recombination also remain uncertain. Values from 1:0a₀ to 3:3a₀ have been employed as a recombination radius in previous studies using OKMC and RT. The recombination process of a Frenkel pair is investigated at the atomic level using the self-evolved atomistic kinetic Monte Carlo (SEAKMC) method in this paper. SEAKMC calculations reveal that a self-interstitial atom recombines with a vacancy in a spontaneous reaction from several nearby sites following characteristic pathways. The recombination radius of a Frenkel pair is estimated to be 2.26a₀ by taking the average of the recombination distances from 80 simulation cases. This value agrees well with the experimental estimate. In addition, we apply these procedures to the capture radius of a self-interstitial atom by a vacancy cluster. The capture radius is found to gradually increase with the size of the vacancy cluster. The fitting curve for the capture radius is obtained as a function of the number of vacancies in the cluster.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

The structures of interstitial hydrogen centers in VO 2 in the dilute limit from their vibrational properties and theory

The introduction of a large concentration of H into VO 2 is known to suppress the insulating phase of the metal-insulator transition that occurs upon cooling below 340 K. We have used infrared spectroscopy and complementary theory to study the properties of interstitial H and D in VO 2 in the dilute limit to determine the vibrational frequencies, thermal stabilities, and equilibrium positions of isolated interstitial H and D centers. The vibrational lines of several OH and OD centers were observed to have thermal stabilities similar to that of the hydrogen that suppresses the insulating phase. Theory associates two of the four possible OH configurations for Hi in the insulating VO 2 monoclinic phase with OH lines seen by experiment. Furthermore, theory predicts the energies and vibrational frequencies for configurations with Hi trapped near a substitutional impurity and suggests such defects as candidates for additional OH centers that have been observed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

First-principles calculations of solute transport in zirconium: Vacancy-mediated diffusion with metastable states and interstitial diffusion

Zirconium alloys are the most widely used nuclear fuel cladding materials for light water power reactors where irradiation damage causes solute redistribution, leading to degradation of alloy properties such as corrosion resistance. Designing radiation-tolerant zirconium alloys requires a thorough understanding of the atomic-scale transport behavior of the alloying elements in Zr. In this work, we perform density function theory calculations to investigate the diffusion of Sn, Cr, Fe, Be, Al, and Ni in the hexagonal close-packed (HCP) Zr matrix. We develop a methodology to accurately model the metastable vacancy states along the basal migration path, known to occur in group IV metals. We compute the vacancy-mediated solute diffusion coefficients and drag ratios using the kinetic Monte Carlo method and an analytic Green's function method—the agreement between the two validates our methodology. The computed diffusion coefficients of Sn and Al show good agreement with the experimental data and we expect these solutes to diffuse via the vacancy-mediated mechanism. We use a Green's function approach, parameterized with data from density functional theory calculations, to compute the interstitial diffusion coefficients of Cr, Fe, Be, and Ni in the HCP Zr lattice. The computed diffusion coefficients of Cr, Ni, and Be agree with the experimental measurements within one order of magnitude, while those of Fe are within two orders of magnitude of the experimental measurements. The drag ratios for Cr, Fe, Be, and Ni are positive up to 1235 K, which suggests that nonequilibrium vacancy fluxes could drag these solutes toward sinks such as dislocation loops and grain boundaries. We also compute the transport coefficients without including the metastable states, and using the eight- and thirteen-frequency model. Our results show significant differences in drag ratio for the eight- and thirteen-frequency model predictions compared with the Green's function methodology, but smaller errors in the solute diffusivity. Combining interstitial and vacancy-mediated diffusivities, we predict the unusual result that increased vacancy concentration slows down solute diffusivity, while a sufficiently high vacancy concentration can change the dominant mechanism to an accelerated vacancy-mediated diffusion.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effects of Grain Size and Interstitial Content on Recrystallization in Nb after Cold Rolling

A fully recrystallized microstructure with a fine grain size can improve the performance of superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavities produced from high-purity Nb (ASTM B393–18 Type 5 Nb) while providing mechanical strength. Recrystallization depends on impurity content, initial microstructure, deformation state, and annealing conditions. To better understand how fine-grained, fully recrystallized microstructures may be produced, the recrystallization behaviors of Type 5 and Type 2 Nb materials were studied. Type 5 Nb specimens were produced with both fine and coarse initial grain sizes. All were cold rolled and then annealed under vacuum for one hour to determine the rolling reductions and temperatures required for recrystallization. The recrystallized fraction exceeded 95% in fine-grained Type 5 Nb rolled to a 30% or greater thickness reduction and then annealed at 800 °C or higher. The coarse grained Type 5 Nb required greater rolling reductions to produce any recrystallized grains at 800 °C. The higher interstitial content of the Type 2 Nb required a temperature of 1000 °C or higher to reach a recrystallized fraction greater than 95% in specimens rolled to a 60% reduction. Recrystallization is more easily achieved during annealing at a given temperature for a set time by increasing rolling reduction, decreasing interstitial content, and decreasing initial grain size prior to cold rolling. In conclusion, to avoid grain growth following recrystallization, which increases grain size, the minimum time and temperature necessary for complete recrystallization should be applied.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Validation of mathematical models for the prediction of organs-at-risk dosimetric metrics in high-dose-rate gynecologic interstitial brachytherapy

Purpose: Given the complicated nature of an interstitial gynecologic brachytherapy treatment plan, the use of a quantitative tool to evaluate the quality of the achieved metrics compared to clinical practice would be advantageous. For this purpose, predictive mathematical models to predict the D{sub 2cc} of rectum and bladder in interstitial gynecologic brachytherapy are discussed and validated.Methods: Previous plans were used to establish the relationship between D2cc and the overlapping volume of the organ at risk with the targeted area (C0) or a 1-cm expansion of the target area (C1). Three mathematical models were evaluated: D{sub 2cc}=α*C{sub 1}+β (LIN); D{sub 2cc}=α– exp(–β*C{sub 0}) (EXP); and a mixed approach (MIX), where both C{sub 0} and C{sub 1} were inputs of the model. The parameters of the models were optimized on a training set of patient data, and the predictive error of each model (predicted D{sub 2cc}− real D{sub 2cc}) was calculated on a validation set of patient data. The data of 20 patients were used to perform a K-fold cross validation analysis, with K = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 20.Results: MIX was associated with the smallest mean prediction error <6.4% for an 18-patient training set; LIN had an error <8.5%; EXP had an error <8.3%. Best case scenario analysis shows that an error ≤5% can be achieved for a ten-patient training set with MIX, an error ≤7.4% for LIN, and an error ≤6.9% for EXP. The error decreases with the increase in training set size, with the most marked decrease observed for MIX.Conclusions: The MIX model can predict the D{sub 2cc} of the organs at risk with an error lower than 5% with a training set of ten patients or greater. The model can be used in the development of quality assurance tools to identify treatment plans with suboptimal sparing of the organs at risk. It can also be used to improve preplanning and in the development of real-time intraoperative planning tools.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

Interstitial rotating shield brachytherapy for prostate cancer

Purpose: To present a novel needle, catheter, and radiation source system for interstitial rotating shield brachytherapy (I-RSBT) of the prostate. I-RSBT is a promising technique for reducing urethra, rectum, and bladder dose relative to conventional interstitial high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT). Methods: A wire-mounted 62 GBq{sup 153}Gd source is proposed with an encapsulated diameter of 0.59 mm, active diameter of 0.44 mm, and active length of 10 mm. A concept model I-RSBT needle/catheter pair was constructed using concentric 50 and 75 μm thick nickel-titanium alloy (nitinol) tubes. The needle is 16-gauge (1.651 mm) in outer diameter and the catheter contains a 535 μm thick platinum shield. I-RSBT and conventional HDR-BT treatment plans for a prostate cancer patient were generated based on Monte Carlo dose calculations. In order to minimize urethral dose, urethral dose gradient volumes within 0–5 mm of the urethra surface were allowed to receive doses less than the prescribed dose of 100%. Results: The platinum shield reduced the dose rate on the shielded side of the source at 1 cm off-axis to 6.4% of the dose rate on the unshielded side. For the case considered, for the same minimum dose to the hottest 98% of the clinical target volume (D{sub 98%}), I-RSBT reduced urethral D{sub 0.1cc} below that of conventional HDR-BT by 29%, 33%, 38%, and 44% for urethral dose gradient volumes within 0, 1, 3, and 5 mm of the urethra surface, respectively. Percentages are expressed relative to the prescription dose of 100%. For the case considered, for the same urethral dose gradient volumes, rectum D{sub 1cc} was reduced by 7%, 6%, 6%, and 6%, respectively, and bladder D{sub 1cc} was reduced by 4%, 5%, 5%, and 6%, respectively. Treatment time to deliver 20 Gy with I-RSBT was 154 min with ten 62 GBq {sup 153}Gd sources. Conclusions: For the case considered, the proposed{sup 153}Gd-based I-RSBT system has the potential to lower the urethral dose relative to HDR-BT by 29%–44% if the clinician allows a urethral dose gradient volume of 0–5 mm around the urethra to receive a dose below the prescription. A multisource approach is necessary in order to deliver the proposed {sup 153}Gd-based I-RSBT technique in reasonable treatment times.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

SU-E-T-507: Interfractional Variation of Fiducial Marker Position During HDR Brachytherapy with Cervical Interstitial Needle Template

Purpose: HDR brachytherapy using interstitial needle template for cervical cancer is commonly delivered in 4-5 fractions. Routine verification of needle positions before each fraction is often based on radiographic imaging of implanted fiducial markers. The current study evaluated interfractional displacement of implanted fiducial markers using CT images. Methods: 9 sequential patients with cervical interstitial needle implants were evaluated. The superior and inferior borders of the target volumes were defined by fiducial markers in planning CT. The implant position was verified with kV orthogonal images before each fraction. A second CT was acquired prior 3rd fraction (one or 2 days post planning CT). Distances from inferior and superior fiducial markers to pubic symphysis plane (perpendicular to vaginal obtulator)were measured. Distance from needle tip of a reference needle (next to the inferior marker) to the pubic symphysis plane was also determined. The difference in fiducial marker distance or needle tip distance between planning CT and CT prior 3rd fraction were measured to assess markers migration and needle displacement. Results: The mean inferior marker displacement was 4.5 mm and ranged 0.9 to 11.3 mm. The mean superior marker displacement was 2.7 mm and ranged 0 to 10.4 mm. There was a good association between inferior and superior marker displacement (r=0.95). Mean averaged inferior and superior marker displacement was 3.3 mm and ranged from 0.1 to 10.9 mm, with a standard deviation of 3.2 mm. The mean needle displacement was 5.6 mm and ranged 0.2 to 15.6 mm. Needle displacements were reduced (p<0.05) after adjusting according to needle-to-fiducials distance. Conclusion: There were small fiducial marker displacements between HDR fractions. Our study suggests a target margin of 9.7 mm to cover interfractional marker displacements (in 95% cases) for pretreatment verification based on radiographic imaging.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗