SEARCH · Engineering Papers
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.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
We report the recent results of the NA48/2 experiment on charged kaon radiative decays. Using data collected during 2003 and 2004, precise measurements of the K{sup {+-}{yields}{pi}{+-}{pi}0{gamma}} and K{sup {+-}{yields}{pi}{+-}{gamma}{gamma}} decays properties have been obtained.
The measurement of the S-wave {pi}{pi} scattering lengths is a fundamental test of the validity of Chiral Perturbation Theory. We report on the final NA48/2 result, based on the full statistics data set of more than one million reconstructed K{sub e4}{sup {+-}} decays. From these events we have determined the decay form factors and {pi}{pi} scattering lengths a{sub 0}{sup 0} and a{sub 0}{sup 2}. The result is the currently most precise measurement of the scattering lengths and is in excellent agreement with the predictions of Chiral Perturbation Theory.
Intense pulsed muon beam will be available at J-PARC MUSE up to 4x10{sup 8}/s within a few years. We propose the next generation of the precise measurements of muonium hyperfine structure and the ratio of muon to proton magnetic moments by using the muonium spin resonance method at high magnetic field.
We will measure the X-rays from kaonic {sup 3}He 3d {yields} 2p transition with a precision below 2 eV. It can provide crucial information on the kaon-nucleus strong interaction. The experiment (J-PARC E17) will be performed as Day-1, which is one of the first experiments in the J-PARC hadron facility in the year 2011. An overview and the present status of the J-PARC E17 experiment are described.
New precise results of a measurement of the elastic electron-proton scattering cross section performed at the Mainz Microtron MAMI are presented. About 1400 cross sections were measured with negative four-momentum transfers squared up to Q{sup 2} = (GeV/c){sup 2} with statistical errors below 0.2%. The electric and magnetic form factors of the proton were extracted by fits of a large variety of form factor models directly to the cross sections. The form factors show some features at the scale of the pion cloud. The charge and magnetic radii are determined to be r{sub E}{sup 2} rpost={sup >>1/2} 0.879(5){sub stat.}(4){sub syst.}(2){sub model}(4){sub group}fm and r{sub M}{sup 2} {sup 1/2} = 0.777(13){sub stat.}(9){sub syst.}(5)model({sub 2})groupfm.
We will measure the x-rays from kaonic {sup 3}He and {sup 4}He 3d{yields}2p transition by using silicon drift detectors. Our precision goal is set to 1 eV to provide crucial information on the kaon-nucleus strong interaction in the low energy limit. The experiment is to be performed as one of the first experiment in the J-PARC hadron facility (J-PARC E17). An overview and the present status of the experiment are presented.
We describe a high-precision measurement of the half-life of the T = 1/2 nucleus {sup 19}Ne, performed at TRIUMF, Canada's National Laboratory for Nuclear and Particle Physics, Vancouver, Canada. Some implications of this measurement related to tests of the Standard Model are discussed.
The experimental study of super-allowed nuclear {beta} decays serves as a sensitive probe of the conservation of the weak vector current (CVC) and allows tight limits to be set on the presence of scalar or right-handed currents. Once CVC is verified, it is possible to determine the V{sub ud} element of the CKM quark-mixing matrix. Similarly, the study of nuclear mirror {beta} decays allows to arrive at the same final quantity V{sub ud}. Whereas dedicated studies of 0{sup +}{yields}0{sup +} decays are performed for several decades now, the potential of mirror transitions was only rediscovered recently. Therefore, it can be expected that important progress is possible with high-precision studies of different mirror {beta} decays. In the present piece of work the half-life measurements performed by the CENBG group of the proton-rich nuclei {sup 42}Ti, {sup 38-39}Ca, {sup 30-31}S and {sup 29}P are summarised.
Isotopic analysis of krypton (Kr) and xenon (Xe) by resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS) is an effective tool for identification of failed fuel in fast reactors to achieve their safety operation and high plant availability. Reliability of the failed fuel detection and location (FFDL) system depends on the precise determination of {sup 78}Kr/{sup 80}Kr, {sup 82}Kr/{sup 80}Kr and {sup 126}Xe/{sup 129}Xe isotopic ratios, which is mainly hampered by statistical errors for detection of the corresponding isotopes except {sup 82}Kr generated in large amounts during operation of fast reactors. In this paper, we report on improvements of the laser optical system of our spectrometer to increase the resonance ionization efficiency of Kr and Xe atoms, focusing on (i) utilization of the uniform YAG laser beam to improve the wavelength conversion efficiency of sum frequency generation and (ii) reflection of the ultraviolet light by a concave mirror to increase the photon density. The results indicate that our upgraded resonance ionization mass spectrometer has enough performance for isotopic analysis of Kr and Xe required in the Monju FFDL system.
TRIUMF's Ion Trap for Atomic and Nuclear science (TITAN) constitutes the only high precision mass measurement setup coupled to a rare isotope facility capable of increasing the charge state of short-lived nuclides prior to the actual mass determination in a Penning trap. Recent developments around TITAN's charge breeder, the electron beam ion trap, form the basis for several successful experiments on radioactive isotopes with half-lives as low as 65 ms and in charge states as high as 22+.
We study the evolution of surface reconstructions on SrTiO{sub 3} (110) determined by cation concentration ratio and find it detectable by high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) even at high temperature up to 800 deg. C. The evaporation rate of Sr and Ti sources can be calibrated precisely by monitoring RHEED patterns in situ and in real time during the extended homogeneous oxide molecule beam epitaxy growth of SrTiO{sub 3} (110) film. High quality film is obtained with deviation of cation stoichiometry less than 0.5%.
In order to test the Coulomb sum rule in nuclei, a precision measurement of inclusive electron scattering cross sections in the quasi-elastic region was performed at Jefferson Lab. Incident electrons of energies ranging from 0.4 GeV/c to 4 GeV/c scattered off {sup 4}He, {sup 12}C, {sup 56}Fe and {sup 208}Pb nuclei at four scattering angles (15deg., 60deg., 90deg., 120deg.) and scattered energies ranging from 0.1 GeV/c to 4 GeV/c. The Rosenbluth method with proper Coulomb corrections is used to extract the transverse and longitudinal response functions at three-momentum transfers 0.55 GeV/c {le} |q{yields}| {le} 1.0 GeV/c. The Coulomb Sum is determined in the same |q{yields}| range as mentioned above and will be compared to predictions. Analysis progress and preliminary results will be presented.
We propose a new experiment to measure the muon anomalous magnetic moment g - 2 and electric dipole moment with a novel technique called ultra-slow muon beam at J-PARC. Precision measurement of these dipole moments plays an important role in fundamental physics to search for a new physics beynd standard model. The concept of the experiment and its current status is described.
The growth techniques for Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1-x}O thin films have advanced at a rapid pace in recent years, enabling the application of this material to a wide range of optical and electrical applications. In designing structures and optimizing device performances, it is crucial that the Mg content of the alloy be controllable and precisely determined. In this study, we have established laboratory-based methods to determine the Mg content of Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1-x}O thin films grown on ZnO substrates, ranging from the solubility limit of x {approx} 0.4 to the dilute limit of x < 0.01. For the absolute determination of Mg content, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy is used for the high Mg region above x = 0.14, while secondary ion mass spectroscopy is employed to quantify low Mg content. As a lab-based method to determine the Mg content, c-axis length is measured by x-ray diffraction and is well associated with Mg content. The interpolation enables the determination of Mg content to x = 0.023, where the peak from the ZnO substrate overlaps the Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1-x}O peak in standard laboratory equipment, and thus limits quantitative determination. At dilute Mg contents below x = 0.023, the localized exciton peak energy of the Mg{sub x}Zn{sub 1-x}O films as measured by photoluminescence is found to show a linear Mg content dependence, which is well resolved from the free exciton peak of ZnO substrate down to x = 0.0043. Our results demonstrate that x-ray diffraction and photoluminescence in combination are appropriate methods to determine Mg content in a wide Mg range from x = 0.004 to 0.40 in a laboratory environment.
We report the characterization of a suspended microchannel resonator (SMR) for viscosity measurements in a low viscosity regime (<10 mPa s) using two measurement schemes. First, the quality factor (Q-factor) of the SMR was characterized with glycerol-water mixtures. The measured Q-factor at 20 Degree-Sign C exhibits a bilinear behavior with the sensitivity of 1281 (mPa s){sup -1} for a lower (1-4 mPa s) and 355 (mPa s){sup -1} for a higher viscosity range (4-8 mPa s), respectively. The second scheme is the vibration amplitude monitoring of the SMR running in a closed loop feedback. When compared in terms of the measurement time, the amplitude-based measurement takes only 0.1 {approx} 1 ms while the Q-factor-based measurement takes {approx}30 s. However, the viscosity resolution of the Q-factor-based measurement is at least three times better than the amplitude-based measurement. By comparing the Q-factors of heavy water and 9.65 wt.% glycerol-water mixture that have very similar viscosities but different densities, we confirmed that the SMR can measure the dynamic viscosity without the density correction. The obtained results demonstrate that the SMR can measure the fluid viscosity with high precision and even real-time monitoring of the viscosity change is possible with the amplitude-based measurement scheme.
This paper presents the methodology to measure the precise deflection of microcantilever in an optical pickup head based atomic force microscopy. In this paper, three types of calibration methods have been proposed: full linearization, sectioned linearization, and the method based on astigmatism. In addition, the probe heads for easy calibration of optical pickup head and fast replacement of optical pickup head have been developed. The performances of each method have been compared through a set of experiments and constant height mode operation which was not possible in the optical pickup head based atomic force microscopy has been carried out successfully.
The design of a new generation of nuclear reactors requires the development of a very precise neutron cross section database. Ongoing experiments performed at dedicated facilities aim to the measurement of such cross sections with an unprecedented uncertainty of the order of 5% or even smaller. We give an overview of such a facility: the Gamma Array for Inelastic Neutron Scattering (GAINS) installed at the GELINA neutron source of IRMM, Belgium. Some of the most challenging difficulties of the experimental approach are emphasized and recent results are shown.
A recent progress in precision lifetime measurements of exotic nuclei at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL), Michigan State University is presented. The Recoil Distance Doppler-shift (RDDS) technique has been applied to nuclear reactions involving intermediate-energy rare isotope (RI) beams, to determine absolute transition strengths between nuclear states model independently from level lifetimes of interest. As such an example, recent lifetime measurements of the first 2{sup +} states in the neutron-rich {sup 62,64,66}Fe isotopes at and around N=40 are introduced. The experiment was performed at the Coupled Cyclotron Facility at NSCL using a unique combination of several experimental instruments; the Segmented Germanium Array (SeGA), the plunger device, and the S800 spectrograph. The reduced E2 transition probabilities B(E2) are determined directly from the measured lifetimes. The observed trend of B(E2) clearly demonstrates that an enhanced collectivity persists in {sup 66}Fe despite the harmonic-oscillator magic number N=40. The present results are also discussed in comparison with the large-scale shell model calculations, pointing to a possible extension of the deformation region beyond N=40.