Imaging of dynamic processes in materials with a laser-wakefield accelerator

Kang, J. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)]; Shalloo, R. J. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000295683814); Higgins, M. J. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)] (ORCID:0000000160438360); Dann, S. J. D. [STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:000000026875631X); Gruse, J. -N. [Imperial College London (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000240998341); Underwood, C. I. D. [University of York (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000216916377); Antoine, A. F. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)]; Arran, C. [University of York (United Kingdom); Lancaster University (United Kingdom); The Cockcroft Institute, Daresbury (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000286448118); Baird, C. D. [STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000199737173); Balcazar, M. D. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)] (ORCID:0000000311510316); Bourgeois, N. [STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot (United Kingdom)]; Cardarelli, J. A. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)]; Krushelnick, K. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)] (ORCID:0000000191169511); Mangles, S. P. D. [Imperial College London (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000324434201); Murphy, C. D. [University of York (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000338493229); Lu, N. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)]; Rajeev, P. P. [STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000273750000); Selwood, M. P. [University of York (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000291631857); Symes, D. R. [STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000334439209); Ridgers, C. P. [University of York (United Kingdom)]; Thomas, A. G. R. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)] (ORCID:0000000332068512); Thornton, C. [STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot (United Kingdom)]; Najmudin, Z. [Imperial College London (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000163234005); Sanders, P. G. [Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI (United States)] (ORCID:0000000303341540); Staublin, P. D. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)]; Shahani, A. J. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)] (ORCID:000000026157840X); Streeter, M. J. V. [Queen’s University, Belfast (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000190869831)

doi:10.1103/jzzn-bsy8

DOE OSTI · 3017240

Imaging of dynamic processes in materials with a laser-wakefield accelerator

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Abstract

Betatron x rays generated from laser-wakefield accelerators are a promising source for imaging dynamic processes in materials. Here, we present proof-of-concept imaging of microstructural evolution in a hypermonotectic Al-Bi alloy, which consists of liquid Bi particles in a solid Al matrix. The images capture the elongation and fragmentation of Bi particles upon isothermal annealing. Because of the femtosecond time scale of the betatron source, the images are not subject to motion blur, whereas the accessibility of the source allows for studies of long-term processes such as annealing. The high-resolution data reveal that the evolution of Bi particles is mediated by an interplay of grain-boundary wetting and morphological instability, in stark contrast to an earlier proposal for (inverse) coarsening.

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Alloys Annealing Grain boundaries Laser wakefield acceleration Microstructure Wetting X-ray generation in plasmas X-ray imaging

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Kang, J. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)], Shalloo, R. J. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)] (ORCID:0000000295683814), Higgins, M. J. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)] (ORCID:0000000160438360), Dann, S. J. D. [STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:000000026875631X), Gruse, J. -N. [Imperial College London (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000240998341), Underwood, C. I. D. [University of York (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000216916377), Antoine, A. F. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)], Arran, C. [University of York (United Kingdom); Lancaster University (United Kingdom); The Cockcroft Institute, Daresbury (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000286448118), Baird, C. D. [STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000199737173), Balcazar, M. D. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)] (ORCID:0000000311510316), Bourgeois, N. [STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot (United Kingdom)], Cardarelli, J. A. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)], Krushelnick, K. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)] (ORCID:0000000191169511), Mangles, S. P. D. [Imperial College London (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000324434201), Murphy, C. D. [University of York (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000338493229), Lu, N. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)], Rajeev, P. P. [STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000273750000), Selwood, M. P. [University of York (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000291631857), Symes, D. R. [STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000334439209), Ridgers, C. P. [University of York (United Kingdom)], Thomas, A. G. R. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)] (ORCID:0000000332068512), Thornton, C. [STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot (United Kingdom)], Najmudin, Z. [Imperial College London (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000163234005), Sanders, P. G. [Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI (United States)] (ORCID:0000000303341540), Staublin, P. D. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)], Shahani, A. J. [University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)] (ORCID:000000026157840X), Streeter, M. J. V. [Queen’s University, Belfast (United Kingdom)] (ORCID:0000000190869831). 2025-12-03. Imaging of dynamic processes in materials with a laser-wakefield accelerator. https://doi.org/10.1103/jzzn-bsy8

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