Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Microscopic order”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 253 records · Page 14

A quarantine protocol for analysis of returned extraterrestrial samples

A protocol is presented for the analysis at an earth-orbiting quarantine facility of return samples of extraterrestrial material that might contain (nonterrestrial) life forms. The protocol consists of a series of tests designed to determine whether the sample, conceptualized as a 1-kg sample of Martian soil, is free from nonterrestrial biologically active agents and so may safely be sent to a terrestrial containment facility, or it exhibits biological activity requiring further (second-order) testing outside the biosphere. The first-order testing procedure seeks to detect the presence of any replicating organisms or toxic substances through a series of experiments including gas sampling, analysis of radioactivity, stereomicroscopic inspection, chemical analysis, microscopic examination, the search for metabolic products under growth conditions, microbiologicl assays, and the challenge of cultured cells with any agents found or with the extraterrestrial material as is. Detailed plans for the second-order testing would be developed in response to the actual data received from primary testing.

Bagby, J. R.↗

Microscopic and Macroscopic Characterization of Grain Boundary Energy and Strength in Silicon Carbide via Machine-Learning Techniques

Predicting the properties of grain boundaries poses a challenge because of the complex relationships between structural and chemical attributes both at the atomic and continuum scales. Grain boundary systems are typically characterized by parameters used to classify local atomic arrangements in order to extract features such as grain boundary energy or grain boundary strength. The present work utilizes a combination of high-throughput atomistic simulations, macroscopic and microscopic descriptors, and machine-learning techniques to characterize the energy and strength of silicon carbide grain boundaries. Additionally, a diverse data set of symmetric tilt and twist grain boundaries are described using macroscopic metrics such as misorientation, the alignment of critical low-index planes, and the Schmid factor, but also in terms of microscopic metrics, by quantifying the local atomic structure and chemistry at the interface. These descriptors are used to create random-forest regression models, allowing for their relative importance to the grain boundary energy and decohesion stress to be better understood. Results show that while the energetics of the grain boundary were best described using the microscopic descriptors, the ability of the macroscopic descriptors to reasonably predict grain boundaries with low energy suggests a link between the crystallographic orientation and the resultant atomic structure that forms at the grain boundary within this regime. For grain boundary strength, neither microscopic nor macroscopic descriptors were able to fully capture the response individually. However, when both descriptor sets were utilized, the decohesion stress of the grain boundary could be accurately predicted. These results highlight the importance of considering both macroscopic and microscopic factors when constructing constitutive models for grain boundary systems, which has significant implications for both understanding the fundamental mechanisms at work and the ability to bridge length scales.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Understanding Reentrance in Frustrated Magnets: The Case of the Er 2 Sn 2 O 7 Pyrochlore

Reentrance, the return of a system from an ordered phase to a previously encountered less-ordered one as a controlled parameter is continuously varied, is a recurring theme found in disparate physical systems, yet its microscopic cause is often not investigated thoroughly. Here, through detailed characterization and theoretical modeling, we uncover the microscopic mechanism behind reentrance in the strongly frustrated pyrochlore antiferromagnet Er 2 Sn 2 O 7 . We use single crystal heat capacity measurements to expose that Er 2 Sn 2 O 7 exhibits multiple instances of reentrance in its magnetic field B vs temperature T phase diagram for magnetic fields along three cubic high symmetry directions. Through classical Monte Carlo simulations, mean field theory, and classical linear spin-wave expansions, we argue that the origins of the multiple occurrences of reentrance observed in Er 2 Sn 2 O 7 are linked to soft modes. These soft modes arise from phase competition and enhance thermal fluctuations that entropically stabilize a specific ordered phase, resulting in an increased transition temperature for certain field values and thus the reentrant behavior. Our work represents a detailed examination into the mechanisms responsible for reentrance in a frustrated magnet and may serve as a template for the interpretation of reentrant phenomena in other physical systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Impact of three-body forces on elastic nucleon-nucleus scattering observables

In a previous series of papers we investigated the domain of applicability of chiral potentials to the construction of a microscopic optical potential (OP) for elastic nucleon-nucleus scattering. The OP was derived at the first order of the spectator expansion of the Watson multiple scattering theory and its final expression was a folding integral between the nucleon-nucleon ( N N ) t matrix and the nuclear density of the target. In the calculations N N and three-nucleon ( 3 N ) chiral interactions were used for the target density and only the N N interaction for the N N t matrix. The purpose of this study is to achieve another step towards the calculation of a more consistent OP introducing the 3 N force also in the dynamic part of the OP. The full treatment of the 3 N interaction is beyond our present capabilities. Thus, here it is approximated with a density dependent N N interaction obtained after the averaging over the Fermi sphere. In practice, in our model the 3 N force acts as a medium correction of the bare N N interaction used to calculate the t matrix. Even if the 3 N force is treated in an approximate way, this method naturally extends our previous model of the OP and allows a direct comparison of our present and previous results. We consider as case studies the elastic scattering of nucleons off C 12 and O 16 . We present results for the differential cross section and the spin observables for different values of the projectile energy. From the comparison with the experimental data and with the results of our previous model we assess the importance of the 3 N interaction in the dynamic part of the OP. Conclusions: Our analysis indicates that the contribution of the 3 N force in the t matrix is small for the differential cross section and it is sizable for the spin observables, in particular, for the analyzing power. We find that the two-pion exchange term is the major contributor to the 3 N force. A chiral expansion order-by-order analysis of the scattering observables confirms the convergence of our results at the next-to-next-to-next-to-leading-order, as already established in our previous work.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Total internal reflection enabled wide-field coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy

Wide-field coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy offers an attractive means for the rapid and simultaneous acquisition of vibrationally resolved images across a large field of view. A major challenge in the implementation lies in how to achieve sufficiently strong excitation fields necessary to drive the third-order optical responses over the large focal region. Here, we report a new wide-field CARS microscope enabled by a total internal reflection excitation scheme using a femtosecond Ti:Sapphire oscillator to generate pump and broadband near-infrared Stokes pulses. The spectrally broad Stokes pulse, in combination with its inherent chirp, offers not only access to a wide range of Raman modes spanning ∼ <#comment/> 1000 to ∼ <#comment/> 3500 c m − <#comment/> 1 but also a straightforward means to select vibrational transitions within this range by simply varying the time delay between the pulses. The unique capabilities of this wide-field CARS microscope were validated by acquiring high-quality CARS images from the model and complex biological samples on conventional microscope coverslips.

Doughty, Benjamin (ORCID:0000000164299329)↗

Total internal reflection enabled wide-field coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy

Wide-field coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy offers an attractive means for the rapid and simultaneous acquisition of vibrationally resolved images across a large field of view. A major challenge in the implementation lies in how to achieve sufficiently strong excitation fields necessary to drive the third-order optical responses over the large focal region. Here, we report a new wide-field CARS microscope enabled by a total internal reflection excitation scheme using a femtosecond Ti:Sapphire oscillator to generate pump and broadband near-infrared Stokes pulses. The spectrally broad Stokes pulse, in combination with its inherent chirp, offers not only access to a wide range of Raman modes spanning ${\sim}{1000}$ to ${\sim}{3500}\;{{\rm cm}^{- 1}}$ but also a straightforward means to select vibrational transitions within this range by simply varying the time delay between the pulses. The unique capabilities of this wide-field CARS microscope were validated by acquiring high-quality CARS images from the model and complex biological samples on conventional microscope coverslips.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Evaluation of Engineered Barrier Systems (FY19 Report)

This report describes research and development (R&D) activities conducted during fiscal year 2019 (FY19) specifically related to the Engineered Barrier System (EBS) R&D Work Package in the Spent Fuel and Waste Science and Technology (SFWST) Campaign supported by the United States (U.S.) Department of Eneregy (DOE). The R&D activities focus on understanding EBS component evolution and interactions within the EBS, as well as interactions between the host media and the EBS. A primary goal is to advance the development of process models that can be implemented directly within the Genreric Disposal System Analysis (GDSA) platform or that can contribute to the safety case in some manner such as building confidence, providing further insight into the processes being modeled, establishing better constraints on barrier performance, etc.The FY19 EBS activities involved not only modeling and analysis work, but experimental work as well. The report documents the FY19 progress made in seven different research areas as follows: (1) thermal analysis for the disposal of dual purpose canisters (DPCs) in sedimentary host rock using the semianalytical method, (2) tetravalent uranium solubility and speciation, (3) modeling of high temperature, thermal-hydrologic-mechanical-chemical (THMC) coupled processes, (4) integration of coupled thermalhydrologic- chemical (THC) model with GDSA using a Reduced-Order Model, (5) studying chemical controls on montmorillonite structure and swelling pressure, (6) transmission x-ray microscope for in-situ nanotomography of bentonite and shale, and (7) in-situ electrochemical testing of uranium dioxide under anoxic conditions. The R&D team consisted of subject matter experts from Sandia National Laboratories, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM), the University of California Berkeley, and Mississippi State University. In addition, the EBS R&D work leverages international collaborations to ensure that the DOE program is active and abreast of the latest advances in nuclear waste disposal. For example, the FY19 work on modeling coupled THMC processes at high temperatures relied on the bentonite properties from the Full-scale Engineered Barrier EXperiment (FEBEX) Field Test conducted at the Grimsel Test Site in Switzerland. Overall, significant progress has been made in FY19 towards developing the modeling tools and experimental capabilities needed to investigate the performance of EBS materials and the associated interactions in the drift and the surrounding near-field environment under a variety of conditions including high temperature regimes.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Detection of hairline cracks in textured silicon solar cells

Using a focused laser scanner, the optical technique described in the present paper can be used to detect hairline cracks of the type occurring in solar cells subjected to surface texturing. The technique is capable of detecting cracks of the order of a few microns, which, otherwise, can be observed only under high magnification using an optical microscope. The technique consists of scanning a solar cell with a finely focused laser beam and recording the photoresponse (short circuit current or open circuit voltage) as a function of beam position. The presence of a crack is manifested by a sharp dip in the photoresponse.

Sopori, B. L.↗

35 GHz Measurements of CO2 Crystals for Simulating Observations of the Martian Polar Caps

In order to learn more about the Martian polar caps, it is important to compare and contrast the behavior of both frozen H2O and CO2 in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Relatively little attention has been given, thus far, to observing the thermal microwave part of the spectrum. In this experiment, passive microwave radiation emanating from within a 33 cm snowpack was measured with a 35 GHz hand-held radiometer, and in addition to the natural snow measurements, the radiometer was used to measure the microwave emission and scattering from layers of manufactured CO2 (dry ice). A 1 m x 2 m plate of aluminum sheet metal was positioned beneath the natural snow so that microwave emissions from the underlying soil layers would be minimized. Compared to the natural snow crystals, results for the dry ice layers exhibit lower' microwave brightness temperatures for similar thicknesses, regardless of the incidence angle of the radiometer. For example, at 50 degree H (horizontal polarization) and with a covering of 21 cm of snow and 18 cm of dry ice, the brightness temperatures were 150 K and 76 K, respectively. When the snow depth was 33 cm, the brightness temperature was 144 K, and when the total thickness of the dry ice was 27 cm, the brightness temperature was 86 K. The lower brightness temperatures are due to a combination of the lower physical temperature and the larger crystal sizes of the commercial CO2 Crystals compared to the snow crystals. As the crystal size approaches the size of the microwave wavelength, it scatters microwave radiation more effectively, thus lowering the brightness temperature. The dry ice crystals in this experiment were about an order of magnitude larger than the snow crystals and three orders of magnitude larger than the CO2 Crystals produced in the cold stage of a scanning electron microscope. Spreading soil, approximately 2 mm in thickness, on the dry ice appeared to have no effect on the brightness temperatures.

Foster, J. L.↗

A Transmission Electron Microscopy Study of a Refractory Metal Grain from a Calcium-Aluminum-Rich Inclusion in the Leoville CV3 Chondrite

Introduction: Calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) are an important component of chondritic meteorites. They can contain materials that are thermodynamically predicted and isotopically age dated to be among the first-formed solids in our solar system [1-5]. Observed in some CAIs are micron to sub-micron sized inclusions rich in Fe, Ni, and high-Z elements such as Pt, Os, Ir and W, in the form of refractory metal nuggets (RMNs), fremdlinges, and ‘nugget like objects’ (NLOs) [1,6]. Refractory siderophile elements such as Os, Ir and Ru are thermodynamically predicted to condense at temperatures well in excess of the major CAI phases such as melilite, perovskite, spinel and hibonite [2,7-9]. These refractory metal inclusions in CAIs can therefore serve as probes into the thermodynamic landscape of the early solar protoplanetary disk. Here we report on a refractory grain identified in a CAI of the Leoville CV3 chondrite. This work is part of an ongoing effort to gain insight into the thermochemistry of the early solar system through systematic analyses of the structure and chemistry of various components in CAIs [10-13]. Sample and Analytical Techniques: A fluffy type A CAI (Fig. 1A) was identified in a section of the Leoville, CV3 chondrite (Center for Meteorite Studies, Arizona State University collection, #821_C_3) using a JOEL-JXA 8530F electron microprobe at Arizona State University. Backscattered electron (BSE) imaging and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were used to identify refractory metal grains in the CAI using a Thermo Fisher (formerly FEI) Helios NanoLab 660 G3 focused-ion-beam scanning-electron microscope (FIBSEM) located at the Kuiper Materials Imaging and Characterization Facility (KMICF) at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona. The FIB is equipped with an EDAX EDS system. We selected one of the larger (micron-sized) refractory metal grains, designated as ‘Spud’ (Fig. 1B) for further analysis. ‘Spud’ was extracted and thinned to electron transparency (<100 nm) using the FIB-SEM located in KMICF, following methods described by [14- 15]. The FIB section was analyzed using a 200 keV Hitachi HF5000 scanning transmission electron microscope (S/TEM) located at KMICF. The HF5000 is equipped with cold-field emission gun, 3rd-order spherical aberration corrector for STEM imaging, and an Oxford Instruments X-Max N 100 TLE energydispersive spectroscopy (EDS) system with dual 100 mm2 windowless silicon-drift detectors (Ω = 2.0 sr). Selected-area electron-diffraction (SAED) patterns were acquired to aid in determination of crystallinity and phase. Results: The mineralogy, texture, and morphology of the CAI are consistent with that of a fluffy type A (FTA) CAI [16]. BSE imaging at high magnifications revealed grains with high contrast, indicative of compositions rich in elements of higher atomic number relative to surrounding material. These high-Z grains have sizes that range from ∼250 nm to 4 µm. EDS analyses confirm that the bright grains are metal-rich inclusions. A minor fraction of the grains are composed of only Fe and Ni, but the majority (∼60%) of the identified inclusions also contained various refractory siderophiles including Os, Ru, Zr, Ir and Mo. EDS analysis on the FIB-SEM of Spud shows that it contains Fe, Ni, Mo and Ru. High-angle annular dark-field (HAAFD) imaging and EDS mapping in the TEM (Fig. 2) show that Spud occurs in melilite (Ca1.9Al1.99Si1.06O7). Spud contains a subhedral to anhedral morphology and is compositionally heterogenous (polyphasic, Fig. 2). Local spatial correlation occurs among Fe, Ni, and Pt, and also among Os, Ru, and Mo. SAED patterns show that the Fe-Ni-Pt, Fe-Os-Mo-Ru and Fe-Pt regions are crystalline. Discussion: CAIs can contain various types of inclusions rich in Fe, Ni and refractory siderophiles such as Os, Ru, W and Pt [1]. RMNs are micron-sized, single phase alloy grains and can contain Os, Ir, Ru and Rh [1,7,17]. NLOs are also micron-sized inclusions, but contain two phases, a refractory metal, and an oxide [6]. Fremdlinge are the largest of such inclusions (tens of microns in size) and are complex aggregates of Fe-Ni alloy, silicates, oxides, and sulfides [1,17]. While the size of Spud matches previous descriptions of RMNs and NLOs, Spud is neither a single-phase alloy like RMNs, nor does it contain one metal phase and one oxide like NLOs. Spud does not match the above described categories of refractory metal inclusions. The presence of refractory siderophiles such as Mo, Os, Ru, and Pt suggests a high-temperature origin. Thermodynamic modelling by [7] indicates condensation temperatures of 1917 K, 1693 K, 1613 K and 1415 K for Os, Mo, Ru and Pt respectively. These models also show that following the initial condensation of a refractory metal, alloying of solutes such as Fe, Ni and W, occurs in levels proportional to their partial pressures in the surrounding gas. Such alloying occurs at temperatures above the condensation temperatures of common CAI phases such as melilite (1529 K), perovskite (1441 K), spinel (197 K) and forsterite (1354 K) [2]. The polyphasic nature of Spud could be the result of such high-temperature alloying, possibly shortly after the condensation of Mo and Ru at 1693 K and 1613 K respectively. That Spud occurs as an inclusion is consistent with it having formed prior to and at temperature above that of its host melilite in this FTA CAI, which is qualitatively consistent with such prior thermodynamic modeling. Further, the polyphasic nature of Spud is similar to refractory grains from a FTA CAI in the Northwest Africa (NWA) 8323, CV3 chondrite [11-13]. These data suggest that such refractory metal grains could have been widespread in the inner and early solar protoplanetary disk and represent some of the earliest formed solids to have condensed. Acknowledgments: Research and instrumentation supported by NASA grants #NNX12AL47G, #NNX15AJ22G and #80NSSC19K0509, and NSF grants #1531243 and #0619599. Fig 2. STEM data on ‘Spud’. HAADF Image (Top) False-color EDS Maps (Bottom) References: [1] MacPherson G. J. (2014) T. of Geochem. Vol I: Met. And Cosmochem. Processes, 139-179. [2] Lodders K. (2003) ApJ, 591, 1220-1247. [3] Ebel D. S. (2006) Met. & the Early S. Sys. II., 253- 277. [4] Amelin Y. (2002) Science, 297, 1678-1683. [5] Connelly J.N. et.al. (2012) Science, 338, 651-655. [6] Schwander D. et al. (2015) GCA, 18, 70-87. [7] Palme H. and Wlotzka F. (1976) EPSL, 33, 45-60. [8] Berg T. et al. (2009) ApJ, 702, 172-176. [9] Liffman K. et al. (2021) Icarus, 221, 89-105. [10] Zega T.J. et al. (2021) PSJ, 2, 115. [11] Ramprasad T. et al. (2020) LPSC LI, Abstract #2472. [12] Ramprasad T. et al. (2021) Microscopy & Microanalysis, S1, 2792-2794. [13] Ramprasad T. et al. (2021) 84th MetSoc, Abstract #6123. [14] Zega T.J. et al. (2007) MAPS, 42, 1373-1386. [15] Ramprasad T. et al. (2022) MAPS, in revision. [16] Grossman L. (1975), GCA, 39, 433-454. [17] El Goresy A. et al. (1978) LPSC IX, Abstract#1100

T. Ramprasad↗

Quantitative order-parameter measurement in lattice-mismatched AlInP using precession electron diffraction

Precession electron diffraction (PED) was used to measure the long-range order parameter in lattice-mismatched AlInP epitaxial films under investigation for solid-state-lighting applications. Both double- and single-variant films grown at 620, 650, and 680°C were analyzed in TEM cross-section. PED patterns were acquired in selected-area-diffraction mode through external microscope control using serial acquisition, which allows inline image processing. The integrated peak intensities from experimental patterns were fit using dynamical simulations of diffraction from the ordered domain structures. Included in the structure-factor calculations were mean atomic displacements of the anions (P) due to ordering, which were found by valence-force-field calculations to have a nearly linear dependence on order parameter. A maximum order parameter of S = 0.36 was measured for a double-variant specimen grown at 650°C.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Mechanisms of ion irradiation induced ordering in amorphous TiO 2 nanotubes: Effects of ion mass and energy

Here, amorphous TiO 2 nanotubes were irradiated in-situ in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) with Kr + ions at energies of 46 keV, 150 keV, and 1 MeV and with 46 keV Xe + ions, to investigate the structural and morphological evolution of the nanotubes under irradiation. At all irradiation conditions, amorphous TiO 2 nanotubes exhibited significant morphological instability, and tended to undergo volumetric swelling with increasing ion counts, often until collapse of the original nanotube structure. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations confirmed that irradiation-induced defects can explain the observed swelling. Structurally, nanotubes remain amorphous following all Kr + irradiation conditions, but irradiation with 46 keV Xe + leads to the formation of anatase nanocrystallites. Importantly, through systematically varying ion energy and ion species, we try to elucidate the influence of nuclear and electronic stopping power on ion irradiation induced changes. By contextualizing these results within the existing literature, we propose that the observed changes in TiO 2 nanotube morphology and structure could be due to a competition between two mechanisms: (1) disorder-induced swelling and (2) irradiation-induced amorphous-to-crystalline transformation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Hourglass–Shaped Nanocages with Concaved Structures Based on Selective Self–Complementary Coordination Ligands and Tunable Hierarchical Self–Assembly

Three-dimensional (3D) structures constructed via coordination-driven self-assemblies have recently garnered increasing attention due to the challenges in structural design and potential applications. In particular, developing new strategy for the convenient and precise self-assemblies of 3D supramolecular structures is of utmost interest. Introducing the concept of self-coordination ligands, herein the design and synthesis of two meta-modified terpyridyl ligands with selective self-complementary coordination moiety are reported and their capability to assemble into two hourglass-shaped nanocages SA and SB is demonstrated. Within these 3D structures, the meta-modified terpyridyl unit preferably coordinates with itself to serve as concave part. By changing the arm length of the ligands, hexamer (SA) and tetramer (SB) are obtained respectively. In-depth studies on the assembly mechanism of SA and SB indicate that the dimers could be formed first via self-complementary coordination and play crucial roles in controlling the final structures. Moreover, both SA and SB can go through hierarchical self-assemblies in solution as well as on solid–liquid interface, which are characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). As a result, it is further demonstrated that various higher-order assembly structures can be achieved by tuning the environmental conditions.

3D metallo-supramolecules↗

A combined theoretical and experimental study of the phase coexistence and morphotropic boundaries in ferroelectric-antiferroelectric-antiferrodistortive multiferroics

The physical nature of the ferroelectric (FE), ferrielectric (FEI) and antiferroelectric (AFE) phases, their coexistence and spatial distributions underpins the functionality of antiferrodistortive (AFD) multiferroics in the vicinity of morphotropic phase transitions. In this work, using Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire (LGD) phenomenology and a semi-microscopic four sublattice model (FSM), we explore the behavior of different AFE, FEI, and FE long-range orderings and their coexistence at the morphotropic phase boundaries in FE-AFE-AFD multiferroics. These theoretical predictions are compared with the experimental observations for dense Bi 1-y R y FeO 3 ceramics, where R is Sm or La atoms with the fraction 0 ≤ y ≤ 0.25, as confirmed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM). These complementary measurements were used to study the macroscopic and nanoscopic transformation of the crystal structure with doping. The comparison of the measured and calculated AFE/FE phase fractions demonstrate that the LGD-FSM approach well describes the experimental results obtained by XRD and PFM for Bi 1-y R y FeO 3 . Hence, this combined theoretical and experimental approach provides further insight into the origin of the morphotropic boundaries and coexisting FE and AFE states in model rare-earth doped multiferroics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Element-specific first order reversal curves measured by magnetic transmission x-ray microscopy

The first-order reversal curve (FORC) method is a macroscopic measurement technique that can be used to extract quantitative and microscopic properties of hysteretic systems. Using magnetic transmission x-ray microscopy (MTXM), local element-specific FORC measurements are performed on a 20 nm thick film of CoTb. The FORCs measured with microscopy reveal a step-by-step domain evolution under the magnetic field cycling protocol and provide a direct visualization of the mechanistic interpretation of FORC diagrams. They are compared with magnetometry FORCs and show good quantitative agreement. Furthermore, the high spatial resolution and element-specific sensitivity of MTXM provide new capabilities to measure FORCs in small regions or specific phases within multicomponent systems, including buried layers in heterostructures. The ability to perform FORCs on very small features is demonstrated with the MTXM-FORC measurement of a rectangular microstructure with vortex-like Landau structures. This work demonstrates the confluence of two uniquely powerful techniques to achieve quantitative insight into nanoscale magnetic behavior.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Spatially dependent H-bond dynamics at interfaces of water/biomimetic self-assembled lattice materials

Significance It is challenging to develop biomimetic lattice self-assemblies because such materials need to resemble the flexibility and crystallinity of their biological analog. We show that these materials exhibit unique micro- and mesoscopic-ordered ultrafast hydrogen-bond dynamics, which could be a key feature in the lattice self-assembly: the ultrafast dynamics ensure flexibility, whereas the domain-level ordering reflects crystallinity. This scientific insight cannot be revealed without the ultrafast transient vibrational sum-frequency generation microscope, which integrates ultrafast interfacial spectroscopy with interfacial molecular vibrational imaging––a state-of-the-art development.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A determination of relativistic shock jump conditions using Monte Carlo techniques

Monte Carlo techniques are used, assuming isotropic elastic scattering of all particles, to calculate jump conditions in parallel relativistic collisionless shocks in the absence of Fermi acceleration. The shock velocity and compression ratios are shown for arbitrary flow velocities and for any upstream temperature. Both single-component electron-positron plasma and two-component proton-electron plasmas are considered. It is shown that protons and electrons must share energy, directly or through the mediation of plasma waves, in order to satisfy the basic conservation conditions, and the electron and proton temperatures are determined for a particular microscopic, kinetic-theory model, namely, that protons always scatter elastically. The results are directly applicable to shocks in which waves of scattering superthermal particles are absent.

Ellison, Donald C.↗

Automated Track Recognition and Event Reconstruction in Nuclear Emulsion

The major advantages of nuclear emulsion for detecting charged particles are its submicron position resolution and sensitivity to minimum ionizing particles. These must be balanced, however, against the difficult manual microscope measurement by skilled observers required for the analysis. We have developed an automated system to acquire and analyze the microscope images from emulsion chambers. Each emulsion plate is analyzed independently, allowing coincidence techniques to be used in order to reject back- ground and estimate error rates. The system has been used to analyze a sample of high-multiplicity Pb-Pb interactions (charged particle multiplicities approx. 1100) produced by the 158 GeV/c per nucleon Pb-208 beam at CERN. Automatically reconstructed track lists agree with our best manual measurements to 3%. We describe the image analysis and track reconstruction techniques, and discuss the measurement and reconstruction uncertainties.

Deines-Jones, P.↗