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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 1,081 records · Page 60
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2012

Elemental and magnetic sensitive imaging using x-ray excited luminescence microscopy

We demonstrate the potential of x-ray excited luminescence microscopy for full-field elemental and magnetic sensitive imaging using a commercially available optical microscope, mounted on preexisting synchrotron radiation (SR) beamline end stations. The principal components of the instrument will be described. Bench top measurements indicate that a resolution of 1 {mu}m or better is possible; this value was degraded in practice due to vibrations and/or drift in the end station and associated manipulator. X-ray energy dependent measurements performed on model solar cell materials and lithographically patterned magnetic thin film structures reveal clear elemental and magnetic signatures. The merits of the apparatus will be discussed in terms of conventional SR imaging techniques.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2012

Measurements of ion cyclotron range of frequencies mode converted wave intensity with phase contrast imaging in Alcator C-Mod and comparison with full-wave simulations

Radio frequency waves in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) are widely used to heat tokamak plasmas. In ICRF heating schemes involving multiple ion species, the launched fast waves convert to ion cyclotron waves or ion Bernstein waves at the two-ion hybrid resonances. Mode converted waves are of interest as actuators to optimise plasma performance through current drive and flow drive. In order to describe these processes accurately in a realistic tokamak geometry, numerical simulations are essential, and it is important that these codes be validated against experiment. In this study, the mode converted waves were measured using a phase contrast imaging technique in D-H and D-{sup 3}He plasmas. The measured mode converted wave intensity in the D-{sup 3}He mode conversion regime was found to be a factor of {approx}50 weaker than the full-wave predictions. The discrepancy was reduced in the hydrogen minority heating regime, where mode conversion is weaker.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2012

Three-dimensional single particle tracking in dense dust clouds by stereoscopy of fluorescent particles

In dense dust clouds of a dusty plasma single particle trajectories are impossible to follow due to occlusion of particles and ambiguities in particle correspondences. By stereoscopic imaging of fluorescent tracer particles, we were able to reconstruct 3D single particle trajectories within dense dust clouds. Several measurements are shown that justify to regard the tracer particles as suitable representatives for the whole dust system. A first analysis of dust density waves in dense clouds already shows that these waves exhibit three-dimensional dynamics at larger wave amplitudes that cannot be resolved by 2D imaging techniques: a broad velocity distribution perpendicular to the oscillation plane due to dust-dust collisions is seen, while the velocity distribution in the oscillation direction is bimodal and shifted due to the bulk wave propagation.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Development of scintillation materials for medical imaging and other applications

Scintillation materials that produce pulses of visible light in response to the absorption of energetic photons, neutrons, and charged particles, are widely used in various applications that require the detection of radiation. The discovery and development of new scintillators has accelerated in recent years, due in large part to their importance in medical imaging as well as in security and high energy physics applications. Better understanding of fundamental scintillation mechanisms as well as the roles played by defects and impurities have aided the development of new high performance scintillators for both gamma-ray and neutron detection. Although single crystals continue to dominate gamma-ray based imaging techniques, composite materials and transparent optical ceramics potentially offer advantages in terms of both synthesis processes and scintillation performance. A number of promising scintillator candidates have been identified during the last few years, and several are currently being actively developed for commercial production. Purification and control of raw materials and cost effective crystal growth processes can present significant challenges to the development of practical new scintillation materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Photoionization cross section by Stieltjes imaging applied to coupled cluster Lanczos pseudo-spectra

A recently implemented asymmetric Lanczos algorithm for computing (complex) linear response functions within the coupled cluster singles (CCS), coupled cluster singles and iterative approximate doubles (CC2), and coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) is coupled to a Stieltjes imaging technique in order to describe the photoionization cross section of atoms and molecules, in the spirit of a similar procedure recently proposed by Averbukh and co-workers within the Algebraic Diagrammatic Construction approach. Pilot results are reported for the atoms He, Ne, and Ar and for the molecules H{sub 2}, H{sub 2}O, NH{sub 3}, HF, CO, and CO{sub 2}.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

Pressure-induced densification in GeO{sub 2} glass: A transmission x-ray microscopy study

Nanoscale transmission x-ray microscopy measurements have been performed to determine the effect of pressure (P) on the volume (V) change in GeO{sub 2} glass up to 38.5 GPa. The P-V data show a continuous increase upon compression, indicating that the density-driven structural transformation is a gradual process. Over the pressure range studied, a transition is observed at approximately 10–13 GPa, where the material displays distinct compression behaviors. The pressure-induced densification that involves the coordination number change has been discussed. Using this newly developed high-pressure imaging technique with tens of nanometer resolution, we have provided a direct and unequivocal way for measuring density of amorphous materials to much higher pressures with accuracy rivaling x-ray diffraction of crystalline solids.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Conical intersection seam and bound resonances embedded in continuum observed in the photodissociation of thioanisole-d{sub 3}

Herein, the multi-dimensional nature of the conical intersection seam has been experimentally revealed in the photodissociation reaction of thioanisole-d{sub 3} (C{sub 6}H{sub 5}SCD{sub 3}) excited on S{sub 1}, giving C{sub 6}H{sub 5}S·(A{sup ~} or X{sup ~}) +·CD{sub 3} products. The translational energy distribution of the nascent·CD{sub 3} fragment, reflecting the relative yields of the C{sub 6}H{sub 5}S·(A{sup ~}) and C{sub 6}H{sub 5}S·(X{sup ~}) products, was measured at each S{sub 1} vibronic band using the velocity map ion imaging technique. Direct access of the reactant flux to the conical intersection seam leads to the increase of the nonadiabatic transition probability resulting in sharp resonances in the X{sup ~}/A{sup ~}C{sub 6}H{sub 5}S·product branching ratio at several distinct S{sub 1} vibronic bands. The nature of the S{sub 1} vibronic bands associated with such dynamic resonances was clarified by the mass-analyzed threshold ionization spectroscopy. The bound state embedded in continuum generated by the conical intersection is observed as a distinct dynamic resonance, revealing the nature of the nuclear motion responsible for the nonadiabatic coupling of two potential energy surfaces at the conical intersection. The multi-dimensional facets of the conical intersection seam in terms of its detailed structure and dynamic role are discussed with the aid of theoretical calculations.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Electrochemically deposited BiTe-based nanowires for thermoelectric applications

Nanostructured materials systems such as thin-films and nanowires (NWs) are promising for thermoelectric power generation and refrigeration compared to traditional counterparts in bulk, due to their enhanced thermoelectric figures-of-merit. BiTe and its derivative compounds, in particular, are well-known for their near-room temperature thermoelectric performance. In this work, both the binary and ternary BiTe-based nanowires namely, BiTe and BiSbTe, were synthesized using template-assisted electrodeposition. Diameters of the nanowires were controlled by the pore sizes of the anodised alumina (AAO) templates used. Systematic study on the compositional change as a function of applied potential was carried out via Linear Sweep Voltanmetry (LSV). Chemical compositions of the nanowires were studied using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDXS) and their microstructures evaluated using diffraction and imaging techniques. Results from chemical analysis on the nanowires indicated that while the Sb content in BiSbTe nanowires increased with more negative deposition potentials, the formation of Te{sup 0} and Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} were favorable at more positive potentials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Optical trapping and rotation of airborne absorbing particles with a single focused laser beam

We measure the periodic circular motion of single absorbing aerosol particles that are optically trapped with a single focused Gaussian beam and rotate around the laser propagation direction. The scattered light from the trapped particle is observed to be directional and change periodically at 0.4–20 kHz. The instantaneous positions of the moving particle within a rotation period are measured by a high-speed imaging technique using a charge coupled device camera and a repetitively pulsed light-emitting diode illumination. The centripetal acceleration of the trapped particle as high as ∼20 times the gravitational acceleration is observed and is attributed to the photophoretic forces.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Dynamics of femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures on silicon by high spatial and temporal resolution imaging

The formation dynamics of periodic ripples induced by femtosecond laser pulses (pulse duration τ = 50 fs and central wavelength λ = 800 nm) are studied by a collinear pump-probe imaging technique with a temporal resolution of 1 ps and a spatial resolution of 440 nm. The ripples with periods close to the laser wavelength begin to appear upon irradiation of two pump pulses at surface defects produced by the prior one. The rudiments of periodic ripples emerge in the initial tens of picoseconds after fs laser irradiation, and the ripple positions keep unmoved until the formation processes complete mainly in a temporal span of 1500 ps. The results suggest that the periodic deposition of laser energy during the interaction between femtosecond laser pulses and sample surface plays a dominant role in the formation of periodic ripples.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Time-resolved photoluminescence properties of semiconductor quantum dot superlattices of different microcrystal shapes

We report time-resolved photoluminescence properties on semiconductor quantum dot (QD) superlattices (SLs) using PL lifetime imaging microscopy at a single particle level. PL lifetime imaging technique clearly reveals that different shaped QD SL microcrystals have different time-resolved PL characteristics. The faceted SL microcrystals consisted of well-organized QDs showed faster recombination rates than those of the spherical microparticles including randomly organized QDs, which can be explained by the different degree of energetic couplings among component QDs due to different packing fraction.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Imaging surface plasmon polaritons using proximal self-assembled InGaAs quantum dots

We present optical investigations of hybrid plasmonic nanosystems consisting of lithographically defined plasmonic Au-waveguides or beamsplitters on GaAs substrates coupled to proximal self-assembled InGaAs quantum dots. We designed a sample structure that enabled us to precisely tune the distance between quantum dots and the sample surface during nano-fabrication and demonstrated that non-radiative processes do not play a major role for separations down to ∼10 nm. A polarized laser beam focused on one end of the plasmonic nanostructure generates propagating surface plasmon polaritons that, in turn, create electron-hole pairs in the GaAs substrate during propagation. These free carriers are subsequently captured by the quantum dots ∼25 nm below the surface, giving rise to luminescence. The intensity of the spectrally integrated quantum dot luminescence is used to image the propagating plasmon modes. As the waveguide width reduces from 5 μm to 1 μm, we clearly observe different plasmonic modes at the remote waveguide end, enabling their direct imaging in real space. This imaging technique is applied to a plasmonic beamsplitter facilitating the determination of the splitting ratio between the two beamsplitter output ports as the interaction length L{sub i} is varied. A splitting ratio of 50:50 is observed for L{sub i}∼9±1 μm and 1 μm wide waveguides for excitation energies close to the GaAs band edge. Our experimental findings are in good agreement with mode profile and finite difference time domain simulations for both waveguides and beamsplitters.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Role of stochasticity in turbulence and convective intermittent transport at the scrape off layer of Ohmic plasma in QUEST

Statistical features of fluctuations are investigated using the fast camera imaging technique in the scrape of layer (SOL) of electron cyclotron resonance heated Ohmic plasma. Fluctuations in the SOL towards low field side are dominated by coherent convective structures (blobs). Two dimensional structures of the higher order moments (skewness s and kurtosis k) representing the shape of probability density function (PDF) are studied. s and k are seen to be functions of the magnetic field lines. s and k are consistently higher towards the bottom half of the vessel in the SOL showing the blob trajectory along the field lines from the top towards bottom of the vessel. Parabolic relation (k=As{sup 2}+C) is observed between s and k near the plasma boundary, featuring steep density gradient region and at the far SOL. The coefficient A, obtained experimentally, indicates a shift of prominence from pure drift-wave instabilities towards fully developed turbulence. Numerical coefficients characterizing the Pearson system are derived which demonstrates the progressive deviation of the PDF from Gaussian towards gamma from the density gradient region, towards the far SOL. Based on a simple stochastic differential equation, a direct correspondence between the multiplicative noise amplitude, increased intermittency, and hence change in PDF is discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Pre-determining the location of electromigrated gaps by nonlinear optical imaging

In this paper we describe a nonlinear imaging method employed to spatially map the occurrence of constrictions occurring on an electrically stressed gold nanowire. The approach consists at measuring the influence of a tightly focused ultrafast pulsed laser on the electronic transport in the nanowire. We found that structural defects distributed along the nanowire are efficient nonlinear optical sources of radiation and that the differential conductance is significantly decreased when the laser is incident on such electrically induced morphological changes. This imaging technique is applied to pre-determine the location of the electrical failure before it occurs.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Propagation dynamics of laterally colliding plasma plumes in laser-blow-off of thin film

We report a systematic investigation of two plume interactions at different spatial separation (3-7 mm) in laser-blow-off. The plasmas plumes are created using Laser-blow-off (LBO) scheme of a thin film. The fast imaging technique is used to record the evolution of seed plasmas and the interaction zone which is formed as a result of interaction of the two seed plasmas. Time resolved optical emission spectroscopy is used to study evolution of optical emissions of the species present in the different regions of the plasmas. Neutral Li emissions (Li I 670.8 nm (2s {sup 2}S{sub 1/2} ← 2p {sup 2}P{sub 3/2,1/2}) and Li I 610.3 nm (2p {sup 2}P{sub 3/2,1/2} ← 3d {sup 2}D{sub 3/2,5/2})) are dominant in the plasmas but significant differences are observed in the emission and estimated plasma parameters of the seed and the interaction zone. The transport of plasma species from the seed plasmas to the interaction zone is discussed in the terms of plume divergence, kinetic energy of particles, and ion acoustic speed. An attempt is made to understand the formation and dynamics of the interaction zone in the colliding LBO seed plasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

The effect of the dipole bound state on AgF{sup −} vibrationally resolved photodetachment cross sections and photoelectron angular distributions

The first photoelectron spectra of AgF{sup −} are recorded over the energy range 1.61–1.85 eV using the velocity map imaging technique. The resolved vibrational structure of the AgF X′, v′ ← AgF{sup −} X″, v″ = 0 band yields an AgF electron affinity of 1.46 ± 0.01 eV and vibrational frequency of 500 ± 40 cm{sup −1}. For the v′ = 2, 3, 4 channels, the photodetachment cross sections and angular distributions undergo rapid changes over a narrow electron kinetic energy range in the region of 50 meV (approximately 13 meV below the opening of the next vibrational channel). This is consistent with Fano-like behavior indicating autodetachment following excitation to a resonant anion state lying in the detachment continuum. EOM-CCSD calculations reveal this to be a dipole bound state. The consistency of the detachment data with the vibrational autodetachment propensity rule Δv = −1 shows that the autodetachment results from breakdown of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, coupling the vibrational and electronic degrees of freedom.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Dissociative electron attachment studies on acetone

Dissociative electron attachment (DEA) to acetone is studied in terms of the absolute cross section for various fragment channels in the electron energy range of 0–20 eV. H{sup −} is found to be the most dominant fragment followed by O{sup −} and OH{sup −} with only one resonance peak between 8 and 9 eV. The DEA dynamics is studied by measuring the angular distribution and kinetic energy distribution of fragment anions using Velocity Slice Imaging technique. The kinetic energy and angular distribution of H{sup −} and O{sup −} fragments suggest a many body break-up for the lone resonance observed. The ab initio calculations show that electron is captured in the multi-centered anti-bonding molecular orbital which would lead to a many body break-up of the resonance.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Direct observation of interlocked domain walls and topological four-state vortex-like domain patterns in multiferroic YMnO{sub 3} single crystal

Using the advanced spherical aberration-corrected high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscope imaging techniques, we investigated atomic-scale structural features of domain walls and domain patterns in YMnO{sub 3} single crystal. Three different types of interlocked ferroelectric-antiphase domain walls and two abnormal topological four-state vortex-like domain patterns are identified. Each ferroelectric domain wall is accompanied by a translation vector, i.e., 1/6[210] or −1/6[210], demonstrating its interlocked nature. Different from the four-state vortex domain patterns caused by a partial edge dislocation, two four-state vortex-like domain configurations have been obtained at atomic level. These observed phenomena can further extend our understanding of the fascinating vortex domain patterns in multiferroic hexagonal rare-earth manganites.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗