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At least 325 records · Page 18

Additives Lower Pickup Of Moisture By Polyimides

Series of new polyimide-processing additives decrease free volume and pickup of moisture in new 422 copolyimide. Physical properties of several copolyimides synthesized from linear BDSDA/ODA/MPD homopolymers investigated previously, by positron-annihilation spectroscopy, with results indicating copolyimides have unique transition molecular structure characterized by higher electron densities and stronger bonds. Transition structure permits both physical and chemical entry of water molecules into it.

St. Clair, Terry L.↗

Study of Luminescence Characteristics of Trivalent Terbium in Silicate Glass

An important use of silicate glasses doped with terbium oxide (Tb2O3) is their use as fiber optic sensors for high-resolution imaging applications requiring the detection of x-rays (e.g. tomography and radiography). The x-ray radiation is absorbed by the glass, producing electron-hole pairs (excitons). The excitons migrate through the glass matrix and then recombine, emitting characteristic Tb(3+) luminescence in the optical wavelength region. This emission is due to forbidden transitions of 4f electrons and therefore has a long decay time. Long decay time is undesirable when imaging transient events since it results in blurring in time of the images. It has been reported elsewhere that in crystals Tb(3+) ions can act both as luminescence centers and as fluorescence traps. These traps can capture excitons and delay their recombination. This delayed fluorescence is seen as a long lived, secondary component to the luminescence decay curve, or afterglow. Such a secondary decay component to the luminescence decay of Tb(3+) has been observed before in soda glass following pulsed optical excitation. In order to determine the conditions under which afterglow occurs, an understanding of the material's luminescent properties is required.

West, Mike S.↗

Formation of molecular lines in stellar atmospheres

Statistical equilibrium of electronic states of diatomic molecules in stellar atmospheres is examined. Atmospheres discussed are representative of the sun, Arcturus (K-giant) and Betelgeuse (M-supergiant). A comparison of the relative collisional and radiative contributions to the equilibrium of the ground electronic state shows that this state is collisionally controlled and that the line source function for vibration-rotation transitions within this state is equivalent to the Planck function. Examination of the equilibrium for excited electronic states demonstrates that the exchange between these states and the ground electronic state is most probably determined by radiative excitation. This result implies that scattering rather than pure absorption is the appropriate mechanism for the formation of lines belonging to these electronic transitions. The scattering hypothesis is given a preliminary check against solar observations. Areas for future investigations are outlined.

Hinkle, K. H.↗

L-shell Auger and Coster-Kronig spectra from relativistic theory

The intensities of L-shell Auger and Coster-Kronig transitions in heavy atoms have been calculated relativistically. A detailed comparison is made with measured Auger spectra of Pt and U. The pertinent transition energies were computed from relativistic wave functions with inclusion of the Breit interaction, self-energy, a vacuum-polarization correction, and complete atomic relaxation. Multiplet splitting is found to distribute Auger electrons from certain transitions among several lines. The analysis leads to reassignment of a number of lines in the measured spectra. Lines originally identified as L2-L3Ni in the U spectrum are shown to arise from M4,5 Auger transitions instead.

Chen, M. H.↗

Measurement of the 13 to 100 eV electron impact excitation cross section for the X 1Sigma /+/-g yields a 1Pi-g transition in N2

An inelastic scattering technique was used to measure the electron impact excitation cross section for the X 1Sigma (+)-g yields a 1Pi-g transition in N2 in the energy range 13 to 100 eV. The relative excitation cross section was calculated by integration of the relative differential scattering cross sections at various energies and the relative values of the excitation cross section were put on an absolute scale by comparing the relative cross sections to those for excitation of the X 1Sigma (+)-g yields C 3Pi-u transition and those of the electron impact optical emission cross section for the C 3Pi-u yields B 3Pi-g transition as a secondary standard. The excitation cross section was found to vary from a maximum value of 3.6 x 10 to the -17 cu cm between 15 and 18 eV to 5.2 x 10 to the -18 cu cm at 100 eV.

Finn, T. G.↗

Record Low NEP in the Hot-Electron Titanium Nanobolometers

We are developing hot-electron superconducting transition-edge sensors (TES) capable of counting THz photons and operating at T = 0.3K. We fabricated superconducting Ti nanosensors with Nb contacts with a volume of approx. 3x10(exp -3) cu microns on planar Si substrate and have measured the thermal conductance due to the weak electron-phonon coupling in the material G = 4x10(exp -14) W/K at 0.3 K. The corresponding phonon-noise NEP = 3x10(exp -19) W/Hz(sup 1/2). Detection of single optical photons (1550nm and 670nm wavelength) has been demonstrated for larger devices and yielded the thermal time constants of 30 microsec at 145 mK and of 25 microsec at 190 mK. This Hot-Electron Direct Detector (HEDD) is expected to have a sufficient energy resolution for detecting individual photons with (nu) > 1 THz where NEP approx. 3x10(exp -20) W/Hz(sup 1/2) is needed for spectroscopy in space.

transition edge sensors↗

Particle-in-Cell Simulation of Collisionless Driven Reconnection with Open Boundaries

First results are discussed from an ongoing study of driven collisionless reconnection using a 2 1/2-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulation model with open inflow and outflow boundaries. An extended electron diffusion region (EEDR) is defined as that region surrounding a reconnecting neutral line in which the out-of-plane nonideal electric field is positive. It is shown that the boundaries of this region in the directions of the outflow jets are at the positions where the electrons make the transition from unfrozen meandering motion in the current sheet to outward drifting with the magnetic field in the outflow jets; a turning length scale is defined to mark these positions, The initial width of the EEDR in the inflow directions is comparable to the electron bounce width. Later. as shoulders develop to form a two-scale structure. thc EEDR width expands to the ion bounce width scale. The inner portion of the EEDR or the electron diffusion region proper remains at the electron bounce width. Two methods are introduced for predicting the reconnection electric field using the dimensions of the EEDR. These results are interpreted as further evidence that the EEDR is the region that is relevant to understanding the electron role in the neutral line vicinity.

Kimas, Alex↗

Characterization of NPP Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Reflective Solar Bands Dual Gain Anomaly

The Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) contains six dual gain bands in the reflective solar spectrum. The dual gain bands are designed to switch gain mode at pre-defined thresholds to achieve high resolution at low radiances while maintaining the required dynamic range for science. During pre-launch testing, an anomaly in the electronic response before transitioning from high to low gain was discovered and characterized. On-orbit, the anomaly was confirmed using MODIS data collected during Simultaneous Nadir Overpasses (SNOs). The analysis of the Earth scene data shows that dual gain anomaly can be determined at the orbital basis. To characterize the dual gain anomaly, the anomaly region and electronic offsets were tracked per week during the first 8 month of VIIRS operation. The temporal analysis shows the anomaly region can drift ~20 DN and is impacted by detectors DC Restore. The estimated anomaly flagging regions cover ~2.5 % of the high gain dynamic range and are consistent with prelaunch and on-orbit LUT. The prelaunch results had a smaller anomaly range (30-50 DN) and are likely the results of more stable electronics from the shorter data collection time. Finally, this study suggests future calibration efforts to focus on the anomaly's impact on science products and possible correction method to reduce uncertainties.

Lee, Shihyan↗

Glauber exchange amplitudes

The extrapolation method of Ochkur, valid for intermediate energies (about 50 eV), is applied to the exchange form of the Glauber amplitudes. In the case of elastic scattering of electrons from hydrogen atoms at 54.4 Ev the 'post' and 'prior' forms of the exchange amplitude are equivalent, whereas for the case of inelastic scattering there is a minute discrepancy between the two forms of the amplitude. The results are compared with the close-coupling calculation. The investigation is expected to be useful for optically forbidden exchange-allowed transitions due to electron impact at intermediate energies.

Madan, R. N.↗

The influence of autoionization accompanied by excitation on the dielectronic recombination and the ionization equilibrium of silicon ions

The dielectronic recombination rate coefficients have been calculated for the various ionization stages of silicon. Account has been taken of all stabilizing radiative transitions and all autoionization processes which involve a single-electron electric-dipole transition of the recombining ion core. For certain ions the dielectronic recombination rates, although still larger than the direct radiative recombination rates, are found to be substantially reduced when account is taken of the effects of a previously neglected autoionization process in which the excited recombining ion core undergoes a delta n = 0 transition to a lower excited state. The temperatures at which these ions have their maximum abundance in corona equilibrium are significantly reduced when use is made of the new dielectronic recombination rates. Calculations are also presented for the total rates of radiative energy loss from isothermal steady-state plasmas due to the line and continuum emission of silicon ions.

Jacobs, V. L.↗

Radiative and Nonradiative Transitions of the Rare-Earth Ions Tm(3+) and Ho(3+) in Y3AI5O12 and LiYF4

The optical spectra of rare earth ions in solids arise primarily from electric and magnetic dipole transitions between stark split multiplets of the 4f(sup N) electronic configuration. Electric dipole transitions are parity forbidden between levels of the 4f(sup N) configuration, while those of magnetic dipole origin are allowed. It is known from experiment, however, that the significant contributions to the intensities of most transitions are electric dipole in nature. Judd and Ofelt developed the theory of forced electric dipole transitions of rare-earth ions. This study is devoted to determining electric dipole transition probabilities and branching ratios for Tm(3+) and Ho(3+) ions in Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) and Yttrium Lithium Fluoride (YLF) using the theory of Judd and Ofelt. The radiative rates determined from the Judd-Ofelt analysis are used with measured lifetimes to find nonradiative rates of relaxation.

Walsh, Brian M.↗

Radioactive transitions in the helium isoelectronic sequence

The principles of the atomic spectrum theory are used to quantitatively analyze radiation transitions in two-electron helium-like atomic systems. Quantum theoretical methods, describing absorption and emission of a single photon in a radiative transition between two stationary states of an atomic system, reproduced the energy level diagram for the low lying states of helium. Reliable values are obtained from accurate variationally determined two-electron nonrelativistic wave functions for radiative transition probabilities of 2 3p states in the helium isoelectric sequence, and for the 2 1s and 2 3s1 states of the helium sequence.

Dalgarno, A.↗

The electron excited ultraviolet spectrum of HD : cross sections and transition probabilities

We have analyzed the high-resolution ultraviolet (UV) emission spectrum of molecular deuterium hydride (HD) excited by electron impact at 100 eV under optically thin, single-scattering experimental conditions. The high-resolution spectrum (FWHM=160 mA) spans the wavelength range from 900 to 1650 A and contains the two Rydberg series of HD: (sup 1)Sigma(sub u)(sup +)1s(sigma), np(si n=2, 3, 4) --> X(sup 1)Sigma(sub g)(sup +) and (sup 1)Pi(sub u)(sup +)1s(sigma), np(pi)(C,D,D',D'', n=2, 3, 4, 5) -->X(sup 1)Sigma(sub g)(sup +). A model spectrum of HD, based on newly calculated tra rovibrational coupling for the strongest band systems, B (sup 1)Sigma(sub u)(sup +)-X(sup 1)Sigma(sub g)(sup +),B'(sup 1)Sigma(sub g)(sup +)-X(sup 1)Sigma(sub g)(sup +),C(sup 1)Pi(sub u)-X(sup 1)Sigm sections for direct excitation at 100 eV of the B (sup 1)Sigma(sub u)(sup +), B' (sup 1)Sigma(sub u)(sup +), C(sup 1)Pi(sub u), and D(sup 1)Pi(sub u) states were derived from a model analysis of the state. The absolute cross section values for excitation to the B (sup 1)Sigma(sub u)(sup +), B' (sup 1)Sigma(sub u)(sup +), C(sup 1)Pi(sub u), and D(sup 1)Pi(sub u) states were found to be (2.57+/-0. and (0.17+/-0.04)x10(exp -17) sq cm, respectively. We have also determined the dissociative excitation cross sections at 100 eV for the emission of Ly(alpha) at 1216 A and Ly(Beta) at 1025 A lines, which are (7.98+/-1.12)x10(exp -18) and (0.40+/-0.10)x10(exp -18) sq cm, respectively. The summed excitation function of the closely spaced pair of lines, H Ly(alpha) and D Ly(Beta), resulting from excitation of HD, has been measured from the threshold to 800 eV and is analytically modeled with a semiempirical relation. The model cross sections are in good agreement with the corrected Ly(alpha) cross sections of Mohlmann et al. up to 2 keV. Based on measurements of H, D (2s) production cross section values by Mohlmann et al., the H, D (n=2) cross section is estimated to be 1.6 x 10(exp -17) sq cm at 100 eV.

molecular data↗

Excitation rate coefficients and line ratios for the optical and ultraviolet transitions in S II

New calculations are reported for electron excitation collision strengths, rate coefficients, transition probabilities, and line ratios for the astrophysically important optical and UV lines in S II. The collision strengths are calculated in the close coupling approximation using the R-matrix method. The present calculations are more extensive than previous ones, including all transitions among the 12 lowest LS terms and the corresponding 28 fine-structure levels in the collisional-radiative model for S II. While the present rate coefficients for electron impact excitation are within 10-30 percent of the previous values for the low-lying optical transitions employed as density diagnostics of H II regions and nebulae, the excitation rates for the UV transitions 4S super 0 sub 3/2 - 4Psub 1/2,3/2,5/2 differ significantly from earlier calculations, by up to factor of 2. We describe temperature and density sensitive flux ratios for a number of UV lines. The present UV results are likely to be of interest in a more accurate interpretation of S II emission from the Io plasma torus in the magnetosphere of Jupiter, as well as other UV sources observed from the IUE, ASTRO 1, and the HST.

Cai, Wei↗