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At least 1,639 records · Page 91
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

Enhanced multiferroic properties in scandium doped Bi{sub 2}Fe{sub 4}O{sub 9}

Undoped and Sc{sup 3+} doped Bi{sub 2}Fe{sub 4}O{sub 9} nanoparticles have been synthesized using sonochemical method. The phase purity of the samples was checked using powder X-rau diffraction technique. EDS analysis was done to confirm the extent of Sc{sup 3+} doping in the samples. The size and morphology of the nanoparticles have been analyzed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The Bi{sub 2}Fe{sub 4}O{sub 9} nanoparticles show a weak ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature, which is quite different from the linear M-H relationship reported for bulk Bi{sub 2}Fe{sub 4}O{sub 9}. This is mainly attributed to the uncompensated moments at the disordered particle surface resulting from the reduced coordination of the surface spins, arising due to lattice strain or oxygen deficiency. Addition of Sc{sup 3+} dopant in varying concentrations in these Bi{sub 2}Fe{sub 4}O{sub 9} nanoparticles, improves their magnetic as well as ferroelectric properties. The leakage current is considerably reduced and electric polarization increases significantly in case of Bi{sub 2}Fe{sub 4(1-x)}Sc{sub x}O{sub 9}(x = 0.1) nanoparticles. Hence it can be inferred that Sc{sup 3+} doped Bi{sub 2}Fe{sub 4}O{sub 9} nanoparticles shows promise as good multiferroic materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Seiberg-Witten equations and non-commutative spectral curves in Liouville theory

We propose that there exist generalized Seiberg-Witten equations in the Liouville conformal field theory, which allow the computation of correlation functions from the resolution of certain Ward identities. These identities involve a multivalued spin one chiral field, which is built from the energy-momentum tensor. We solve the Ward identities perturbatively in an expansion around the heavy asymptotic limit, and check that the first two terms of the Liouville three-point function agree with the known result of Dorn, Otto, Zamolodchikov, and Zamolodchikov. We argue that such calculations can be interpreted in terms of the geometry of non-commutative spectral curves.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Radiative charge transfer in He{sup +}+ H{sub 2} collisions in the milli- to nano-electron-volt range: A theoretical study within state-to-state and optical potential approaches

The paper presents a theoretical study of the low-energy dynamics of the radiative charge transfer (RCT) reaction He{sup +}({sup 2}S)+H{sub 2}(X{sup 1}{Sigma}{sub g}{sup +}){yields}He({sup 1}S)+H{sub 2}{sup +}(X{sup 2}{Sigma}{sub g}{sup +})+h{nu} extending our previous studies on radiative association of HeH{sub 2}{sup +} [F. Mrugala, V. Spirko, and W. P. Kraemer, J. Chem. Phys. 118, 10547 (2003); F. Mrugala and W. P. Kraemer, ibid. 122, 224321 (2005)]. The calculations account for the vibrational and rotational motions of the H{sub 2}/H{sub 2}{sup +} diatomics and for the atom-diatom complex formation in the reactant and the product channels of the RCT reaction. Continuum states of He{sup +}+ H{sub 2}(v= 0, j= 0) in the collision energy range {approx}10{sup -7}-18.6 meV and all quasi-bound states of the He{sup +}- H{sub 2}(para;v= 0) complex formed in this range are taken into account. Close-coupling calculations are performed to determine rates of radiative transitions from these states to the continuum and quasi-bound states of the He +H{sub 2}{sup +} system in the energy range extending up to {approx}0.16 eV above the opening of the HeH{sup +}+ H arrangement channel. From the detailed state-to-state calculated characteristics global functions of the RCT reaction, such as cross-section {sigma}(E), emission intensity I({nu}, T), and rate constant k(T) are derived, and are presented together with their counterparts for the radiative association (RA) reaction He{sup +}({sup 2}S) +H{sub 2}(X{sup 1}{Sigma}{sub g}{sup +}){yields} HeH{sub 2}{sup +}(X{sup 2}A{sup Prime })+h{nu}. The rate constant k{sup RCT} is approximately 20 times larger than k{sup RA} at the considered temperatures, 0.1 {mu}K-50 K. Formation of rotational Feshbach resonances in the reactant channel plays an important role in both reactions. Transitions mediated by these resonances contribute more than 70% to the respective rates. An extension of the one-dimensional optical potential model is developed to allow inclusion of all three vibrational modes in the atom-diatom system. This three-dimensional optical potential model is used to check to which extent the state-to-state RCT rate constant is influenced by the possibility to access ground state continuum levels well above the opening of the HeH{sup +}+ H arrangement channel. The results indicate that these transitions contribute about 30% to the 'true' rate constant k{sup RCT} whereas their impact on the populations of the vibration-rotational states of the product H{sub 2}{sup +} ion is only minor. Present theoretical rate constant functions k{sup RCT}(T) obtained at different approximation levels are compared to experimental data: 1-1.1 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -14} s{sup -1} cm{sup 3} at T= 15-35 K and {approx}7.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -15} s{sup -1} cm{sup 3} at 40 K [M. M. Schauer, S. R. Jefferts, S. E. Barlow, and G. H. Dunn, J. Chem. Phys. 91, 4593 (1989)]. The most reliable theoretical values of k{sup RCT}, obtained by combining results from the state-to-state and the optical potential calculations, are between 2.5 and 3.5 times larger than these experimental numbers. Possible sources for discrepancies are discussed.

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

Closure and transport theory for high-collisionality electron-ion plasmas

Systems of algebraic equations for a high-collisionality electron-ion plasma are constructed from the general moment equations with linearized collision operators [J.-Y. Ji and E. D. Held, Phys. Plasmas 13, 102103 (2006) and J.-Y. Ji and E. D. Held, Phys. Plasmas 15, 102101 (2008)]. A systematic geometric method is invented and applied to solve the system of equations to find closure and transport relations. It is known that some closure coefficients of Braginskii [S. I. Braginskii, Reviews of Plasma Physics (Consultants Bureau, New York, 1965), Vol. 1] are in error up to 65% for some finite values of x (cyclotron frequency Multiplication-Sign electron-ion collision time) and have significant error in the large-x limit [E. M. Epperlein and M. G. Haines, Phys. Fluids 29, 1029 (1986)]. In this work, fitting formulas for electron coefficients are obtained from the 160 moment (Laguerre polynomial) solution, which converges with increasing moments for x{<=}100 and from the asymptotic solution for large x-values. The new fitting formulas are practically exact (less than 1% error) for arbitrary x and Z (the ion charge number, checked up to Z = 100). The ion coefficients for equal electron and ion temperatures are moderately modified by including the ion-electron collision operator. When the ion temperature is higher than the electron temperature, the ion-electron collision and the temperature change terms in the moment equations must be kept. The ion coefficient formulas from 3 moment (Laguerre polynomial) calculations, precise to less than 0.4% error from the convergent values, are explicitly written.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Evaluating the presence of porosity in Brazilian archaeological pottery associating x-radiography and PIXE

X-Radiography technique has been used effectively for decades to evaluate and identify differences in homogeneities in samples. It is a simple, fast and non-destructive technique that provides a view of internal structure helping investigating manufacturing details of archaeological ceramics. Characteristics of the paste used in the matrix composition can be derived using PIXE technique through the determination of the major elemental composition allowing the calculation of its expected density. Combining this information with x-ray images is possible to check for differences in the average density of material indicating the presence of homogeneously distributed porosity or temper. The present work evaluates the porosity in a set of native Brazilian pottery sherds that were collected in the Aldeia Lalima archaeological site, located at Mato Grosso do Sul State.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Heavy reflector experiments in the IPEN/MB-01 reactor: Stainless steel, carbon steel and nickel

New experiments devoted to the measurements of physical parameters of a light water core surrounded by a heavy reflector were performed in the IPEN/MB-01 research reactor facility. These experiments comprise three sets of heavy reflector (SS-304, Carbon Steel, and Nickel) in a form of laminates around 3 mm thick. Each set was introduced individually in the west face of the core of the IPEN/MB-01 reactor. The aim here is to provide high quality experimental data for the interpretation and validation of the SS-304 heavy reflector calculation methods. The experiments of Carbon Steel, which is composed mainly of iron, and Nickel were performed to provide a consistent and an interpretative check for the SS-304 reflector experiment. The experimental results comprise critical control bank positions, temperatures and reactivities as a function of the number of the plates. Particularly to the case of Nickel, the experimental data are unique of its kind. The theoretical analysis was performed by MCNP-5 with the nuclear data library ENDF/B-VII.0. It was shown that this nuclear data library has a very good performance up to thirteen plates and overestimates the reactivity for higher number of plates independently of the type of the reflector.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2013

A reverse Monte Carlo method for deriving optical constants of solids from reflection electron energy-loss spectroscopy spectra

A reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) method is developed to obtain the energy loss function (ELF) and optical constants from a measured reflection electron energy-loss spectroscopy (REELS) spectrum by an iterative Monte Carlo (MC) simulation procedure. The method combines the simulated annealing method, i.e., a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling of oscillator parameters, surface and bulk excitation weighting factors, and band gap energy, with a conventional MC simulation of electron interaction with solids, which acts as a single step of MCMC sampling in this RMC method. To examine the reliability of this method, we have verified that the output data of the dielectric function are essentially independent of the initial values of the trial parameters, which is a basic property of a MCMC method. The optical constants derived for SiO{sub 2} in the energy loss range of 8-90 eV are in good agreement with other available data, and relevant bulk ELFs are checked by oscillator strength-sum and perfect-screening-sum rules. Our results show that the dielectric function can be obtained by the RMC method even with a wide range of initial trial parameters. The RMC method is thus a general and effective method for determining the optical properties of solids from REELS measurements.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2013

ALFITeX: A code introducing improvements in the analysis of alpha spectra

A new code for the deconvolution of complex alpha-particle spectra, called ALFITeX, has been developed. The procedure is based on the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, with the curve fitting being the mathematical function formed by the convolution of a Gaussian with two left-handed exponential curves in the low-energy-tail region. ALFITeX has been checked with its application to the calculation of the alpha-particle emission probabilities of several nuclides.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Three dimensional effects on proton acceleration by intense laser solid target interaction

Multi-dimensional effects on ion acceleration by a normally incident linearly polarized intense laser pulse interacting with a thin solid target have been investigated numerically, where the laser has the peak intensity of 1.37×10{sup 20} W/cm{sup 2}, focused spot size of 6 μm, pulse duration of 33 fs, and total pulse energy about 3 J, which are commercially available now. We have checked the effects of simulation geometries by running one, two, and three dimensional (1D, 2D, 3D) particle-in-cell simulations. 3D simulation results show that, in the case of using a relatively thick target (in the opaque regime, i.e., 2 μm) with the so-called target normal sheath field acceleration mechanism, electrons spread almost uniformly along two transverse directions. While in the case of using an ultra-thin target (in the relativistic-induced transparent regime, i.e., 100 nm) with the so-called break-out afterburner mechanism, electrons spread more quickly along the direction orthogonal to the laser polarization direction especially at the early stage. The transverse spreading of electrons strongly decreases the electron density at the rear side of the target. Such an effect causes different estimation of electron temperatures in different simulation geometries. Usually, 1D and 2D simulations overestimate the temperature; and as a result, the maximum proton energy observed in 1D and 2D simulations is, respectively, about 3 and 2 times of that observed in 3D simulation.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Collisional particle-in-cell modeling for energy transport accompanied by atomic processes in dense plasmas

Fully relativistic collisional Particle-in-Cell (PIC) code, PICLS, has been developed to study extreme energy density conditions produced in intense laser-solid interaction. Recent extensions to PICLS, such as the implementation of dynamic ionization, binary collisions in a partially ionized plasma, and radiative losses, enhance the efficacy of simulating intense laser plasma interaction and subsequent energy transport in resistive media. Different ionization models are introduced and benchmarked against each other to check the suitability of the model. The atomic physics models are critical to determine the energy deposition and transport in dense plasmas, especially when they consist of high Z (atomic number) materials. Finally we demonstrate the electron transport simulations to show the importance of target material on fast electron dynamics.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Disconjugacy, regularity of multi-indexed rationally extended potentials, and Laguerre exceptional polynomials

The power of the disconjugacy properties of second-order differential equations of Schrödinger type to check the regularity of rationally extended quantum potentials connected with exceptional orthogonal polynomials is illustrated by re-examining the extensions of the isotonic oscillator (or radial oscillator) potential derived in kth-order supersymmetric quantum mechanics or multistep Darboux-Bäcklund transformation method. The function arising in the potential denominator is proved to be a polynomial with a nonvanishing constant term, whose value is calculated by induction over k. The sign of this term being the same as that of the already known highest degree term, the potential denominator has the same sign at both extremities of the definition interval, a property that is shared by the seed eigenfunction used in the potential construction. By virtue of disconjugacy, such a property implies the nodeless character of both the eigenfunction and the resulting potential.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

Measurement of low radioactivity background in a high voltage cable by high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The measurement of naturally occurring low level radioactivity background in a high voltage (HV) cable by high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR ICP MS) is presented in this work. The measurements were performed at the Chemistry Service of the Gran Sasso National Laboratory. The contributions to the radioactive background coming from the different components of the heterogeneous material were separated. Based on the mass fraction of the cable, the whole contamination was calculated. The HR ICP MS results were cross-checked by gamma ray spectroscopy analysis that was performed at the low background facility STELLA (Sub Terranean Low Level Assay) of the LNGS underground lab using HPGe detectors.

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

Excitation of helium Rydberg states and doubly excited resonances in strong extreme ultraviolet fields: Full-dimensional quantum dynamics using exponentially tempered Gaussian basis sets

Recently optimized exponentially tempered Gaussian basis sets [P. R. Kapralova-Zdanska and J. Smydke, J. Chem. Phys. 138, 024105 (2013)] are employed in quantitative simulations of helium absorption cross-sections and two-photon excitation yields of doubly excited resonances. Linearly polarized half-infinite and Gaussian laser pulses at wavelengths 38–58 nm and large intensities up to 100 TW/cm{sup 2} are considered. The emphasis is laid on convergence of the results with respect to the quality of the Gaussian basis sets (typically limited by a number of partial waves, density, and spatial extent of the basis functions) as well as to the quality of the basis set of field-free states (typically limited by the maximum rotational quantum number and maximum excitation of the lower electron). Particular attention is paid to stability of the results with respect to varying complex scaling parameter. Moreover, the study of the dynamics is preceded by a thorough check of helium energies and oscillator strengths as they are obtained with the exponentially tempered Gaussian basis sets, being also compared with yet unpublished emission wavelengths measured in electric discharge experiments.

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

Towards the development of high temperature comparison artifacts for radiation thermometry

This paper describes the methodology and first results of the development of high temperature fixed point artifacts of unknown temperature suitable for scale comparison purposes. This study is being undertaken at the Thermal Metrology Division of Inmetro, Brazil, as part of PhD studies. In this initial phase of the study two identical cobalt carbon eutectic cells were constructed and one doped with a known amount of copper. This was an attempt to achieve a controlled change in the transition temperature of the alloy during melting. Copper was chosen due to the relatively simple phase diagram it forms with carbon and cobalt. The cobalt, in powder form, was supplied by Alfa Aesar at 99.998 % purity, and was mixed with carbon powder (1,9 % by weight) of 99.9999 % purity. Complete filling of the crucible took 6 steps and was performed in a vertical furnace with graphite heating elements, in an inert gas atmosphere. The temperature measurements were performed using a KE LP3 radiation thermometer, which was previously evaluated for spectral responsivity, linearity and size-of-source effect (SSE). During these measurements, the thermometer stability was periodically checked using a silver fixed point blackbody maintained in a three zone furnace. The main purpose of the first part of this study is to dope a series of Co-C blackbody with differing amounts of copper, in order to alter their temperatures whilst still retaining good melting plateau performance. The long-term stability of the adjusted transition temperatures will also be investigated. Other dopants will be studied as the research progresses, and thermo chemical modeling will be performed in an attempt to understand the change in temperature with dopant concentration and so help select suitable dopants in the future. The overall objective is to construct comparison artifacts that have good performance, in terms of plateau shape and long-term temperature stability, but with unknown temperatures. These can then be used as comparison artifacts with no participant, except the pilot, knowing the temperature a priori.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Initial state radiation experiment at MAMI

In an attempt to contribute further insight into the discrepancy between the Lamb shift and elastic scattering determinations of the proton charge radius, a new experiment at MAMI is underway, aimed at measuring proton form-factors at very low momentum transfers by using a new technique based on initial state radiation. This paper reports on first findings of the pilot measurement performed in 2010, whose main goal was to check the feasibility of the proposed experiment and to recognize and overcome potential obstacles before running the full experiment in 2013.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Ultrasonic wave-based structural health monitoring embedded instrument

Piezoelectric sensors and actuators are the bridge between electronic and mechanical systems in structures. This type of sensor is a key element in the integrity monitoring of aeronautic structures, bridges, pressure vessels, wind turbine blades, and gas pipelines. In this paper, an all-in-one system for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) based on ultrasonic waves is presented, called Phased Array Monitoring for Enhanced Life Assessment. This integrated instrument is able to generate excitation signals that are sent through piezoelectric actuators, acquire the received signals in the piezoelectric sensors, and carry out signal processing to check the health of structures. To accomplish this task, the instrument uses a piezoelectric phased-array transducer that performs the actuation and sensing of the signals. The flexibility and strength of the instrument allow the user to develop and implement a substantial part of the SHM technique using Lamb waves. The entire system is controlled using configuration software and has been validated through functional, electrical loading, mechanical loading, and thermal loading resistance tests.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

Broad-band efficiency calibration of ITER bolometer prototypes using Pt absorbers on SiN membranes

The energy resolved efficiency of two bolometer detector prototypes for ITER with 4 channels each and absorber thicknesses of 4.5 μm and 12.5 μm, respectively, has been calibrated in a broad spectral range from 1.46 eV up to 25 keV. The calibration in the energy range above 3 eV was performed against previously calibrated silicon photodiodes using monochromatized synchrotron radiation provided by five different beamlines of Physikalische Technische Bundesanstalt at the electron storage rings BESSY II and Metrology Light Source in Berlin. For the measurements in the visible range, a setup was realised using monochromatized halogen lamp radiation and a calibrated laser power meter as reference. The measurements clearly demonstrate that the efficiency of the bolometer prototype detectors in the range from 50 eV up to ≈6 keV is close to unity; at a photon energy of 20 keV the bolometer with the thick absorber detects 80% of the photons, the one with the thin absorber about 50%. This indicates that the detectors will be well capable of measuring the plasma radiation expected from the standard ITER scenario. However, a minimum absorber thickness will be required for the high temperatures in the central plasma. At 11.56 keV, the sharp Pt-L{sub 3} absorption edge allowed to cross-check the absorber thickness by fitting the measured efficiency to the theoretically expected absorption of X-rays in a homogeneous Pt-layer. Furthermore, below 50 eV the efficiency first follows the losses due to reflectance expected for Pt, but below 10 eV it is reduced further by a factor of 2 for the thick absorber and a factor of 4 for the thin absorber. Most probably, the different histories in production, storage, and operation led to varying surface conditions and additional loss channels.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

Extending Romanovski polynomials in quantum mechanics

Some extensions of the (third-class) Romanovski polynomials (also called Romanovski/pseudo-Jacobi polynomials), which appear in bound-state wavefunctions of rationally extended Scarf II and Rosen-Morse I potentials, are considered. For the former potentials, the generalized polynomials satisfy a finite orthogonality relation, while for the latter an infinite set of relations among polynomials with degree-dependent parameters is obtained. Both types of relations are counterparts of those known for conventional polynomials. In the absence of any direct information on the zeros of the Romanovski polynomials present in denominators, the regularity of the constructed potentials is checked by taking advantage of the disconjugacy properties of second-order differential equations of Schrödinger type. It is also shown that on going from Scarf I to Scarf II or from Rosen-Morse II to Rosen-Morse I potentials, the variety of rational extensions is narrowed down from types I, II, and III to type III only.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗