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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 379 records · Page 21

Measuring femtometer lattice displacements driven by free carrier diffusion in a polycrystalline semiconductor using time-resolved x-ray scattering

We show that time-resolved x-ray scattering can be applied to polycrystalline materials for the measurement of carrier diffusion. A polycrystalline indium antimonide sample is prepared by high-intensity ultrafast laser surface melting and re-solidification under vacuum to create randomly oriented grains with an average size of 13 nm. Two static diffraction rings are simultaneously observed on a gated pixel array detector. Their centroids move following lower-intensity laser excitation, and utilizing an in-situ angular calibration, the transient lattice spacing is determined with femtometer accuracy, thereby allowing the measurement of charge carrier dynamics. Compared to bulk calculations, we find that carrier diffusion slows by more than one order of magnitude. This result provides evidence for the formation of potential energy barriers at the grain boundaries and demonstrates the capability of time-resolved x-ray scattering to probe nanoscale charge transport in materials other than near-perfect crystals.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A setup for extreme-ultraviolet ultrafast angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy at 50-kHz repetition rate

Time- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (trARPES) is a powerful method to track the ultrafast dynamics of quasiparticles and electronic bands in energy and momentum space. We present a setup for trARPES with 22.3 eV extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) femtosecond pulses at 50-kHz repetition rate, which enables fast data acquisition and access to dynamics across momentum space with high sensitivity. The design and operation of the XUV beamline, pump-probe setup, and ultra-high vacuum endstation are described in detail. By characterizing the effect of space-charge broadening, we determine an ultimate source-limited energy resolution of 60 meV, with typically 80-100 meV obtained at 1-2 × 10 10 photons/s probe flux on the sample. The instrument capabilities are demonstrated via both equilibrium and time-resolved ARPES studies of transition-metal dichalcogenides. The 50-kHz repetition rate enables sensitive measurements of quasiparticles at low excitation fluences in semiconducting MoSe 2 , with an instrumental time resolution of 65 fs. Moreover, photo-induced phase transitions can be driven with the available pump fluence, as shown by charge density wave melting in 1T-TiSe 2 . The high repetition-rate setup thus provides a versatile platform for sensitive XUV trARPES, from quenching of electronic phases down to the perturbative limit.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Time-resolved x-ray crystallography capture of a slow reaction tetrahydrofolate intermediate

Time-resolved crystallography is a powerful technique to elucidate molecular mechanisms at both spatial (angstroms) and temporal (picoseconds to seconds) resolutions. We recently discovered an unusually slow reaction at room temperature that occurs on the order of days: the in crystalline reverse oxidative decay of the chemically labile (6S)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolate in complex with its producing enzyme Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase. Here, we report the critical analysis of a representative dataset at an intermediate reaction time point. A quinonoid-like intermediate state lying between tetrahydrofolate and dihydrofolate features a near coplanar geometry of the bicyclic pterin moiety, and a tetrahedral sp 3 C6 geometry is proposed based on the apparent mFo-DFc omit electron densities of the ligand. The presence of this intermediate is strongly supported by Bayesian difference refinement. Isomorphous Fo-Fo difference map and multi-state refinement analyses suggest the presence of end-state ligand populations as well, although the putative intermediate state is likely the most populated. A similar quinonoid intermediate previously proposed to transiently exist during the oxidation of tetrahydrofolate was confirmed by polarography and UV-vis spectroscopy to be relatively stable in the oxidation of its close analog tetrahydropterin. We postulate that the constraints on the ligand imposed by the interactions with the protein environment might be the origin of the slow reaction observed by time-resolved crystallography.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

High resolution time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with 11 eV laser pulses

Performing time- and angle-resolved photoemission (tr-ARPES) spectroscopy at high momenta necessitates extreme ultraviolet laser pulses, which are typically produced via high harmonic generation (HHG). Despite current advances, HHG-based setups still require large pulse energies (from hundreds of μ J to mJ) and their energy resolution is limited to tens of meV. Here, we present a novel 11 eV tr-ARPES setup that generates a flux of 5 × 10 10 photons/s and achieves an unprecedented energy resolution of 16 meV. It can be operated at high repetition rates (up to 250 kHz) while using input pulse energies down to 3 µ J. We demonstrate these unique capabilities by simultaneously capturing the energy and momentum resolved dynamics in two well-separated momentum space regions of a charge density wave material ErTe 3 . This novel setup provides the opportunity to study the non-equilibrium band structure of solids with exceptional energy and time resolutions at high repetition rates.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Watching a signaling protein function: What has been learned over four decades of time-resolved studies of photoactive yellow protein

Photoactive yellow protein (PYP) is a signaling protein whose internal p-coumaric acid chromophore undergoes reversible, light-induced trans-to-cis isomerization, which triggers a sequence of structural changes that ultimately lead to a signaling state. Since its discovery nearly 40 years ago, PYP has attracted much interest and has become one of the most extensively studied proteins found in nature. The method of time-resolved crystallography, pioneered by Keith Moffat, has successfully characterized intermediates in the PYP photocycle at near atomic resolution over 12 decades of time down to the sub-picosecond time scale, allowing one to stitch together a movie and literally watch a protein as it functions. But how close to reality is this movie? To address this question, results from numerous complementary time-resolved techniques including x-ray crystallography, x-ray scattering, and spectroscopy are discussed. Emerging from spectroscopic studies is a general consensus that three time constants are required to model the excited state relaxation, with a highly strained ground-state cis intermediate formed in less than 2.4 ps. Persistent strain drives the sequence of structural transitions that ultimately produce the signaling state. Crystal packing forces produce a restoring force that slows somewhat the rates of interconversion between the intermediates. Moreover, the solvent composition surrounding PYP can influence the number and structures of intermediates as well as the rates at which they interconvert. When chloride is present, the PYP photocycle in a crystal closely tracks that in solution, which suggests the epic movie of the PYP photocycle is indeed based in reality.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Multi-pulse time resolved gamma ray spectroscopy of the advanced radiographic capability using gas Cherenkov diagnostics

The advanced radiographic capability located at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) uses high intensity, short pulse lasers to create bright photon sources for diagnosing high energy density experiments. There are radiographic needs for a multi-frame time-resolved MeV gamma diagnostic for experiments on the NIF with sub-nanosecond resolution. A series of experiments demonstrated measurements of MeV x-ray spectra resolved with a time separation of a few nanoseconds through the use of gas Cherenkov detectors. In this work, a two-pulse radiographic experiment found a 30% reduction in > 2.8 MeV photon flux compared to the first frame exposure.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Statistical analysis of non-Maxwellian electron distribution functions measured with angularly resolved Thomson scattering

Angularly resolved Thomson scattering is a novel extension of Thomson scattering, enabling the measurement of the electron velocity distribution function over many orders of magnitude. Here, details of the theoretical basis of the technique and the instrument designed for this measurement are described. Angularly resolved Thomson-scattering data from several experiments are shown with descriptions of the corresponding distribution functions. A reduced model describing the distribution function is given and used to perform a Monte Carlo analysis of the uncertainty in the measurements. The electron density and temperature were determined to a precision of 12% and 21%, respectively, on average, while all other parameters defining the distribution function were generally determined to better than 20%. It was found that these uncertainties were primarily due to limited signal to noise and instrumental effects. Furthermore, measurements with this level of precision were sufficient to distinguish between Maxwellian and non-Maxwellian distribution functions.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Time-resolved photoelectron imaging of complex resonances in molecular nitrogen

We have used the FERMI free-electron laser to perform time-resolved photoelectron imaging experiments on a complex group of resonances near 15.38 eV in the absorption spectrum of molecular nitrogen, N-2, under jet-cooled conditions. The new data complement and extend the earlier work of Fushitani et al. [Opt. Express 27, 19702-19711 (2019)], who recorded time-resolved photoelectron spectra for this same group of resonances. Time-dependent oscillations are observed in both the photoelectron yields and the photoelectron angular distributions, providing insight into the interactions among the resonant intermediate states. In addition, for most states, we observe an exponential decay of the photoelectron yield that depends on the ionic final state. This observation can be rationalized by the different lifetimes for the intermediate states contributing to a particular ionization channel. Finally, although there are nine resonances within the group, we show that by detecting individual photoelectron final states and their angular dependence, we can identify and differentiate quantum pathways within this complex system.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Time-resolved velocity and ion sound speed measurements from simultaneous bow shock imaging and inductive probe measurements

We present a technique to measure the time-resolved velocity and ion sound speed in magnetized, supersonic high-energy-density plasmas. We place an inductive (“b-dot”) probe in a supersonic pulsed-power-driven plasma flow and measure the magnetic field advected by the plasma. As the magnetic Reynolds number is large (R M > 10), the plasma flow advects a magnetic field proportional to the current at the load. This enables us to estimate the flow velocity as a function of time from the delay between the current at the load and the signal at the probe. The supersonic flow also generates a hydrodynamic bow shock around the probe, the structure of which depends on the upstream sonic Mach number. By imaging the shock around the probe with a Mach–Zehnder interferometer, we determine the upstream Mach number from the shock Mach angle, which we then use to determine the ion sound speed from the known upstream velocity. We use the sound speed to infer the value of Z̄T e , where Z̄ is the average ionization and T e is the electron temperature. We use this diagnostic to measure the time-resolved velocity and sound speed of a supersonic (M S ~ 8), super-Alfvénic (M A ~ 2) aluminum plasma generated during the ablation stage of an exploding wire array on the Magpie generator (1.4 MA, 250 ns). The velocity and Z̄T e measurements agree well with the optical Thompson scattering measurements reported in the literature and with 3D resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations in GORGON.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Sub-keV design for the National Ignition Facility’s soft x-ray Opacity Spectrometer (OpSpec) and expansion plans for time-resolved measurements

When compared with the National Ignition Facility’s (NIF) original soft x-ray opacity spectrometer, which used a convex cylindrical design, an elliptically shaped design has helped to increase the signal-to-noise ratio and eliminated nearly all reflections from alternate crystal planes. The success of the elliptical geometry in the opacity experiments has driven a new elliptical geometry crystal with a spectral range covering 520–1100 eV. When coupled with the primary elliptical geometry, which spans 1000–2100 eV, the new sub-keV elliptical geometry helps to cover the full iron L-shell and major oxygen transitions important to solar opacity experimentation. The new design has been built and tested by using a Henke x-ray source and shows the desired spectral coverage. Additional plans are underway to expand these opacity measurements into a mode of time-resolved detection, ~1 ns gated, but considerations for the detector size and photometrics mean a crystal geometry redesign. Here, the new low-energy geometry, including preliminary results from the NIF opacity experiments, is presented along with the expansion plans into a time-resolved platform.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Details of the neutral energy distribution and ionization source using spectrally resolved Balmer-alpha measurements on DIII-D

Spectrally resolved passive Balmer- α (D- α, H- α) measurements from the DIII-D 16 channel edge main-ion charge exchange recombination system confirm the presence of higher energy neutrals (“thermal” neutrals) in addition to the cold neutrals that recycle off the walls in the edge region of DIII-D plasmas. Charge exchange between thermal ions and edge neutrals transfers energy and momentum between the populations giving rise to thermal neutrals with energies approximating the ions in the pedestal region. Multiple charge exchange events in succession allow an electron to effectively take a random walk, transferring from ion to ion, providing a pathway of increasing energy and velocity, permitting a neutral to get deeper into the plasma before a final ionization event that contributes to the ion and electron particle fueling. Spectrally resolved measurements provide information about the density and velocity distribution of these neutrals, which has been historically valuable for validating Monte Carlo neutral models, which include the multi stage charge exchange dynamics. Here, in this study, a multi-channel set of such measurements is used to specifically isolate the details of the thermal neutrals that are responsible for fueling inside the pedestal top. Being able to separate the thermal from the cold emission overcomes several challenges associated with optical filter-based neutral density measurements. The neutral dynamics, deeper fueling by the thermal neutrals, and spectral measurement are modeled with the FIDASIM Monte Carlo collisional radiative code, which also produces synthetic spectra with a shape that is in close agreement with the measurements. By scaling the number of neutrals in the simulation to match the intensity of the thermal emission, we show it is possible to obtain local neutral densities and ionization source rates.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Design of a multi-detector, single line-of-sight, time-of-flight system to measure time-resolved neutron energy spectra

In the dynamic environment of burning, thermonuclear deuterium–tritium plasmas, diagnosing the time-resolved neutron energy spectrum is of critical importance. Strategies exist for this diagnosis in magnetic confinement fusion plasmas, which presently have a lifetime of ~10 12 longer than inertial confinement fusion (ICF) plasmas. In this work, we present a novel concept for a simple, precise, and scale-able diagnostic to measure time-resolved neutron spectra in ICF plasmas. The concept leverages general tomographic reconstruction techniques adapted to time-of-flight parameter space, and then employs an updated Monte Carlo algorithm and National Ignition Facility-relevant constraints to reconstruct the time-evolving neutron energy spectrum. Reconstructed spectra of the primary 14.028 MeV n DT peak are in good agreement with the exact synthetic spectra. The technique is also used to reconstruct the time-evolving downscattered spectrum, although the present implementation shows significantly more error.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

New dynamic diamond anvil cell for time-resolved radial x-ray diffraction

The dynamic diamond anvil cell (dDAC) is a recently developed experimental platform that has shown promise for studying the behavior of materials at strain rates ranging from intermediate to quasi-static and shock compression regimes. Combining dDAC with time-resolved x-ray diffraction (XRD) in the radial geometry (i.e., with incident x-rays perpendicular to the axis of compression) enables the study of material properties such as strength, texture evolution, and deformation mechanisms. This work describes a radial XRD dDAC setup at beamline P02.2 (Extreme Conditions Beamline) at DESY’s PETRA III synchrotron. Time-resolved radial XRD data are collected for titanium, zirconium, and zircon samples, demonstrating the ability to study the strength and texture of materials at compression rates above 300 GPa/s. In addition, the simultaneous optical imaging of the DAC sample chamber is demonstrated. The ability to conduct simultaneous radial XRD and optical imaging provides the opportunity to characterize plastic strain and deviatoric strain rates in the DAC at intermediate rates, exploring the strength and deformation mechanisms of materials in this regime.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Giant self-driven exciton-Floquet signatures in time-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of MoS 2 from time-dependent GW approach

Time-resolved, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (TR-ARPES) is a one-particle spectroscopic technique that can probe excitons (two-particle excitations) in momentum space. We present an ab initio, time-domain GW approach to TR-ARPES and apply it to monolayer MoS 2 . We show that photoexcited excitons may be measured and quantified as satellite bands and lead to the renormalization of the quasiparticle bands. These features are explained in terms of an exciton-Floquet phenomenon induced by an exciton time–dependent bosonic field, which are orders of magnitude stronger than those of laser field–induced Floquet bands in low-dimensional semiconductors. Our findings imply a way to engineer Floquet matter through the coherent oscillation of excitons and open the new door for mechanisms for band structure engineering.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

New Measurements to Resolve Discrepancies in Evaluated Model Parameters of 181 Ta

To resolve discrepancies in evaluated cross sections among major nuclear data libraries, energy-differential neutron transmission and radiative capture yield of 181 Ta were measured from 0.15 to 100 keV using multiple sample thicknesses. The new measurements provide resolution such that the resolved resonance region (RRR) can be evaluated up to at least 2.5 keV and the unresolved resonance region can be evaluated up to at least 100 keV. The transmission and capture yield measurements were modeled using resonance parameters from three major libraries to assess the predictive capability of each. It was found that JENDL-5.0 performed best in the RRR. Because of the poor performance of the U.S. ENDF/B evaluation, it is recommended that ENDF/B be reevaluated for 181 Ta.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Resolved Resonance Evaluation for Neutron Interactions with 103 Rh up to 8 keV

A neutron cross-section evaluation for the n + 103 Rh reaction in the resolved resonance region was carried out in the energy range 10−5 eV to 8 keV encompassing thermal energy at 0.0253 eV. The scope of this work is to generate resonance parameters and resonance parameter covariances based on the Reich-Moore reduced R-matrix formalism using the code SAMMY. Some features of the new evaluation are the inclusion of high-resolution capture data in the SAMMY evaluation process and the extension of the resolved resonance range from 4 to 8 keV. Furthermore, the evaluation employs more accurate resonance parameter representation by exploring the use of the LRF = 7 ENDF feature and also the use of the LCOMP = 2 compact format for resonance parameter covariance representation. Included in the SAMMY evaluation are transmission data, capture cross-section data, and neutron scattering length information. Thermal cross-section values listed in the literature, as well as capture resonance integrals, were also incorporated into the evaluation process.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Effect of venting range hood flow rate on size-resolved ultrafine particle concentrations from gas stove cooking

Cooking is the main source of ultrafine particles (UFP) in homes. This study investigated the effect of venting range hood flow rate on size-resolved UFP concentrations from gas stove cooking. The same cooking protocol was conducted 60 times using three venting range hoods operated at six flow rates in twin research houses. Size-resolved particle (10–420 nm) concentrations were monitored using a NanoScan scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) from 15 min before cooking to 3 h after the cooking had stopped. Cooking increased the background total UFP number concentrations to 1.3 × 10 3 particles/cm 3 on average, with a mean exposure-relevant source strength of 1.8 × 10 12 particles/min. Total particle peak reductions ranged from 25% at the lowest fan flow rate of 36 L/s to 98% at the highest rate of 146 L/s. During the operation of a venting range hood, particle removal by deposition was less significant compared to the increasing air exchange rate driven by exhaust ventilation. Exposure to total particles due to cooking varied from 0.9 to 5.8 × 10 4 particles/cm 3 ·h, 3 h after cooking ended. Compared to the 36 L/s range hood, higher flow rates of 120 and 146 L/s reduced the first-hour post-cooking exposure by 76% and 85%, respectively.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Mechanistic aspects of plasma-enhanced catalytic methane decomposition by time-resolved operando diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy

To study mechanistic aspects of plasma-enhanced catalysis, methane is decomposed by a supported Ni catalyst assisted by an Ar/O 2 atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ). Here, the time-resolved surface response of the Ni catalyst is investigated by operando diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) using various experimental settings. Catalyst temperatures of room temperature (RT) and 500 °C and nozzle-catalyst surface distances of 3, 5 and 8 mm were examined, and the amount of O 2 of the Ar/O 2 gas mixture flowing through the APPJ was either 0 or 0.5%. A synergistic effect of surface bonded C-O was observed during the exposure of the Ni catalyst to the APPJ for low oxygen operating conditions (pure Ar jet). Surface bonded C-O formed only when there was plasma present and the C-O signal was enhanced for higher catalyst temperature. When the supported Ni catalyst was subjected to the plasma-generated particle fluxes using highly oxidizing conditions, the presence of surface bonded C-O was suppressed. The plasma-catalytic CO and CO 2 production in the gas phase measured downstream mirrored the surface behavior of C-O bonds when the plasma source operating condition was changed from a low oxygen portion to a high oxygen portion at high catalyst temperature (500 °C). CH n (n =1, 2, ) species on the catalyst surface were also studied by DRIFTS, and CHn destruction was found to correlate with C-O formation. In particular, the time-resolved CH n response showed a possible conversion process of CH n to C-O when the Ni catalyst was exposed to the plasma source. This finding may indicate a plasma-mediated regeneration of the catalyst by plasma-catalyst surface interactions.

42 ENGINEERING↗