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At least 127 records · Page 7

Exciton energy transfer reveals spectral signatures of excited states in clusters

Electronic excitation and concomitant energy transfer leading to Penning ionization in argon–acetylene clusters generated in a supersonic expansion are investigated with synchrotron-based photoionization mass spectrometry and electronic structure calculations. Spectral features in the photoionization efficiency of the mixed argon–acetylene clusters reveal a blue shift from the 2 P 1/2 and 2 P 3/2 excited states of atomic argon. Analysis of this feature suggests that excited states of argon clusters transfer energy to acetylene, resulting in its ionization and successive evaporation of argon. Theoretically calculated Ar n (n = 2–6) cluster spectra are in excellent agreement with experimental observations, and provide insight into the structure and ionization dynamics of the clusters. A comparison between argon–acetylene and argon–water clusters reveals that argon solvates water better, allowing for higher-order excitons and Rydberg states to be populated. Furthermore, these results are explained by theoretical calculations of respective binding energies and structures.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

The Role of SnO2 Processing on Ionic Distribution in Double-Cation-Double Halide Perovskites

Moving toward a future of efficient, accessible, and less carbon-reliant energy devices has been at the forefront of energy research innovations for the past 30 years. Metal-halide perovskite (MHP) thin films have gained significant attention due to their flexibility of device applications and tunable capabilities for improving power conversion efficiency. Serving as a gateway to optimize device performance, consideration must be given to chemical synthesis processing techniques. Therefore, how does common substrate processing techniques influence the behavior of MHP phenomena such as ion migration and strain? Here, we demonstrate how a hybrid approach of chemical bath deposition (CBD) and nanoparticle SnO2 substrate processing significantly improves the performance of (FAPbI3)0.97(MAPbBr3)0.03 by reducing micro-strain in the SnO2 lattice, allowing distribution of K+ from K-Cl treatment of substrates to passivate defects formed at the interface and produce higher current in light and dark environments. X-ray diffraction reveals differences in lattice strain behavior with respect to SnO2 substrate processing methods. Through use of conductive atomic force microscopy (c-AFM), conductivity is measured spatially with MHP morphology, showing higher generation of current in both light and dark conditions for films with hybrid processing. Additionally, time-of-flight secondary ionization mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) observed the distribution of K+ at the perovskite/SnO2 interface, indicating K+ passivation of defects to improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and device stability. We show how understanding the role of ion distribution at the SnO2 and perovskite interface can help reduce the creating of defects and promote a more efficient MHP device.

conductive atomic force microscopy↗

Radiation Effects on the Performance of Advanced Sulfur Monochloride Chlorination Processes

Advanced sulfur chloride-based chlorination technologies are being developed to enable efficient recycling of aluminum and zirconium-based materials used in the nuclear industry. However, the impacts of ionizing radiation on the performance of these sulfur chloride compounds are not well established, despite this being critical knowledge for assessing their feasibility and longevity under envisioned process conditions. Here, in the present article, we report on the effects of cobalt-60 gamma irradiation (≤ 5 MGy) on the aluminum alloy 6061 (AA6061-T6) chlorination yield in sulfur monochloride (S 2 Cl 2 ). Our findings indicate that, compared to nonirradiated solvent, radiation-induced changes in the chemical composition of S 2 Cl 2 —identified using Raman spectroscopy—afford an additional, dose-dependent exothermic process prior to the chlorination reaction’s typical thermodynamic behavior. We attribute this new process to reactions involving aluminum species (metal, oxide, or [oxy]hydroxides) and sulfur dichloride (SCl 2 ), an S 2 Cl 2 radiolysis product that accumulates with absorbed gamma dose, but is absent following an AA6061-T6 chlorination study. Despite the exothermicity of this new process, the overall yield of chlorination decreased with increasing preirradiation dose. Consequently, the chemical reactivity, specificity (aluminum metal vs aluminum passivation and corrosion layer constituents), and byproducts of SCl 2 must be more thoroughly evaluated to support the continued development of advanced S 2 Cl 2 chlorination technologies.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

The effect of saturated thermal conduction on clouds in a hot plasma

We numerically investigate the internal evolution of multiphase clouds, which are at rest with respect to an ambient, highly ionized medium (HIM) representing the hot component of the circumgalactic medium. Time-dependent saturated thermal conduction and its implications like condensation rates and mixing efficiency are assessed in multiphase clouds. Our simulations are carried out by using the adaptive mesh refinement code FLASH. The model clouds are initially in both hydrostatic and thermal equilibrium and are in pressure balance with the HIM. Thus, they have steep gradients in both temperature and density at the interface to HIM leading to non-negligible thermal conduction. Several physical processes are considered numerically or semi-analytically: thermal conduction, radiative cooling and external heating of gas, self-gravity, mass diffusion, and dissociation of molecules and ionization of atoms. It turns out that saturated thermal conduction triggers a continuous condensation irrespective of cloud mass. Dynamical interactions with ambient HIM all relate to the radial density gradient in the clouds: (1) mass flux due to condensation is the higher the more homogeneous the clouds are; (2) mixing of condensed gas with cloud gas is easier in low-mass clouds, because of their shallower radial density gradient; and thus (3) accreted gas is distributed more efficiently. A distinct and sub-structured transition zone forms at the interface between cloud and HIM, which starts at smaller radii and is much narrower as deduced from analytical theory.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Automated workflow for non-empirical Wannier-localized optimal tuning of range-separated hybrid functionals

Here, we introduce an automated workflow for generating non-empirical Wannier-localized optimally-tuned screened range-separated hybrid (WOT-SRSH) functionals. WOT-SRSH functionals have been shown to yield highly accurate fundamental band gaps, band structures, and optical spectra for bulk and 2D semiconductors and insulators. Our workflow automatically and efficiently determines the WOT-SRSH functional parameters for a given crystal structure and composition, approximately enforcing the correct screened long-range Coulomb interaction and an ionization potential ansatz. In contrast to previous manual tuning approaches, our tuning procedure relies on a new search algorithm that only requires a few hybrid functional calculations with minimal user input. We demonstrate our workflow on 23 previously studied semiconductors and insulators, reporting the same high level of accuracy. By automating the tuning process and improving its computational efficiency, the approach outlined here enables applications of the WOT-SRSH functional to compute spectroscopic and optoelectronic properties for a wide range of materials.

Gant, Stephen E. [University of California, Berkel↗

A Six-Membered Concerted Mechanism for CO 2 Capture by Amines Studied under Charged Microdroplet Reaction Conditions

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture and storage represents an important technological challenge. A mechanistic understanding of interactions involved in the capture process is necessary not only for technological development but also for efficient conversion of captured CO 2 into value-added materials. Herein, we present a novel contained secondary electrospray ionization platform for studying the interactions of gaseous amines and CO 2 gas under microdroplet reaction conditions, which enables mass spectrometry (MS) characterization of CO 2 capture products and intermediates in real time. We detected [2 M + CO 2 + H] + species, which corresponds to a six-membered intermediate. DFT calculations confirmed the high stability of the protonated six-membered ring intermediate. This finding provides a plausible concerted mechanism in the microdroplet environment that excludes the involvement of thermodynamically disfavored ionic species. The carbamic acid counterpart of the final product/salt was readily characterized by tandem MS. The carbamic acid/amine salt was also isolated and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. By virtue of the fact that headspace vapors of amines are sampled, we were able to establish a high-throughput platform that enabled the CO 2 capture capacity of five different amines to be studied in under 2 min. The same device also enabled the absolute quantification of capture capacity.

Amines↗

Time projection chamber for GADGET II

The established Gaseous Detector with Germanium Tagging (GADGET) detection system is used to measure weak, low-energy 𝛽-delayed proton decays. It consists of the Gaseous Proton Detector equipped with a MICROMEGAS (MM) readout to detect protons and other charged particles calorimetrically, surrounded by the Segmented Germanium Array (SeGA) for high-resolution detection of prompt 𝛾 rays. To upgrade GADGET's Proton Detector to operate as a compact time projection chamber (TPC) for the detection, three-dimensional imaging and identification of low-energy 𝛽-delayed single- and multiparticle emissions mainly of interest to astrophysical studies. A new high granularity MM board with 1024 pads has been designed, fabricated, installed, and tested. A high-density data acquisition system based on generic electronics for TPCs (GET) has been installed and optimized to record and process the gas avalanche signals collected on the readout pads. The TPC's performance has been tested using a 220 Rn 𝛼-particle source and cosmic-ray muons. In addition, decay events in the TPC have been simulated by adapting the attpcroot data analysis framework. Furthermore, a novel application of two-dimensional convolutional neural networks for GADGET II event classification is introduced. The optimization of data throughput is also addressed. The GADGET II TPC is capable of detecting and identifying 𝛼 particles as well as measuring their track direction, range, and energy. The extracted energy resolution of the GADGET II TPC using P10 gas is about 5.4% at 6.288 MeV ( 220 Rn 𝛼 events), computed using charge integration. Based on a systematic simulation study, we estimated the detection efficiency of the GADGET II TPC for protons and 𝛼 particles, respectively. It has also been demonstrated that the GADGET II TPC is capable of tracking minimum-ionizing particles (i.e., cosmic-ray muons). From these measurements, the electron drift velocity was measured under typical operating conditions. In addition to being one of the first generation of micropattern gaseous detectors (MPGDs) to utilize a resistive anode applied to low-energy nuclear physics, the GADGET II TPC will also be the first TPC surrounded by a high-efficiency array of high-purity germanium 𝛾-ray detectors. As a result, the TPC of GADGET II has been designed, fabricated, and tested and is ready for operation at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams for radioactive-beam-line experiments.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Low voltage AC electroluminescence in silicon MOS capacitors

Low power silicon based light source and detector are attractive for on-chip photonic circuits given their ease of process integration. However, conventional silicon light emitting diodes emit photons with energies near the band edge where the corresponding silicon photodetectors lack responsivity. On the other hand, previously reported hot carrier electroluminescent silicon devices utilizing a reverse biased diode require high operating voltages. Here, we investigate hot carrier electroluminescence in silicon metal–oxide–semiconductor capacitors operating under transient voltage conditions. Further, during each voltage transient, large energy band bending is created at the edge of the source contact, much larger than what is achievable at a steady state. As a result, electrons and holes are injected efficiently from a single source contact into the silicon channel at the corresponding voltage transient, where they subsequently undergo impact ionization and phonon-assisted interband recombination. Notably, we show low voltage operation down to 2.8 V by using a 20 nm thick high-κ gate dielectric. We show further voltage scaling is possible by reducing the gate dielectric thickness, thus presenting a low voltage platform for silicon optoelectronic integrated circuits.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Analysis and modeling of tungsten emission and net erosion in the DIII-D divertor using updated atomic data

Tungsten (W) is one of the leading candidate materials for plasma-facing components. However, its main drawback is its high radiative efficiency; if W penetrates the plasma, it can lead to core degradation or even collapse. Since eroded tungsten tends to ionize in the sheath and redeposit promptly, the net erosion flux that escapes prompt redeposition can differ significantly from the gross erosion. This work presents a modeling framework to estimate net erosion and photon emission from W coatings exposed to the lower divertor of DIII-D using the DiMES material exposure probe. The approach couples RustBCA for sputtering yields with a Monte Carlo transport code (LPTMC) that models redeposition and W emission. Computation is carried out with new atomic data, based on R-matrix and Mons calculations, leading to lower ionization probabilities and a twofold increase in net erosion estimates compared to calculations done with OPEN-ADAS atomic data. The model results are benchmarked against experimental measurements, showing quantitative agreement for erosion, although the trends in W emission are reproduced only qualitatively. The model is also used to assess whether W II emission can serve as a direct measurement of the net erosion of W in the lower divertor of DIII-D. Simulations show that this is not valid if the electron pressure is above ~120 Pa or if the toroidal length of the eroded material is smaller than the parallel-to-B distance traveled by impurity ions before steady-state conditions are reached. Finally, simulations suggest that when W is sputtered by carbon ions with high impact energies (≳300 eV) in DIII-D, W net erosion scales with W gross erosion and can be numerically approximated using W I flux alone as input.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Reaction nanoscopy of ion emission from sub-wavelength propanediol droplets

Abstract Droplets provide unique opportunities for the investigation of laser-induced surface chemistry. Chemical reactions on the surface of charged droplets are ubiquitous in nature and can provide critical insight into more efficient processes for industrial chemical production. Here, we demonstrate the application of the reaction nanoscopy technique to strong-field ionized nanodroplets of propanediol (PDO). The technique’s sensitivity to the near-field around the droplet allows for the in-situ characterization of the average droplet size and charge. The use of ultrashort laser pulses enables control of the amount of surface charge by the laser intensity. Moreover, we demonstrate the surface chemical sensitivity of reaction nanoscopy by comparing droplets of the isomers 1,2-PDO and 1,3-PDO in their ion emission and fragmentation channels. Referencing the ion yields to gas-phase data, we find an enhanced production of methyl cations from droplets of the 1,2-PDO isomer. Density functional theory simulations support that this enhancement is due to the alignment of 1,2-PDO molecules on the surface. The results pave the way towards spatio-temporal observations of charge dynamics and surface reactions on droplets.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Laser-heated capillary discharge plasma waveguides for electron acceleration to 8 GeV

A plasma channel created by the combination of a capillary discharge and inverse Bremsstrahlung laser heating enabled the generation of electron bunches with energy up to 7.8 GeV in a laser-driven plasma accelerator. The capillary discharge created an initial plasma channel and was used to tune the plasma temperature, which optimized laser heating. Although optimized colder initial plasma temperatures reduced the ionization degree, subsequent ionization from the heater pulse created a fully ionized plasma on-axis. The heater pulse duration was chosen to be longer than the hydrodynamic timescale of ≈ 1 ns, such that later temporal slices were more efficiently guided by the channel created by the front of the pulse. Here, simulations are presented which show that this thermal self-guiding of the heater pulse enabled channel formation over 20 cm. The post-heated channel had lower on-axis density and increased focusing strength compared to relying on the discharge alone, which allowed for guiding of relativistically intense laser pulses with a peak power of 0.85 PW and wakefield acceleration over 15 diffraction lengths. Electrons were injected into the wake in multiple buckets and times, leading to several electron bunches with different peak energies. To create single electron bunches with low energy spread, experiments using localized ionization injection inside a capillary discharge waveguide were performed. A single injected bunch with energy 1.6 GeV, charge 38 pC, divergence 1 mrad, and relative energy spread below 2% full-width half-maximum was produced in a 3.3 cm-long capillary discharge waveguide. This development shows promise for mitigation of energy spread and future high efficiency staged acceleration experiments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Electric field distribution in a non-self-sustained RF discharge with ionization generated by Ns discharge pulses

Abstract Electric field in a capacitively coupled, non-self-sustained RF discharge nitrogen plasma with external ionization generated by high-voltage ns pulses has been measured by ps Electric field induced second harmonic generation (EFISH). The measurements are made both in the bulk of the plasma and in the sheaths, using the absolute calibration by the Laplacian field between two plane electrodes. The results are compared with the kinetic modeling calculations. The RF electric field in the sheaths is significantly higher compared to that in the plasma, due to the displacement of the electrons by the drift oscillations and the resultant plasma self-shielding. However, the kinetic modeling predictions indicate that the electron impact ionization in the sheaths is largely ineffective, due to the low electron density. The reduction of the electric field in the plasma by the self-shielding in the sheaths is moderate, such that the energy is coupled to the plasma by the below-breakdown RF field. The peak RF field in the plasma is in the range of 15–25 Td, indicating the efficient vibrational excitation of N 2 by electron impact. The modeling predictions suggest that the targeted vibrational excitation of molecular species in a non-self-sustained RF discharge with external ionization is scalable to high pressures, electron densities, and discharge powers. The present approach can be extended to the vibrational excitation of other molecular species where the vibrational relaxation is relatively slow, such as CO, CO 2 , and H 2 .

Physics↗

Resolved Molecular Gas Observations of MaNGA Post-starbursts Reveal a Tumultuous Past

Post-starburst (PSB) galaxies have recently and rapidly quenched their star formation; thus, they are an important way to understand how galaxies transition from star-forming late types to quiescent early types. The recent discovery of large cold gas reservoirs in PSB galaxies calls into question the theory that galaxies must lose their gas to become quiescent. Optical Integral Field Spectroscopy (IFS) surveys have revealed two classes of PSB galaxies: central PSB (cPSB) galaxies with central quenching regions and ring PSB (rPSB) galaxies with quenching in their outskirts. We analyze a sample of 13 nearby (z < 0.1) PSB galaxies with spatially resolved optical IFS data from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory survey and matched resolution Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of 12 CO(1–0). Disturbed stellar kinematics in 7/13 of our PSB galaxies and centrally concentrated molecular gas is consistent with a recent merger for most of our sample. In galaxies without merger evidence, alternate processes may funnel gas inward and suppress star formation, which may include outflows, stellar bars, and minor mergers or interactions. The star formation efficiencies of the PSB regions in nearly half our galaxies are suppressed while the gas fractions are consistent with star-forming galaxies. Active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback may drive this stabilization, and we observe AGN-consistent emission in the centers of 5/13 galaxies. Finally, our cPSB and rPSB galaxies have similar properties except the ionized and molecular gas in cPSB galaxies is more disturbed. Overall, the molecular gas in our PSB galaxies tends to be compact and highly disturbed, resulting in concentrated gas reservoirs unable to form stars efficiently.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Testing the Jump Finding Code for NEXUS Qubit Analysis

At Fermilab, the NEXUS dilution refrigerator is repeating the same experiment from Wilen et al. 1 underground to further investigate the effect of ionizing radiation and cosmic ray muons on qubit decoherence. This refrigerator is 100m underground in the MINOS cavern to significantly lower the incident rate of cosmic ray muons, meaning the majority of incidents is due to ionizing radiation. To gain a better understanding of how the rate of ionizing radiation affects the qubits, we use 4 radiation configurations to collect data from the chip. In this work, we examine the efficiency of our jump detection code to find jumps of various sizes. We do so using simulated data with a known number of injected jumps of known sizes. These jumps are charge offsets of the qubit, thought to be due to quasiparticle poisoning. To test this, we run the jump finding code on an array of simulated data in which two main parameters, the smoothing factor and the threshold at which a charge offset is considered a jump, are changed to test an array of these parameters. We then perform a χ2 analysis to find the best combination of these two parameters.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Suppressed Cosmic-Ray Energy Densities in Molecular Clouds from Streaming Instability-regulated Transport

Abstract Cosmic rays (CRs) are the primary driver of ionization in star-forming molecular clouds (MCs). Despite their potential impacts on gas dynamics and chemistry, no simulations of star cluster formation following the creation of individual stars have included explicit cosmic-ray transport (CRT) to date. We conduct the first numerical simulations following the collapse of a 2000 M ⊙ MC and the subsequent star formation including CRT using the STAR FORmation in Gaseous Environments framework implemented in the GIZMO code. We show that when CRT is streaming-dominated, the CR energy in the cloud is strongly attenuated due to energy losses from the streaming instability. Consequently, in a Milky Way–like environment the median CR ionization rate in the cloud is low ( ζ ≲ 2 × 10 −19 s −1 ) during the main star-forming epoch of the calculation and the impact of CRs on the star formation in the cloud is limited. However, in high-CR environments, the CR distribution in the cloud is elevated ( ζ ≲ 6 × 10 −18 ), and the relatively higher CR pressure outside the cloud causes slightly earlier cloud collapse and increases the star formation efficiency by 50% to ∼13%. The initial mass function is similar in all cases except with possible variations in a high-CR environment. Further studies are needed to explain the range of ionization rates observed in MCs and explore star formation in extreme CR environments.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗

Investigating radioactive negative ion production via double electron capture

The relative cross sections for radioactive negative ion production via double electron capture have been measured for collisions between a 40 keV projectile beam of uranium-238 and potassium vapor. This was performed at the collinear resonance ionization spectroscopy (CRIS) experiment at CERN-ISOLDE and is a step towards measuring the electron affinities (EAs) of elements that cannot be efficiently produced in negative ion sources at radioactive ion beam (RIB) facilities. This includes short-lived radioactive isotopes that have low production quantities and heavy and superheavy elements that systematically have smaller EAs than work functions of available ion source materials. Negative ions are particularly sensitive to electron–electron correlation effects, which make such studies ideal for benchmarking atomic structure models that go beyond the independent particle model. While the EAs of most light elements have been measured, experimental investigations on heavier elements, namely the actinides, remain scarce due to their radioactive nature and production difficulty. By developing negative ion production by charge exchange, we aim to make these studies feasible at RIB facilities.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Computation of Auger Electron Spectra in Organic Molecules with Multiconfiguration Pair-Density Functional Theory

Efficient and accurate computation of molecular Auger electron spectra for larger systems is limited by the rapid increase in the number of doubly ionized final states as the system size grows. Here, in this work, we benchmark the application of multiconfiguration pair-density functional theory with a restricted active space (RAS) reference wave function for computing the carbon K-edge decay spectra of 20 organic molecules. Decay rates are computed within the one-center approximation. We evaluate the performance of different basis sets and on-top functionals and find that multiconfiguration pair-density functional theory achieves accuracy comparable to RAS followed by second-order perturbation theory, but at significantly lower computational cost.

Fouda, Adam E. A. [Argonne National Laboratory (AN↗

Simulation of decelerating streamers in inhomogeneous atmosphere with implications for runaway electron generation

The dynamics of positive and negative streamers is numerically simulated in atmospheric pressure air in the range of parameters corresponding to the streamer deceleration and termination in the middle of the discharge gap. A detailed comparison with experiments in air at constant and variable density demonstrates good agreement between the 2D simulation results and the observations. It is shown that positive and negative streamers behave in radically different ways when decelerating and stopping. When the head potential drops, the negative streamer transits to the mode in which the propagation is due to the forward electron drift. In this case, the radius of the ionization wave front increases, whereas the electric field at the streamer head decreases further and the streamer stops. Its head diameter continues to increase due to the slow drift of free electrons in the residual under-breakdown field. On the contrary, the only advancement mechanism for a positive streamer with a decreasing head potential is a decrease in the effective radius of the ionization wave, leading to a local increase in the electric field. This mechanism makes it possible to compensate for the reduction in the efficiency of gas photoionization at small head diameters. A qualitative 1D model is suggested to describe streamer deceleration and stopping for different discharge polarities. Estimates show that, during positive streamer stopping, the local electric field at the streamer head can exceed the threshold corresponding to the transition of electrons to the runaway mode when the head potential (relative to the surrounding space) decreases to~1.2 kV in atmospheric pressure air. In this case, pulsed generation of a beam of runaway electrons directed into the channel of a stopping positive streamer can occur. The energy of the formed pulsed electron beam depends on the intensity of photoionization in front of the streamer head. This energy can vary from 700 V (when increasing the photoionization rate by a factor of 10 with respect to the value in atmospheric pressure air) to 2.6 kV (when decreasing the photoionization rate by a factor of 1000). It is possible that this behavior of decelerating positive streamers can explain the observed bursts of x-ray radiation during the streamer propagation in long air gaps.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗