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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 1,711 records · Page 95
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Dynamic behavior of ion acoustic waves in electron-positron-ion magnetoplasmas with superthermal electrons and positrons

The dynamic behavior of ion acoustic waves in electron-positron-ion magnetoplasmas with superthermal electrons and positrons has been investigated in the framework of perturbed and non-perturbed Kadomtsev-Petviashili (KP) equations. Applying the reductive perturbation technique, we have derived the KP equation in electron-positron-ion magnetoplasma with kappa distributed electrons and positrons. Bifurcations of ion acoustic traveling waves of the KP equation are presented. Using the bifurcation theory of planar dynamical systems, the existence of the solitary wave solutions and the periodic traveling wave solutions has been established. Two exact solutions of these waves have been derived depending on the system parameters. Then, using the Hirota's direct method, we have obtained two-soliton and three-soliton solutions of the KP equation. The effect of the spectral index κ on propagations of the two-soliton and the three-soliton has been shown. Considering an external periodic perturbation, we have presented the quasi periodic behavior of ion acoustic waves in electron-positron-ion magnetoplasmas.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Elastodynamic behavior of the three dimensional layer-by-layer metamaterial structure

In this work, we numerically investigate for the first time the elastodynamic behavior of a three dimensional layer-by-layer rod structure, which is easy to fabricate and has already proved to be very efficient as a photonic crystal. The Finite Difference Time Domain method was used for the numerical calculations. For the rods, several materials were examined and the effects of all the geometric parameters of the structure were also numerically investigated. Additionally, two modifications of the structure were included in our calculations. The results obtained here (for certain geometric parameters), exhibiting a high ratio of longitudinal over transverse sound velocity and therefore a close approach to ideal pentamode behavior over a frequency range, clearly show that the layer-by-layer rod structure, besides being an efficient photonic crystal, is a very serious contender as an elastodynamic metamaterial.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2014

Dynamic behavior of microscale particles controlled by standing bulk acoustic waves

We analyze the dynamic behavior of a spherical microparticle submerged in a fluid medium, driven to the node of a standing bulk acoustic wave created by two opposing transducers. We derive the dynamics of the fluid-particle system taking into account the acoustic radiation force and the time-dependent and time-independent drag force acting on the particle. Using this dynamic model, we characterize the transient and steady-state behavior of the fluid-particle system as a function of the particle and fluid properties and the transducer operating parameters. The results show that the settling time and percent overshoot of the particle trajectory are dependent on the ratio of the acoustic radiation force and time-independent damping force. In addition, we show that the particle oscillates around the node of the standing wave with an amplitude that depends on the ratio of the time-dependent drag forces and the particle inertia.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Structure, electronic properties, and aggregation behavior of hydroxylated carbon nanotubes

We present a combined experimental and theoretical study to analyze the structure, electronic properties, and aggregation behavior of hydroxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (OH–MWCNT). Our MWCNTs have average diameters of ∼2 nm, lengths of approximately 100–300 nm, and a hydroxyl surface coverage θ∼0.1. When deposited on the air/water interface the OH–MWCNTs are partially soluble and the floating units interact and link with each other forming extended foam-like carbon networks. Surface pressure-area isotherms of the nanotube films are performed using the Langmuir balance method at different equilibration times. The films are transferred into a mica substrate and atomic force microscopy images show that the foam like structure is preserved and reveals fine details of their microstructure. Density functional theory calculations performed on model hydroxylated carbon nanotubes show that low energy atomic configurations are found when the OH groups form molecular islands on the nanotube's surface. This patchy behavior for the OH species is expected to produce nanotubes having reduced wettabilities, in line with experimental observations. OH doping yields nanotubes having small HOMO–LUMO energy gaps and generates a nanotube → OH direction for the charge transfer leading to the existence of more hole carriers in the structures. Our synthesized OH–MWCNTs might have promising applications.

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

Magnetocaloric properties and critical behavior of high relative cooling power FeNiB nanoparticles

Low cost magnetocaloric nanomaterials have attracted considerable attention for energy efficient applications. We report a very high relative cooling power (RCP) in a study of the magnetocaloric effect in quenched FeNiB nanoparticles. RCP increases from 89.8 to 640 J kg{sup −1} for a field change of 1 and 5 T, respectively, these values are the largest for rare earth free iron based magnetocaloric nanomaterials. To investigate the magnetocaloric behavior around the Curie temperature (T{sub C}), the critical behavior of these quenched nanoparticles was studied. Detailed analysis of the magnetic phase transition using the modified Arrott plot, Kouvel-Fisher method, and critical isotherm plots yields critical exponents of β = 0.364, γ = 1.319, δ = 4.623, and α = −0.055, which are close to the theoretical exponents obtained from the 3D-Heisenberg model. Our results indicate that these FeNiB nanoparticles are potential candidates for magnetocaloric fluid based heat pumps and low grade waste heat recovery.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Formation energy of oxygen vacancies in ZnO determined by investigating thermal behavior of Al and In impurities

Thermal behavior and interacting nature of 100-ppm Al and ∼100-ppt In impurities doped in zinc oxide (ZnO) were investigated by means of the time-differential perturbed angular correlation method with the {sup 111}In(→{sup 111}Cd) probe. Contrasting interactions between Al and In impurities were observed depending on different atmospheric conditions: (1) in air, Al and In impurities irreversibly associate with each other in the process of their thermal diffusion, but (2) in vacuum, their bound state formed in air dissociates by heat treatment at temperatures higher than 873 K, and this process is enhanced with increasing temperature. Detailed investigation of the thermal behavior of the impurities has revealed that the dissociation reaction is triggered by the formation of oxygen vacancies in the vicinity of the locally associated In-Al structure. A unique method to determine the activation energy of the oxygen-vacancy formation is presented with the estimated experimental value of E{sub a} = 0.72(6) eV.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Statistical modelling of discharge behavior of atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge

In this work, stochastic behavior of atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) has been investigated. The experiment is performed in a DBD reactor consisting of a pair of stainless steel parallel plate electrodes powered by a 50 Hz ac high voltage source. Current pulse amplitude distributions for different space gaps and the time separation between consecutive current pulses are studied. A probability distribution function is proposed to predict the experimental distribution function for the current pulse amplitudes and the occurrence of the transition regime of the pulse distribution. Breakdown voltage at different positions on the dielectric surface is suggested to be stochastic in nature. The simulated results based on the proposed distribution function agreed well with the experimental results and able to predict the regime of transition voltage. This model would be useful for the understanding of stochastic behaviors of DBD and the design of DBD device for effective operation and applications.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Effect of tunnel injection through the Schottky gate on the static and noise behavior of GaInAs/AlInAs high electron mobility transistor

By using a Monte Carlo simulator, the influence of the tunnel injection through the Schottky contact at the gate electrode of a GaInAs/AlInAs High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) has been studied in terms of the static and noise performance. The method used to characterize the quantum tunnel current has been the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) approach. The possibility of taking into account the influence of the image charge effect in the potential barrier height has been included as well. Regarding the static behavior, tunnel injection leads to a decrease in the drain current I{sub D} due to an enhancement of the potential barrier controlling the carrier transport through the channel. However, the pinch-off is degraded due to the tunneling current. Regarding the noise behavior, since the fluctuations in the potential barrier height caused by the tunnel-injected electrons are strongly coupled with the drain current fluctuations, a significant increase in the drain-current noise takes place, even when the tunnel effect is hardly noticeable in the static I-V characteristics, fact that must be taken into account when designing scaled HEMT for low-noise applications. In addition, tunnel injection leads to the appearance of full shot noise in the gate current.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Theory of melt polyelectrolyte blends and block copolymers: Phase behavior, surface tension, and microphase periodicity

Polymer mixtures such as blends or block copolymers are of great interest in energy applications and functional materials, and often, one or more of these species contain charges. The traditional fashion in which such materials are studied uses Self-Consistent Field Theory (SCFT) methods that incorporate electrostatics using Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) theory. We adapt a new and rigorous approach that does not rely on the mean-field assumptions inherent in the PB theory and instead uses Liquid State (LS) integral equation theory to articulate charge correlations that are completely neglected in PB. We use this theory to calculate phase diagrams for both blends and block copolyelectrolytes using SCFT-LS and demonstrate how their phase behavior is highly dependent on chain length, charge fraction, charge size, and the strength of Coulombic interactions. Beyond providing phase behavior of blends and block copolyelectrolytes, we can use this theory to investigate the interfacial properties such as surface tension and block copolyelectrolyte lamellar spacing. Lamellar spacing provides a way to directly compare the SCFT-LS theory to the results of experiments. SCFT-LS will provide conceptual and mathematical clarification of the role of charge correlations in these systems and aid in the design of materials based on charge polymers.

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

Phase behavior of a family of truncated hard cubes

In continuation of our work in Gantapara et al., [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 015501 (2013)], we investigate here the thermodynamic phase behavior of a family of truncated hard cubes, for which the shape evolves smoothly from a cube via a cuboctahedron to an octahedron. We used Monte Carlo simulations and free-energy calculations to establish the full phase diagram. This phase diagram exhibits a remarkable richness in crystal and mesophase structures, depending sensitively on the precise particle shape. In addition, we examined in detail the nature of the plastic crystal (rotator) phases that appear for intermediate densities and levels of truncation. Our results allow us to probe the relation between phase behavior and building-block shape and to further the understanding of rotator phases. Furthermore, the phase diagram presented here should prove instrumental for guiding future experimental studies on similarly shaped nanoparticles and the creation of new materials.

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

The magnetic behavior of the intermetallic compound NdMn{sub 2}Ge{sub 2} studied by magnetization and hyperfine interactions measurements

The magnetic behavior of the intermetallic compound NdMn{sub 2}Ge{sub 2} was investigated by bulk magnetization measurements and measurements of hyperfine interactions using perturbed γ–γ angular correlation (PAC) spectroscopy. Magnetization measurements indicate the presence of four magnetic transitions associated with the Mn and Nd magnetic sublattices. At high temperatures, magnetic measurements show a change in the slope of the magnetization due to an antiferromagnetic transition around T{sub N} ∼ 425 K and a well defined ferromagnetic transition at T{sub C} ∼ 320 K. Moreover, at ∼210 K a peak is observed in the magnetization curve, which is assigned to the reorientation of the Mn spin, and at ∼25 K an increase in the magnetic moment is also observed, which is ascribed to the ordering of Nd ions. PAC measurements using {sup 140}La({sup 140}Ce) and {sup 111}In({sup 111}Cd) probe nuclei allowed the determination of the temperature dependence of the magnetic hyperfine field (B{sub hf}) at Nd and Mn sites, respectively. PAC results with {sup 111}Cd probe nuclei at Mn sites show that the dependence of B{sub hf} with temperature follows the expected behavior for the host magnetization associated with the magnetic ordering of Mn ions. From these results, the antiferromagnetic transition followed by a ferromagnetic ordering is clearly observed. PAC results with {sup 140}Ce probe nuclei at Nd sites, however, showed a strong deviation from the Brillouin function, which is attributed to the Ce 4f-electron contribution to B{sub hf}.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Modifying exchange-spring behavior of CoPt/NiFe bilayer by inserting a Pt or Ru spacer

We herein explore the possibility of obtaining tunable tilted magnetic anisotropy in ordered-CoPt (5 nm)/NiFe(t{sub NiFe}) bilayers through modifying their exchange spring behavior by inserting Pt and Ru-spacers. The tuning process of tilt angle magnetization of NiFe-layer was systematically investigated by varying the Pt or Ru thickness (t{sub Pt} or t{sub Ru}) from 0 to 8 nm at different thicknesses of NiFe (t{sub NiFe} = 1.5, 4.0, and 6.0 nm). Polar magneto-optic Kerr effect (p-MOKE) studies reveal that the bilayers grown in absence of spacers exhibit almost a rectangular hysteresis loop. With the insertion of Pt-spacer, the loop becomes more and more tilted as t{sub Pt} increases; whereas, in the case of Ru-spacer, the nature of the loops is not simply changing in one direction. The estimated SQR{sub ⊥} (= θ{sub r}/θ{sub s}) values from the p-MOKE loops are found to monotonically decrease with increasing t{sub Pt} when t{sub Pt} ≦ 4 nm. In contrast, in the case of Ru-spacer, an oscillatory behavior for the SQR{sub ⊥} values is apparent when t{sub Ru} ≦ 4 nm. As a result, an oscillatory tilted angle of NiFe spin configuration was obtained in the case of Ru-spacer; while a decoupling effect was prominent for the Pt-spacer. The results of present study reveal that the insertion of Pt and Ru-spacers as an appropriate means for realizing tunable tilted magnetic anisotropy in the CoPt/NiFe exchange springs.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

A comparative study of the annealing behavior of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se){sub 2} based solar cells with an indium sulfide buffer layer, partly submitted to wet chemical treatments

Indium sulfide thin films deposited via thermal evaporation from compound source material have been successfully utilized as a cadmium free buffer layer for Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} based solar cells. However, high efficiencies are only reached after an additional annealing step. In this work, the annealing behavior of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se){sub 2} based indium sulfide buffered solar cells is compared to the annealing behavior of similar cells, which were submitted to wet chemical treatments partly containing cadmium ions. Upon annealing a significant improvement of the initial solar cell characteristics is observed for the untreated cell and is related to the increase of activation energy for the carrier recombination process and a decrease of the ideality factor within the one diode model. It is shown here that this improvement can also be achieved by wet treatments of the absorber prior to buffer layer deposition. Upon annealing these treated cells still gain in collection length but lose open circuit voltage, which is explained here within a model including a highly p-doped absorber surface layer and supported by simulations showing that a decrease in doping density of such a surface layer would lead to the observed effects.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Mechanical behavior simulation of MEMS-based cantilever beam using COMSOL multiphysics

This paper presents the studies of mechanical behavior of MEMS cantilever beam made of poly-silicon material, using the coupling of three application modes (plane strain, electrostatics and the moving mesh) of COMSOL Multi-physics software. The cantilevers playing a key role in Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) devices (switches, resonators, etc) working under potential shock. This is why they require actuation under predetermined conditions, such as electrostatic force or inertial force. In this paper, we present mechanical behavior of a cantilever actuated by an electrostatic force. In addition to the simplification of calculations, the weight of the cantilever was not taken into account. Different parameters like beam displacement, electrostatics force and stress over the beam have been calculated by finite element method after having defining the geometry, the material of the cantilever model (fixed at one of ends but is free to move otherwise) and his operational space.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Magnetic, dielectric properties, and scaling behaviors of Aurivillius compounds Bi{sub 6−x∕3}Fe{sub 2}Ti{sub 3−2x}(WCo){sub x}O{sub 18} (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15)

We investigate the structural, magnetic, dielectric properties, and scaling behaviors of Aurivillius compounds Bi{sub 6−x∕3}Fe{sub 2}Ti{sub 3−2x}(WCo){sub x}O{sub 18} (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.15). The room-temperature weak ferromagnetism is observed for the W/Co co-doped samples. The results of the dielectric constant ε{sub r}, complex impedance Z″, the dc conductivity σ{sub dc}, and hopping frequency f{sub H} manifest that the dielectric relaxation of the x = 0 sample and the doped samples in the dielectric anomaly region (450–750 K) can be ascribed to the trap-controlled ac conduction around the doubly ionized oxygen vacancies and the localized hopping process of oxygen vacancies, respectively. The scaling behaviors reveal that the dynamic process of both electrons in the x = 0 sample and oxygen vacancies in the doped samples is temperature independent. The ferroelectric Curie-temperature T{sub c} decreases slightly from 973 K to 947 K with increasing the doping level of W/Co. In addition, the dielectric loss exhibits a dielectric relaxation above 800 K with the rather large activation energies (1.95 eV ≤ E{sub a} ≤ 2.72 eV)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Dielectric behavior of a-Sn-Se-Pb-Ge chalcogenide glass

The bulk material Sn{sub 8}Se{sub 74}Pb{sub 18-x}Ge{sub x}(7≤x≤11) has been prepared by melt quenching technique. The viterous and glassy nature have been confirmed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Differential Scanning Calorimetery (DSC) techniques respectively. The material exhibits the good thermal stability and high value of glass transition temperature. The dielectric behavior has been studied in frequency range 50Hz-1MHz, using pallet method. The universal dielectric behaviour of amorphous semiconductors has been observed for the glass system. The compositional dependence of dielectric behavior has also been observed.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Structure and phase transition behavior of strontium modified barium zirconium titanate

Pervoskite ceramics with composition Ba{sub 1-x}Sr{sub x}Zr{sub 0.05}Ti{sub 0.95}O{sub 3} (x= 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5) have been prepared by high energy ball milling. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirm that the all the compositions are in single phase. The composition shows tetragonal symmetry upto x=0.3 and with further increase in Sr content the structure changes to cubic. The temperature dependent dielectric behavior shows three phase transition in the parent material which merges with increase in Sr content. The transition temperature and dielectric constant decreases with increase in Sr concentration. The phase transition becomes more diffused with increment in doping concentration. The ferroelectric behavior of the ceramics is studied by the hysteresis loop.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗