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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 1,765 records · Page 98
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

The effect of gas-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the formation and properties of biogenic secondary organic aerosol particles

When secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles are formed by ozonolysis in the presence of gas-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), their formation and properties are significantly different from SOA particles formed without PAHs. For all SOA precursors and all PAHs, discussed in this study, the presence of the gas-phase PAHs during SOA formation significantly affects particle mass loadings, composition, growth, evaporation kinetics, and viscosity. SOA particles formed in the presence of PAHs have, as part of their compositions, trapped unreacted PAHs and products of heterogeneous reactions between PAHs and ozone. Compared to ‘pure’ SOA particles, these particles exhibit slower evaporation kinetics, have higher fractions of non-volatile components, like oligomers, and higher viscosities, assuring their longer atmospheric lifetimes. In turn, the increased viscosity and decreased volatility provide a shield that protects PAHs from chemical degradation and evaporation, allowing for the long-range transport of these toxic pollutants. The magnitude of the effect of PAHs on SOA formation is surprisingly large. The presence of PAHs during SOA formation increases mass loadings by factors of two to five, and particle number concentrations, in some cases, by more than a factor of 100. Increases in SOA mass, particle number concentrations, and lifetime have important implications to many atmospheric processes related to climate, weather, visibility, and human health, all of which relate to the interactions between biogenic SOA and anthropogenic PAHs. The synergistic relationship between SOA and PAHs presented here are clearly complex and call for future research to elucidate further the underlying processes and their exact atmospheric implications.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2012

Improvement of efficiency and temperature control of induction heating vapor source on electron cyclotron resonance ion source

An electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) is used to generate multicharged ions for many kinds of the fields. We have developed an evaporator by using induction heating method that can generate pure vapor from solid state materials in ECRIS. We develop the new matching and protecting circuit by which we can precisely control the temperature of the induction heating evaporator. We can control the temperature within {+-}15 deg. C around 1400 deg. C under the operation pressure about 10{sup -4} Pa. We are able to use this evaporator for experiment of synthesizing process to need pure vapor under enough low pressure, e.g., experiment of generation of endohedral Fe-fullerene at the ECRIS.

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

Search for liquids electrospraying the smallest possible nanodrops in vacuo

Prior work with electrosprays in vacuum of mixtures of ionic liquids (ILs) and the moderately high boiling point (T{sub b}) solvents formamide (FM) and propylene carbonate (PC) (T{sub b} of 210 and 241 °C) has shown that the charged drops produced have reasonably narrow charge/mass distributions, controllable over a wide mass/charge range. This enables their use as propellants in electrical propulsion with specific impulse I{sub sp} varying from a few hundred to a few thousand seconds (10 kV beam energy) and with excellent propulsion efficiency. However, some limitations are imposed by the finite room temperature volatility of FM and PC. Here, we seek improved performance from propellants based on the polar but viscous solvent Sulfolane (SF; ε = 43.2, μ = 10.3 cP) and the low viscosity but less polar solvent tributyl phosphate (TBP; ε = 8.9, μ = 3.4 cP), both with T{sub b} > 280 °C. Neither TBP nor its low viscosity mixtures with SF achieve the electrical conductivities needed to yield high I{sub sp}. Most ILs used in SF/IL mixtures tested were based on the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium (EMI) or 1,3-dimethylimidazolium (DMI) cations, including EMI-BF{sub 4}, EMI-N(CN){sub 2}, and DMI-N(CN){sub 2}. These combinations reach high conductivities, some approaching 3 S/m, but have limited propulsive performance because evaporation of ions directly from the electrified meniscus produces undesirable mixed beams of drops and ions. Exceptional characteristics are found in mixtures of SF with ethylammonium nitrate (EAN), where the small EA{sup +} cation is strongly bound to the solvent, greatly delaying ion evaporation from the meniscus. Evidence on the formation of nano-jets with diameters as small as 1 nm is seen. Although unprecedented, this finding agrees with what would be expected if ion evaporation were suppressed. SF/EAN mixtures thus provide the best available sources to produce the smallest possible nanodrops, minimally polluted by ions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

Growth of α-V{sub 2}O{sub 5} nanostructured thin films as a function of deposition process

In this communication, we synthesizedvanadium pentoxide (α-V{sub 2}O{sub 5}) nanostructured thin films (NSTs) using four different methods for obtaining vanadate species namely thermal evaporation (source of vanadate species are V{sub 2}O{sub 5} powder and vanadium metal foil) and plasma assisted sublimation process (source of vanadate species are V{sub 2}O{sub 5} powder and vanadium metal foil). The effect of plasmaon morphological and structural propertieshave been systematicallystudied. XRD revealed thermal evaporation process yielded amorphous films whereassublimation process yielded highly crystalline α-V{sub 2}O{sub 5} films. HRTEM of nanobelts show, the growth is preferred in (001) crystallographic direction with interplanar distance of 0.43 nm. XPS revealed O/V ratio of ~2.4, which nearly agrees with standard V{sub 2}O{sub 5} stoichiometry. SEM revealed deposition process affect morphology of films; thermal evaporation results in smoother film while plasma assisted sublimation process reveals nanoflakes and nanobelts (NBs). All the results are inconcordance with each other.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Processes of interaction of laser radiation with porous transparent materials during their ablation

The effect of ytterbium fibre laser radiation with λ = 1.07 μm on the pressed micropowders of transparent oxides and fluorides (CaF{sub 2}, Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, YSZ, etc.) having low absorption coefficients is theoretically studied. Using the numerical modelling, it is established that the radiation scattering in the medium of particles 0.5 – 4.6 μm in diameter leads to the concentration of radiation in the local regions of the medium, with the intensity level exceeding the intensity of the incident radiation (0.46 MW cm{sup −2}) by many times. It is shown that with the growth of the refractive index n of the material from 1.38 (MgF{sub 2}) to 2.12 (YSZ) the intensity of radiation in the region of the strongest local maximum increases from 3.8 to 31 MW cm{sup −2}. In our opinion, this factor can be dominant in determining the possibility of achieving the ablation of such a medium by means of the radiation having an intensity of no greater than 1 MW cm{sup −2}. This hypothesis is experimentally checked by the example of preparing a nanopowder of CaF{sub 2} (n = 1.43) and 1 % Nd : Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} (n = 1.91) by evaporating the pressed target with the porosity 50 % by the continuous-wave radiation of the ytterbium fibre laser with the power 600 W and the intensity 0.4 MW cm{sup −2}. Inside the CaF{sub 2} target, the scattered radiation intensity is smaller than the optical breakdown threshold, and the target is not evaporated. Under the same conditions, the target made of higher-melting 1 % Nd : Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} evaporates well, and the efficiency of the nanopowder production amounts to 23 g h{sup −1}. (interaction of laser radiation with matter)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Visualization of R410A Flow Boiling Inside Horizontal Smooth Tubes under Diabatic Conditions

This article presents a novel approach to visualize the flow boiling in round tubes under “diabatic conditions”. In the visualization test section, a 3D printed round tube is placed inside a glass tube with secondary fluid at a higher temperature flowing in the annulus between the two tubes thus providing diabatic conditions. Experimental work was conducted for evaporating R410A flow in a horizontal smooth round tube with the inner diameter of 6.3 mm. Compared to the traditional adiabatic visualization technique, the more realistic evaporative condition is simulated and the developing evaporation process is captured. New insights for the flow behavior at low vapor quality are brought by this diabatic method. The vapor plug occurs at very low vapor quality, and this is attributed to the coalescence of bubbles generated on the heated tube wall. For the intermittent flow, liquid slug triggered by Kelvin–Helmholtz instability affects the nucleation on the tube wall. It brings the fresh liquid to rewet the dry surface and activate the nucleation sites. Finally, heat flux condition affects the heat transfer mechanisms during the flow boiling, and the heat transfer through the nucleate boiling mechanism increases as the heat flux increases.

3D printed↗
DOE OSTI2022

First lithium experiments in HIDRA and evidence of helium retention during quasi-steady-state stellarator plasma operations

Recent experiments in Hybrid Illinois Device for Research and Applications (HIDRA) have had operational discharges between t discharge = 60 and 1000 s using electron cyclotron resonant heating (ECRH) of the plasma. This means that quasi-steady-state plasma discharges reach conditions to study long-pulse plasma material interactions (PMIs). The newly commissioned HIDRA-Material Analysis Test-stand PMI diagnostic is used to place a drop of lithium onto a heated tungsten surface, transfer the sample in-vacuo and expose it in a helium plasma. Helium is of interest as there is an open question to whether lithium will be able to remove helium ash in real fusion devices. The introduction of the W-Li sample in HIDRA resulted in evaporation of lithium into the helium plasma during a 600 s pulse and caused a reduction of over 90% in neutral pressure during the discharge. It was also observed that the plasma density and temperature increased by over 2.5 times. Using spectroscopy and a helium collisional radiative model, the peak temperature and density of the helium plasma can be monitored during the discharge. During lithium evaporation, as significant lithium ionization occurs, there is a 85% drop in the HIDRA vessel neutral pressure, despite a constant flow rate of He gas. This reduction in neutral pressure is supported by spectroscopy data with corresponding reductions in He I line intensities (587 nm, 667 nm, 706 nm, and 728 nm), as well as those of other impurities. At one point in the discharge a lithium plasma is created, as indicated by an increase in Li + emission and a complete reduction in He + emission, but the electron density jumps from ne = 3 × 10 18 m –3 to over ne = 8 × 10 18 m –3 while the core temperature stays relatively constant between Te = 16 eV and 20 eV. Once lithium has completely evaporated from the sample and the majority of the ionized lithium has diffused from the plasma to the vessel walls, pressure and spectroscopy data paired with He collisional radiative model calculations shows a re-establishment of a helium plasma in a low recycling regime. In this regime, the density drops down to ne = 2 × 10 18 m –3 and the electron temperature increases from T e = 20 eV to over T e = 50 eV indicating an increase in helium heating efficiency. This is also indicated by the He+ emission re-establishing and having a higher intensity. Here, we show the results from the first lithium campaign in HIDRA. In the presence of lithium, and in particular when lithium ions are present, the helium disappears from the plasma via an as of yet unknown complex relationship that needs to be further studied. The most likely explanation is that the lithium ions are distributed around the vessel and able to trap helium to the surface turning HIDRA into a large gettering surface. These results have potential implications on future plasma facing component design using liquid lithium for impurity and recycling control using limiters and divertors.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Gravitational wave production by Hawking radiation from rotating primordial black holes

In this paper we analyze in detail a rarely discussed question of gravity wave production from evaporating primordial black holes. These black holes emit gravitons which are, at classical level, registered as gravity waves. We use the latest constraints on their abundance, and calculate the power emitted in gravitons at the time of their evaporation. We then solve the coupled system of equations that gives us the evolution of the frequency and amplitude of gravity waves during the expansion of the universe. The spectrum of gravitational waves that can be detected today depends on multiple factors: fraction of the total energy density which was occupied by primordial black holes, the epoch in which they were formed, and quantities like their mass and angular momentum. We conclude that very small primordial black holes which evaporate before the big-bang nucleosynthesis emit gravitons whose spectral energy fraction today can be as large as 10{sup −7.5}. On the other hand, those which are massive enough so that they still exist now can yield a signal as high as 10{sup −6.5}. However, typical frequencies of the gravity waves from primordial black holes are still too high to be observed with the current and near future gravity wave observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

The primordial black holes that disappeared: connections to dark matter and MHz-GHz gravitational Waves

In the post-LIGO era, there has been a lot of focus on primordial black holes (PBHs) heavier than ~10 15 g as potential dark matter (DM) candidates. We point out that the branch of the PBH family that disappeared — PBHs lighter than ~10 9 g that ostensibly Hawking evaporated away in the early Universe — also constitute an interesting frontier for DM physics. Hawking evaporation itself serves as a portal through which such PBHs can illuminate new physics, for example by emitting dark sector particles. Here, taking a simple DM scalar singlet model as a template, we compute the abundance and mass of PBHs that could have provided, by Hawking evaporation, the correct DM relic density. We consider two classes of such PBHs: those originating from curvature perturbations generated by inflation, and those originating from false vacuum collapse during a first-order phase transition. For PBHs of both origins we compute the gravitational wave (GW) signals emanating from their formation stage: from second-order effects in the case of curvature perturbations, and from sound waves in the case of phase transitions. The GW signals have peak frequencies in the MHz-GHz range typical of such light PBHs. We compute the strength of such GWs compatible with the observed DM relic density, and find that the GW signal morphology can in principle allow one to distinguish between the two PBH formation histories.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

The effect of gas injection location on a lithium vapor box divertor in NSTX-U

Abstract The lithium vapor box divertor is a proposed divertor design that will minimize contamination of the upstream plasma in a fusion device, while also ensuring protection of the target. In this design lithium is evaporated near the target by high temperature lithium surfaces, dissipating the plasma heat flux. The lithium vapor box has been predicted via the fluid-kinetic code scrape off layer plasma simulator (SOLPS-ITER) to achieve low ( n L i / n e ∼ 0.05) upstream concentrations of lithium and low target heat fluxes. Here we compare two choices of deuterium gas puff location using SOLPS-ITER, the private flux region (PFR) and the common flux region (CFR), and find significant differences in the contamination level required to reach an acceptable target heat flux (defined here as q tar max ⩽ 10 MW m −2 ). Deuterium gas puffing from the PFR is seen to better reduce upstream lithium contamination. The difference in puffing location is seen to cause changes in the upstream flow of lithium ions. The PFR puff, having better access to the separatrix, can better reduce the upstream-directed flow of lithium near the separatrix which is the primary source of contamination due to a large thermal force in this region. Puffing from the CFR, partially due to inefficacy at reducing separatrix lithium flow, has higher lithium concentration within the plasma. Solutions that reduce the heat flux to below 10 MW m −2 have a range of lithium concentrations between n L i / n e ∼ 0.01–0.12 depending on puff intensity, location, evaporator temperature and recycling at the various plasma facing components. The efficacy of the puffs is tested for sensitivity to deuterium recycling coefficient at the target, evaporators, and main chamber walls. A CFR located puff is found to be more dependent on the recycling coefficients used than a PFR located puff. regardless of the set of recycling coefficients chosen, PFR puffing achieves lower lithium contamination than CFR puffing for a given heat flux.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2017

High-spin structures in Xe 132 and Xe 133 and evidence for isomers along the N = 79 isotones

In this study, the transitional nuclei 132 Xe and 133 Xe are investigated after multinucleon-transfer (MNT) and fusion-evaporation reactions. Both nuclei are populated (i) in 136 Xe + 208 Pb MNT reactions employing the high-resolution Advanced GAmma Tracking Array (AGATA) coupled to the magnetic spectrometer PRISMA, (ii) in the 136 Xe + 198 Pt MNT reaction employing the GAMMASPHERE spectrometer in combination with the gas-detector array CHICO, and (iii) as an evaporation residue after a 130 Te (α,xn) 134-xn Xe fusion-evaporation reaction employing the HORUS γ -ray array at the University of Cologne. The high-spin level schemes are considerably extended above the J π = (7 - ) and (10 + ) isomers in 132 Xe and above the 11/2 - isomer in 133 Xe. The results are compared to the high-spin systematics of the Z = 54 as well as the N = 78 and N = 79 chains. Furthermore, evidence is found for a long-lived (T 1/ 2 » 1 μs) isomer in 133 Xe which closes a gap along the N = 79 isotones. Finally, shell-model calculations employing the SN100PN and PQM130 effective interactions reproduce the experimental findings and provide guidance to the interpretation of the observed high-spin features.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Survival-mediated capture and fusion cross sections for heavy-element synthesis

The cross section for producing a heavy evaporation residue σ EVR in a fusion reaction can be written as a product of three nonseparable factors, i.e., the capture cross section, the fusion probability P CN , and the survival probability W sur . Each of these factors is dependent on the spin. However, one must remember that the W sur term is zero or very small for higher spin values, thus effectively limiting the capture and fusion terms. For a series of ~287 reactions leading to heavy evaporation residues with Z CN ≤ 110, here we point out the implications of this fact for capture cross sections for heavy element formation reactions. From a comparison of calculated and measured evaporation residue cross sections we deduce values of the fusion probability P CN for some of these reactions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Tricoupled hybrid lattice Boltzmann model for nonisothermal drying of colloidal suspensions in micropore structures

A tricoupled hybrid lattice Boltzmann model (LBM) is developed to simulate colloidal liquid evaporation and colloidal particle deposition during the nonisothermal drying of colloidal suspensions in micropore structures. An entropic multiple-relaxation-time multirange pseudopotential two-phase LBM for isothermal interfacial flow is first coupled to an extended temperature equation for simulating nonisothermal liquid drying. Then the coupled model is further coupled with a modified convection diffusion equation to consider the nonisothermal drying of colloidal suspensions. Two drying examples are considered. First, drying of colloidal suspensions in a two-pillar micropore structure is simulated in two dimensions (2D), and the final configuration of colloidal particles is compared with the experimental one. Good agreement is observed. Second, at the temperature of 343.15 K ( 70°C ), drying of colloidal suspensions in a complex spiral-shaped micropore structure containing 220 pillars is simulated (also in 2D). The drying pattern follows the designed spiral shape due to capillary pumping, i.e., transport of the liquid from larger pores to smaller ones by capillary pressure difference. Because the colloidal particles are passively carried with liquid, they accumulate at the small menisci as drying proceeds. As liquid evaporates at the small menisci, colloidal particles are deposited, eventually forming solid structures between the pillars (primarily), and at the base of the pillars (secondarily). As a result, the particle deposition conforms to the spiral route. Qualitatively, the simulated liquid and particle configurations agree well with the experimental ones during the entire drying process. Quantitatively, the model demonstrates that the evaporation rate and the particle accumulation rate slowly decrease during drying, similar to what is seen in the experimental results, which is due to the reduction of the liquid-vapor interfacial area. In conclusion, the hybrid model shows the capability and accuracy for simulating nonisothermal drying of colloidal suspensions in a complex micropore structure both qualitatively and quantitatively, as it includes all the required physics and captures all the complex features observed experimentally. Such a tricoupled LBM has a high potential to become an efficient numerical tool for further investigation of real and complex engineering problems incorporating drying of colloidal suspensions in porous media.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Doping of CdTe Using CuCl2 Solution for Highly Efficient Photovoltaic Devices

Here, we report doping of cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin film solar cells using copper (II) chloride (CuCl 2 ) solution in deionized water. The CdTe thin films were immersed in 0.1 mmol CuCl 2 solution in water and annealed in the temperature range of 180-240 degrees C for various time durations. The devices were completed using thermally evaporated gold (Au) and measured under simulated AM1.5G spectrum. The average device efficiency of CuCl 2 treated CdTe devices increased to 13.7 % (best cell reaching 14.0%) with significant improvement on open-circuit voltage (VOC ) as compared with 12.4% (best cell 12.7%) for thermally evaporated Cu doped CdTe devices. For CuCl 2 treated CdTe devices, we found higher photoluminescence (PL) intensity and longer carrier life time at room temperature indicating solution based doping offers better control of Cu doping density as compared with evaporated Cu.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

Searching for Suitable Binary Fluid for an Ejector Heat Pump for Domestic Water Heating

Water heating is a major source of energy consumption in the U.S. residential sector. Heat pumps can significantly increase the energy efficiency of water heating. An ejector heat pump (EHP) is a novel, thermally driven heat pump that uses an ejector as a thermocompressor. Choosing suitable working fluids is critical in developing high-performance EHPs. Therefore, this research screens binary fluid pairs (BFPs) for EHPs to produce domestic hot water at a high coefficient of performance (COP). The criteria for screening BFP candidates for EHP water heaters (EHPWHs) are established, and BFP candidates are shortlisted. This study identifies HFE7000, Novec649, HFE7100, HFE7200, and HFE7500 for the primary fluids and RE170, R600a, R600, and R1234ze(Z) for the secondary fluids. The thermodynamic model is employed to investigate the performance of EHPWHs using the shortlisted BFPs under various operating parameters, including the evaporation pressure of the primary working fluid in the high-temperature evaporator and the condensation temperature. In conclusion, the highest heating-cycle COP of 1.328 is achieved by an EHPWH operating with HFE7000/R600 at a condenser temperature of 50 °C and a pressure of 1.69 MPa in the high-temperature evaporator.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2013

Ultra-trace determination of Strontium-90 in environmental soil samples from Qatar by collision/reaction cell-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (CRC-ICP-MS/MS)

Because of the very low level of {sup 90}Sr in the environmental soil samples and its determination by beta counting may take several weeks, we developed a procedure for ultra-trace determination of {sup 90}Sr using collision reaction cell-inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry (CRC-ICP-MS/MS, Agilent 8800). Soil samples were dried at 105 deg. C and then heated in a furnace at 550 deg. C to remove any organics present. 500 g of each soil samples were aliquoted into 2000 ml glass beakers. Each Soils samples were soaked in 2 ppm Sr solution carrier to allow determination of chemical yield. The solid to liquid ratio was 1:1. Finally the soil samples were dried at 105 deg. C. Five hundred milliliters concentrated nitric acid and 250 ml hydrochloric acid volumes were added on 500 g soil samples. The samples were digested on hot plate at 80 deg. C to prevent spraying with continuous manual mixing. The leachate solution was separated. The solids were rinsed with 500 ml deionized water, warmed on a hot plate and the leachate plus previous leachate were filtered and the total volume was reduced to 500 ml by evaporation. Final leachate volume was transferred to a centrifuge tubes. The centrifuge tubes were centrifuged at 3,500 rpm for 10 min. The leachate was transferred to a 1 L beaker and heated on a hot plate to evaporate the leachate to dryness. The reside was re-dissolved in 100 ml of 2% HNO{sub 3} and reduced by evaporation to 10 mL. The solution was measured directly by CRC-ICP-MS/MS by setting the first quadruple analyzer to m/z 90 and introducing oxygen gas into the reaction cell for elimination isobar interference from zirconium-90. The method was validated by measurements of standard reference materials and applied on environmental soil samples. The overall time requirement for the measurement of strontium-90 by CRC-ICP-MS/MS is 2 days, significantly shorter than any radioanalytical protocol currently available. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2020

Application of templated vapor-liquid-solid growth to heteroepitaxy of InP on Si

Direct growth of III–V semiconductors on Si promises to combine the superior optoelectronic properties of III–Vs with the existing large-scale fabrication capabilities for Si. Vapor-liquid-solid-based growth techniques have previously been used to grow optoelectronic-quality III–Vs in polycrystalline films and various photolithography-defined features. We show that templated vapor-liquid-solid growth can produce epitaxial material when performed on crystalline substrates. In templated vapor-liquid-solid growth, the metal group-III precursor is evaporated along with a capping SiO 2 layer on the crystalline substrate, then melted and converted with exposure to a vapor-phase group-V precursor. We demonstrate homoepitaxial growth of InP on InP wafers using two forms of the SiO x capping layer to confine the liquid metal: evaporated SiO 2 and solgel SiO x , the latter of which is necessary for growth on Si. We then demonstrate heteroepitaxial growth of InP islands on Si substrates from both evaporated and electroplated In metals. The templated vapor-liquid-solid process provides better material utilization and growth rates than common vapor-phase techniques, with similar control and convenience, providing a path toward the large-scale fabrication of integrated optoelectronic components.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Secondary neutron spectrum from 250-MeV passively scattered proton therapy: Measurement with an extended-range Bonner sphere system

Purpose: Secondary neutrons are an unavoidable consequence of proton therapy. While the neutron dose is low compared to the primary proton dose, its presence and contribution to the patient dose is nonetheless important. The most detailed information on neutrons includes an evaluation of the neutron spectrum. However, the vast majority of the literature that has reported secondary neutron spectra in proton therapy is based on computational methods rather than measurements. This is largely due to the inherent limitations in the majority of neutron detectors, which are either not suitable for spectral measurements or have limited response at energies greater than 20 MeV. Therefore, the primary objective of the present study was to measure a secondary neutron spectrum from a proton therapy beam using a spectrometer that is sensitive to neutron energies over the entire neutron energy spectrum. Methods: The authors measured the secondary neutron spectrum from a 250-MeV passively scattered proton beam in air at a distance of 100 cm laterally from isocenter using an extended-range Bonner sphere (ERBS) measurement system. Ambient dose equivalent H*(10) was calculated using measured fluence and fluence-to-ambient dose equivalent conversion coefficients. Results: The neutron fluence spectrum had a high-energy direct neutron peak, an evaporation peak, a thermal peak, and an intermediate energy continuum between the thermal and evaporation peaks. The H*(10) was dominated by the neutrons in the evaporation peak because of both their high abundance and the large quality conversion coefficients in that energy interval. The H*(10) 100 cm laterally from isocenter was 1.6 mSv per proton Gy (to isocenter). Approximately 35% of the dose equivalent was from neutrons with energies ≥20 MeV. Conclusions: The authors measured a neutron spectrum for external neutrons generated by a 250-MeV proton beam using an ERBS measurement system that was sensitive to neutrons over the entire energy range being measured, i.e., thermal to 250 MeV. The authors used the neutron fluence spectrum to demonstrate experimentally the contribution of neutrons with different energies to the total dose equivalent and in particular the contribution of high-energy neutrons (≥20 MeV). These are valuable reference data that can be directly compared with Monte Carlo and experimental data in the literature.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗