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At least 127 records · Page 7

The Capella subcoronal heating efficiency

Using transition region fluxes and high resolution spectra of the Ly-alpha and Mg II h and k lines observed by the GHRS spectrograph, I determine the total flux radiated from each temperature regime in the Capella upper chromosphere and transition region. This contains essentially the same information as the emission measure distribution, but to better suggest physical interpretations of the heating mechanisms it is expressed instead in terms of the efficiency for extracting convection zone energy flux and depositing it over the temperature ranges considered.

Gayley, Kenneth G.↗

High-Temperature Nucleation of GaP on V-Grooved Si

The use of nanopatterned {111}-faceted v-grooves has recently shown promise for growing high-quality III–V material on Si. Here, we study the effect of reactor conditions and surface pretreatments on the nucleation of GaP on v-grooved Si in a high-temperature regime, which offers the promise of a defect-free GaP/Si interface favorable for Si passivation and dislocation glide in the GaP. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to understand the Si surface chemistry prior to nucleation, and transmission electron microscopy was used to probe material quality of the nuclei. Temperature and V/III ratio were found to control the facet selectivity of nucleation. We demonstrate a condition of high temperature and high V–III ratio that leads to uniform nucleation at the bottom of the trenches, with initial material free of nucleation-related interfacial defects. This optimized condition was then shown to coalesce into a thin film after additional growth.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Erosion Behavior of Ti-hBN Multifunctional Coatings in A Custom-Made Planetary Test Rig at Extreme Lunar Temperatures

Spacecraft landings and takeoffs on the lunar surface, along with extreme temperature variations between day and night (-196 to 150° C), cause high-velocity dust impacts and erosion, resulting in the premature failure of structures. Ti/2 vol% hBN coatings were deposited using atmospheric (APS) and vacuum plasma spray (VPS) using cryo-milled powder feedstock to protect the structural components. The erosion performance of coatings at extreme lunar temperature regimes (-150 to 150° C) was evaluated in a custom-made planetary erosion test rig (PETR) at low (50 mph) and high impact velocities (250 mph). The mass loss of VPS coatings was reduced by 50% compared to the APS coatings and 40% compared to the Ti6Al4V substrate. The cryogenic temperature induces brittleness in the material, rendering it susceptible to extreme conditions of material loss. The particle impact-deformation behavior was captured using a high-speed camera to study the erosion mechanism. This analysis revealed chipping in substrates and brittle APS coatings, while particles rebounding and embedding were observed in VPS coatings. Energy calculations, aided by particle trajectory tracking from the high-speed camera, have conclusively shown that VPS coatings absorb 5–10% more energy than APS coatings during erosion tests. A modified erosion index was developed incorporating the fracture toughness and temperatures. New erosion models for brittle and ductile target materials are proposed for developing erosion-resistant material systems.

Abhijith Kunneparambil Sukumaran↗

In-situ strain behavior and BISON simulations of Zircaloy cladding subjected to temperature cycling separate-effects tests in a steam environment

Understanding fuel system performance during anticipated transients without scram (ATWSs) in boiling water reactors (BWRs) is necessary for refining current and future safety limits. High-fidelity material models and simulations are fundamental to rigorous assessment of zirconium-based cladding performance. However, experimental thermomechanical data during simulated ATWSs to validate these modes are limited. To provide relevant in-situ data, Zircaloy-4 cladding was subjected to cyclic heating in a steam environment to simulate an out-of-pile BWR ATWS. Digital image correlation was used to capture the cladding strain behavior in-situ for comparison against simulations using the BISON finite element code. Conventional high-temperature models were compared using multiple schemes to gain a better understanding of the applicability of three BISON models to BWR ATWS: (1) the default combination of creep models in BISON, (2) the high-temperature Erbacher model alone, and (3) the low-temperature Limback-Andersson model alone. The cases run with the Limback-Andersson model alone produced the lowest root mean square error (RMSE). The lowest RMSE for the Limback-Andersson model alone was 0.659%, and the highest RMSE reported was 4.22%. A data gap within the model in the temperature regime of interest was also identified, and to account for this gap, the current model in BISON is linearly interpolated between two separate datasets. In conclusion, this evaluation highlights the need to either develop a new model or to improve the existing model to capture transient creep effects resulting from a cyclic temperature transient.

Anticipated transient without SCRAM↗

The Metastable Persistence of Vapor-Deposited Amorphous Ice at Anomalously High Temperatures

Studies of the gas release, vaporization behavior and infrared (IR) spectral properties of amorphous and crystalline water ice have direct application to cometary and planetary outgassing phenomena and contribute to an understanding of the physical properties of astrophysical ices. Several investigators report anomalous phenomena related to the warming of vapor-deposited astrophysical ice analogs. However gas release, ice volatilization and IR spectral features are secondary or tertiary manifestations of ice structure or morphology. These observations are useful in mimicking the bulk physical and chemical phenomena taking place in cometary and other extraterrestrial ices but do not directly reveal the structural changes which are their root cause. The phenomenological interpretation of spectral and gas release data is probably the cause of somewhat contradictory explanations invoked to account for differences in water ice behavior in similar temperature regimes. It is the microstructure, micromorphology and microchemical heterogeneity of astrophysical ices which must be characterized if the mechanisms underlying the observed phenomena are to be understood. We have been using a modified Transmission Electron Microscope to characterize the structure of vapor-deposited astrophysical ice analogs as a function of their deposition, temperature history and composition. For the present experiments, pure water vapor is deposited at high vacuum onto a 15 K amorphous carbon film inside an Hitachi H-500H TEM. The resulting ice film (approx. 0.05 micrometers thick) is warmed at the rate of 1 K per minute and diffraction patterns are collected at 1 K intervals. These patterns are converted into radial intensity distributions which are calibrated using patterns of crystalline gold deposited on a small part of the carbon substrate. The small intensity contributed by the amorphous substrate is removed by background subtraction. The proportions of amorphous and crystalline material in each pattern are determined by subtracting a percentage of crystalline component relative to amorphous and pure crystalline endmembers. Vapor-deposited water ice undergoes two amorphous to amorphous structural transformations in the temperature range 15-130 K with important astrophysical implications. The onset of cubic crystallization occurs at 142-160 K (at 1K per minute heating rates) during which the 220 and 311 diffraction maxima appear and 0.1 micrometer crystallites can be seen in bright field images. This transition is time dependent.

Blake, David F.↗

Cool-flame Extinction During N-Alkane Droplet Combustion in Microgravity

Recent droplet combustion experiments onboard the International Space Station (ISS) have revealed that large n-alkane droplets can continue to burn quasi-steadily following radiative extinction in a low-temperature regime, characterized by negative-temperaturecoefficient (NTC) chemistry. In this study we report experimental observations of n-heptane, n-octane, and n-decane droplets of varying initial sizes burning in oxygen/nitrogen/carbon dioxide and oxygen/helium/nitrogen environments at 1.0, 0.7, and 0.5 atmospheric pressures. The oxygen concentration in these tests varied in the range of 14% to 25% by volume. Large n-alkane droplets exhibited quasi-steady low-temperature burning and extinction following radiative extinction of the visible flame while smaller droplets burned to completion or disruptively extinguished. A vapor-cloud formed in most cases slightly prior to or following the "cool flame" extinction. Results for droplet burning rates in both the hot-flame and cool-flame regimes as well as droplet extinction diameters at the end of each stage are presented. Time histories of radiant emission from the droplet captured using broadband radiometers are also presented. Remarkably the "cool flame" extinction diameters for all the three n-alkanes follow a trend reminiscent of the ignition delay times observed in previous studies. The similarities and differences among the n-alkanes during "cool flame" combustion are discussed using simplified theoretical models of the phenomenon

microgravity combustion↗

Thin film growth of the 2122-phase of BCSCO superconductor with high degree of crystalline perfection

Thin films of the 80 K-phase of BiCaSrCu-oxide superconductor having the composition of Bi2Ca1.05Sr2.1Cu2.19O(x) and high degree of crystalline perfection have been grown on c-axis oriented twin free single crystal substrates of NdGaO3. This has been achieved by carefully establishing the growth conditions of the LPE experiments. The temperature regime of 850 to 830 C and quenching of the specimens on the termination of the growth period are found to be pertinent for the growth of quasi-single crystalline superconducting BCSCO films on NdGaO3 substrates. The TEM analysis reveals a single crystalline nature of these films which exhibit 100 percent reflectivity in infrared regions at liquid nitrogen temperature.

Raina, K. K.↗

Ultra-wide bandgap β-Ga 2 O 3 films: Optical, phonon, and temperature response properties

Optical and phonon interactions of Ga 2 O 3 thin films with nanocrystalline morphology were studied at extreme temperatures. The films were grown using a sputtering technique and analyzed via temperature response transmission, Raman scattering, and high-resolution deep-UV photoluminescence (PL). Raman modes indicated that the structure corresponds to the β-phase. The optical-gap at the range of 77–620 K exhibited a redshift of ~200 meV, with a temperature coefficient of ~0.4 meV/K. The optical-gap at room-temperature is 4.85 eV. The electron–phonon interaction model at that temperature range pointed to a low energy phonon, ~31 meV, that is involved in the thermal properties of the optical-gap. Detailed Urbach energy analysis indicated that defects are the dominant mechanism controlling the band-edge characteristics even at an elevated temperature regime where phonon dominance is usually expected. Defects are attributed to the disordered forms of graphite that were detected via Raman scattering and to the granular morphology of the film. A deep-UV laser with an above bandgap exaction line of 5.1 eV was employed to map the PL of the films. The highly resolved spectra, even at room-temperature, show a strong emission of ~3.56 eV attributed to self-trapped holes (STHs). The STH is discussed and modeled in terms of the self-trapped exciton. Moreover, a very distinct but low-intensity emission was found at 4.85 eV that agrees with the value of the optical-gap and is attributed to bandgap recombination. The intensity ratio between the STH and that of the bandgap was found to be 6:1.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Effects of temperature on helium bubble behaviour in Fe–9Cr alloy

In the present study, Fe–9Cr model alloys were irradiated by 275 keV He + ions at 500 to 800 °C to a peak damage level and implanted helium content of 0.5 dpa and 0.75 at% He, respectively. Effects of temperature on He bubble behaviour were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to reveal the temperature effects. The bubble spatial distribution changes from homogenous at 500 and 600 °C to heterogeneous at 700 and 800 °C, due to preferential bubble precipitation on dislocations and grain boundaries at high temperature. Faceted bubbles with low energy faces along the {001} planes were present at all four temperatures and are attributed to surface energy minimization. Bubble precipitation on the GBs became more pronounced with increasing temperature. Meanwhile, the cavity swelling increased with increasing temperature, from 0.59% at 500 °C to 8.21% at 800 °C with a sharp increase above 700 °C. By analysing the temperature dependence of bubble size and density, a transition temperature between low and high temperature regimes was obtained in terms of different activation energies which are related to different bubble nucleation and formation mechanisms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Intermediate Temperature Ceramic Heat Pipe Modeling and Optimization

The intermediate temperature regime of heat pipes, 450-700 K, has not been well characterized due in part to the corrosive nature of many of the working fluids, as well as the poor performance in many conventional metal envelope systems. Spacecraft nuclear electric propulsion, as well as other emerging technologies, can benefit from heat pipes with optimal performance in this intermediate regime. In this work, we have explored halide working fluids coupled with aluminum nitride shells to operate at 500-600 K and interface with a nuclear electric propulsion system. The shells have been additively manufactured and tested to ensure compatibility with the halides. Specifically, AlBr 3 , AlCl 3 , FeCl 3 , and SbBr 3 were selected owing to their higher performance and comparatively safe handling characteristics compared to other intermediate temperature working fluids. The additive manufacturing process enables highly customizable designs that integrate the heat pipe and radiator fin together, optimized for each fluid. We have evaluated the performance limits of such a heat pipe design in order to establish the feasibility of AlBr 3 in particular, and present design that achieves an areal density of 5.2 kg/m 2 and mass per unit heat performance of 0.71 kg/kW. Analysis is ongoing for all working fluids.

thermal management↗

A Nanosized {Ni II 18 } Cluster with a ‘Flying Saucer’ Topology Exhibiting Slow Relaxation of Magnetisation Phenomena at Both 15 K and 1.3 K

A high-nuclearity {Ni 18 } complex (1) with a unique ‘flying saucer’ motif has been prepared from the organic chelate, α-methyl-2-pyridine-methanol (mpmH), in conjunction with bridging azido (N 3 - ) and peroxido (O 2 2- ) ligands. Magnetic susceptibility measurements revealed the presence of both ferro- and antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between the metal centres in 1, and the stabilization of spin states with appreciable S values at two different temperature regimes. The end-on bridging azido and alkoxido groups are in all likelihood the ferromagnetic mediators, while the η 3 :η 3 :μ 6 -bridging peroxides most likely promote the antiparallel alignment of the metals’ spin vectors, yielding an overall non-zero spin ground state for the centrosymmetric compound 1. Furthermore, the {Ni 18 } nanosized cluster behaves as a single-molecule magnet, exhibiting magnetic hysteresis at low temperatures and two relaxation processes at 15 K and 1.3 K, a very rare phenomenon in polynuclear magnetic 3d-metal clusters.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Chemical Kinetics Underlying the Sooting Tendency and Auto-Ignition Characteristics of Linear, Branched, and Cyclic Ether Compounds

Biofuels present opportunities for improving the performance and reducing emissions from internal combustion engines by incorporating oxygenated functional groups to the fuels. Among various oxygenates, ethers have been recognized as promising candidates for an alternative to conventional diesel fuel owing to their higher reactivity and lower sooting tendency. The detailed guidelines for designing ethers, however, have not been fully discussed, even though their combustion characteristics are sensitive to the molecular structure. This study was devoted to exploring the structure-property relationships, particularly focusing on the cetane number and yield sooting index, using five linear, branched, and cyclic ethers: di-amyl-ether, 4-butoxy-heptane, 3,3-dimethyl-oxetane, 2-ethyl-4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, and 2-isopropyl-4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane. First, we examined the chemical kinetics underlying the sooting tendency of the test fuels. The combustion product distribution was measured from flow reactor experiments at 750-1100 K, F=3, at atmospheric pressure. As a result, it was revealed that the sooting tendency is closely related to the size of hydrocarbon intermediates in the high-temperature regime (>1000 K); that is, larger hydrocarbons lead to more soot precursor formation. The underlying chemistry determining the size of the hydrocarbons from the tested fuels was analyzed using reaction pathway analysis and quantum mechanics calculations, which showed that the branched and cyclic ether structures form abundant C3-C4 compounds. Moreover, the auto-ignition characteristics of the test fuels were studied using the flow reactor at low-temperature (400-700 K) and F=1. We found a clear difference in the combustion-product distribution from high and low reactivity fuels, which was then correlated to the systematic analysis of the key reaction energy barriers with the varying molecular structure.

BIOMASS FUELS,INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND AN↗

Entanglement Effect and Angular Momentum Conservation in a Nonseparable Tunneling Treatment

The important, and often dominant, role of tunneling in low temperature kinetics has resulted in numerous theoretical explorations into the methodology for predicting it. Nevertheless, there are still key aspects of the derivations that are lacking, particularly for nonseparable systems in the low temperature regime, and further explorations of the physical factors affecting the tunneling rate are warranted. In this work we obtain a closed-form rate expression for the tunneling rate constant that is a direct analog of the rigid-rotor-harmonic-oscillator expression. This expression introduces a novel "entanglement factor" that modulates the reaction rate. Furthermore, we are able to extend this expression, which is valid for nonseparable systems at low temperatures, to properly account for the conservation of angular momentum. In contrast, previous calculations have considered only vibrational transverse modes and so effectively employ a decoupled rotational partition function for the orientational modes. We also suggest a simple theoretical model to describe the tunneling effects in the vicinity of the crossover temperature (the temperature where tunneling becomes the dominating mechanism). This model allows one to naturally classify, interpret, and predict experimental data. Among other things, it quantitatively explains in simple terms the so-called "quantum bobsled" effect, also known as the negative centrifugal effect, which is related to curvature of the reaction path. Taken together, the expressions obtained here allow one to predict the thermal and E-resolved rate constants over broad ranges of temperatures and energies.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Liquid and Glass Phases of an Alkylguanidinium Sulfonate Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Framework

Glassy phases of framework materials feature unique and tunable properties that are advantageous for gas separation membranes, solid electrolytes, and phase-change memory applications. However, the structural and chemical diversity of porous frameworks that can be liquified and quenched into a glass has been limited by thermal decomposition at-or below-the high temperatures required to induce a melting transition. Utilizing a desymmetrization strategy, in this work we report a new guanidinium organosulfonate hydrogen-bonded organic framework (HOF) that melts and vitrifies below 100 °C. In this low-temperature regime, non-covalent interactions between guest molecules and the porous framework become a dominant contributor to the overall stability of the structure, resulting in unusual phase behavior such as guest dependent melting, glass, and recrystallization transitions. Through molecular dynamics simulations and pair distribution function analysis, we show that the local structure of the amorphous liquid and glass phase resembles that of the parent crystalline framework. Access to molten phases of framework materials at moderate temperatures should permit the use of more thermally sensitive functional groups and enhance the structural control and tunability that can be realized in network-forming glasses.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Fusion yield of plasma with velocity-space anisotropy at constant energy

Velocity-space anisotropy can significantly modify fusion reactivity. The nature and magnitude of this modification depends on the plasma temperature, as well as the details of how the anisotropy is introduced. For plasmas that are sufficiently cold compared to the peak of the fusion cross section, anisotropic distributions tend to have higher yields than isotropic distributions with the same thermal energy. At higher temperatures, it is instead isotropic distributions that have the highest yields. However, the details of this behavior depend on exactly how the distribution differs from an isotropic Maxwellian. Therefore, this paper describes the effects of anisotropy on fusion yield for the class of anisotropic distribution functions with the same energy distribution as a 3D isotropic Maxwellian and compares those results with the yields from bi-Maxwellian distributions. In many cases, especially for plasmas somewhat below reactor-regime temperatures, the effects of anisotropy can be substantial.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Use of ceramics in point-focus solar receivers

One of the research and development efforts in the Solar Thermal Energy Systems Project at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been focused on application of ceramic components for advanced point-focus solar receivers. The impetus for this effort is a need for high efficiency, low cost solar receivers which operate in a temperature regime where use of metal components is impractical. The current status of the work on evaluation of ceramic components at JPL and elsewhere is outlined and areas where lack of knowledge is currently slowing application of ceramics are discussed. Future developments of ceramic processing technology and reliability assurance methodology should open up applications for the point-focus solar concentrator system in fuels and chemicals production, in thermochemical energy transport and storage, in detoxification of hazardous materials and in high temperature process heat as well as for electric power generation.

Smoak, R. H.↗

Performance of a 100V Half-Bridge MOSFET Driver, Type MIC4103, Over a Wide Temperature Range

The operation of a high frequency, high voltage MOSFET (metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors) driver was investigated over a wide temperature regime that extended beyond its specified range. The Micrel MIC4103 is a 100V, non-inverting, dual driver that is designed to independently drive both high-side and low-side N-channel MOSFETs. It features fast propagation delay times and can drive 1000 pF load with 10ns rise times and 6 ns fall times [1]. The device consumes very little power, has supply under-voltage protection, and is rated for a -40 C to +125 C junction temperature range. The floating high-side driver of the chip can sustain boost voltages up to 100 V. Table I shows some of the device manufacturer s specification.

Patterson, Richard L.↗

Review of the physical and mechanical properties and potential applications of the B2 compound NiAl: Unabridged version of a paper published in International materials review

Considerable work has been performed on NiAl over the last three decades, with an extremely rapid growth in research on this intermetallic occurring in the last few years due to recent interest in this material for electronic and high temperature structural applications. However, many physical properties and the controlling fracture and deformation mechanisms over certain temperature regimes are still in question. Part of this problem lies in the incomplete characterization of many of the alloys previously investigated. Fragmentary data on processing conditions, chemistry, microstructure and the apparent difficulty in accurately measuring composition has made direct comparison between individual studies sometimes tenuous. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to summarize all available mechanical and pertinent physical properties on NiAl, stressing the most recent investigations, in an attempt to understand the behavior of NiAl and its alloys over a broad temperature range.

Noebe, Ronald D.↗