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295 records · Page 17

X-Ray-Diffraction Tests Of Irradiated Electronic Devices: II

Report describes research on use of x-ray diffraction to measure stresses in metal conductors of complementary metal oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits exposed to ionizing radiation. Expanding upon report summarized in "X-Ray-Diffraction Tests Of Irradiated Electronic Devices: I" (NPO-18803), presenting data further suggesting relationship between electrical performances of circuits and stresses and strains in metal conductors.

Shaw, David C.↗

Room temperature degradation of YBa2Cu3O(7-x) superconductors in varying relative humidity environments

An aging study was performed to determine the stability of YBa2Cu3O(7-x) ceramics in humid environments at 20 C. In this study, fired ceramic specimens were exposed to humidity levels ranging from 30.5 to 100 percent for 2-, 4-, and 6-week time intervals. After storage under these conditions, the specimens were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electrical resistance measurements. At every storage condition evaluated, the fired ceramics were found to interact with H2O present in the surrounding environment, resulting in the decomposition of the YBa2Cu3O(7-x) phase. XRD data showed that BaCO3, CuO, and Y2BaCuO5 were present after aging and that the peak intensities of these impurity phases increased both with increasing humidity level and with increasing time of exposure. Additionally, SEM analyses of the ceramic microstructures after aging revealed the development of needle-like crystallites along the surface of the test specimens after aging. Furthermore, the superconducting transition temperature T(sub c) was found to decrease both with increasing humidity level and with increasing time of exposure. All the specimens aged at 30.5, 66, and 81 percent relative humidity exhibited superconducting transitions above 80 K, although these values were reduced by the exposure to the test conditions. Conversely, the specimens stored in direct contact with water (100 percent relative humidity) exhibited no superconducting transitions.

Hooker, M. W.↗

Measuring the Chemical Potential of the Martian Regolith to Generate and Sustain Life

A critical component for identifying chemical biosignatures is the ability to assess in-situ the potential of an aqueous geochemical environment to generate and sustain life. On Mars or other solar bodies, in-situ chemical characterization could provide evidence as to whether the chemical composition of the regolith or evaporites in suspected ancient water bodies have been biologically influenced or possess the chemical parameters within which life may have existed, or may still exist. A variety of analytical techniques have been proposed for use in detecting and identify signatures of past or present life. These techniques fall into two groups; visual observation with instruments such as cameras or optical/atomic-force microscopes; or elemental chemical analysis with such instruments as X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and diffraction (XRD), a-proton backscatter (APX), y-ray, Mossbauer, Raman, IR, UV/VIS spectroscopies, gas chromatography (GC), or mass spectrometry (MS). Direct observation of an identifiable lifeform by the first set of instruments in a single sample is highly unlikely, especially for extinct organisms or on the surface. The later instruments can provide vital data as to the elemental mineralogy and geological history of the planet, but are highly inadequate for understanding the chemistry of the planet in terms of indigenous life or interactions with human explorers. Techniques such as XRD, XRF, and APX, provide elemental composition at high limits of detection. Some of this data can be extrapolated or interpolated to provide chemical parameters such as oxidation state or composition. Gas chromatography (GC) without standards and non-specific detectors, has little chance of identifying a mixture of unknown components. Combined with GC or by itself, mass spectrometry (MS) can provide identification of compounds, but in both cases the sample must be appropriately prepared for accurate and reliable analysis. Life as we know it, and probably identify it as such, requires an aqueous environment. Deciphering die chemical speciation of this aqueous environment is the key to recognizing therein the biosignatures of any extinct or present life forms. Identifying the soluble (ionic and nonionic) components by reacting a currently dormant environment can provide a "picture" of the thermodynamics and chemical components of a possibly bioactive environment. The only devices which can provide such information are electrochemical sensors based on the potentiometric ion selective electrodes (ISEs) and on dynamic techniques such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and stripping voltammetry (SV). Such an array of devices can provide not only the chemical composition of a water-soluble Martian soil sample, but also several other vital chemical parameters such as pH, conductivity, redox potential, and dissolved gases. To address these issues we have been investigating the possible use of an electrochemically-based ion sensor array as a new integrated approach to quantitative analytical and chemometric electrochemical measurements. The sensor array will consist of specific and semispecific ion selective and amperometric transducers, which can simultaneously and continuously identify and semiquantitatively determine over 50 organic and inorganic analytes in water-based environments. Several individual sensors, based on the same principle, have been flight-tested and have been installed as part of the MECA instrumentation on the Mars 2001 Lander for in-situ analyses. However, the microfabrication, integration and multiplexing of such a large number of these sensors on a single substrate have not been previously attempted.

Kounaves, S. P.↗

Formation of Y(x)Nd(1-x) Ba2Cu3O(7-delta) (0 = or < x < or = 0.7) Superconductors from an Undercooled Melt Via Aero-Acoustic Levitation

Melt processing of RE123 superconductors has gained importance in recent years. While the first high temperature superconductors (HTSCs) were made using traditional ceramic press and sinter technology, recent fabrication efforts have employed alternate processing techniques including laser ablation and ion beam assisted deposition for thin film fabrication of tapes and wires and melt growth for bulk materials. To optimize these techniques and identify other potential processing strategies, phase relation studies on HTSCs have been conducted on a wide variety of superconducting compounds using numerous processing strategies. This data has enhanced the understanding of these complex systems and allowed more accurate modeling of phase interactions. All of this research has proved useful in identifying processing capabilities for HTSCs but has failed to achieve a breakthrough for wide spread application of these materials. This study examines the role of full to partial substitution of Nd in the Y123 structure under rapid solidification conditions. Aero-acoustic levitation (AAL) was used to levitate and undercool RE123 in pure oxygen binary alloys with RE = Nd an Y along a range of compositions corresponding to Y(x)Nd(1-x) Ba2Cu3O(7-delta) (0 = or < x < or = 0.7) which were melted by a CO2 laser. Higher Y content spheres could not be melted in the AAL and were excluded from this report. Solidification structures were examined using scanning electron microscopy, electron dispersive spectroscopy, and powder x-ray diffraction to characterize microstructures and identify phases.

Gustafson, D. E.↗

Rare-Earth Garnets and Perovskites for Space-Based ADR Cooling at High T and Low H

Future NASA satellite detector systems must be cooled to the 0.1 K temperature range to meet the stringent energy resolution and sensitivity requirements demanded by mid-term astronomy missions. The development of adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration (ADR) materials that can efficiently cool from the passive radiative cooling limit of approx. 30 K down to sub-Kelvin under low magnetic fields (H less than or equal to 3 T) would represent a significant improvement in space-based cooling technology. Governed by these engineering goals, our efforts have focused on quantifying the change in magnetic entropy of rare-earth garnets and perovskites. Various compositions within the gadolinium gallium iron garnet solid solution series (GGIG, Gd3Ga(5-x)Fe(x)O12, 0.00 less than or equal to X less than or equal to 5.00) and gadolinium aluminum perovskite (GAP, GdAlO3) have been synthesized via an organometallic complex approach and confirmed with powder x-ray diffraction. The magnetization of the GGIG and GAP materials has been measured as a function of composition (0.00 less than or equal to X less than or equal to 5.00), temperature (2 K less than or equal to T less than or equal to 30 K) and applied magnetic field (0 T less than or equal to H less than or equal to 3 T). The magnetic entropy change (DeltaS(sub mag)) between 0 T and 3 T was determined from the magnetization data. In the GGIG system, DeltaS(sub mag) was compositionally dependent; Fe(sup 3+) additions up to X less than or equal to 2.44 increased DeltaS(sub mag) at T > 5 K. For GAP, DeltaS(sub mag) was similar to that of GGIG, X = 0.00, both in terms of magnitude and temperature dependence at T > 10 K. However, the DeltaS(sub mag) of GAP at T < 10 K was less than the endmember GGIG composition, X = 0.00, and exhibited maximum approx. 5 K.

King, T. T.↗

Discovery of the Millisecond Pulsar PSR J2043+1711 in a Fermi Source with the Nancay Radio Telescope

We report the discovery of the millisecond pulsar PSR J2043+1711 in a search of a Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) source with no known associations, with the Nancay Radio Telescope. The new pulsar, confirmed with the Green Bank Telescope, has a spin period of 2.38 ms, is relatively nearby (d approx. < 2 kpc) and is in a 1.48-d orbit around a low-mass companion, probably an He-type white dwarf. Using an ephemeris based on Arecibo, Nancay and Westerbork timing measurements, pulsed gamma-ray emission was detected in the data recorded by the Fermi LAT. The gamma-ray light curve and spectral properties are typical of other gamma-ray millisecond pulsars seen with Fermi. X-ray observations of the pulsar with Suzaku and the Swift X-ray Telescope yielded no detection. At 1.4 GHz, we observe strong flux density variations because of interstellar diffractive scintillation; however, a sharp peak can be observed at this frequency during bright scintillation states. At 327 MHz, the pulsar is detected with a much higher signal-to-noise ratio and its flux density is far more steady. However, at that frequency the Arecibo instrumentation cannot yet fully resolve the pulse profile. Despite that, our pulse time-of-arrival measurements have a post-fit residual rms of 2 micro s. This and the expected stability of this system have made PSR J2043+1711 one of the first new Fermi-selected millisecond pulsars to be added to pulsar gravitational wave timing arrays. It has also allowed a significant measurement of relativistic delays in the times of arrival of the pulses due to the curvature of space-time near the companion, but not yet with enough precision to derive useful masses for the pulsar and the companion. Nevertheless, a mass for the pulsar between 1.7 and 2.0 solar Mass can be derived if a standard millisecond pulsar formation model is assumed. In this paper, we also present a comprehensive summary of pulsar searches in Fermi LAT sources with the Nancay Radio Telescope to date.

general aEuro" pulsars↗

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↗