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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 1,441 records · Page 80
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Detection of the adsorption of water monolayers through the ion oscillation frequency in the magnesium oxide lattice by means of low energy electron diffraction

We investigate the variation of the oscillation frequency of the Mg{sup 2+} and O{sup 2−} ions in the magnesium oxide lattice due to the interactions of the surface with water monolayers by means of Low Energy Electron Diffraction. Our key result is a new technique to determine the adsorbate vibrations produced by the water monolayers on the surface lattice as a consequence of their change in the surface Debye temperature and its chemical shift. The latter was systematically investigated for different annealing times and for a constant external thermal perturbation in the range of 110–300 K in order to accomplish adsorption or desorption of water monolayers in the surface lattice.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Controllable pulse width of bright similaritons in a tapered graded index diffraction decreasing waveguide

We obtain the bright similariton solutions for generalized inhomogeneous nonlinear Schrödinger equation (GINLSE) which governs the pulse propagation in a tapered graded index diffraction decreasing waveguide (DDW). The exact solutions have been worked out by employing similarity transformations which involve the mapping of the GINLSE to standard NLSE for the certain conditions of the parameters. By making use of the exact analytical solutions, we have investigated the dynamical behavior of optical similariton pairs and have suggested the methods to control them as they propagate through DDW. Moreover, pulse width of similariton is controlled through various profiles. These results are helpful to understand the similaritons in DDW and can be potentially useful for future experiments in optical communications which involve optical amplifiers and long-haul telecommunication networks.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

High temperature X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and dielectric studies on yttrium orthochromites

The structural, thermal and dielectric properties of YCrO{sub 3} ceramic prepared by solid state reaction method have been investigated by a combination of XRD, Raman spectroscopy and permittivity measurement. The X-ray diffraction spectra shows single phase orthorhombically distorted perovskite structure with Pnma symmetry over a wide range of temperature 300K to 1100K. Impedance spectroscopy study on the sample showed that the dielectric constant, tangent loss and ac conductivity with frequency increases on increasing the temperature. Dielectric measurement shows a relaxor like transition at about 460K. Non-Debye type relaxation is observed with activation energy of 0.25 eV extracted from ac conductivity at 11 kHz frequency. We believe that the oxygen ion vacancies play an important role in conduction processes in addition to polaron hopping at higher temperatures. Raman scattering measurements were performed over a wide temperature range from 300K to 600 K. The line width of the modes due to CrO{sub 6} bending and in-plane O{sub 2} stretching broadens with increasing temperature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Temperature dependent x-ray diffraction and dielectric studies of multiferroic GaFeO{sub 3}

Polycrystalline GaFeO{sub 3} (GFO) samples were synthesized by sol-gel method. The structural and dielectric properties of GaFeO{sub 3} ceramic have been investigated by a combination of XRD and permittivity measurement. The X-ray diffraction spectra shows single phase orthorhombically distorted perovskite structure with Pc2{sub 1}n symmetry over a wide range of temperature 300 K to 600 K, with no evidence of any phase transition. Refined lattice parameters (a, b, c and V) increases with increasing temperature. Temperature dependent dielectric properties were investigated in the frequency range from 100Hz–5MHz. Impedance spectroscopy study on the sample showed that the dielectric constant and ac conductivity with frequency increases on increasing the temperature. Cole-Cole plots suggest that the response from grain is dominant at low temperature whereas grain boundary response overcomes as temperature increases. The relaxation activation energy (calculated from Cole-Cole plots) value is found to be 0.32 eV for the grain boundary. We believe that the oxygen ion vacancies play an important role in conduction processes at higher temperatures.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Abinitio powder x-ray diffraction and PIXEL energy calculations on thiophene derived 1,4 dihydropyridine

We focus on the application of powder diffraction data to get abinitio crystal structure determination of thiophene derived 1,4 DHP prepared by cyclocondensation method using solid catalyst. Crystal structure of the compound has been solved by direct-space approach on Monte Carlo search in parallel tempering mode using FOX program. Initial atomic coordinates were derived using Gaussian 09W quantum chemistry software in semi-empirical approach and Rietveld refinement was carried out using GSAS program. The crystal structure of the compound is stabilized by one N-H…O and three C-H…O hydrogen bonds. PIXEL lattice energy calculation was carried out to understand the physical nature of intermolecular interactions in the crystal packing, on which the total lattice energy is contributed into Columbic, polarization, dispersion, and repulsion energies.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Diffraction enhance x-ray imaging for quantitative phase contrast studies

Conventional X-ray imaging based on absorption contrast permits limited visibility of feature having small density and thickness variations. For imaging of weakly absorbing material or materials possessing similar densities, a novel phase contrast imaging techniques called diffraction enhanced imaging has been designed and developed at imaging beamline Indus-2 RRCAT Indore. The technique provides improved visibility of the interfaces and show high contrast in the image forsmall density or thickness gradients in the bulk. This paper presents basic principle, instrumentation and analysis methods for this technique. Initial results of quantitative phase retrieval carried out on various samples have also been presented.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Characterization of ion beam sputtered deposited W/Si multilayers by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction and x-ray reflectivity technique

W/Si multilayers four samples have been deposited on silicon substrate using ion beam sputtering system. Thickness of tungsten (W) varies from around 10 Å to 40 Å while the silicon (Si) thickness remains constant at around 30 Å in multilayers [W-Si]{sub x4}. The samples have been characterized by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and X-ray reflectivity technique (XRR). GIXRD study shows the crystalline behaviour of W/Si multilayer by varying W thickness and it is found that above 20 Å the W film transform from amorphous to crystalline phase and X-ray reflectivity data shows that the roughnesses of W increases on increasing the W thicknesses in W/Si multilayers.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

Neutron diffraction, specific heat and magnetization studies on Nd{sub 2}CuTiO{sub 6}

Structural and physical properties of a double-perovskite compound, Nd{sub 2}CuTiO{sub 6} have been studied using neutron diffraction, magnetization and specific heat measurements. The compound crystallizes in an orthorhombic structure in space group Pnma. The interesting observation we make here is that, though no long range magnetic order is observed between 2 and 300 K, the low temperature specific heat and magnetic susceptibility behavior exhibits non-Fermi liquid like behavior in this insulating compound. The magnetization and specific heat data are presented and discussed in light of these observations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

A direct correlation of x-ray diffraction orientation distributions to the in-plane stiffness of semi-crystalline organic semiconducting films

Large charge mobilities of semi-crystalline organic semiconducting films could be obtained by mechanically aligning the material phases of the film with the loading axis. A key element is to utilize the inherent stiffness of the material for optimal or desired alignment. However, experimentally determining the moduli of semi-crystalline organic thin films for different loading directions is difficult, if not impossible, due to film thickness and material anisotropy. In this paper, we address these challenges by presenting an approach based on combining a composite mechanics stiffness orientation formulation with a Gaussian statistical distribution to directly estimate the in-plane stiffness (transverse isotropy) of aligned semi-crystalline polymer films based on crystalline orientation distributions obtained by X-ray diffraction experimentally at different applied strains. Our predicted results indicate that the in-plane stiffness of an annealing film was initially isotropic, and then it evolved to transverse isotropy with increasing mechanical strains. This study underscores the significance of accounting for the crystalline orientation distributions of the film to obtain an accurate understanding and prediction of the elastic anisotropy of semi-crystalline polymer films.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Absolute x-ray energy calibration and monitoring using a diffraction-based method

In this paper, we report some recent developments of the diffraction-based absolute X-ray energy calibration method. In this calibration method, high spatial resolution of the measured detector offset is essential. To this end, a remotely controlled long-translation motorized stage was employed instead of the less convenient gauge blocks. It is found that the precision of absolute X-ray energy calibration (ΔE/E) is readily achieved down to the level of 10{sup −4} for high-energy monochromatic X-rays (e.g. 80 keV). Examples of applications to pair distribution function (PDF) measurements and energy monitoring for high-energy X-rays are presented.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Structural studies of metal nanoparticles using high-energy x-ray diffraction

The XRD patterns of nanoparticles exhibit broad Bragg peaks because of small size, where the contribution of diffuse component provides us with inherent structural information. Therefore, pair distribution function obtained from a Fourier transformation of high-energy XRD data and structure modeling on the basis of diffraction data becomes an essential tool to understand the structure of nanoparticles. This promising tool was utilized to obtain structural information of Pd/Pt bimetallic core/shell and solid-solution nanoparticles, which show much attention due to their improved hydrogen storage capacity and catalytic activity.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

Scanning three-dimensional x-ray diffraction microscopy using a high-energy microbeam

A scanning three-dimensional X-ray diffraction (3DXRD) microscope apparatus with a high-energy microbeam was installed at the BL33XU Toyota beamline at SPring-8. The size of the 50 keV beam focused using Kirkpatrick-Baez mirrors was 1.3 μm wide and 1.6 μm high in full width at half maximum. The scanning 3DXRD method was tested for a cold-rolled carbon steel sheet sample. A three-dimensional orientation map with 37 {sup 3} voxels was obtained.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Nanosecond laser pulse heating of a platinum surface studied by pump-probe X-ray diffraction

We report on the quantitative determination of the transient surface temperature of Pt(110) upon nanosecond laser pulse heating. We find excellent agreement between heat transport theory and the experimentally determined transient surface temperature as obtained from time-resolved X-ray diffraction on timescales from hundred nanoseconds to milliseconds. Exact knowledge of the surface temperature's temporal evolution after laser excitation is crucial for future pump-probe experiments at synchrotron storage rings and X-ray free electron lasers.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

High field X-ray diffraction measurements of Mn{sub 2}Sb{sub 0.95}Ge{sub 0.05}

Magnetization and high-field X-ray powder diffraction measurements were performed for Mn{sub 2}Sb{sub 0.95}Ge{sub 0.05} with a tetragonal structure in magnetic fields up to 5 T in the 10-300 K temperature range. For B = 0 T and 5 T, a first-order magnetic transition from a ferrimagnetic (FRI) to an antiferromagnetic (AFM) state occurred at T{sub t} ∼ 180 K and 150 K, respectively, and were accompanied by an iso-structural transformation. For this transition from the AFM to FRI state, the lattice parameters a and c changed by |Δa/a| = 0.15% and by |Δc/c| = 0.47% at 180 K. The compound showed both metamagnetic transition from the AFM to FRI state with a hysteresis at the temperature just below T{sub t} and magnetic field-induced iso-structural transformation.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2016

The structure of molten CuCl: Reverse Monte Carlo modeling with high-energy X-ray diffraction data and molecular dynamics of a polarizable ion model

The results of the structural properties of molten copper chloride are reported from high-energy X-ray diffraction measurements, reverse Monte Carlo modeling method, and molecular dynamics simulations using a polarizable ion model. The simulated X-ray structure factor reproduces all trends observed experimentally, in particular the shoulder at around 1 Å{sup −1} related to intermediate range ordering, as well as the partial copper-copper correlations from the reverse Monte Carlo modeling, which cannot be reproduced by using a simple rigid ion model. It is shown that the shoulder comes from intermediate range copper-copper correlations caused by the polarized chlorides.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2016

The solidification products of levitated Fe83B17 studied by high-energy x-ray diffraction

Detailed high-energy x-ray diffraction studies were performed to gain insight into the evolution of phase formation in undercooled Fe 83 B 17 and the mechanism for the stabilization of face-centered cubic (fcc) Fe in the presence of Fe 23 B 6 . Fe 83 B 17 solidifies directly into either the equilibrium Fe 2 B + Fe phases or the metastable Fe 23 B 6 + Fe phases. When formed, the metastable Fe 23 B 6 phase either rapidly transforms into the equilibrium Fe 2 B phase within the solidification plateau or can persist down to ambient temperature. Here, we detail these different solidification behaviors in a set of thermal cycles taken from one sample and demonstrate the absence of a direct correlation with cooling rate and thermal history. We show that the coherent growth of Fe 23 B 6 and fcc Fe suppresses the allotropic transition from fcc Fe to bcc Fe. The temperature evolution of the phase fractions and lattice parameters is also presented.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Monitoring nonadiabatic avoided crossing dynamics in molecules by ultrafast X-ray diffraction

We examine time-resolved X-ray diffraction from molecules in the gas phase which undergo nonadiabatic avoided-crossing dynamics involving strongly coupled electrons and nuclei. Several contributions to the signal are identified, representing (in decreasing strength) elastic scattering, contributions of the electronic coherences created by nonadiabatic couplings in the avoided crossing regime, and inelastic scattering. The former probes the charge density and delivers direct information on the evolving molecular geometry. The latter two contributions are weaker and carry spatial information through the transition charge densities (off-diagonal elements of the charge-density operator). Simulations are presented for the nonadiabatic harpooning process in the excited state of sodium fluoride.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Electron-lattice energy relaxation in laser-excited thin-film Au-insulator heterostructures studied by ultrafast MeV electron diffraction

We apply time-resolved MeV electron diffraction to study the electron-lattice energy relaxation in thin film Au-insulator heterostructures. Through precise measurements of the transient Debye-Waller-factor, the mean-square atomic displacement is directly determined, which allows to quantitatively follow the temporal evolution of the lattice temperature after short pulse laser excitation. Data obtained over an extended range of laser fluences reveal an increased relaxation rate when the film thickness is reduced or the Au-film is capped with an additional insulator top-layer. This behavior is attributed to a cross-interfacial coupling of excited electrons in the Au film to phonons in the adjacent insulator layer(s). Analysis of the data using the two-temperature-model taking explicitly into account the additional energy loss at the interface(s) allows to deduce the relative strength of the two relaxation channels.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗