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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 487 records · Page 27
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2010

A novel, multichannel, comb-frequency Doppler backscatter system

Doppler backscattering has emerged in recent years as a powerful diagnostic tool in high temperature fusion plasmas. The technique is sensitive to plasma turbulence flow and has been utilized to determine radial electric field and to study geodesic acoustic modes, zonal flows, and intermediate scale density turbulence. The current manuscript describes a novel technique for creating a stable, multichannel system covering the V-band frequency range (50-75 GHz) which enables simultaneous monitoring of turbulent flows and fluctuation levels at eight distinct spatial locations. The system is based on a high-frequency, low phase noise comb-frequency generator combined with a filter bank and quadrature detection system. The system is now in operation on DIII-D and has allowed monitoring of the flow and turbulence levels across the plasma radius during events such as the L-H transition.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2010

Strain Determination Using Electron Backscatter Diffraction

In the present paper we demonstrate the use of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) for high resolution elastic strain determination. Here, we focus on analysis methods based on determination of small shifts in EBSD pattern with respect to a reference pattern using cross-correlation algorithms. Additionally we highlight the excellent spatial and depth resolution of EBSD and introduce the use of simulated diffraction patterns based on dynamical diffraction theory for sensitivity estimation. Moreover the potential of EBSD for strain analysis of strained thin films with particular emphasis on appropriate target preparation which respect to occurring lattice defects is demonstrated.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2010

Electron Backscattered Diffraction Analysis Of Narrow Copper Interconnects In Cross-View To Investigate Scale Effect On Microstructure

In this article, we propose to use Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) to characterize microstructure of copper interconnects of thin metal level in top view and cross view. These two views give very complementary information about microstructure of copper and thus about recrystallization of copper during annealing. Moreover, for minimum width, as interconnect is two times thicker than wide; It will be easier to analyze smaller interconnect of 45 nm node technology in cross-section. We look for evolution of texture and microstructure of copper with line width in top view and in cross view. We highlight the presence of two recrystallization mechanisms and also the fact that transition from one to the other is progressive with competition of both mechanisms.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2011

Backscatter x-ray development for space vehicle thermal protection systems

The Backscatter X-Ray (BSX) imaging technique is used for various single sided inspection purposes. Previously developed BSX techniques for spray-on-foam insulation (SOFI) have been used for detecting defects in Space Shuttle External Tank foam insulation. The developed BSX hardware and techniques are currently being enhanced to advance Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) methods for future space vehicle applications. Various Thermal Protection System (TPS) materials were inspected using the enhanced BSX imaging techniques, investigating the capability of the method to detect voids and other discontinuities at various locations within each material. Calibration standards were developed for the TPS materials in order to characterize and develop enhanced BSX inspection capabilities. The ability of the BSX technique to detect both manufactured and natural defects was also studied and compared to through-transmission x-ray techniques. The energy of the x-ray, source to object distance, angle of x-ray, focal spot size and x-ray detector configurations were parameters playing a significant role in the sensitivity of the BSX technique to image various materials and defects. The image processing of the results also showed significant increase in the sensitivity of the technique. The experimental results showed BSX to be a viable inspection technique for space vehicle TPS systems.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2011

Improvement of sensitivity in high-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy

The sensitivity (limit of detection) of high-resolution Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (HRBS) is mainly determined by the background noise of the spectrometer. There are two major origins of the background noise in HRBS, one is the stray ions scattered from the inner wall of the vacuum chamber of the spectrometer and the other is the dark noise of the microchannel plate (MCP) detector which is commonly used as a focal plane detector of the spectrometer in HRBS. In order to reject the stray ions, several barriers are installed inside the spectrometer and a thin Mylar foil is mounted in front of the detector. The dark noise of the MCP detector is rejected by the coincidence measurement with the secondary electrons emitted from the Mylar foil upon the ion passage. After these improvements, the background noise is reduced by a factor of 200 at a maximum. The detection limit can be improved down to 10 ppm for As in Si at a measurement time of 1 h under ideal conditions.

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

Depth distribution of silver particulate films deposited in softened polystyrene substrates studied through Rutherford backscattering spectrometry

The depth distribution of silver particulate films deposited on softened polystyrene substrates has been studied through Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). 150 nm thick silver films were deposited on polystyrene (PS) coated glass substrates held at 455 K and 490 K in a vacuum of 8 x 10{sup -6} Torr. The substrates were irradiated with 8 MeV electrons to a dose of 25 kGy prior to deposition. Ion scattering measurements indicated that the silver particulates are formed at a few tens of nanometers beneath the PS surface for both unirradiated and irradiated substrates. The particulate structure seems to be a two-dimensional array rather than a three-dimensional distribution. The morphology of the particulate structure, the depth of maximum concentration of the particles as well as the width of the distribution seems to depend on the deposition rate and substrate temperature. The electron irradiation of the PS substrate gives rise to the modification of the morphology of the particulate structure due to the induced polymer-metal interaction arising from the free radicals created by the irradiation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Correlating whisker growth and grain structure on Sn-Cu samples by real-time scanning electron microscopy and backscattering diffraction characterization

Whiskers/hillocks grow out of Pb-free Sn coatings used in electronics manufacturing. To determine which grains form whiskers/hillocks, we use scanning electron microscopy and backscattering diffraction to simultaneously monitor the surface morphology and grain structure. To reduce surface roughness, we developed a ''peel-off'' method to prepare ultra-flat samples that were measured repeatedly while whiskers/hillocks formed. We find grains that form into whiskers/hillocks are present in the as-deposited film (i.e., not re-nucleated) and many have horizontal grain boundaries beneath them. Grain rotation during whisker/hillock formation means that measurements performed after the features grow do not indicate their initial grain orientations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

SPHERES, Juelich's high-flux neutron backscattering spectrometer at FRM II

SPHERES is a third-generation neutron backscattering spectrometer, located at the 20 MW German neutron source FRM II and operated by the Juelich Centre for Neutron Science. It offers an energy resolution (fwhm) better than 0.65 {mu}eV, a dynamic range of {+-} 31 {mu}eV, and a signal-to-noise ratio of up to 1750:1.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2012

2D full wave modeling for a synthetic Doppler backscattering diagnostic

Doppler backscattering (DBS) is a plasma diagnostic used in tokamaks and other magnetic confinement devices to measure the fluctuation level of intermediate wavenumber (k{sub {theta}}{rho}{sub s}{approx} 1) density fluctuations and the lab frame propagation velocity of turbulence. Here, a synthetic DBS diagnostic is described, which has been used for comparisons between measurements in the DIII-D tokamak and predictions from nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations. To estimate the wavenumber range to which a Gaussian beam would be sensitive, a ray tracing code and a 2D finite difference, time domain full wave code are used. Experimental density profiles and magnetic geometry are used along with the experimental antenna and beam characteristics. An example of the effect of the synthetic diagnostic on the output of a nonlinear gyrokinetic simulation is presented.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2012

Dissipative and non-dissipative solitons in the SRS- backscattering of laser radiation in underdense plasma

The process of stimulated Raman backscattering of laser pulse in underdense plasma is considered self-consistently in 1D model. Solutions to this problem in the form of backward-propagating bright solitons (the Stokes scattered pulse and the plasma density wave) coupled with the dark soliton in the pump laser pulse are found. These solitary solutions exist both in the non-dissipative (non-collisional plasma) case and in the dissipative (collisional plasma) case.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2013

Third harmonic stimulated Raman backscattering of laser in a magnetized plasma

This article studies the nonlinear Raman shifted third harmonic backscattering of an intense extraordinary laser wave through a homogenous transversely magnetized cold plasma. Due to the relativistic nonlinearity, the plasma dynamic is modified in the presence of transversely magnetic field, and this can generate the third harmonic scattered wave and an electrostatic upper hybrid wave via the Raman scattering process. Using the nonlinear wave equation, the mechanism of nonlinear third harmonic Raman scattering is discussed in detail to obtain the maximum growth rate of instability in the mildly relativistic regime. The growth rate decreases as the static magnetic field increases. It also increases with the pump wave amplitude.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

Determination of the maximum energy loss for electron stopping power calculations and its effect on backscattering electron yield in Monte-Carlo simulations applying continuous slowing-down approximation

The maximum energy loss for electron stopping power calculations by the full Penn algorithm within the dielectric formalism is determined with taking into account the contribution of electron and plasmon excitations. Use of these calculated electron stopping powers in Monte Carlo simulations applying continuous slowing down approximation gives the backscattering electron yields in much better agreement with experimental data than previous other theoretical results. The muffin-tin model is used to describe the electron elastic scattering by atom bound in solids with taking into account the exchange correlation and polarization effect.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Growth of ring ripple in a collisionless plasma in relativistic-ponderomotive regime and its effect on stimulated Raman backscattering process

A theoretical and numerical study has been made of the propagation of a ring rippled laser beam in collisionless plasma with dominant relativistic ponderomotive nonlinearity and its effect on the excitation of electron plasma wave and stimulated Raman backscattering process. The growth of ring ripple, riding on an intense Gaussian laser beam in plasma has also been studied. A paraxial-ray and WKB approximation has been invoked to understand the nature of propagation of the ring rippled Gaussian laser beam in plasma, electron plasma wave and back reflectivity under the influence of both nonlinearities. The growth rate and focusing of a ring rippled beam is found to be considerably affected by the power of the main beam and the phase angle between the electric vectors of the main beam and the ring ripple. It has also been observed that the focusing is released by the coupling of relativistic and ponderomotive nonlinearities, which significantly affected the dynamics of the excitation of electron plasma wave and back reflectivity of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS). Due to the strong coupling between ring rippled laser beam and the excited electron plasma wave, back reflectivity of SRS is enhanced. It has been observed from the computational results that the effect of the increased intensity leads to suppression of SRS back reflectivity. The results have been presented for established laser and plasma parameters.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Multi-channel Doppler backscattering measurements in the C-2 field reversed configuration

A versatile heterodyne Doppler Backscattering (DBS) system is used to measure density fluctuation levels (in the wavenumber range kρ{sub s} ≤ 50), and the toroidal E × B flow velocity in the C-2 Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC). Six tunable frequencies in three waveguide bands (26 GHz ≤ f ≤ 90 GHz) are launched using monostatic beam optics, via a quasi-optical beam combiner/polarizer and an adjustable parabolic focusing mirror (inside the vacuum enclosure) achieving Gaussian beam spot sizes of 3–5.5 cm at the X/O-mode cutoff. The DBS system covers plasma densities of 0.8 × 10{sup 13} ≤ n{sub e} ≤ 1 × 10{sup 14} cm{sup −3}, and provides access to the FRC core (up to the field null) and across the FRC separatrix into the scrape-off layer plasma.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Characterization of gold nanoparticle films: Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy with image analysis, and atomic force microscopy

Gold nanoparticle films are of interest in several branches of science and technology, and accurate sample characterization is needed but technically demanding. We prepared such films by DC magnetron sputtering and recorded their mass thickness by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. The geometric thickness d{sub g}—from the substrate to the tops of the nanoparticles—was obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with image analysis as well as by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The various techniques yielded an internally consistent characterization of the films. In particular, very similar results for d{sub g} were obtained by SEM with image analysis and by AFM.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Coherent kilo-electron-volt backscattering from plasma-wave boosted relativistic electron mirrors

A different parameter regime of laser wakefield acceleration driven by sub-petawatt femtosecond lasers is proposed, which enables the generation of relativistic electron mirrors further accelerated by the plasma wave. Integrated particle-in-cell simulation, including both the mirror formation and Thomson scattering, demonstrates that efficient coherent backscattering up to keV photon energy can be obtained with moderate driving laser intensities and high density gas targets.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Relativistic Eulerian Vlasov simulations of the amplification of seed pulses by Brillouin backscattering in plasmas

We apply an Eulerian Vlasov code to study the amplification by Brillouin scattering of a short seed laser pulse by a long pump laser pulse in an underdense plasma. The stimulated Brillouin backscattering interaction is the coupling of the pump and seed electromagnetic waves propagating in opposite directions, and the ion plasma wave. The code solves the one-dimensional relativistic Vlasov-Maxwell set of equations. Large amplitude ion waves are generated. In the simulations we present, the density plateau of the plasma is n{sub e}=0.3 n{sub c} (n{sub c} is the critical density), which excludes spurious stimulated Raman scattering amplification (which can occur only if n{sub e}<n{sub c}/4). We also varied the duration and/or amplitude of the short input seed pulse to study how these influence its subsequent behaviour. An initially broad pulse grows more rapidly than an initially narrow pulse. Furthermore, for an initially broader seed pulse, towards the end of the simulation, it is seen to become narrower and to gradually detach from the trailing signal. On the contrary, initially very narrow seed pulses are seen to broaden. The absence of noise in the Vlasov simulations allows to simulate long plasma amplifier lengths, and to follow the evolution of the system with a fully kinetic description and with an accurate representation of the phase-space structures of distribution function.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗