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Results for “below- threshold ionization”

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 397 records · Page 22
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2011

Band gap formation in graphene by in-situ doping

We report the formation of band gaps in as-grown stacks of epitaxial graphene with opposite doping. Control of in-situ doping during carbon source molecular beam epitaxy growth on SiC was achieved by using different carbon sources. Doping heterostructures were grown by stacking n-type material from a C{sub 60} source on p-type material from a graphite filament source. Activation energies for the resistivity and carrier concentration indicated band gaps up to 200 meV. A photoconductivity threshold was observed in the range of the electrical activation energies. Band gap formation is attributed to electric fields induced by spatially separated ionized dopants of opposite charge.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Benefits of MeV-scale reconstruction capabilities in large liquid argon time projection chambers

Using truth-level Monte Carlo simulations of particle interactions in a large volume of liquid argon, we demonstrate physics capabilities enabled by reconstruction of topologically compact and isolated low-energy features, or “blips,” in large liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) events. These features are mostly produced by electron products of photon interactions depositing ionization energy. The blip identification capability of the LArTPC is enabled by its unique combination of size, position resolution precision, and low energy thresholds. Here, we show that consideration of reconstructed blips in LArTPC physics analyses can result in substantial improvements in calorimetry for neutrino and new physics interactions and for final-state particles ranging in energy from the MeV to the GeV scale. Blip activity analysis is also shown to enable discrimination between interaction channels and final-state particle types. In addition to demonstrating these gains in calorimetry and discrimination, some limitations of blip reconstruction capabilities and physics outcomes are also discussed.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Constraints on Sub-GeV Dark-Matter–Electron Scattering from the DarkSide-50 Experiment

Here, we present new constraints on sub-GeV dark matter particles scattering off electrons based on 6780.0 kg d of data collected with the DarkSide-50 dual-phase argon time projection chamber. This analysis uses electroluminescence signals due to ionized electrons extracted from the liquid argon target. The detector has a very high trigger probability for these signals, allowing for an analysis threshold of three extracted electrons, or approximately 0.05 keVee. We calculate the expected recoil spectra for dark matter-electron scattering in argon and, under the assumption of momentum-independent scattering, improve upon existing limits from XENON10 for dark-matter particles with masses between 30 and 100 MeV/c 2 .

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Ionization equilibrium at the transition from valence-band to acceptor-band migration of holes in boron-doped diamond

A quasi-classical model of ionization equilibrium in the p-type diamond between hydrogen-like acceptors (boron atoms which substitute carbon atoms in the crystal lattice) and holes in the valence band (v-band) is proposed. The model is applicable on the insulator side of the insulator–metal concentration phase transition (Mott transition) in p-Dia:B crystals. The densities of the spatial distributions of impurity atoms (acceptors and donors) and of holes in the crystal are considered to be Poissonian, and the fluctuations of their electrostatic potential energy are considered to be Gaussian. The model accounts for the decrease in thermal ionization energy of boron atoms with increasing concentration, as well as for electrostatic fluctuations due to the Coulomb interaction limited to two nearest point charges (impurity ions and holes). The mobility edge of holes in the v-band is assumed to be equal to the sum of the threshold energy for diffusion percolation and the exchange energy of the holes. On the basis of the virial theorem, the temperature T{sub j} is determined, in the vicinity of which the dc band-like conductivity of holes in the v-band is approximately equal to the hopping conductivity of holes via the boron atoms. For compensation ratio (hydrogen-like donor to acceptor concentration ratio) K ≈ 0.15 and temperature T{sub j}, the concentration of “free” holes in the v-band and their jumping (turbulent) drift mobility are calculated. Dependence of the differential energy of thermal ionization of boron atoms (at the temperature 3T{sub j}/2) as a function of their concentration N is calculated. The estimates of the extrapolated into the temperature region close to T{sub j} hopping drift mobility of holes hopping from the boron atoms in the charge states (0) to the boron atoms in the charge states (−1) are given. Calculations based on the model show good agreement with electrical conductivity and Hall effect measurements for p-type diamond with boron atom concentrations in the range from 3 × 10{sup 17} to 3 × 10{sup 20 }cm{sup −3}, i.e., up to the Mott transition. The model uses no fitting parameters.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2018

Low-Temperature Oxidation of Ethylene by Ozone in a Jet-Stirred Reactor

Ethylene oxidation initiated by ozone addition (ozonolysis) is carried out in a jet-stirred reactor from 300-1000 K to explore the kinetic pathways relevant to low-temperature oxidation. The temperature dependencies of species’ mole fractions are quantified using molecular-beam mass spectrometry with electron ionization and single-photon ionization employing tunable synchrotron-generated vacuum-ultraviolet radiation. Upon ozone addition, significant ethylene oxidation is found in the low-temperature regime from 300-600 K. Here, we provide new insights into the ethylene ozonolysis reaction network via identification and quantification of previously elusive intermediates by combining experimental photoionization energy scans and ab initio threshold energy calculations for isomer identification. Specifically, the C 2 H 4 +O 3 adduct C 2 H 4 O 3 is identified as a keto-hydroperoxide (hydroperoxy-acetaldehyde, HOOCH 2 CHO) based on the calculated and experimentally observed ionization energy of 9.80 (±0.05) eV. Quantification using a photoionization cross-section of 5 Mb at 10.5 eV results in 5 ppm at atmospheric conditions which decreases monotonically with temperature until 550 K. Other hydroperoxide species, that contribute in larger amounts to the low-temperature oxidation of C 2 H 4 , like H 2 O 2 , CH 3 OOH, and C 2 H 5 OOH, are identified and their temperature-dependent mole fractions are reported. The experimental evidence for additional oxygenated species such as methanol, ketene, acetaldehyde, and hydroxy-acetaldehyde suggest multiple active oxidation routes. This experimental investigation closes the gap between ozonolysis at atmospheric and elevated temperature conditions and provides a database for future modeling.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2011

Reversal of the hall current and amplification of the magnetorotational instability in a weakly ionized plasma

A criterion for the development of a magnetorotational instability in a weakly ionized dusty plasma is considered. A dispersion relation for the wavenumber and the growth rate of an unstable perturbation is derived for an arbitrary angle between the wave vector and magnetic field. It is shown that the presence of dust grains can reverse the direction of the Hall current in the plasma and can shift the instability threshold to shorter wavelengths. Under certain conditions, Alfven fluctuations of arbitrary scale can be unstable. The Hall current reversal is found to have a strong effect on the development of a magnetorotational instability when the Alfven resonance frequency in a weakly ionized plasma is close to the rotation frequency of the accretion disk.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Role of atomic-level defects and electronic energy loss on amorphization in LiNbO 3 single crystals

Understanding complex non-equilibrium defect processes, where multiple irradiation mechanisms may take place simultaneously, is a long standing subject in material science. The separate and combined effects of elastic and inelastic energy loss are a very complicated and challenging topic. In this work, LiNbO 3 has been irradiated with 0.9 MeV Si + and 8 MeV O 3+ , which are representative of regimes where nuclear (S n ) and electronic (S e ) energy loss are dominant, respectively. The evolution of damage has been investigated by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) in channeling configuration. Pristine samples were irradiated with 0.9 MeV Si + ions to create different pre-existing damage states. Below the threshold (S e,th = 5–6 keV nm –1 ) for amorphous track formation in this material, irradiation of the pristine samples with a highly ionizing beam of 8 MeV O 3+ ions, with nearly constant S e of about 3 keV nm –1 , induces a crystalline to amorphous phase transition at high ion fluences. In the pre-damaged samples, the electronic energy loss from the 8 MeV O 3+ ions interacts synergistically with the pre-existing damage, resulting in a rapid, non-linear increase in damage production. There is a significant reduction in the incubation fluence for rapid amorphization with the increasing amount of pre-existing damage. Here, these results highlight the important role of atomic-level defects on increasing the sensitivity of some oxides to amorphization induced by electronic energy loss. Controlling the nature and amount of pre-damage may provide a new approach to tuning optical properties for photonic device applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Inactivation of Fluorescent Lipid Bilayers by Irradiation With 300 keV Electrons Using Liquid Cell Transmission Electron Microscopy

Liquid cell transmission electron microscopy allows for imaging of samples in a fully hydrated state at high resolution and has the potential for visualizing static or dynamic biological structures. However, the ionizing nature of the electron beam makes it difficult to discern real physiological dynamics from radiation induced artifacts within liquid cell samples. Electron flux thresholds for achieving high resolution structures from biological samples frozen in ice have been described extensively by the cryo-electron microscopy field, while electron flux thresholds which do not result in a functional change for biological samples within the hydrated environment of a transmission electron microscope liquid cell is less clear. Establishing these functional thresholds for biologically relevant samples is important for accurate interpretation of results from liquid cell experiments. Here we demonstrate the electron damage threshold of fluorescently tagged lipid bilayers by quantifying the change in fluorescence before and after electron exposure. We observe the reduction of fluorescent signal in bilayers by 25% after only 0.0005 e − /Å 2 and a reduction of over 90% after 0.01 e − /Å 2 . These results indicate that the loss of function occurs at irradiation thresholds far below a typical single high resolution (scanning) transmission electron microscopy image and orders of magnitude below fluxes used for preserving structural features with cryo-electron microscopy.

Moser, Trevor↗
DOE OSTI2012

Microchip and wedge ion funnels and planar ion beam analyzers using same

Electrodynamic ion funnels confine, guide, or focus ions in gases using the Dehmelt potential of oscillatory electric field. New funnel designs operating at or close to atmospheric gas pressure are described. Effective ion focusing at such pressures is enabled by fields of extreme amplitude and frequency, allowed in microscopic gaps that have much higher electrical breakdown thresholds in any gas than the macroscopic gaps of present funnels. The new microscopic-gap funnels are useful for interfacing atmospheric-pressure ionization sources to mass spectrometry (MS) and ion mobility separation (IMS) stages including differential IMS or FAIMS, as well as IMS and MS stages in various configurations. In particular, "wedge" funnels comprising two planar surfaces positioned at an angle and wedge funnel traps derived therefrom can compress ion beams in one dimension, producing narrow belt-shaped beams and laterally elongated cuboid packets. This beam profile reduces the ion density and thus space-charge effects, mitigating the adverse impact thereof on the resolving power, measurement accuracy, and dynamic range of MS and IMS analyzers, while a greater overlap with coplanar light or particle beams can benefit spectroscopic methods.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2013

Modern methods for calculating photoionization and electron-impact ionization of two-electron atoms and molecules

A number of recently developed methods for calculating multifold differential cross sections for photoionization and electron impact ionization of atoms and molecules with two active electrons are reviewed. The methods are based on unique approaches to the calculation of three-body Coulomb wave functions. The exterior scaling method and the driven Schrödinger equation formalism are considered. The effectiveness of the time-dependent approaches to the scattering problem, such as the paraxial approximation and the time-dependent scaling, is demonstrated. A novel numerical method is formulated, which has been developed by the authors to solve the six-dimensional Schrödinger equation for an atom with two active electrons on the basis of the Chang-Fano transformation and the discrete variable representation. The threshold behavior manifested by the angular distributions of the two-electron photoionization of a negative hydrogen ion and a helium atom and the multifold differential cross sections for the electronimpact ionization of hydrogen and nitrogen molecules are analyzed on the basis of numerical simulations. The Wannier law for the angular distribution of double ionization is demonstrated to be incorrect even at very low energies.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electron impact ionization in dense plasmas

Here, the distorted-wave with exchange (DWE) method is employed to evaluate electron impact ionization cross sections in dense electron–ion plasmas. Bound and continuum electron wave functions are obtained from a non-relativistic average-atom code. Plots of DWE cross sections are presented for 1s electrons in Li and Be plasmas and 2p electrons in Na and Mg plasmas. For each of these elements, cross sections are evaluated at metallic density in a range of temperatures from 10 to 100 eV and at their respective melting points. Resonances in the cross sections appear near the incident energy threshold at high temperatures. The origin of these resonances is discussed. In general, the distorted wave (DW) method without exchange is found to be a good approximation to the DWE method for electron impact ionization calculations. In the resonance region, however, exchange effects are found to be very important and cannot be neglected.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Coulomb-tail effect of electron-electron interaction on nonsequential double ionization

With the classical ensemble model, we investigate the manifestations of the Coulomb tail of electron-electron interaction in nonsequential double ionization by comparing the results from the short-range electron-electron interaction with those from the Coulombic electron-electron interaction. At the intensity below the recollision threshold, the two-electron momentum distributions in the direction parallel to the laser polarization show an anticorrelated behavior for the Coulombic electron-electron interaction while a correlated behavior for the short-range interaction, which indicates the responsibility of the Coulomb tail of the electron-electron interaction for the experimentally observed anticorrelated emission [Y. Liu, S. Tschuch, A. Rudenko, M. Durr, M. Siegel, U. Morgner, R. Moshammer, and J. Ullrich, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 053001 (2008)]. In the transverse direction, for the Coulombic electron-electron interaction, the two electrons exhibit no effect of repulsion at an intensity below the recollision threshold while a strong repulsion effect at an intensity above the threshold, which becomes weaker as the laser intensity further increases. Back analysis shows that the role of the Coulomb tail of electron-electron interaction leads asymmetric energy sharing (AES) to be prevalent at recollision. This AES results in the two electrons leaving the ion at different times or with different initial momenta, which is responsible for the anticorrelated behavior in the parallel direction and the intensity-dependent repulsion effect in the transverse direction.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Near-surface modification of defective KTaO 3 by ionizing ion irradiation

The synergistic effect of nuclear (S n ) and electronic (S e ) energy loss observed in some ABO 3 perovskites has attracted considerable attention due to the real possibility to modify various near-surface properties, such as the electronic and optical properties, by patterning ion tracks in the defective near-surface regions. In this study, we show that low-energy ion-induced disordering in conjunction with ionizing ion irradiation (18 MeV Si, 21 MeV Ni and 91.6 MeV Xe) is a promising approach for tailoring ion tracks in the near-surface of defective KTaO 3 . Experimental characterization and computer simulations reveal that the size of these latent ion tracks increases with S e and level of pre-existing damage. These results further reveal that the threshold S e value (S e th ) for track creation increases with decreasing pre-damage level. The values of S e th increase from 5.02 keV nm -1 , for a pre-existing fractional disorder of 0.53 in KTaO 3 , to 10.81 keV nm -1 for pristine KTaO 3 . Above these thresholds, amorphous latent tracks are produced due local melting and rapid quenching. Below a disorder fraction of 0.08 and S e ≤ 6.68 keV nm -1 , the synergistic effect is not active, and damage accumulation is suppressed due to a competing ionization-induced damage annealing process. These results indicate that, depending on S e and the amount of pre-existing damage, highly ionizing ions can either enhance or suppress damage accumulation in KTaO 3 , thus providing a pathway to tailoring defects states. Comprehending the conflicting roles of highly ionizing ions in defective ABO 3 oxides is vital for understanding and predictive modeling of ion-solid interactions in complex oxides, as well as for achieving control over ion track size in the near-surface of defective KTaO 3 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

A magnetic-bottle multi-electron-ion coincidence spectrometer

A novel multi-electron-ion coincidence spectrometer developed on the basis of a 1.5 m-long magnetic-bottle electron spectrometer is presented. Electrons are guided by an inhomogeneous magnetic field to a detector at the end of the flight tube, while a set of optics is used to extract counterpart ions to the same detector, by a pulsed inhomogeneous electric field. This setup allows ion detection with high mass resolution, without impairing the high collection efficiency for electrons. The performance of the coincidence spectrometer was tested with double ionization of carbon disulfide, CS{sub 2} {yields} CS{sub 2}{sup 2+} + e{sup -} + e{sup -}, in ultrashort intense laser fields (2.8 x 10{sup 13} W/cm{sup 2}, 280 fs, 1030 nm) to clarify the electron correlation below the rescattering threshold.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

Multi-energy ion irradiation effects and distinctive features of color center generation in yttria-stabilized zirconia driven by structural discrepancy

Regarding a requirement for inert matrix fuel (IMF) to burn minor actinides and plutonium and high-level waste immobilization, Yttria-stabilized zirconia (ZrO 2 -6.5 wt% Y 2 O 3 ) (YSZ) crystals with cubic phase are selected to comprehensively evaluate the irradiation resistance by irradiation-induced structural discrepancies across multiple energy conditions. Electronic excitation and nuclear collisions reveal distinct color centers, influenced by varying component ratios that reflect their formation mechanisms. Key factors driving ultra-fast structural transitions include collision cascades, pressure waves, and energy dissipation from electronic excitation. In this work, we find that in the electronic energy loss (E ele )-dominant region, internal latent tracks with unique surface nanostructures emerge, distinct from the defect clusters seen in the nuclear energy loss (E nuc )-dominant region, while the threshold for latent track formation and melting are identified. In conclusion, structural discrepancies driven by different energy-loss mechanisms promote the generation of singly ionized and nearest-neighbor doubly ionized oxygen vacancies, which respectively dominate the formation of F⁺ and T-centers, resulting in bandgap narrowing (4.80 eV → 4.73 eV), and furthermore triggering visible light emission (2.17 eV → 2.20 eV) in irradiated YSZ crystals, thus, enabling the design of novel irradiation-tailored material functionalities.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Quantum dynamics of charge state in silicon field evaporation

The charge state of an ion field-evaporating from a silicon-atom cluster is analyzed using time-dependent density functional theory coupled to molecular dynamics. The final charge state of the ion is shown to increase gradually with increasing external electrostatic field in agreement with the average charge state of silicon ions detected experimentally. When field evaporation is triggered by laser-induced electronic excitations the charge state also increases with increasing intensity of the laser pulse. At the evaporation threshold, the charge state of the evaporating ion does not depend on the electrostatic field due to the strong contribution of laser excitations to the ionization process both at low and high laser energies. A neutral silicon atom escaping the cluster due to its high initial kinetic energy is shown to be eventually ionized by external electrostatic field.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2012

STORAGE RING CROSS-SECTION MEASUREMENTS FOR ELECTRON IMPACT SINGLE AND DOUBLE IONIZATION OF Fe{sup 9+} AND SINGLE IONIZATION OF Fe{sup 10+}

We have measured electron impact ionization from the ground state of Fe{sup 9+} and Fe{sup 10+} over the relative electron-ion collision energy ranges 200-1900 eV and 250-1800 eV, respectively. The ions were confined in an ion storage ring long enough for essentially all metastable levels to radiatively relax to the ground state. For single ionization, we find a number of discrepancies between the existing theoretical cross sections and our results. The calculations appear to neglect some excitation-autoionization (EA) channels, particularly from n = 3 to n' excitations, which are important near threshold, and those from n = 2 {yields} 3 excitations, which contribute at about 650 eV. Conversely, at higher energies the calculations appear to overestimate the importance of EA channels due to excitation into levels where n {>=} 4. The resulting experimental rate coefficients agree with the most recent theory for Fe{sup 9+} to within 16% and for Fe{sup 10+} to within 19% at temperatures where these ions are predicted to form in collisional ionization equilibrium. We have also measured double ionization of Fe{sup 9+} forming Fe{sup 11+} in the energy range 450-3000 eV and found that although there is an appreciable cross section for direct double ionization, the dominant mechanism appears to be through direct ionization of an inner shell electron producing an excited state that subsequently stabilizes through autoionization.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

Measurements of electron avalanche formation time in W-band microwave air breakdown

We present measurements of formation times of electron avalanche ionization discharges induced by a focused 110 GHz millimeter-wave beam in atmospheric air. Discharges take place in a free volume of gas, with no nearby surfaces or objects. When the incident field amplitude is near the breakdown threshold for pulsed conditions, measured formation times are {approx}0.1-2 {mu}s over the pressure range 5-700 Torr. Combined with electric field breakdown threshold measurements, the formation time data shows the agreement of 110 GHz air breakdown with the similarity laws of gas discharges.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗