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A new microscopic degree of freedom describing chemical disorder at grain boundaries in compounds is proposed and analyzed in the context of three spinel chemistries.
We report on a microscopic modeling of the first order of multistep direct emission based on one phonon excitations, given by the QRPA model, and an effective in-medium nucleon nucleon interaction, described within the JLM folding model. The results of our coupled channels framework for deformed target are illustrated in the case of low energy discrete state excitations in 152 Sm. Pre-equilibrium predictions and their impact on inclusive and exclusive (n,xn) cross sections and fission cross sections are discussed for actinides. We discuss the importance of i) collective excitations to describe the neutron emission spectra and of ii) spin distribution of the residual nucleus formed after the neutron pre-equilibrium emission, that is a key ingredient to model the residual nucleus decay.
We discuss the neck rupture stage of fission and the emission of particles afterwards, two extremely rapid and highly non-equilibrium processes. Currently, the neck rupture cannot be directly probed by experiment, highlighting the importance of reliable theoretical predictions for this stage of fission. Time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) is used to simulate the spontaneous fission of 252 Cf. In conjunction with statistical models, inputs from microscopic calculations can be used to make predictions for prompt neutron and gamma emission spectra, quantities which can be experimentally measured. Here we characterize the scission mechanism within TDDFT and estimate the number of scission neutrons and their kinetic energies.
We reveal that the criticality of the chiral phase transition in QCD at the macroscale arises from the microscopic energy levels of its fundamental constituents, the quarks. We establish a novel relation between cumulants of the chiral order parameter (i.e., chiral condensate) and correlations among the energy levels of quarks (i.e., eigenspectra of the massless Dirac operator), which naturally leads to a generalization of the Banks-Casher relation. Based on this novel relation and through (2+1)-flavor lattice QCD calculations using the HISQ action with varying light quark masses in the vicinity of the chiral phase transition, we demonstrate that the correlations among the infrared part of the Dirac eigenspectra exhibit same universal scaling behaviors as expected of the cumulants of the chiral condensate. We find that these universal scaling behaviors extend up to the physical values of the up and down quark masses.
Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) are increasingly being discussed as the basis for shared mobility and on-demand services to replace privately owned vehicles. The rapid growth of transportation networking companies (TNCs) and their increasing investment in automated vehicle (AV) technologies attests to this. Combining the concepts of TNCs, with AV and on-demand transit services, the term 'automated mobility district' (AMD) describes a district-scale implementation of CAV technology to realize the full benefits of a shared, fully automated vehicle service within a confined region. This research effort provides a modeling architecture for AMDs along with a preliminary analysis to quantify the mobility and energy benefits of such districts. A customized open-source microscopic mobility simulation toolkit built on the simulation of urban mobility (SUMO) platform is implemented for AMD performance evaluation. Experimental scenarios are tested with different combinations of operational variables to provide insights on energy and mobility gains that can be realized in AMDs.
A simple technique for single-shot microscopic electron imaging was demonstrated for the study of intense femtosecond laser-produced plasmas. Passed through a permanent magnet lens designed for 110-keV electrons, hot electrons emitted from the plasma produced by a single laser pulse of 0.8 mJ with intensity of 3 x 10{sup 16} W/cm{sup 2} were successfully imaged. Analyzing this image, we found that electrons were emitted from an area of 3 {mu}m in diameter. At higher laser intensity of 10{sup 18} W/cm{sup 2}, distinct structures were observed in and near the focal spot of the laser; that is, the electrons were emitted from several separate spots. These results show that laser-plasma electron imaging is promising for studying the interactions of femtosecond lasers with high-density plasmas.
We report on the first observation of the macroscopic (long-range) Si-SiO{sub 2} phase separation in Si-rich oxide SiO{sub x}(x<2) obtained by continuous-wave laser annealing of free-standing SiO{sub x} films. The effect is analyzed by a unique combination of microscopic methods (Raman, transmission, photoluminescence, and infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). Three regions can be distinguished on a SiO{sub x} free-standing film after 488 nm laser annealing at intensities above {approx}10{sup 4} W cm{sup -2}: central spot, ring around the central spot, and pristine film outside the irradiated area. In the pristine SiO{sub x} material, small Si nanocrystals (Si-nc) (diameters of a few nanometer) are surrounded by SiO{sub 2} with an addition of residual suboxides, the Si-nc being produced by annealing at 1100 deg. C in a furnace. The central spot of the laser-annealed area (up to {approx}30 {mu}m wide in these experiments) is practically free of Si excess and mainly consists of amorphous SiO{sub 2}. The ring around the central spot contains large spherical Si-nc (diameters up to {approx}100 nm) embedded in amorphous SiO{sub 2} without the presence of suboxides. Laser-induced temperatures in the structurally modified regions presumably exceed the Si melting temperature. The macroscopic Si-SiO{sub 2} phase separation is connected with extensive diffusion in temperature gradient leading to the Si concentration gradient. The present work demonstrates the advantages of high spatial resolution for analysis in materials research.
Magnetic particles of W-type barium-calcium hexaferrite (BaCa{sub 2}Fe{sub 16}O{sub 27}) have been synthesized using a Stearic acid gel route. The gel precursors were dried at 100 deg. C for 2 hrs and then calcinated at 650 deg. C, 750 deg. C, 850 deg. C and 950 deg. C for 4 hrs in a furnace and slowly cooled to room temperature in order to obtain barium-calcium hexaferrite particles. The microscopic magnetic properties of prepared samples studying using Moessbauer spectroscopy. Moessbauer spectra of all samples were recorded at room temperature. Mossbauer parameters like Isomer shift, Quadruple splitting etc. were calculated with respect to iron foil. Barium calcium hexaferrite samples heated at 650 deg. C, 750 deg. C, 850 deg. C show relaxation type Moessbauer spectra along with paramagnetic doublet. The intensity of paramagnetic doublet increases with temperature confirm the presence of ferrous ions in the samples, where as sample calcinated at 950 deg. C confirm the presence of ferrimagnetic phase with partial super paramagnetic nature of prepared hexaferrite sample.
This study proposes a tuning fork probe based nanomanipulation robotic system for mechanical characterization of ultraflexible nanostructures under scanning electron microscope. The force gradient is measured via the frequency modulation of a quartz tuning fork and two nanomanipulators are used for manipulation of the nanostructures. Two techniques are proposed for attaching the nanostructure to the tip of the tuning fork probe. The first technique involves gluing the nanostructure for full range characterization whereas the second technique uses van der Waals and electrostatic forces in order to avoid destroying the nanostructure. Helical nanobelts (HNB) are proposed for the demonstration of the setup. The nonlinear stiffness behavior of HNBs during their full range tensile studies is clearly revealed for the first time. Using the first technique, this was between 0.009 N/m for rest position and 0.297 N/m before breaking of the HNB with a resolution of 0.0031 N/m. For the second experiment, this was between 0.014 N/m for rest position and 0.378 N/m before detaching of the HNB with a resolution of 0.0006 N/m. This shows the wide range sensing of the system for potential applications in mechanical property characterization of ultraflexible nanostructures.
We introduce a microscopic approach to derive all the inertial functions in the five-dimensional quadrupole collective Hamiltonian. Local normal modes are evaluated on the constrained mean field in the quasiparticle random-phase approximation in order to derive the inertial functions. The collective Hamiltonians for neutron-rich Mg isotopes are determined with use of this approach, and the shape coexistence/mixing around the N = 20 region is analyzed.
The recent interest in size-dependent deformation of micro- and nanoscale materials has paralleled both technological miniaturization and advancements in imaging and small-scale mechanical testing methods. Here we describe a quantitative in situ nanomechanical testing approach adapted to a dual-beam focused ion beam and scanning electron microscope. A transducer based on a three-plate capacitor system is used for high-fidelity force and displacement measurements. Specimen manipulation, transfer, and alignment are performed using a manipulator, independently controlled positioners, and the focused ion beam. Gripping of specimens is achieved using electron-beam assisted Pt-organic deposition. Local strain measurements are obtained using digital image correlation of electron images taken during testing. Examples showing results for tensile testing of single-crystalline metallic nanowires and compression of nanoporous Au pillars will be presented in the context of size effects on mechanical behavior and highlight some of the challenges of conducting nanomechanical testing in vacuum environments.
The authors describe a method of actuation for atomic force microscope (AFM) probes to improve imaging speed and displacement range simultaneously. Unlike conventional piezoelectric tube actuation, the proposed method involves a lever and fulcrum ''seesaw'' like actuation mechanism that uses a small, fast piezoelectric transducer. The lever arm of the seesaw mechanism increases the apparent displacement range by an adjustable gain factor, overcoming the standard tradeoff between imaging speed and displacement range. Experimental characterization of a cantilever holder implementing the method is provided together with comparative line scans obtained with contact mode imaging. An imaging bandwidth of 30 kHz in air with the current setup was demonstrated.
A microscopic folding approach based upon the effective M3Y nucleon-nucleon interaction and the nuclear matter densities of the interacting nuclei has been carried out to explain recently measured experimental data of the {sup 6}He+{sup 120}Sn elastic scattering reaction at four different laboratory energies near the Coulomb barrier. The corresponding reaction cross sections are also considered.
Conductive atomic-force microscopy (C-AFM) writing is attracting attention as a technique for clarifying the switching mechanism of resistive random-access memory by providing a wide area filled with filaments, which can be regarded as one filament with large radius. The writing area on a nickel-oxide (NiO) film formed by conductive atomic-force microscopy was observed by scanning electron microscope, and a correlation between the contrast in a secondary-electron image (SEI) and the resistance written by C-AFM was revealed. In addition, the dependence of the SEI contrast on the beam accelerating voltage (V{sub accel}) suggests that the resistance-change effect occurs near the surface of the NiO film. As for the effects of electron irradiation and vacuum annealing on the C-AFM writing area, it was shown that the resistance-change effect is caused by exchange of oxygen with the atmosphere at the surface of the NiO film. This result suggests that the low-resistance and high-resistance areas are, respectively, p-type Ni{sub 1+{delta}}O ({delta} < 0) and insulating (stoichiometric) or n-type Ni{sub 1+{delta}}O ({delta}{>=} 0).
Mirror electron microscope (MEM) observation has been conducted for a 4-{mu}m-thick n-doped 4H-SiC epitaxial layer. If the sample is simultaneously illuminated with ultraviolet (UV) light of a slightly greater energy than the bandgap energy of 4H-SiC, in-grown stacking faults (IGSFs) can be clearly observed in MEM images. These observations were performed non-destructively, as almost all irradiated electrons returned without impinging the sample surface due to the negative voltage applied to the sample. High spatial resolution observation via MEM showed that multiple IGSFs were stacked up. The phenomenon in which the contrast of the IGSFs vanished in the absence of UV illumination and under UV illumination with a lower energy than the bandgap energy revealed that the origin of the contrast was the negative charging of IGSFs trapping electrons excited by UV light.
In order to achieve nondestructive observation of the three-dimensional spatially resolved electronic structure of solids, we have developed a scanning photoelectron microscope system with the capability of depth profiling in electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). We call this system 3D nano-ESCA. For focusing the x-ray, a Fresnel zone plate with a diameter of 200 {mu}m and an outermost zone width of 35 nm is used. In order to obtain the angular dependence of the photoelectron spectra for the depth-profile analysis without rotating the sample, we adopted a modified VG Scienta R3000 analyzer with an acceptance angle of 60 deg. as a high-resolution angle-resolved electron spectrometer. The system has been installed at the University-of-Tokyo Materials Science Outstation beamline, BL07LSU, at SPring-8. From the results of the line-scan profiles of the poly-Si/high-k gate patterns, we achieved a total spatial resolution better than 70 nm. The capability of our system for pinpoint depth-profile analysis and high-resolution chemical state analysis is demonstrated.
Scanning tunneling microscopic studies of Si(001)-2 x 1 surfaces excited with 532-nm laser pulses of intensities below melting and ablation thresholds have revealed two different modes of structural modifications, strongly depending on the intensity of laser lights. The excitation below 100 mJ/cm{sup 2} causes bond rupture at individual dimer-sites leading to the formation of vacancies selectively on the outermost layer. The bond rupture, which shows a strongly site-sensitive rate, forms efficiently vacancy-strings elongated along the surface dimer-rows. Selective removal of surface dimers results in the exposure of flat and defect-less underlying layer as reported previously, which is resistive to the excitation at this range of intensity. At intensities above 100 mJ/cm{sup 2}, on the other hand, the excitation forms not only vacancies but also ad-dimers on terraces. The number density of ad-dimers is in proportion to the square of that for vacancies, indicating strongly that silicon atoms released by laser-induced bond rupture are associated with each other to form ad-dimers. The repeated irradiations at this range of intensities induce anisotropic growth of ad-dimer islands and of vacancy clusters on terrace regions, leading to multiply terraced structure. The primary processes of the structural modifications are discussed based on the quantitative analyses of the growth of vacancy and ad-dimer under excitation.
Within the Hartree-Fock-BCS and Highly Truncated Diagonalization microscopic approaches we have calculated the ground-state binding energies of axially-deformed odd-Z, even-N nuclei in the A {approx} 130 region and of the even-even daughter nuclei resulting from one-proton emission. The deduced Q{sub p} values are in fair agreement with available experimental data.