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At least 19 records

Experimental and Numerical Investigation on Vibration of Sandwich Plates with Honeycomb Cores Based on Radial Basis Function

The vibration characteristic of the sandwich plate with a honeycomb core was investigated by experimental measurements and numerical calculation based on radial basis function (RBF). RBF method was used not only in the meshless approach but also in the post-processing of the experimental data. During the experiment, amplitude-fluctuation electronic speckle pattern interferometry was applied to access the resonant frequencies and the corresponding vibration mode shapes simultaneously. Then RBF method was used to improve the quality of patterns and reconstruct the out-of-plane vibration amplitude after fringe analysis. As for numerical calculation, the modal parameters were numerically predicted using the first-order shear deformation theory. The computation approach was based on collocation with multi-quadric radial basis function. To understand the influence of the thickness of face sheet on dynamic behaviors, three types of specimens with different thickness were tested and analyzed. Of particular interest was that the vibration modes show veering due to the thickness increment. Furthermore, the numerical predicted results were compared with the experimental measurements for the first five modes. They are in good agreement with each other for resonant frequencies, mode shapes and relative out-of-plane amplitudes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Stiff and strong, lightweight bi-material sandwich plate-lattices with enhanced energy absorption

Plate-based lattices are predicted to reach theoretical Hashin–Shtrikman and Suquet upper bounds on stiffness and strength. However, simultaneously attaining high energy absorption in these plate-lattices still remains elusive, which is critical for many structural applications such as shock wave absorber and protective devices. In this article, we present bi-material isotropic cubic + octet sandwich plate-lattices composed of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (stiff) skins and elastomeric (soft) core. This bi-material configuration enhances their energy absorption capability while retaining stretching-dominated behavior. We investigate their mechanical properties through an analytical model and finite element simulations. Our results show that they achieve enhanced energy absorption approximately 2–2.8 times higher than their homogeneous counterparts while marginally compromising their stiffness and strength. When compared to previously reported materials, these materials achieve superior strength-energy absorption characteristics, making them an excellent candidate for stiff and strong, lightweight energy absorbing applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

LCP crystallization and X-ray diffraction analysis of VcmN, a MATE transporter from Vibrio cholerae

A V. cholerae MATE transporter was crystallized using the lipidic cubic phase (LCP) method. X-ray diffraction data sets were collected from single crystals obtained in a sandwich plate and a sitting-drop plate to resolutions of 2.5 and 2.2 Å, respectively. Multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) transporters, one of the multidrug exporter families, efflux xenobiotics towards the extracellular side of the membrane. Since MATE transporters expressed in bacterial pathogens contribute to multidrug resistance, they are important therapeutic targets. Here, a MATE-transporter homologue from Vibrio cholerae, VcmN, was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized in lipidic cubic phase (LCP). X-ray diffraction data were collected to 2.5 Å resolution from a single crystal obtained in a sandwich plate. The crystal belonged to space group P2{sub 1}2{sub 1}2{sub 1}, with unit-cell parameters a = 52.3, b = 93.7, c = 100.2 Å. As a result of further LCP crystallization trials, crystals of larger size were obtained using sitting-drop plates. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 2.2 Å resolution from a single crystal obtained in a sitting-drop plate. The crystal belonged to space group P2{sub 1}2{sub 1}2{sub 1}, with unit-cell parameters a = 61.9, b = 91.8, c = 100.9 Å. The present work provides valuable insights into the atomic resolution structure determination of membrane transporters.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Secondary Emission Calorimeter (SEC)

This is a technical scope of work (TSW) between the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) the experimenters of University of Chicago and California Institute of Technology, who have committed to participate in beam tests to be carried out during the 2014-2015 Fermilab Test Beam Facility program. The TSW is intended primarily for the purpose of recording expectations for budget estimates and work allocations. The experimenters propose using large-area micro-channel plates assembled without the usual bialkali photocathodes as the active element in sampling calorimeters, Modules without photocathodes can be economically assembled in a glove box and then pumped and sealed using the process to construct photomultipliers, This electromagnetic calorimeter is based on W and Pb absorber plates sandwiched with detectors. Measurements can be made with bare plates and absorber inside the vacuum vessel.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Generation of quasi-monoenergetic carbon ions accelerated parallel to the plane of a sandwich target

A new ion acceleration scheme, namely, target parallel Coulomb acceleration, is proposed in which a carbon plate sandwiched between gold layers is irradiated with intense linearly polarized laser pulses. The high electrostatic field generated by the gold ions efficiently accelerates the embedded carbon ions parallel to the plane of the target. The ion beam is found to be collimated by the concave-shaped Coulomb potential. As a result, a quasi-monoenergetic and collimated C{sup 6+}-ion beam with an energy exceeding 10 MeV/nucleon is produced at a laser intensity of 5 × 10{sup 19} W/cm{sup 2}.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

A Versatile System for High-Throughput In Situ X-ray Screening and Data Collection of Soluble and Membrane-Protein Crystals

In recent years, in situ data collection has been a major focus of progress in protein crystallography. Here, we introduce the Mylar in situ method using Mylar-based sandwich plates that are inexpensive, easy to make and handle, and show significantly less background scattering than other setups. A variety of cognate holders for patches of Mylar in situ sandwich films corresponding to one or more wells makes the method robust and versatile, allows for storage and shipping of entire wells, and enables automated crystal imaging, screening, and goniometerbased X-ray diffraction data-collection at room temperature and under cryogenic conditions for soluble and membrane-protein crystals grown in or transferred to these plates. We validated the Mylar in situ method using crystals of the water-soluble proteins hen egg-white lysozyme and sperm whale myoglobin as well as the 7-transmembrane protein bacteriorhodopsin from Haloquadratum walsbyi. In conjunction with current developments at synchrotrons, this approach promises high-resolution structural studies of membrane proteins to become faster and more routine.

automation↗

High-throughput in situ X-ray screening of and data collection from protein crystals at room temperature and under cryogenic conditions

Protein crystallography has significantly advanced in recent years, with in situ data collection, in which crystals are placed in the X-ray beam within their growth medium, being a major point of focus. In situ methods eliminate the need to harvest crystals, a previously unavoidable drawback, particularly for often small membrane-protein crystals. Here, we present a protocol for the high-throughput in situ X-ray screening of and data collection from soluble and membrane-protein crystals at room temperature (20-25 degrees C) and under cryogenic conditions. The Mylar in situ method uses Mylar-based film sandwich plates that are inexpensive, easy to make, and compatible with automated imaging, and that show very low background scattering. They support crystallization in microbatch and vapor-diffusion modes, as well as in lipidic cubic phases (LCPs). A set of 3D-printed holders for differently sized patches of Mylar sandwich films makes the method robust and versatile, allows for storage and shipping of crystals, and enables automated mounting at synchrotrons, as well as goniometer-based screening and data collection. The protocol covers preparation of in situ plates and setup of crystallization trials; 3D printing and assembly of holders; opening of plates, isolation of film patches containing crystals, and loading them onto holders; basic screening and data-collection guidelines; and unloading of holders, as well as reuse and recycling of them. In situ plates are prepared and assembled in 1 h; holders are 3D-printed and assembled in <= 90 min; and an in situ plate is opened, and a film patch containing crystals is isolated and loaded onto a holder in 5 min.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Asynchronous space–time domain decomposition method with localized uncertainty quantification

The computational cost associated with uncertainty quantification of engineering problems featuring localized phenomenon can be reduced by confining the random variability of the model parameters within a region of interest. Here in this case, a localized treatment of mesh and time resolutions is required to capture the effect of the confined material uncertainty on the global response. We present a computational approach for localized uncertainty quantification with the capability of asynchronous treatment of mesh and time resolutions. In particular, we allow each subdomain to have its local uncertainty representation and the corresponding mesh and time resolutions. As a result, computing resources can be directed toward a small region of interest where a model with high spatial and temporal resolutions is required. To verify the numerical implementation, we consider elastic wave propagation in an axially loaded beam. Moreover, we perform convergence studies with respect to the spatial and temporal discretizations as well as the size of an uncertain subdomain. A projectile impacting a composite sandwich plate is considered as an engineering application for the proposed method.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Two-tier model reduction of viscoelastically damped finite element models

Transient simulations of linear viscoelastically damped structures necessitate critical computational resources to directly integrate the full-order finite element model with time-stepping algorithms. Traditional modal reduction techniques are not directly applicable to these systems since viscoelastic materials depend on time and frequency. A more appropriate reduction basis is obtained from the nonlinear, complex eigenvalue problem, whose eigenvectors capture the appropriate kinematics and enable frequency-based mode selection; unfortunately, the computational cost is prohibitive for computing these modes from large-scale engineering models. To address this shortcoming, this work proposes a novel two-tier reduction procedure to reduce the upfront cost of solving the complex, nonlinear eigenvalue problem. The first reduction step reduces the full-order model with real mode shapes linearized about various centering frequencies to capture the kinematics over a full range of viscoelastic material behavior (glassy, rubbery, and glass-transition zones). This tier-one reduction preserves time-temperature superposition and allows the equations to depend parametrically on operating temperature. The second-level reduction then solves the complex, nonlinear eigenmode solutions in the tier-one reduced space about a fixed temperature to further reduce the equations-of-motion. The method is demonstrated on a cantilevered sandwich plate to display its accuracy and efficiency in comparison to full-order model predictions.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Experimental phasing for structure determination using membrane-protein crystals grown by the lipid cubic phase method

Very little information is available in the literature concerning the experimental heavy-atom phasing of membrane-protein structures where the crystals have been grown using the lipid cubic phase (in meso) method. In this paper, pre-labelling, co-crystallization, soaking, site-specific mercury binding to genetically engineered single-cysteine mutants and selenomethionine labelling as applied to an integral membrane kinase crystallized in meso are described. An assay to assess cysteine accessibility for mercury labelling of membrane proteins is introduced. Despite the marked increase in the number of membrane-protein structures solved using crystals grown by the lipid cubic phase or in meso method, only ten have been determined by SAD/MAD. This is likely to be a consequence of the technical difficulties associated with handling proteins and crystals in the sticky and viscous hosting mesophase that is usually incubated in glass sandwich plates for the purposes of crystallization. Here, a four-year campaign aimed at phasing the in meso structure of the integral membrane diacylglycerol kinase (DgkA) from Escherichia coli is reported. Heavy-atom labelling of this small hydrophobic enzyme was attempted by pre-labelling, co-crystallization, soaking, site-specific mercury binding to genetically engineered single-cysteine mutants and selenomethionine incorporation. Strategies and techniques for special handling are reported, as well as the typical results and the lessons learned for each of these approaches. In addition, an assay to assess the accessibility of cysteine residues in membrane proteins for mercury labelling is introduced. The various techniques and strategies described will provide a valuable reference for future experimental phasing of membrane proteins where crystals are grown by the lipid cubic phase method.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

10 CFR 830 Major Modification Determination for Advanced Test Reactor LEU Fuel Conversion

The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), located in the ATR Complex of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), was constructed in the 1960s for the purpose of irradiating reactor fuels and materials. Other irradiation services, such as radioisotope production, are also performed at ATR. The ATR is fueled with high-enriched uranium (HEU) matrix (UAlx) in an aluminum sandwich plate cladding. The National Nuclear Security Administration Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) strategic mission includes efforts to reduce and protect vulnerable nuclear and radiological material at civilian sites around the world. Converting research reactors from using HEU to low-enriched uranium (LEU) was originally started in 1978 as the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) Program under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science. Within this strategic mission, GTRI has three goals that provide a comprehensive approach to achieving this mission: The first goal, the driver for the modification that is the subject of this determination, is to convert research reactors from using HEU to LEU. Thus the mission of the ATR LEU Fuel Conversion Project is to convert the ATR and Advanced Test Reactor Critical facility (ATRC) (two of the six U.S. High-Performance Research Reactors [HPRR]) to LEU fuel by 2017. The major modification criteria evaluation of the project pre-conceptual design identified several issues that lead to the conclusion that the project is a major modification.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

SU-E-I-92: Is Photon Starvation Preventing Metal Artifact Reduction Algorithm From Working in KVCT?

Purpose: High density/high atomic number metallic objects create shading and streaking metal artifacts in the CT image that can cause inaccurate delineation of anatomical structures or inaccurate radiation dose calculation. A modified iterative maximum-likelihood polychromatic algorithm for CT (mIMPACT) that models the energy response of detectors, photon interaction processes and beam polychromaticity has successfully reduced metal artifacts in MVCT. Our extension of mIMPACT in kVCT did not significantly reduce metal artifacts for high density metal like steel. We hypothesize that photon starvation may result in the measured data in a commercial kVCT imaging beam. Methods: We measured attenuation of a range of steel plate thicknesses, sandwiched between two 12cm thick solid water blocks, using a Phillips Big Bore CTTM scanner in scout acquisition mode with 120kVp and 200mAs. The transmitted signal (y) was normalized to the air scan signal (y{sub 0}) to get attenuation [i.e., ln(y/y{sub 0})] data for a detector. Results: Below steel plate thickness of 13.4mm, the variations in measured attenuation as a function of view number are characterized by a quantum noise and show increased attenuation with metal thickness. On or above this thickness the attenuation shows discrete levels in addition to the quantum noise. Some views have saturated attenuation value. The histograms of the measured attenuation for up to 36.7mm of steel show this trend. The detector signal is so small that the quantization levels in the analog to digital (A-to-D) converter are visible, a clear indication of photon starvation. Conclusion: Photons reaching the kVCT detector after passing through a thick metal plate are either so low in number that the signal measured has large quantum noise, or are completely absorbed inside the plate creating photon starvation. This is un-interpretable by the mIMPACT algorithm and cannot reduce metal artifacts in kVCT for certain realistic thicknesses of steel hip implants. Moti Raj Paudel is supported by the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, the Endowed Graduate Scholarship in Oncology and the Dissertation Fellowship at the University of Alberta. The authors acknowledge the CIHR operating grant number MOP 53254.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

In meso in situ serial X-ray crystallography of soluble and membrane proteins

A method for performing high-throughput in situ serial X-ray crystallography with soluble and membrane proteins in the lipid cubic phase is described. It works with microgram quantities of protein and lipid (and ligand when present) and is compatible with the most demanding sulfur SAD phasing. The lipid cubic phase (LCP) continues to grow in popularity as a medium in which to generate crystals of membrane (and soluble) proteins for high-resolution X-ray crystallographic structure determination. To date, the PDB includes 227 records attributed to the LCP or in meso method. Among the listings are some of the highest profile membrane proteins, including the β{sub 2}-adrenoreceptor–G{sub s} protein complex that figured in the award of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Lefkowitz and Kobilka. The most successful in meso protocol to date uses glass sandwich crystallization plates. Despite their many advantages, glass plates are challenging to harvest crystals from. However, performing in situ X-ray diffraction measurements with these plates is not practical. Here, an alternative approach is described that provides many of the advantages of glass plates and is compatible with high-throughput in situ measurements. The novel in meso in situ serial crystallography (IMISX) method introduced here has been demonstrated with AlgE and PepT (alginate and peptide transporters, respectively) as model integral membrane proteins and with lysozyme as a test soluble protein. Structures were solved by molecular replacement and by experimental phasing using bromine SAD and native sulfur SAD methods to resolutions ranging from 1.8 to 2.8 Å using single-digit microgram quantities of protein. That sulfur SAD phasing worked is testament to the exceptional quality of the IMISX diffraction data. The IMISX method is compatible with readily available, inexpensive materials and equipment, is simple to implement and is compatible with high-throughput in situ serial data collection at macromolecular crystallography synchrotron beamlines worldwide. Because of its simplicity and effectiveness, the IMISX approach is likely to supplant existing in meso crystallization protocols. It should prove particularly attractive in the area of ligand screening for drug discovery and development.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Exploring high temperature phenomena related to post-detonation using an electric arc

We report a study of materials recovered from a uranium-containing plasma generated by an electric arc. The device used to generate the arc is capable of sustaining temperatures of an eV or higher for up to 100 μs. Samples took the form of a 4 μm-thick film deposited onto 8 pairs of 17 μm-thick Cu electrodes supported on a 25 μm-thick Kapton backing and sandwiched between glass plates. Materials recovered from the glass plates and around the electrode tips after passage of an arc were characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Recovered materials included a variety of crystalline compounds (e.g., UO{sub 2}, UC{sub 2}, UCu{sub 5},) as well as mixtures of uranium and amorphous glass. Most of the materials collected on the glass plates took the form of spherules having a wide range of diameters from tens of nanometers to tens of micrometers. The composition and size of the spherules depended on location, indicating different chemical and physical environments. A theoretical analysis we have carried out suggests that the submicron spherules presumably formed by deposition during the arc discharge, while at the same time the glass plates were strongly heated due to absorption of plasma radiation mainly by islands of deposited metals (Cu, U). The surface temperature of the glass plates is expected to have risen to ∼2300 K thus producing a liquefied glass layer, likely diffusions of the deposited metals on the hot glass surface and into this layer were accompanied by chemical reactions that gave rise to the observed materials. These results, together with the compact scale and relatively low cost, suggest that the experimental technique provides a practical approach to investigate the complex physical and chemical processes that occur when actinide-containing material interacts with the environment at high temperature, for example, during fallout formation following a nuclear detonation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Mushroom plasmonic metamaterial infrared absorbers

There has been a considerable amount of interest in the development of various types of electromagnetic wave absorbers for use in different wavelength ranges. In particular, infrared (IR) absorbers with wavelength selectivity can be applied to advanced uncooled IR sensors, which would be capable of identifying objects through their radiation spectrum. In the present study, mushroom plasmonic metamaterial absorbers (MPMAs) for the IR wavelength region were designed and fabricated. The MPMAs consist of a periodic array of thin metal micropatches connected to a thin metal plate with narrow silicon (Si) posts. A Si post height of 200 nm was achieved by isotropic XeF{sub 2} etching of a thin Si layer sandwiched between metal plates. This fabrication procedure is relatively simple and is consistent with complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology. The absorption spectra of the fabricated MPMAs were experimentally measured. In addition, theoretical calculations of their absorption properties were conducted using rigorous coupled wave analysis. Both the calculated and measured absorbance results demonstrated that these MPMAs can realize strong selective absorption at wavelengths beyond the period of the array by varying the micropatch width. Absorbance values greater than 90% were achieved. Dual- or single-mode absorption can also be selected by varying the width of the Si posts. Pixel structures using such MPMAs could be used as high responsivity, high resolution and fast uncooled IR sensors.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Investigation on Mechanical Properties and Equivalent Model of Aluminum Honeycomb Sandwich Panels

In this study, positive-pressure, bending, and drum peel tests were carried out for aluminum honeycomb sandwich panels made of different materials and with different dimensions. The results of these tests not only precisely revealed the relationships between the mechanical properties of aluminum honeycomb sandwich panels and the material dimensions of the face and core layers, the layout mode of the core layer, and the connecting mode between the face layers and core layers, but also determined the reliable mechanical equivalent model. The test results indicate that when the specimen was subjected to the vertical load, the compression properties of aluminum honeycomb sandwich panels were mainly determined by its core layer, while the face layer mainly relieves the axial stress and restrains the deformation of the core layer. In the flexural test, the face layer is the main part subjected to the load, whereas the core layer shows supporting, stabilizing, and strengthening effects, slowing the deformation of the face layer; flexural-tensile properties can be somewhat affected by the layout type of the core layer. The equivalent plate model, honeycomb plate model, and sandwich panel model were screened based on the experimental results, indicating that the sandwich panel model provided a more accurate description. The sandwich panel model was further modified, ultimately resulting in a more effective equivalent model that can accurately reflect the mechanical properties of the aluminum honeycomb sandwich panels.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Construction and Design of a full size sTGC prototype for the ATLAS New Small Wheel upgrade

For the forthcoming Phase-I upgrade to the LHC (2018/19), the first station of the ATLAS muon end-cap system, Small Wheel, will need to be replaced. The New Small Wheel (NSW) will have to operate in a high background radiation region while reconstructing muon tracks with high precision as well as furnishing information for the Level-1 trigger. In particular, the precision reconstruction of tracks requires a spatial resolution of about 100 μm, and the Level-1 trigger track segments have to be reconstructed with an angular resolution of approximately 1 mrad. The NSW will have two chamber technologies, one primarily devoted to the Level-1 trigger function the small-strip Thin Gap Chambers (sTGC) and one dedicated to precision tracking, Micromegas detectors, (MM). The single sTGC planes of a quadruplet consists of an anode layer of 50 μm gold plated tungsten wire sandwiched between two resistive cathode layers. Behind one of the resistive cathode layers, a PCB with precise machined strips (thus the name sTGC's) spaced every 3.2 mm allows to achieve the position resolution that ranges from 70 to 150 μm, depending on the incident particle angle. Behind the second cathode, a PCB that contains an arrangement of pads, allows for a fast coincidence between successive sTGC layers to tag the passage of a track and reads only the corresponding strips for triggering. To be able to profit from the high accuracy of each of the sTGC planes for trigger purposes, their relative geometrical position between planes has to be controlled to within a precision of about 40 μm in their parallelism, as well (due to the various incident angles), to within a precision of 80 μm in the relative distance between the planes to achieve the overall angular resolution of 1 mrad. The needed accuracy in the position and parallelism of the strips is achieved by machining brass inserts together when machining the strip patterns into the cathode boards in a single step. The inserts can then be used as external references on a granite table. Precision methods are used to maintain high accuracy when combining four single detector gaps first into two doublets and then into a quadruplet. We will present results on the ongoing construction of full size (∼1 x 1 m) sTGC quadruplet prototypes before full construction starts in 2015. (authors)

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Powder diffraction from solids in the terapascal regime

A method of obtaining powder diffraction data on dynamically compressed solids has been implemented at the Jupiter and OMEGA laser facilities. Thin powdered samples are sandwiched between diamond plates and ramp compressed in the solid phase using a gradual increase in the drive-laser intensity. The pressure history in the sample is determined by back-propagation of the measured diamond free-surface velocity. A pulse of x rays is produced at the time of peak pressure by laser illumination of a thin Cu or Fe foil and collimated at the sample plane by a pinhole cut in a Ta substrate. The diffracted signal is recorded on x-ray sensitive material, with a typical d-spacing uncertainty of {approx}0.01 A. This diagnostic has been used up to 0.9 TPa (9 Mbar) to verify the solidity, measure the density, constrain the crystal structure, and evaluate the strain-induced texturing of a variety of compressed samples spanning atomic numbers from 6 (carbon) to 82 (lead). Further refinement of the technique will soon enable diffraction measurements in solid samples at pressures exceeding 1 TPa.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗