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At least 1,351 records · Page 75

Concerning Apparent Similarity of Structures of Fluoropolymer Surfaces Exposed to an Argon Plasma or Argon Ion Beam

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) C(sub 1s) spectra of fluoropolymers exposed to either an argon plasma or argon ion beam show remarkable similarity, implying that the surface-modification reactions for these two processes likely proceed through comparable mechanisms, revolving predominantly ion-surface interactions. The importance of working with a monochromatized x-ray source for XPS analysis of the surface-modified fluoropolymers is once again emphasized.

Golub, Morton A.↗

Aeroelastic Modeling and CFD Simulation of Wind-Tunnel Scale Aspect Ratio 13.5 Common Research Model

This paper presents an aeroelastic modeling and simulation study of an aspect ratio 13.5 wind-tunnel scale Common Research Model (CRM) with distributed flaps. A vortex-lattice VSPAERO model of the CRM model is developed. A transonic small disturbance/integral boundary layer correction method is implemented in the VSPAERO model to account for the transonic and viscous flow effects. The structural deformation of the CRM model is calculated using a NASTRAN equivalent beam model. The VSPAERO model is coupled to the NASTRAN equivalent beam model to provide a rapid aero-structural analysis. A validation of the VSPAERO aeroelastic model is conducted by comparing the results to FUN3D CFD aeroelastic simulation results. An aerodynamic database is generated using the developed VSPAERO aeroelastic model for the real-time drag optimization and maneuver load alleviation study of the wind-tunnel scale CRM model.

Aeroelastic Modeling↗

Low Energy Accelerator Facility Upgrade and test

The Low Energy Accelerator Facility (LEAF) contains a low-energy linac with high average beam power, which was designed and built in the late 1960’s primarily for radiation-chemistry experiments. The maximum beam energy in that configuration was 21 MeV. Although, the installation is old, it is still reliable. The accelerator was repurposed for development of accelerator-based technologies for the production of 99Mo with funding provided by the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Material Management and Minimization (M3 ). An extensive scientific program on the production of radioactive isotopes demanded an upgrade of the accelerator to fit the experimental requirements. Several possible LEAF upgrades were proposed to increase the electron beam energy. The final design proposed the replacement of the old accelerating structures with new ones. In 2011-2012, the new structures were manufactured, installed, and tested with the beam energy up to 50 MeV and average beam power up to 20 kW. LEAF now is an attractive installation for performing research into medical isotope production.

Alford, K.↗

Traveling wave tube and method of manufacture

A traveling wave tube includes a glass or other insulating envelope having a plurality of substantially parallel glass rods supported therewithin which in turn support an electron gun, a collector and an intermediate slow wave structure. The slow wave structure itself provides electrostatic focussing of a central electron beam thereby eliminating the need for focussing magnetics and materially decreasing the cost of construction as well as enabling miniaturization. The slow wave structure advantageously includes cavities along the electron beam through which the r.f. energy is propagated, or a double, interleaved ring loop structure supported by dielectric fins within a ground plane cylinder disposed coaxially within the glass envelope.

Vancil, Bernard K.↗

Terminating states in the positive-parity structures of As67

The energy levels and γ-ray decay scheme of the positive-parity states in the Tz=12 nucleus 67As have been studied by using the 40Ca(36Ar,2αp)67As reaction at a beam energy of 145 MeV. Two new band structures have been identified which can be connected to the previously known levels. The results for these bands are compared with configuration-dependent cranked Nilsson–Strutinsky calculations. The good level of agreement between theory and experiment suggests that these structures can be interpreted in terms of configurations that involve three g92 particles and that both possess noncollective terminating states.

59 ≤ A ≤ 89↗

Safety envelope for load tolerance of structural element design based on multi-stage testing

Structural elements, such as stiffened panels and lap joints, are basic components of aircraft structures. For aircraft structural design, designers select predesigned elements satisfying the design load requirement based on their load-carrying capabilities. Therefore, estimation of safety envelope of structural elements for load tolerances would be a good investment for design purpose. In this article, a method of estimating safety envelope is presented using probabilistic classification, which can estimate a specific level of failure probability under both aleatory and epistemic uncertainties. An important contribution of this article is that the calculation uncertainty is reflected in building a safety envelope using Gaussian process, and the effect of element test data on reducing the calculation uncertainty is incorporated by updating the Gaussian process model with the element test data. It is shown that even one element test can significantly reduce the calculation uncertainty due to lacking knowledge of actual physics, so that conservativeness in a safety envelope is significantly reduced. The proposed approach was demonstrated with a cantilever beam example, which represents a structural element. The example shows that calculation uncertainty provides about 93% conservativeness against the uncertainty due to a few element tests. As a result, it is shown that even a single element test can increase the load tolerance modeled with the safety envelope by 20%.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Atomic layer deposition of HfO{sub 2} on graphene through controlled ion beam treatment

The polymer residue generated during the graphene transfer process to the substrate tends to cause problems (e.g., a decrease in electron mobility, unwanted doping, and non-uniform deposition of the dielectric material). In this study, by using a controllable low-energy Ar{sup +} ion beam, we cleaned the polymer residue without damaging the graphene network. HfO{sub 2} grown by atomic layer deposition on graphene cleaned using an Ar{sup +} ion beam showed a dense uniform structure, whereas that grown on the transferred graphene (before Ar{sup +} ion cleaning) showed a non-uniform structure. A graphene–HfO{sub 2}–metal capacitor fabricated by growing 20-nm thick HfO{sub 2} on graphene exhibited a very low leakage current (<10{sup −11} A/cm{sup 2}) for Ar{sup +} ion-cleaned graphene, whereas a similar capacitor grown using the transferred graphene showed high leakage current.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Phase composition in NiTi near-surface layers after electron beam treatment and its variation depending on beam energy density

In the work, we study the mechanisms of structural phase state formation in NiTi surface layers after low-energy pulsed electron beam irradiation depending on the electron beam energy density. It is revealed that after electron beam treatment of the NiTi specimens at energy densities E{sub 1} = 15 J/cm{sup 2}, E{sub 2} = 20 J/cm{sup 2}, and E{sub 3} = 30 J/cm{sup 2}, a series of effects is observed: the absence of the Ti2Ni phase and the presence of new peaks correspond to the B19′ martensite phase with monoclinic structure. Estimation of the relative volume content of the B2 and B19′ phases from the total intensity of their peaks shows that the percentage of the martensite phase increases from ∼5 vol.% in the NiTi specimen irradiated at E{sub 1} = 15 J/cm{sup 2} to ∼80 vol.% in the NiTi specimen irradiated at E{sub 3} = 30 J/cm{sup 2}. It is found that in the NiTi specimens irradiated at E ≤ 20 J/cm{sup 2}, the layer that contains a martensite phase resides not on the surface but at some depth from it.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Synthesis and crystal structure characterization of InGaZnO{sub 4} with a new defect structure

Single crystals of InGaZnO{sub 4} were synthesized in a sealed Pt-tube at elevated temperatures under normal pressure without flux. InGaZnO{sub 4} has a trigonal crystal system (R3{sup ¯}m; No. 166) deduced from convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED). Single crystal structure refinement from XRD data at −150 °C (a=3.275(1) Å; c=25.99(1) Å; Z=3) revealed an alternate stacking of InO{sub 6/3}{sup −} and (Ga,Zn)O{sub 4/4}{sup +} layers, iso-structural to YbFe{sub 2}O{sub 4}. The cell parameters at room temperature were refined from powder X-ray diffraction data (a=3.284(3) Å and c=26.037(3) Å). The transparent crystals have a gray-bluish color and exhibit an excess of Ga expressed by the cation ratio of In:Ga:Zn=30.2(9):39(1):31(1) determined by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS). While the isovalent substitution of In{sup 3+} by Ga{sup 3+} is known, an additional aliovalent substitution of Zn{sup 2+} by Ga{sup 3+} is observed. This results in the formula (In{sub 0.9}Ga{sub 0.1})Ga{sub 1.06}Zn{sub 0.91}□{sub 0.03}O{sub 4} where 3% of the cations in 4+1 coordination are vacant due to aliovalent substitution. Further evidence of that defect structure is found in the lattice parameter a which is substantially smaller than in stoichiometric InGaZnO{sub 4}, as well as in the strong absorption in the near-IR from transitions correlated with the defect structure. The bluish color of the crystals is due to an enhanced absorption in the red of the visible spectrum. For the first time, we achieved to image InGaZnO{sub 4} at atomic resolution in the electron microscope proving a perfect periodic stacking of atomic layers. - Graphical abstract: Single crystals of InGaZnO{sub 4} have been synthesized at ambient pressure and analyzed with X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and optical absorption. Optical band gap and optical transmission have been determined. - Highlights: • Preparation of single crystals of InGaO{sub 3}(ZnO){sub 1} at ambient pressure for the first time. • Non-stoichiometric compound (In{sub 0.9}Ga{sub 0.1})Ga{sub 1.06}Zn{sub 0.91}□{sub 0.03}O{sub 4} with defect structure, excess of Ga, depletion of Zn. • Real structure of InGaO{sub 3}(ZnO){sub 1} imaged by high resolution TEM for the first time. • Optical band gap and transmission of InGaO{sub 3}(ZnO){sub 1} single crystal.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Structured Type III Radio Bursts Observed in Interplanetary Space

Context . The last few decades have seen numerous studies dedicated to fine structures of type III radio bursts observed in the meter–decameter wavelengths. Most of the explanations of the structured radio emission involve the propagation of electron beams through the strongly inhomogeneous plasma in the low corona. To date, only a few type III bursts with fine structures, observed at hecto-kilometric wavelengths, have been reported. Aims . We report here the existence of numerous structured type III radio bursts observed during the STEREO era by all three WAVES instruments on board STEREO A, B, and Wind. The aim of the study is to report and classify structured type III bursts, and to present the characteristics of their fine structures. The final goal is to try to understand the physical mechanism responsible for the generation of structured radio emission. Methods . In this study we used data from all available spacecraft, specifically STEREO and Wind. We employed 1D density models to obtain the speed of the source of type III radio emission, the electron beam. We also performed a spectral analysis of the fine structures in order to compare their characteristics with the metric–decametric fine structures. Results . The presented similarities of the type III fine structures in the metric to decametric and interplanetary wavelengths indicate that the physical processes responsible for the generation of structured type III radio bursts could be the same, at heights from the low corona to the interplanetary range. We show that the observed structuring and intermittent nature of the type III bursts can be explained by the variation in the level of density fluctuations, at different distances from the Sun.

Non-thermal radiation mechanisms↗

Study of the switching rate of gas-discharge devices based on the open discharge with counter-propagating electron beams

The switching rate of gas-discharge devices “kivotrons” based on the open discharge with counter-propagating electron beams has been experimentally studied. Structures with 2-cm{sup 2} overall cathode area were examined. The switching time was found to show a monotonic decrease with increasing the working-gas helium pressure and with increasing the voltage across the discharge gap at breakdown. The minimum switching time was found to be ∼240 ps at 17 kV voltage, and the maximum rate of electric-current rise limited by the discharge-circuit inductance was 3 × 10{sup 12 }A/s.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Precipitation of fast ion beams from the plasma sheet boundary layer

This paper presents a model of precipitated fluxes from the PSBL and CPS. Simulation results and data from Aureol-3 spacecraft indicate the presence of velocity dispersed precipitated ion structures (VDIS) at the poleward edge of the auroral oval. These structures are associated with fast ion beams in the PSBL region of the earth's magnetotail, confirming previous experimental results. The simulations also reveal possible substructuring of the VDIS. The bulk of the PSBL population which is not precipitated is very effectively thermalized and quasi-isotropized after multiple interactions with the magnetotail current layer. After each reflection cycle some part of the distribution is precipitated and forms multiple 'echoes' of VDIS. The CPS distributions occurring as a result of scattering, convection, multiple reflections and Fermi acceleration appear isotropic in the simulation model. This paper portrays the important role of the VDIS auroral region medium for complicated and energetically significant processes occurring in different regions of the distant magnetotail.

Ashour-Abdalla, M.↗

Template assisted self-assembly of iron oxide nanoparticles: An x-ray structural analysis

We have fabricated by e-beam lithography periodic arrays of rectangular shaped trenches of different widths into Si substrates. The trenches were filled with iron oxide nanoparticles, 20 nm in diameter, by spin-coating them onto the Si substrate. The trenches have the purpose to assist the self-assembly of the iron oxide nanoparticles. Using x-ray scattering techniques, we have analyzed the structure factor of the trenches before and after filling in order to determine the filling factor. We present a theoretical analysis of the x-ray scattering function within the distorted-wave Born approximation and we present a quantitative comparison between theory and experiment.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Fabrication of GeSn-multiple quantum wells by overgrowth of Sn on Ge by using molecular beam epitaxy

We report on the fabrication and structural characterization of epitaxially grown ultra-thin layers of Sn on Ge virtual substrates (Si buffer layer overgrown by a 50 nm thick Ge epilayer followed by an annealing step). Samples with 1 to 5 monolayers of Sn on Ge virtual substrates were grown using solid source molecular beam epitaxy and characterized by atomic force microscopy. We determined the critical thickness at which the transition from two-dimensional to three-dimensional growth occurs. This transition is due to the large lattice mismatch between Ge and Sn (≈14.7%). By depositing Ge on top of Sn layers, which have thicknesses at or just below the critical thickness, we were able to fabricate ultra-narrow GeSn multi-quantum-well structures that are fully embedded in Ge. We report results on samples with one and ten GeSn wells separated by 5 and 10 nm thick Ge spacer layers that were characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. We discuss the structure and material intermixing observed in the samples.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Design, Fabrication, and Testing of Composite Energy-Absorbing Keel Beams for General Aviation Type Aircraft

A lightweight energy-absorbing keel-beam concept was developed and retrofitted in a general aviation type aircraft to improve crashworthiness performance. The energy-absorbing beam consisted of a foam-filled cellular structure with glass fiber and hybrid glass/kevlar cell walls. Design, analysis, fabrication and testing of the keel beams prior to installation and subsequent full-scale crash testing of the aircraft are described. Factors such as material and fabrication constraints, damage tolerance, crush stress/strain response, seat-rail loading, and post crush integrity, which influenced the course of the design process are also presented. A theory similar to the one often used for ductile metal box structures was employed with appropriate modifications to estimate the sustained crush loads for the beams. This, analytical tool, coupled with dynamic finite element simulation using MSC.Dytran were the prime design and analysis tools. The validity of the theory as a reliable design tool was examined against test data from static crush tests of beam sections while the overall performance of the energy-absorbing subfloor was assessed through dynamic testing of 24 in long subfloor assemblies.

Kellas, Sotiris↗

Corrosion Behavior of Laser-Interference Structured AA2024 Coated with a Chromate-Containing Epoxy Primer

In this study, the corrosion behavior of laser-interference treated AA2024-T3 specimens, which are coated with a primer, is presented. The surface of as-received AA2024-T3 specimens were laser-interference structured by splitting the primary beam of a Q-switched Nd:YAG pulsed nanosecond laser into two beams and focusing them to the same spot on the specimen surface. After being stored in plastic cases for up to 70 d, without any additional cleaning, the specimens were spray painted with a chromate-containing epoxy primer, CA7233, compliant to MIL-PRF-23377 Type I Class C2 specification. The corrosion behavior of laser-interference specimens was assessed against that of specimens prepared by chromated conversion coating and sulfuric acid anodizing treatments. After the ASTM B117 corrosion exposure, it was found that the laser processed specimens exhibited only few blisters. On one hand, most specimens prepared at a laser fluence of 1.78 J/cm 2 , without any additional chemical cleaning, were found to develop one very small blister after only 96 h of exposure. However, the growth of these blisters was not significant even after 1,000 h of salt spray exposure. On the other hand, only a fraction of the specimens prepared at a laser fluence of 1.24 J/cm 2 and acetone wiped right after the laser structuring were found to develop several tiny blisters after 790 h and longer exposure. Overall, it was found that the corrosion damage was minimized at a laser rastering speed of 4 mm/s, a condition for which only 33% of specimens developed very minor corrosion damage. Furthermore, the ASTM D1654 creepage ratings, which was used to evaluate the corrosion damage along the scribe lines, were found to be at least nine for all coated panels. These results indicate that the laser-interference technique with the additional acetone wiping has the potential to be further developed as a nonchemical surface preparation technique for chromate-containing epoxy primers coating systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗