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Recoil energy distribution of hydrogen isotopes adsorbed on tungsten

Proposed for publication in Journal of Nuclear Materials.

Bastasz, Robert J.; Whaley, Josh A.

The energies of adsorbed H and D recoiled from tungsten surfaces during bombardment with 3 keV Ne{sup +} at oblique angles of incidence were measured. The energy spectra show structure that extends above the elastic recoil energy. We find that the high-energy structure results from multiple collisions, namely recoil of a H isotope followed by scattering from an adjacent W atom, and vice versa. This scattering assisted recoil process is especially prevalent for H isotopes adsorbed on W, owing to the large mass difference between the scattering partners. Such processes will tend to enhance H isotope recycling from plasma-facing W surfaces and reduce energy transfer to the W substrate.

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Acceleration of the Generialized Global Basis (GGB) method for nonlinear problems

Proposed for publication in Journal of Computational Physics.

Tuminaro, Raymond S.; Shadid, John N.

Two heuristic strategies intended to enhance the performance of the generalized global basis (GGB) method [H. Waisman, J. Fish, R.S. Tuminaro, J. Shadid, The Generalized Global Basis (GGB) method, International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering 61(8), 1243-1269] applied to nonlinear systems are presented. The standard GGB accelerates a multigrid scheme by an additional coarse grid correction that filters out slowly converging modes. This correction requires a potentially costly eigen calculation. This paper considers reusing previously computed eigenspace information. The GGB? scheme enriches the prolongation operator with new eigenvectors while the modified method (MGGB) selectively reuses the same prolongation. Both methods use the criteria of principal angles between subspaces spanned between the previous and current prolongation operators. Numerical examples clearly indicate significant time savings in particular for the MGGB scheme.

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Solving elliptic finite element systems in near-linear time with support preconditioners

Proposed for publication in SIAM Journal of Matrix Analysis.

Boman, Erik G.; Hendrickson, Bruce A.

We consider linear systems arising from the use of the finite element method for solving scalar linear elliptic problems. Our main result is that these linear systems, which are symmetric and positive semidefinite, are well approximated by symmetric diagonally dominant matrices. Our framework for defining matrix approximation is support theory. Significant graph theoretic work has already been developed in the support framework for preconditioners in the diagonally dominant case, and in particular it is known that such systems can be solved with iterative methods in nearly linear time. Thus, our approximation result implies that these graph theoretic techniques can also solve a class of finite element problems in nearly linear time. We show that the support number bounds, which control the number of iterations in the preconditioned iterative solver, depend on mesh quality measures but not on the problem size or shape of the domain.

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Octahedral microporous phases Na2Nb2-xTixO6-x(OH)xH2O and their dehydrated perovskites : crystal chemistry, energetics and stability relations

Proposed for publication in Journal Material Research.

Nenoff, Tina M.; Nyman, May D.

A family of microporous phases with compositions Na{sub 2}Nb{sub 2-x}Ti{sub x}O{sub 6-x}(OH){sub x} {center_dot} H{sub 2}O (0 {le} x {le} 0.4) transform to Na{sub 2}Nb{sub 2-x}Ti{sub x}O{sub 6-0.5x} perovskites upon heating. In this study, we have measured the enthalpies of formation of the microporous phases and their corresponding perovskites from the constituent oxides and from the elements by drop solution calorimetry in 3Na{sub 2}O {center_dot} 4MoO{sub 3} solvent at 974 K. As Ti/Nb increases, the enthalpies of formation for the microporous phases become less exothermic up to x = {approx}0.2 but then more exothermic thereafter. In contrast, the formation enthalpies for the corresponding perovskites become less exothermic across the series. The energetic disparity between the two series can be attributed to their different mechanisms of ionic substitutions: Nb{sup 5+} + O{sup 2-} {yields} Ti{sup 4+} + OH{sup -} for the microporous phases and Nb{sup 5+} {yields} Ti{sup 4+} + 0.5 V{sub O}** for the perovskites. From the calorimetric data for the two series, the enthalpies of the dehydration reaction, Na{sub 2}Nb{sub 2-x}Ti{sub x}O{sub 6-x}(OH){sub x} {center_dot} H{sub 2}O {yields} Na{sub 2}Nb{sub 2-x}Ti{sub x}O{sub 6-0.5X} + H{sub 2}O, have been derived, and their implications for phase stability at the synthesis conditions are discussed.

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An analytically solvable eigenvalue problem for the linear elasticity equations

Romero, Louis

Analytic solutions are useful for code verification. Structural vibration codes approximate solutions to the eigenvalue problem for the linear elasticity equations (Navier's equations). Unfortunately the verification method of 'manufactured solutions' does not apply to vibration problems. Verification books (for example [2]) tabulate a few of the lowest modes, but are not useful for computations of large numbers of modes. A closed form solution is presented here for all the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions for a cuboid solid with isotropic material properties. The boundary conditions correspond physically to a greased wall.

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A simulation of heating compressed fast ignition cores by petawatt laser-generated electrons

Proposed for publication in Physical Review Letters.

Mehlhorn, Thomas A.

We report on unique particle-in-cell simulations to understand the relativistic electron beam thermalization and subsequent heating of highly compressed plasmas. The simulations yield heated core parameters in good agreement with the GEKKO-PW experimental measurements, given reasonable assumptions of laser-to-electron coupling efficiency and the distribution function of laser-produced electrons. The classical range of the hot electrons exceeds the mass density-core diameter product {rho}L by a factor of several. Anomalous stopping appears to be present and is created by the growth and saturation of an electromagnetic filamentation mode that generates a strong back-EMF impeding hot electrons on the injection side of the density maxima.

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An interatomic potential model for carbonates allowing for polarization effects

Proposed for publication in Physics and Chemistry of Minerals.

Cygan, Randall T.

An empirical model for investigating the behavior of CaCO{sub 3} polymorphs incorporating a shell model for oxygen has been created. The model was constructed by fitting to: the structure of aragonite and calcite; their elastic, static and high-frequency dielectric constants; phonon frequencies at the wave vectors [1/2 0 2] and [0 0 0] of calcite; and vibrational frequencies of the carbonate deformation modes of calcite. The high-pressure phase transition between calcite I and II is observed. The potentials for the CO{sub 3} group were transferred to other carbonates, by refitting the interaction between CO{sub 3} and the cation to both the experimental structures and their bulk modulus, creating a set of potentials for calculating the properties of a wide range of carbonate materials. Defect energies of substitutional cation defects were analyzed for calcite and aragonite phases. The results were rationalized by studying the structure of calcite and aragonite in greater detail.

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Evidence for o-atom exchange in the O(1D) + N2O reaction as the source of mass-independent isotopic fractionation in atmospheric N2O

Proposed for publication in Geophysical Research Letters.

Muller, Richard P.

Recent experiments have shown that in the oxygen isotopic exchange reaction for O({sup 1}D) + CO{sub 2} the elastic channel is approximately 50% that of the inelastic channel [Perri et al., 2003]. We propose an analogous oxygen atom exchange reaction for the isoelectronic O({sup 1}D) + N{sub 2}O system to explain the mass-independent isotopic fractionation (MIF) in atmospheric N{sub 2}O. We apply quantum chemical methods to compute the energetics of the potential energy surfaces on which the O({sup 1}D) + N{sub 2}O reaction occurs. Preliminary modeling results indicate that oxygen isotopic exchange via O({sup 1}D) + N{sub 2}O can account for the MIF oxygen anomaly if the oxygen atom isotopic exchange rate is 30-50% that of the total rate for the reactive channels.

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Proliferation concerns in the Russian closed nuclear weapons complex cities : a study of regional migration behavior

Flores, Kristen L.

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the legacy of the USSR weapons complex with an estimated 50 nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons cities containing facilities responsible for research, production, maintenance, and destruction of the weapons stockpile. The Russian Federation acquired ten such previously secret, closed nuclear weapons complex cities. Unfortunately, a lack of government funding to support these facilities resulted in non-payment of salaries to employees and even plant closures, which led to an international fear of weapons material and knowledge proliferation. This dissertation analyzes migration in 33 regions of the Russian Federation, six of which contain the ten closed nuclear weapons complex cities. This study finds that the presence of a closed nuclear city does not significantly influence migration. However, the factors that do influence migration are statistically different in regions containing closed nuclear cities compared to regions without closed nuclear cities. Further, these results show that the net rate of migration has changed across the years since the break up of the Soviet Union, and that the push and pull factors for migration have changed across time. Specifically, personal and residential factors had a significant impact on migration immediately following the collapse of the Soviet Union, but economic infrastructure and societal factors became significant in later years. Two significant policy conclusions are derived from this research. First, higher levels of income are found to increase outmigration from regions, implying that programs designed to prevent migration by increasing incomes for closed city residents may be counter-productive. Second, this study finds that programs designed to increase capital and build infrastructure in the new Russian Federation will be more effective for employing scientists and engineers from the weapons complex, and consequently reduce the potential for emigration of potential proliferants.

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Radiofrequency sheath formation and excitation around a stepped electrode

Proposed for publication in the Journal of Applied Physics.

Barnat, Edward; Hebner, Gregory A.

Plasma and sheath structure around a rf excited stepped electrode is investigated. Laser-induced fluorescence dip spectroscopy is used to spatially resolve sheath fields in an argon discharge while optical emission and laser-induced fluorescence are used to measure the spatial structure of the surrounding discharge for various discharge conditions and step-junction configurations. The presence of the step perturbs the spatial structure of the fields around the step as well as the excitation in the region above the step.

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A boron carbide based solid-state neutron detector

Proposed for publication in the Journal of Applied Physics.

Aselage, Terrence L.

Its large cross section for absorption of thermal neutrons has made {sup 10}B a frequent candidate for use in neutron detectors. Here a boron-carbide-based thermoelectric device for the detection of a thermal-neutron flux is proposed. The very high melting temperatures and the radiation tolerance of boron carbides made them suitable for use within hostile environments (e.g., within nuclear reactors). The large anomalous Seebeck coefficients of boron carbides are exploited in proposing a relatively sensitive detector of the local heating that follows the absorption of a neutron by a {sup 10}B nucleus in a boron carbide.

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Advances in pulsed-power-driven radiography system design

Maenchen, John E.; Cordova, Steve R.; Bohlken, Fawn A.; Hahn, Kelly; Jaramillo, Deanna M.; Molina, Isidro; Portillo, Salvador; Madrid, Elizabeth A.; Rovang, Dean C.; Sceiford, M.E.

Flash x-ray radiography has undergone a transformation in recent years with the resurgence of interest in compact, high intensity pulsed-power-driven electron beam sources. The radiographic requirements and the choice of a consistent x-ray source determine the accelerator parameters, which can be met by demonstrated Induction Voltage Adder technologies. This paper reviews the state of the art and the recent advances which have improved performance by over an order of magnitude in beam brightness and radiographic utility.

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A comparison of inexact newton and coordinate descent mesh optimization techniques

Knupp, Patrick K.

We compare inexact Newton and coordinate descent methods for optimizing the quality of a mesh by repositioning the vertices, where quality is measured by the harmonic mean of the mean-ratio metric. The effects of problem size, element size heterogeneity, and various vertex displacement schemes on the performance of these algorithms are assessed for a series of tetrahedral meshes.

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Atomistic simulations of the yielding of gold nanowires

Proposed for publication in Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

Zimmerman, Jonathan A.

We performed atomistic simulations to study the effect of free surfaces on the yielding of gold nanowires. Tensile surface stresses on the surfaces of the nanowires cause them to contract along the length with respect to the bulk face-centered cubic lattice and induce compressive stress in the interior. When the cross-sectional area of a (100) nanowire is less than 2.45 nm x 2.45 nm, the wire yields under its surface stresses. Under external forces and surface stresses, nanowires yield via the nucleation and propagation of the {l_brace}111{r_brace}<112> partial dislocations. The magnitudes of the tensile and compressive yield stress of (100) nanowires increase and decrease, respectively, with a decrease of the wire width. The magnitude of the tensile yield stress is much larger than that of the compressive yield stress for small (100) nanowires, while for small <111> nanowires, tensile and compressive yield stresses have similar magnitudes. The critical resolved shear stress (RSS) by external forces depends on wire width, orientation and loading condition (tension vs. compression). However, the critical RSS in the interior of the nanowires, which is exerted by both the external force and the surface-stress-induced compressive stress, does not change significantly with wire width for same orientation and same loading condition, and can thus serve as a 'local' criterion. This local criterion is invoked to explain the observed size dependence of yield behavior and tensile/compressive yield stress asymmetry, considering surface stress effects and different slip systems active in tensile and compressive yielding.

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Results 88201–88250 of 99,299
Results 88201–88250 of 99,299