Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “BiBr”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 records

Physical Properties of Candidate X-ray Detector Material Rb 4 Ag 2 BiBr 9

Recently, metal halide perovskites have emerged as promising semiconductor candidates for sensitive X-ray photon detection due to their suitable band gap energies, excellent charge transport properties, and low material cost afforded by their low-temperature solution-processing preparation. Furthermore, we report an improved methodology for single crystal growth and thermal and electrical properties of a two-dimensional (2D) layered halide material Rb 4 Ag 2 BiBr 9 , which has been identified as a potential candidate for X-ray radiation detection applications. The measured heat capacity for Rb 4 Ag 2 BiBr 9 implies that there are no structural phase transitions upon cooling. Temperature dependence of thermal transport measurements further suggests remarkably low thermal conductivities of Rb 4 Ag 2 BiBr 9 that are comparable to the lowest reported in literature. The bulk crystal resistivity is determined to be 2.59 × 10 9 Ω·cm from the current–voltage (I–V) curve. Density of trap states is estimated to be ~10 10 cm –3 using the space-charge-limited-current measurements. The fabricated Rb 4 Ag 2 BiBr 9 -based X-ray detector shows good operational stability with no apparent current drift, which may be ascribed to the 2D crystal structure of Rb 4 Ag 2 BiBr 9 . Finally, by varying the X-ray tube current to change the corresponding dose rate, the Rb4Ag2BiBr9 X-ray detector sensitivity is determined to be 222.03 μC Gy –1 cm –2 (at an electric field of E = 24 V/mm).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Materials Data on BiBr by Materials Project

BiBiBr2 crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/m space group. The structure is one-dimensional and consists of eight bismuth molecules and eight BiBr2 ribbons oriented in the (0, 1, 0) direction. In each BiBr2 ribbon, Bi1+ is bonded in a square co-planar geometry to four Br1- atoms. There are two shorter (2.94 Å) and two longer (2.95 Å) Bi–Br bond lengths. There are two inequivalent Br1- sites. In the first Br1- site, Br1- is bonded in an L-shaped geometry to two equivalent Bi1+ atoms. In the second Br1- site, Br1- is bonded in an L-shaped geometry to two equivalent Bi1+ atoms.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Octahedral Distortion and Excitonic Behavior of Cs 3 Bi 2 Br 9 Halide Perovskite at Low Temperature

The metal halide ionic octahedron, represented as [MX 6 ] $n$- (M = metal cation, X = halide anion), serves as the basic structural unit in halide perovskites and plays a crucial role in determining their optoelectronic and chemical properties. Thus, it is possible to correlate the responses of metal halide perovskites to various environmental stimuli with the dynamic behaviors of the [MX 6 ] $n$- octahedra. In this study, with the temperature-dependent single-crystal X ray diffraction (SCXRD) measurements on Cs 3 Bi 2 Br 9 2D halide perovskites, we can identify two classes of distortions through the lowering of temperature: intraoctahedral distortion, which is the off-centering of Bi 3+ cation within a [BiBr 6 ] 3– octahedron due to the Bi 3+ 6s 2 lone pair electrons, and interoctahedral distortion, which is the collective misalignments among the [BiBr 6 ] 3– building blocks. Free exciton (FE) and self-trapped exciton (STE) models are used to study the relationship between the distortion of octahedra in Cs 3 Bi 2 Br 9 and the corresponding changes in its optoelectronic properties, which transform from dominating blue emission above 100 K to red emission at 4 K. In conclusion, this work provides new insights into the excitonic behaviors of perovskites and suggests a possibility that we can design and rationalize the optical properties of halide perovskites by regulating the environmental stimuli based on the knowledge of behaviors of the individual [MX 6 ] $n$- building blocks.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Spin-resolved topology and partial axion angles in three-dimensional insulators

Abstract Symmetry-protected topological crystalline insulators (TCIs) have primarily been characterized by their gapless boundary states. However, in time-reversal- ( $${{{{{{{\mathcal{T}}}}}}}}$$ T -) invariant (helical) 3D TCIs—termed higher-order TCIs (HOTIs)—the boundary signatures can manifest as a sample-dependent network of 1D hinge states. We here introduce nested spin-resolved Wilson loops and layer constructions as tools to characterize the intrinsic bulk topological properties of spinful 3D insulators. We discover that helical HOTIs realize one of three spin-resolved phases with distinct responses that are quantitatively robust to large deformations of the bulk spin-orbital texture: 3D quantum spin Hall insulators (QSHIs), “spin-Weyl” semimetals, and $${{{{{{{\mathcal{T}}}}}}}}$$ T -doubled axion insulator (T-DAXI) states with nontrivial partial axion angles indicative of a 3D spin-magnetoelectric bulk response and half-quantized 2D TI surface states originating from a partial parity anomaly. Using ab-initio calculations, we demonstrate that β -MoTe 2 realizes a spin-Weyl state and that α -BiBr hosts both 3D QSHI and T-DAXI regimes.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Reflection spectra of lunar dust grains with amorphous coatings.

The suggestion of Bibring et al. (1971) that the low albedos and reddish spectra observed in some lunar fines are caused by a low density amorphous substance which coats the fines is disputed. It is shown that these coatings have only a marginal effect on lunar reflectivity.

Hapke, B.↗

Analytical Laboratory Science on the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mission

The Odyssey Missions orbital maps of near surface ice abundance using neutron spectroscopy (Boynton et al., 2002), the Mars Exploration Rover s confirmation of aqueous processing (Squyres et al., 2004), and the Mars Express detailed infrared maps of specific mineral types that were likely formed in aqueous environments (Bibring et al., 2005) have dramatically expanded our tool set for understanding of aqueous processes on Mars. The 2009 Mars Science Laboratory is designed to extend the "follow the water" crosscutting theme of the Mars Exploration Program toward an even more detailed exploration of habitability - the potential of the Mars environment to support life. The next steps in understanding the habitability of Mars are a more detailed in situ analysis of the chemical state of elements such as C, H, O, N, S, P, Ca, and Fe that are essential for terrestrial life. Of particular interest are experiments that establish definitive mineralogy for a wider range of compounds and those that implement a more comprehensive and sensitive search for organic molecules both in the atmosphere and in surface or near surface rocks, soils, and fines. The recent reports of atmospheric methane in the Martian atmosphere make the organics exploration even more compelling. The substantial mass and power resources of MSL combined with its mobility and powerful sample acquisition and processing tools will enable it to locate a variety of near-surface samples and analyze these in some detail. NASA is presently considering the possibility of landing a second MSL rover in 2011.

Mahaffy, P. R.↗

Considerations on Terrestrial Iron Depositing Analogs to Earliest Mars

Iron oxide and hydroxide minerals, including hematite, can mineralize and preservemicrofossils and physical biomarkers (Allen at al., 2004). Preserved remnants of phototrophic microorganisms are recognized as biosignatures of past life on Earth (Schopf, 2006). To date, two types of surface iron depositing environments have been studied as analogs to possible habitable environments on earliest Mars: the highly acidified Rio Tinto River (Iberian Belt, Spain) [Gomez Ortis et al., 2007], and the nearneutral iron depositing Chocolate Pots Hot Spring (Yellowstone National Park, US) [Parenteau at al., 2005]. While phototrophs in the Rio Tinto are only represented by eukaryotic algae (Amaral Zettler et all., 2002), Chocolate Pots is mainly populated with cyanobacteria (Pierson et all., 2000; Brown et all., 2007). Which of these environments is the closer analog to a potentially habitable early Mars? Paleobiological data, combined with recent "tree of life" interpretations, suggest that phototrophic eukaryotes evolved not earlier than 2.5 - 2.8 b.y. after Earth s accretion (4.6 b.y.), while cyanobacteria and /or their iron-tolerant predecessors evolved between 1 - 1.5 b.y. after accretion (Brown et al., 2007). Lindsay and Brasier (2002) postulated that microbial life on Mars surface could have lasted no more than 1-1.5 b.y. after Mars accretion (also 4.6 b.y.). Recent multispectral mapping of Mars suggests that near-neutral wet environments prevailed at approximately this time (Bibring, et al., 2006). Thus, near-neutral iron depositing hot springs such as Chocolate Pots Hot Spring seem to be the more likely habitable analogs for earliest Mars.

Brown, Igor I.↗

Evolved Gas Measurements Planned for the Lower Layers of the Gale Crater Mound with the Sample Analysis at Mars Instrument Suite

The lower mound strata of Gale Crater provide a diverse set of chemical environments for exploration by the varied tools of the Curiosity Rover of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mission. Orbital imaging and spectroscopy clearly reveal distinct layers of hydrated minerals, sulfates, and clays with abundant evidence of a variety of fluvial processes. The three instruments of the MSL Sample Analysis at aMars (SAM) investigation, the Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (QMS), the Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS), and the Gas Chromatograph (GC) are designed to analyze either atmospheric gases or volatiles thermally evolved or chemically extracted from powdered rock or soil. The presence or absence of organic compounds in these layers is of great interest since such an in situ search for this type of record has not been successfully implemented since the mid-60s Viking GCMS experiments. However, regardless of the outcome of the analysis for organics, the abundance and isotopic composition of thermally evolved inorganic compounds should also provide a rich data set to complement the mineralogical and elemental information provided by other MSL instruments. In addition, these evolved gas analysis (EGA) experiments will help test sedimentary models proposed by Malin and Edgett (2000) and then further developed by Milliken et al (2010) for Gale Crater. In the SAM EGA experiments the evolution temperatures of H2O, CO2, SO2, O2, or other simple compounds as the samples are heated in a helium stream to 1000 C provides information on mineral types and their associations. The isotopic composition of O, H, C, and S can be precisely determined in several evolved compounds and compared with the present day atmosphere. Such SAM results might be able to test mineralogical evidence of changing sedimentary and alteration processes over an extended period of time. For example, Bibring et al (2006) have suggested such a major shift from early nonacidic to later acidic alteration. We will illustrate through a variety of evolved gas experiments implemented under SAM-like gas flow and temperature ramp conditions on terrestrial analog minerals on high fidelity Sam breadboards the type of chemical information we expect SAM to provide.

Mahaffy, Paul↗

Ion implantation effects in 'cosmic' dust grains

Cosmic dust grains, whatever their origin may be, have probably suffered a complex sequence of events including exposure to high doses of low-energy nuclear particles and cycles of turbulent motions. High-voltage electron microscope observations of micron-sized grains either naturally exposed to space environmental parameters on the lunar surface or artificially subjected to space simulated conditions strongly suggest that such events could drastically modify the mineralogical composition of the grains and considerably ease their aggregation during collisions at low speeds. Furthermore, combined mass spectrometer and ionic analyzer studies show that small carbon compounds can be both synthesized during the implantation of a mixture of low-energy D, C, N ions in various solids and released in space by ion sputtering.

Bibring, J. P.↗

Radiation damage and structure recorded at high resolution in grains from fine fractions of Luna 16 surface material

Samples returned to earth by Luna 16, were studied with a high voltage electron microscope for ultramicroscopic features. The following amazing features were noted in particles of surface material returned in all the lunar trips: A very high density of tracks of nuclear particles, ultrathin amorphous shells, highly rounded forms, and amazingly good ordering of crystal lattice. These features were used along with calibration experiments in solving the following problems: (1) determining the energy spectrum and chemical abundances of the very heavy nuclei in the solar wind and in the solar cosmic rays; (2) studying the past activity of the sun; (3) obtaining data on lunar dynamic processes affecting dust particles; (4) analyzing composite effects caused by penetration of solar wind into the lunar surface material; and (5) establishing the existence of the ancient lunar atmosphere and magnetic field.

Durrieu, L.↗

Simulation of lunar carbon chemistry. I - Solar wind contribution

Simulation experiments were conducted to identify the role of solar and lunar winds in the evolution of lunar carbon chemistry. Major conclusions are that (1) implantation of solar wind C, D, and N ions in silicates synthesizes small molecules that can be released into vacuum either by ion sputtering or by heating; (2) this synthesis is highly specific when compared to other processes accounting for the formation of molecules in the solar nebula or in interstellar space; (3) the carbon injected by the solar wind in the crystalline component of mature soils should reach a saturation concentration of about 200 ppm; and (4) the carbon chemistry of the crystalline component of mature soils is dominated by solar wind implantation effects.

Bibring, J. P.↗

Simulation of lunar carbon chemistry. II - Lunar winds contribution

Simulation experiments, computations, and analysis of glassy agglutinates show that a directly condensed lunar wind vapor phase is strongly depleted in carbon and sulfur compounds and may recrystallize rapidly in the lunar thermal cycle and separate from host crystals. Factors preventing identification of low-energy species implanted from the lunar atmosphere are discussed. Computational results indicate that the implanted lunar winds carbon originates both from the vapor phases injected into the lunar atmosphere during thermal metamorphism of mature lunar soil grains and from direct volatization of impacting micrometeorites. It is suggested that microglass splashes and tiny crystalline grains possibly attached to the surface of coarser grains do not affect the characteristics of solar wind carbon chemistry in the lunar soil.

Bibring, J. P.↗

New materials for high temperature turbines; ONERA's DS composites confronted with blade problems

ONERA's refractory DS composites were cited as materials required for use in advanced aircraft turbines, operating at high temperatures. These materials were found to be reliable in the construction of turbine blades. Requirements for a blade material in aircraft turbines operating at higher temperatures were compared with the actual performance as found in COTAC DS composite testing. The structure and properties of the more fully developed 74 and 741 types were specified. High temperature structural stability, impact of thermal and mechanical fatigue, oxidation resistance and coating capability were thoroughly evaluated. The problem of cooling passages in DS eutectic blades is also outlined.

Bibring, H.↗

Solar-wind and solar-flare maturation of the lunar regolith

Detailed predictions concerning the depth and time-dependent accumulation of solar-wind effects and solar-flare tracks in lunar dust grains were obtained by use of an adaptation of a Monte Carlo soil-mixing computer code described by Duraud et al. (1975). The predictions are compared to experimental measurements obtained by analyzing lunar dust grains as well as artificially irradiated minerals by a variety of techniques. A study of amorphous coatings of solar-wind radiation-damaged material on certain lunar grains sets limits on the integrated residence time of these grains in the ancient solar wind. Other topics discussed include solar wind maturation, the peculiar shape of the experimental distribution of central track densities in 50-micron grains, and the interpretation of both track gradients in 50-micron feldspars and the relatively 'low' concentration of solar-wind species implanted in ilmenite grains.

Bibring, J. P.↗

Solar wind and cosmic ray irradiation of grains and ices - application to erosion and synthesis of organic compounds in the solar system

Solar wind and cosmic and cosmic ray irradiation of grains induces physical and chemical effects including their erosion and the synthesis of molecular compounds within the implanted layers. The experiments performed with H2O ice implanted by keV ions are presented. The ion implantation is intended to simulate the irradiation of comets, ring grains, and satellites of outer planets, either by the primitive solar particles or by contemporary solar wind (SW) or solar cosmic rays (SCR) fluxes. The detection of molecules was obtained through in-situ infrared spectroscopy. A model is proposed for the formation of organic matter within icy solar system bodies which is in agreement with experimental results of erosion rates. The organic molecules, frozen-in within the icy mantles of the grains present in the protosolar nebula, would originate from their primitive irradiation. Such an irradiation would have taken place during an early stage of the proto-sun, when both the SW and SCR particles were more intense by orders of magnitude.

Rocard, F.↗

Spatial variations in composition of the Valles Marineris and Isidis Planitia regions of Mars derived from ISM data

The present study summarizes preliminary results of an analysis of spaceborne near-infrared imaging spectroscopic data obtained from the martian surface. The sources of spectral variation are identified and surface units are mapped on the basis of the observed spectral properties. The findings indicate that strong spectral variations exist down to the limit of spatial resolution (22 x 22 sq km) of the ISM instrument. The most discriminant criteria are brightness, strength of the 3-micron absorption due to hydration, and near-infrared spectral slope. Bright areas are relatively featureless, but spectral subunits can be delimited within them. Dark areas are heterogeneous, with variations related to mafic mineralogy and partial coatings by fine material. Topographic and spectroscopic maps compiled from the ISM data agree in general with previous results, but provide additional detail and compositional information.

Erard, S.↗

Composition of Syrtis Major volcanic plateau

Syrtis Major, a low-relief volcanic shield centered near 295 degrees 10 degrees N, is an old, well-preserved and exposed volcanic region on Mars which formed at the end of the heavy bombardment period. The composition of these volcanic materials has importance for understanding the thermal and chemical history of Mars. Imaging spectrometer data of the Syrtis Major volcanic plateau are used in this analysis to identify major compositional components. First and second order even channel reflectance spectra between 0.77 and 2.55 microns from four broad classes of materials on Syrtis Major are given. For the volcanic materials, there are three primary classes characterized by albedo, slope, and shape of the 10 micron band. To emphasize the latter, straight line continua were removed from each spectral segment and replotted in another figure. Each spectrum shows a band minima near 0.96 microns and 2.15 microns indicative of pyroxene mineral absorptions. Comparison of these band minima with studies of pyroxene reflectance spectra suggests that the pyroxenes in the volcanics of Syrtis Major are high calcium pyroxene with a Ca/(Mg+Fe+Ca) ratio of 0.2 to 0.3. The most likely pyroxene is an augite.

Mustard, John F.↗