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At least 55 records · Page 3

Compact Termination for Structural Soft-goods

Glass fiber is unique in its ability to withstand atomic oxygen and ultraviolet radiation in-space environments. However, glass fiber is also difficult to terminate by traditional methods without decreasing its strength significantly. Glass fiber products are especially sensitive to bend radius, and do not work very well with traditional 'sewn loop on pin' type connections. As with most composites, getting applied loads from a metallic structure into the webbing without stress concentrations is the key to a successful design. A potted end termination has been shown in some preliminary work to out-perform traditional termination methods. It was proposed to conduct a series of tensile tests on structural webbing or cord to determine the optimum potting geometry, and to then be able to estimate a weight and volume savings over traditional sewn-overa- pin connections. During the course of the investigation into potted end terminations for glass fiber webbing, a new and innovative connection was developed that has lower weight, reduced fabrication time, and superior thermal tolerance over the metallic end terminations that were to be optimized in the original proposal. This end termination essentially transitions the flexible glass fiber webbing into a rigid fiberglass termination, which can be bolted/fastened with traditional methods

Wilkes, Robert, Jr.↗

Proving Program Termination With Matrix Weighted Digraphs

Program termination analysis is an important task in logic and computer science. While determining if a program terminates is known to be undecidable in general, there has been a significant amount of attention given to finding sufficient and computationally practical conditions to prove termination. One such method takes a program and builds from it a matrix weighted digraph. These are directed graphs whose edges are labeled by square matrices with entries in {-1,0,1}, equipped with a nonstandard matrix multiplication. Certain properties of this digraph are known to imply the termination of the related program. In particular, termination of the program can be determined from the weights of the circuits in the digraph. In this talk, the motivation for addressing termination and how matrix weighted digraphs arise will be briefly discussed. The remainder of the talk will describe an efficient method for bounding the weights of a finite set of the circuits in a matrix weighted digraph, which allows termination of the related program to be deduced.

Dutle, Aaron↗

Deciphering Solar Magnetic Activity: The (Solar) Hale Cycle Terminator of 2021

McIntosh and colleagues identified an event in the solar timeline that appeared to play a role in how Sunspot Cycle 23 (SC23) transitioned into Sunspot Cycle 24 (SC24). The timeframe for this transition was rapid, taking place in as short as time as a solar rotation. M2014 inferred that the transition observed was a critical episode for the Sun’s global-scale magnetic field that was being manifest in the spatially and temporally overlapping and magnetic systems belonging to the Sun’s 22-year (Hale) magnetic cycle. These events have been dubbed as Hale Cycle terminations, or ‘terminators’ for short. Further exploration revealed a relationship between terminator separation (as a measure of overlap in the Hale Cycles) and the upcoming sunspot cycle amplitude. McIntosh and colleagues extrapolated upon this relationship to identify the termination of the SC24 carrying Hale Cycle band in Mid-2020 and inferred that this would result in a very large Sunspot Cycle 25 (SC25). This paper presents observational analysis of the end of SC24 and the initial months of SC25 growth following a terminator that occurred in mid-December 2021 (approximately 12/13/2021). We use the December 2021 terminator to finalize the forecast of SC25 amplitude 184 (±17 with 95% confidence, and ±63 with 68% confidence). Finally, we use other terminator-related superposed epoch analyses to project the timing of SC25 maxima in late 2023 to mid 2024.

Sun↗

Implanted Guard Ring Edge Termination With Avalanche Capability for Vertical GaN Devices

Edge termination is the key building block in power devices to enable near-ideal, avalanche breakdown voltage (BV). Here, this work presents the design, fabrication, and physics of a GaN guard ring (GR) edge termination formed by selective-area nitrogen implantation through an epitaxial p-GaN layer. The fabrication of this termination only includes a single implantation step that does not require precise control of implant depth, rendering a large process latitude. The selective-area implantation produces p-GaN rings that are separated by the implanted, semi-insulating regions. The number and spacing of the p-type rings are found to determine the BV of the vertical GaN p-n diode. The 16-ring structure enables a BV of 1800 V, being 88% of the theoretical 1-D parallel-plane limit. Avalanche characteristics are observed in devices with a large variety of GR designs. Finally, we present a comprehensive survey on the efficiency, fabrication complexity, real estate, and avalanche capability of various edge termination techniques that have been reported in vertical GaN devices. The high efficiency (among the highest reported in avalanche-capable GaN terminations), simple and robust fabrication process, and uniform avalanche capability make this implanted GR a promising edge termination for high-voltage GaN devices.

42 ENGINEERING↗

An Exploratory Evaluation of UAS Detect and Avoid Operations in the Terminal Environment

New technical standards for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) detect and avoid (DAA) systems mark recent progress toward realizing the goal of full integration of UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS). The DAA system is intended to provide a means of compliance with operating regulations that required pilots on board manned aircraft to remain "well clear" of other aircraft which is accomplished through out-the-window visual acquisition of other aircraft and application of a subjective judgment of safe separation. The requirements for the DAA system, including the specification of a DAA well clear threshold as well as functional requirements for detecting, tracking, alerting and guidance processing, and displays, are specified in DO-365, Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for DAA Systems developed within RTCA (Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics) Special Committee 228 (SC-228). Intended as the first in a series of phased versions, these requirements are frequently referred to as the "Phase 1" DAA system. The Phase 1 DAA system is limited for use by aircraft transitioning to and from Class A or special use airspace, through Class D, E, and G airspace. In particular, the Phase 1 DAA MOPS are not intended for terminal airspace operations, a critical gap for enabling a full range of UAS operations. The application of the Phase 1 DAA system and DAA well clear threshold within the terminal area is predicted to result in a high number of unnecessary alerts when the UAS is safely separated from other traffic. The goal of the present study was to examine pilot performance and operational issues related to the operation of the Phase 1 DAA system in a terminal area. This experiment was intended as an exploratory study that would be used to inform the development of a new terminal area-specific DAA well clear definition, and associated alerting and guidance requirements. The two main objectives of this study were to: 1) characterize pilot behavior in the terminal environment with the Phase 1 DAA system, and 2) investigate the effect of modifications to the Phase 1 DAA alerting and guidance structure. In particular, the authors were interested in determining whether the removal of specific alerting and guidance levels, without changing the DAA well clear definition or alerting thresholds, would impact pilot performance while conducting terminal operations. The results indicate that the Phase 1 well clear definition and alerting and guidance resulted in frequent alerting that degraded pilots' ability to discriminate between encounters where another aircraft was safely separated versus when a maneuver was necessary. The resulting impact on pilot performance was slower response times and higher frequency and severity of losses of DAA well clear compared to those observed for experiments examining pilot performance in the en route environment. There was no significant effect of alerting and guidance display configuration on pilot performance.

terminal area↗

Formal Verification of Termination Criteria for First-Order Recursive Functions

This paper presents a formalization of several termination criteria for first-order recursive functions. The formalization, which is developed in the Prototype Verification System (PVS), includes the specification and proof of equivalence of semantic termination, Turing termination, size change principle, calling context graphs, and matrix-weighted graphs. These termination criteria are defined on a computational model that consists of a basic functional language called PVS0, which is an embedding of recursive first-order functions. Through this embedding, the native mechanism for checking termination of recursive functions in PVS could be soundly extended with semi-automatic termination criteria such as calling contexts graphs. As a proof of concept, this paper illustrates how such an extension can be implemented using proof strategies based on computational reflection.

Formal Verification↗

Formal Verification of Termination Criteria for​ First-Order Recursive Functions

This talk presents a formalization of several termination criteria for first-order recursive functions. The formalization, which is developed in the Prototype Verification System (PVS), includes the specification and proof of equivalence of semantic termination, Turing termination, size change principle, calling context graphs, and matrix-weighted graphs. These termination criteria are defined on a computational model that consists of a basic functional language called PVS0, which is an embedding of recursive first-order functions. Through this embedding, the native mechanism for checking termination of recursive functions in PVS could be soundly extended with semi-automatic termination criteria such as calling contexts graphs.

Termination↗

Evolution of Surface Chemistry in Two‐Dimensional MXenes: From Mixed to Tunable Uniform Terminations

Abstract Surface chemistry of MXenes is of great interest as the terminations can define the intrinsic properties of this family of materials. The diverse and tunable terminations also distinguish MXenes from many other 2D materials. Conventional fluoride‐containing reagents etching approaches resulted in MXenes with mixed fluoro‐, oxo‐, and hydroxyl surface groups. The relatively strong chemical bonding of MXenes’ surface metal atoms with oxygen and fluorine makes post‐synthetic covalent surface modifications of such MXenes unfavorable. In this minireview, we focus on the recent advances in MXenes with uniform surface terminations. Unconventional methods, including Lewis acidic molten salt etching (LAMS) and bottom‐up direct synthesis, have been proven successful in producing halide‐terminated MXenes. These synthetic strategies have opened new possibilities for MXenes because weaker surface chemical bonds in halide‐terminated MXenes facilitate post‐synthetic covalent surface modifications. Both computational and experimental results on surface termination‐dependent properties are summarized and discussed. Finally, we offer our perspective on the opportunities and challenges in this exciting research field.

Jiang, Mengni↗

Evolution of Surface Chemistry in Two‐Dimensional MXenes: From Mixed to Tunable Uniform Terminations

Abstract Surface chemistry of MXenes is of great interest as the terminations can define the intrinsic properties of this family of materials. The diverse and tunable terminations also distinguish MXenes from many other 2D materials. Conventional fluoride‐containing reagents etching approaches resulted in MXenes with mixed fluoro‐, oxo‐, and hydroxyl surface groups. The relatively strong chemical bonding of MXenes’ surface metal atoms with oxygen and fluorine makes post‐synthetic covalent surface modifications of such MXenes unfavorable. In this minireview, we focus on the recent advances in MXenes with uniform surface terminations. Unconventional methods, including Lewis acidic molten salt etching (LAMS) and bottom‐up direct synthesis, have been proven successful in producing halide‐terminated MXenes. These synthetic strategies have opened new possibilities for MXenes because weaker surface chemical bonds in halide‐terminated MXenes facilitate post‐synthetic covalent surface modifications. Both computational and experimental results on surface termination‐dependent properties are summarized and discussed. Finally, we offer our perspective on the opportunities and challenges in this exciting research field.

Jiang, Mengni↗

Enhancing transcription in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida using bacteriophage lambda anti-terminator protein Q

Functional characterization of metagenomic DNA often involves expressing heterologous DNA in genetically tractable microorganisms such as Escherichia coli . Functional expression of heterologous genes can suffer from limitations due to the lack of recognition of foreign promoters or presence of intrinsic terminators on foreign DNA between a vector-based promoter and the transcription start site. Anti-terminator proteins are a possible solution to overcome this limitation. When bacteriophage lambda infects E. coli , it relies on the host transcription machinery to transcribe and express phage DNA. Lambda anti-terminator protein Q (λQ) regulates the expression of late-genes of phage lambda. E. coli RNA polymerase recognizes the P R ' promoter on the lambda genome and forms a complex with λQ, to overcome the terminator t R '. In this study we show the use of λQ to efficiently transcribe a capsular polysaccharide cluster, cps3 , from Lactobacillus plantarum containing intrinsic terminators in Escherichia coli . In addition, we expand the use of anti-terminator λQ in Pseudomonas putida . The results show ~ fivefold higher expression of a fluorescent reporter locate ~ 12.5kbp downstream from the promoter, when the transcription is driven by P R ' promoter in presence of λQ compared to a lac promoter. These results suggest that λQ could be used in metabolic engineering to enhance expression of heterologous DNA.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Identifying the Molecular Edge Termination of Exfoliated Hexagonal Boron Nitride Nanosheets with Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy and Plane-Wave DFT Calculations

Hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (h-BNNS), the isoelectronic analog to graphene, have received interest over the past decade due to their high thermal oxidative resistance, high bandgap, catalytic activity, and low cost. The functional groups that terminate boron and nitrogen zigzag and/or armchair edges directly affect their chemical, physical, and electronic properties. However, an understanding of the molecular edge termination present in h-BNNS is lacking. Here, high-resolution magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR (SSNMR) spectroscopy, and plane-wave density-functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to determine the molecular edge termination in exfoliated h-BNNS. 1 H → 11 B cross-polarization MAS (CPMAS) SSNMR spectra of h-BNNS revealed multiple hydroxyl/oxygen coordinated boron edge sites that were not detectable in direct excitation experiments. A dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP)-enhanced 1 H → 15 N CPMAS spectrum of h-BNNS displayed four distinct 15 N resonances while a 2D 1 H{ 14 N} dipolar-HMQC spectrum acquired with fast MAS revealed three distinct 14 N environments. Plane-wave DFT calculations were used to construct model edge structures and predict the corresponding 11 B, 14 N and 15 N SSNMR spectra. Comparison of the experimental and predicted SSNMR spectra confirms that zigzag and armchair edges with both amine and boron hydroxide/oxide termination are present. The detailed characterization of h-BNNS molecular edge termination will prove useful for many material science applications. The techniques outlined here should also be applicable to understand the molecular edge terminations in other 2D materials

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Reaction of Hydrazine with Solution- and Vacuum-Prepared Selectively Terminated Si(100) Surfaces: Pathways to the Formation of Direct Si–N Bonds

Here, the reactivity of liquid hydrazine (N 2 H 4 ) with respect to H-, Cl-, and Br-terminated Si(100) surfaces was investigated to uncover the principles of nitrogen incorporation into the interface. This process has important implications in a wide variety of applications, including semiconductor surface passivation and functionalization, nitride growth, and many others. The use of hydrazine as a precursor allows for reactions that exclude carbon and oxygen, the primary sources of contamination in processing. In this work, the reactivity of N 2 H 4 with H- and Cl-terminated surfaces prepared by traditional solvent-based methods and with a Br-terminated Si(100) prepared in ultrahigh vacuum was compared. The reactions were studied with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy, and the observations were supported by computational investigations. The H-terminated surface led to the highest level of nitrogen incorporation; however, the process proceeds with increasing surface roughness, suggesting possible etching or replacement reactions. In the case of Cl-terminated (predominantly dichloride) and Br-terminated (monobromide) surfaces, the amount of nitrogen incorporation on both surfaces after the reaction with hydrazine was very similar despite the differences in preparation, initial structure, and chemical composition. Density functional theory was used to propose the possible surface structures and to analyze surface reactivity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

P–P Coupling with and without Terminal Metal–Phosphorus Intermediates

Terminal metal–phosphorus (M–P) complexes are of significant contemporary interest as potential platforms for P-atom transfer (PAT) chemistry. Decarbonylation of metal–phosphaethynolate (M–PCO) complexes has emerged as a general synthetic approach to terminal M–P complexes. M–P complexes that are stabilized by strong M–P multiple bonds are kinetically persistent and isolable. In the absence of strong M–P stabilization, the formation of diphosphorus-bridged complexes (i.e., M–P–P–M species) is often interpreted as evidence for the intermediacy of reactive, unobserved M–P species. Here, we demonstrate that while diphosphorus complexes can arise from reactive M–P species, P–P coupling can also proceed directly from M–PCO species without the intermediacy of M–P complexes. Photochemical decarbonylations of a pincer-supported Ni (II)–PCO complex at 77 K afford a spectroscopically observed terminal Ni–P complex, which is best described as a triplet, Ni(II)-metallophosphinidene with two unpaired electrons localized on the atomic phosphorus ligand. Thermal annealing of this transient Ni–P complex results in rapid dimerization to afford the corresponding P 2 2– -bridged dinickel complex. Unexpectedly, the same P 2 2– -bridged dinickel complex can also be accessed via a thermally promoted process in the absence of light. The analysis of reaction kinetics, isotope-labeling studies, and computational results indicate that the thermal P–P coupling process proceeds via a noncanonical mechanism that avoids terminal M–P intermediates. Together, these results represent the first observation of P–P coupling from characterized terminal M–P species and demonstrate that terminal M–P intermediates are not required to obtain P–P coupling products. These observations provide critical mechanistic understanding of the activation modes relevant to P-atom transfer.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Selective control of conductance modes in multi-terminal Josephson junctions

The Andreev bound state spectra of multi-terminal Josephson junctions form an artificial band structure, which is predicted to host tunable topological phases under certain conditions. However, the number of conductance modes between the terminals of a multi-terminal Josephson junction must be few in order for this spectrum to be experimentally accessible. In this work, we employ a quantum point contact geometry in three-terminal Josephson devices to demonstrate independent control of conductance modes between each pair of terminals and access to the single-mode regime coexistent with the presence of superconducting coupling. These results establish a full platform on which to realize tunable Andreev bound state spectra in multi-terminal Josephson junctions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Interface creation on a mixed-terminated perovskite surface

In the field of complex oxide heterostructures, understanding of the initial substrate surface can be critical to fundamental studies regarding the development of emergent properties at the film–substrate interface. For this reason, a considerable amount of effort has gone into the development of techniques to achieve surfaces with single termination for a variety of perovskite single crystals. However, a decisive understanding of how an interface is created when epitaxial growth occurs on a mixed terminated surface remains lacking. Employing in situ synchrotron X-ray scattering during thin film growth by molecular beam epitaxy, we investigate the initial stages of growth on (LaAlO 3 )(Sr 2 AlTaO 6 ) (001) substrates with mixed termination. Using LaNiO 3 as a model system, we find that the surface layers of the substrate restructure during deposition such that while a NiO 2 monolayer is weakly bound, a LaO monolayer bonds strongly, effectively incorporating with (Al, Ta)O 2 from the surface and forming a La(Al, Ta)O 3 ultrathin film. <!--/abstract content--><!--fulltext content--> With regard to the synthesis of high-quality complex oxide heterostructures, it is important that the substrate meet an array of criteria related to the crystal structure, lattice parameter, thermodynamic properties, electrical and optical properties, and so on. In particular, the surface of the substrate should be atomically smooth and exhibit the step-terrace structure ideal for epitaxial thin film growth. Perovskite oxides with the formula ABO 3 have two possible (001) surfaces: AO (A-site termination) and BO 2 (B-site termination). The ability to consistently achieve one of these surface terminations on SrTiO 3 , i.e., TiO 2 , has helped SrTiO 3 become the predominant oxide in the field.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Simulations of stand-off runaway electron beam termination by tungsten particulates for tokamak disruption mitigation

Abstract Stand-off runaway electron termination by injected tungsten particulates offers a plausible option in the toolbox of disruption mitigation. Tungsten is an attractive material choice for this application due to large electron stopping power and high melting point. To assess the feasibility of this scheme, we simulate runaway collisions with tungsten particulates using the MCNP program for incident runaway energies ranging from 1 to 10 MeV. We assess runaway termination from energetics and collisional kinematics perspectives. Energetically, the simulations show that 99% of runaway beam energy is removed by tungsten particulates on a timescale of 4–9 µ s. Kinematically, the simulations show that 99% of runaways are terminated by absorption or backscattering on a timescale of 3–4 µ s. By either metric, the runaway beam is effectively terminated before the onset of particulate melting. Furthermore, the simulations show that secondary radiation emission by tungsten particulates does not significantly impact the runaway termination efficacy of this scheme. Secondary radiation is emitted at lower particle energies than the incident runaways and with a broad angular distribution such that the majority of secondary electrons emitted will not experience efficient runaway re-acceleration. Overall, the stand-off runaway termination scheme is a promising concept as a last line of defense against runaway damage in ITER, SPARC, and other future burning-plasma tokamaks.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Effects of the surface termination and the oxygen vacancy position on LaNiO 3 ultra-thin films: First-principles study

In this study, while ultra-thin layers of the LaNiO 3 film exhibit a remarkable metal-insulator transition as the film thickness becomes smaller than a few unit cell (u.c.), the formation of possible oxygen vacancies and their effects on the correlated electronic structure have been rarely studied using first principles. Here, we investigate the effects of the surface termination and the oxygen vacancy position on the electronic properties and vacancy energetics of LaNiO 3 ultra-thin films under the compressive strain using density functional theory plus U (DFT + U). We find that oxygen vacancies can be easily formed in the Ni layers with the NiO 2 terminated surface (0.5 u.c. and 1.5 u.c. thickness) compared to the structures with the LaO terminated surface and the in-plane vacancy is energetically favored than the out-of-plane vacancy. When two vacancy sites are allowed, the Ni square plane geometry is energetically more stable in most cases as two oxygen vacancies tend to stay near a Ni ion. Strong anisotropy between the in-plane and out-of-plane vacancy formation as well as the layer and orbital dependent electronic structure occur due to strain, surface termination, charge reconstruction, and quantum confinement effects. The in-plane vacancy of the NiO 2 terminated structure is favored since the released charge due to the oxygen vacancy can be easily accommodated in the d x 2 -y 2 orbital, which is less occupied than the d z 2 orbital. Remarkably, the oxygen vacancy structure containing the Ni square-plane geometry becomes an insulating state in DFT + U with a sizable band gap of 1.2 eV because the large crystal field splitting between d z 2 and d x 2 -y 2 orbitals in the square-plane favors an insulating state and the Mott insulating state is induced in other Ni sites due to strong electronic correlations. In the thin-film structure without oxygen vacancies, the strong correlation effect in DFT + U drives a pseudogap ground state at the Fermi energy, similarly as the experimental photo-emission spectra; however, the variation of the DFT + U electronic structure depending on the surface termination becomes weaker compared to those obtained in DFT.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Mariner 9 ultraviolet spectrometer experiment - Morning terminator observations of Mars

Mariner 9 ultraviolet morning terminator data indicate the presence of a high, optically thin scattering layer in the equatorial region of Mars extending to 50S. This is consistent with the afternoon terminator results, which showed the presence of a scattering layer for latitudes as far north as 50N. For both types of terminator observations, the magnitude of the reflectivity for large shadow heights and the apparent scale height of the signal are too large to be explained by a homogeneous atmosphere. The terminator observations poleward of 50S were modeled by a homogeneous atmosphere of molecular and particulate scatterers. As the lower atmosphere began to clear from the dust storm, a progressive change was noted in the magnitude of the terminator reflectivity which is attributed to a changing albedo for single scattering. The shape of the morning terminator reflectivity measured as a function of shadow height indicates larger apparent scale heights than were observed in the afternoon. The difference is attributed to an increase in thickness of the scattering layer during the night.

Ajello, J. M.↗