Sample records for additional background material

  1. Electrostatic Levitation for Studies of Additive Manufactured Materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    SanSoucie, Michael P.; Rogers, Jan R.; Tramel, Terri

    2014-01-01

    The electrostatic levitation (ESL) laboratory at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is a unique facility for investigators studying high temperature materials. The laboratory boasts two levitators in which samples can be levitated, heated, melted, undercooled, and resolidified. Electrostatic levitation minimizes gravitational effects and allows materials to be studied without contact with a container or instrumentation. The lab also has a high temperature emissivity measurement system, which provides normal spectral and normal total emissivity measurements at use temperature. The ESL lab has been instrumental in many pioneering materials investigations of thermophysical properties, e.g., creep measurements, solidification, triggered nucleation, and emissivity at high temperatures. Research in the ESL lab has already led to the development of advanced high temperature materials for aerospace applications, coatings for rocket nozzles, improved medical and industrial optics, metallic glasses, ablatives for reentry vehicles, and materials with memory. Modeling of additive manufacturing materials processing is necessary for the study of their resulting materials properties. In addition, the modeling of the selective laser melting processes and its materials property predictions are also underway. Unfortunately, there is very little data for the properties of these materials, especially of the materials in the liquid state. Some method to measure thermophysical properties of additive manufacturing materials is necessary. The ESL lab is ideal for these studies. The lab can provide surface tension and viscosity of molten materials, density measurements, emissivity measurements, and even creep strength measurements. The ESL lab can also determine melting temperature, surface temperatures, and phase transition temperatures of additive manufactured materials. This presentation will provide background on the ESL lab and its capabilities, provide an approach to using the ESL

  2. 46 CFR 355.5 - Additional material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 8 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Additional material. 355.5 Section 355.5 Shipping... STATES CITIZENSHIP § 355.5 Additional material. If additional material is determined to be essential to clarify or support the evidence of U.S. citizenship, such material shall be furnished by the...

  3. 46 CFR 355.5 - Additional material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 8 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Additional material. 355.5 Section 355.5 Shipping... STATES CITIZENSHIP § 355.5 Additional material. If additional material is determined to be essential to clarify or support the evidence of U.S. citizenship, such material shall be furnished by the...

  4. 46 CFR 355.5 - Additional material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 8 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Additional material. 355.5 Section 355.5 Shipping... STATES CITIZENSHIP § 355.5 Additional material. If additional material is determined to be essential to clarify or support the evidence of U.S. citizenship, such material shall be furnished by the...

  5. A Shallow Underground Laboratory for Low-Background Radiation Measurements and Materials Development

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Aalseth, Craig E.; Bonicalzi, Ricco; Cantaloub, Michael G.

    Abstract: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory recently commissioned a new shallow underground laboratory, located at a depth of approximately 30 meters water-equivalent. This new addition to the small class of radiation measurement laboratories located at modest underground depths worldwide houses the latest generation of custom-made, high-efficiency, low-background gamma-ray spectrometers and gas proportional counters. This manuscript describes the unique capabilities present in the shallow underground laboratory; these include large-scale ultra-pure materials production and a suite of radiation detection systems. Reported data characterize the degree of background reduction achieved through a combination of underground location, graded shielding, and rejection of cosmic-ray events. Wemore » conclude by presenting measurement targets and future opportunities.« less

  6. Background Materials for Chairman's Workshop. 5th Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kimble, Gregory A.

    Information for newly appointed heads of graduate departments of psychology is presented as background material for the 1974 Chairman's Workshop. Topics include the following: the budgetary situation, pressures for increased teaching loads, effects upon recruiting faculty, faculty morale, graduate and undergraduate student morale, the intellectual…

  7. Advanced Material Strategies for Next-Generation Additive Manufacturing

    PubMed Central

    Chang, Jinke; He, Jiankang; Zhou, Wenxing; Lei, Qi; Li, Xiao; Li, Dichen

    2018-01-01

    Additive manufacturing (AM) has drawn tremendous attention in various fields. In recent years, great efforts have been made to develop novel additive manufacturing processes such as micro-/nano-scale 3D printing, bioprinting, and 4D printing for the fabrication of complex 3D structures with high resolution, living components, and multimaterials. The development of advanced functional materials is important for the implementation of these novel additive manufacturing processes. Here, a state-of-the-art review on advanced material strategies for novel additive manufacturing processes is provided, mainly including conductive materials, biomaterials, and smart materials. The advantages, limitations, and future perspectives of these materials for additive manufacturing are discussed. It is believed that the innovations of material strategies in parallel with the evolution of additive manufacturing processes will provide numerous possibilities for the fabrication of complex smart constructs with multiple functions, which will significantly widen the application fields of next-generation additive manufacturing. PMID:29361754

  8. Advanced Material Strategies for Next-Generation Additive Manufacturing.

    PubMed

    Chang, Jinke; He, Jiankang; Mao, Mao; Zhou, Wenxing; Lei, Qi; Li, Xiao; Li, Dichen; Chua, Chee-Kai; Zhao, Xin

    2018-01-22

    Additive manufacturing (AM) has drawn tremendous attention in various fields. In recent years, great efforts have been made to develop novel additive manufacturing processes such as micro-/nano-scale 3D printing, bioprinting, and 4D printing for the fabrication of complex 3D structures with high resolution, living components, and multimaterials. The development of advanced functional materials is important for the implementation of these novel additive manufacturing processes. Here, a state-of-the-art review on advanced material strategies for novel additive manufacturing processes is provided, mainly including conductive materials, biomaterials, and smart materials. The advantages, limitations, and future perspectives of these materials for additive manufacturing are discussed. It is believed that the innovations of material strategies in parallel with the evolution of additive manufacturing processes will provide numerous possibilities for the fabrication of complex smart constructs with multiple functions, which will significantly widen the application fields of next-generation additive manufacturing.

  9. Comparison of presbyopic additions determined by the fused cross-cylinder method using alternative target background colours.

    PubMed

    Wee, Sung-Hyun; Yu, Dong-Sik; Moon, Byeong-Yeon; Cho, Hyun Gug

    2010-11-01

    To compare and contrast standard and alternative versions of refractor head (phoropter)-based charts used to determine reading addition. Forty one presbyopic subjects aged between 42 and 60 years were tested. Tentative additions were determined using a red-green background letter chart, and 4 cross-grid charts (with white, red, green, or red-green backgrounds) which were used with the fused cross cylinder (FCC) method. The final addition for a 40 cm working distance was determined for each subject by subjectively adjusting the tentative additions. There were significant differences in the tentative additions obtained using the 5 methods (repeated measures ANOVA, p < 0.001). The mean differences between the tentative and final additions were <0.10 D and were not clinically meaningful, with the exception of the red-green letter test, and the red background in the FCC method. There were no significant differences between the tentative and final additions for the green background in the FCC method (p > 0.05). The intervals of the 95% limits of agreement were under ±0.50 D, and the narrowest interval (±0.26 D) was for the red-green background. The 3 FCC methods with a white, green, or red-green background provided a tentative addition close to the final addition. Compared with the other methods, the FCC method with the red-green background had a narrow range of error. Further, since this method combines the functions of both the fused cross-cylinder test and the duochrome test, it can be a useful technique for determining presbyopic additions. © 2010 The Authors. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics © 2010 The College of Optometrists.

  10. Advances in High Temperature Materials for Additive Manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nordin, Nurul Amira Binti; Johar, Muhammad Akmal Bin; Ibrahim, Mohd Halim Irwan Bin; Marwah, Omar Mohd Faizan bin

    2017-08-01

    In today’s technology, additive manufacturing has evolved over the year that commonly known as 3D printing. Currently, additive manufacturing have been applied for many industries such as for automotive, aerospace, medical and other commercial product. The technologies are supported by materials for the manufacturing process to produce high quality product. Plus, additive manufacturing technologies has been growth from the lowest to moderate and high technology to fulfil manufacturing industries obligation. Initially from simple 3D printing such as fused deposition modelling (FDM), poly-jet, inkjet printing, to selective laser sintering (SLS), and electron beam melting (EBM). However, the high technology of additive manufacturing nowadays really needs high investment to carry out the process for fine products. There are three foremost type of material which is polymer, metal and ceramic used for additive manufacturing application, and mostly they were in the form of wire feedstock or powder. In circumstance, it is crucial to recognize the characteristics of each type of materials used in order to understand the behaviours of the materials on high temperature application via additive manufacturing. Therefore, this review aims to provide excessive inquiry and gather the necessary information for further research on additive material materials for high temperature application. This paper also proposed a new material based on powder glass, which comes from recycled tempered glass from automotive industry, having a huge potential to be applied for high temperature application. The technique proposed for additive manufacturing will minimize some cost of modelling with same quality of products compare to the others advanced technology used for high temperature application.

  11. Additive Manufacturing: Unlocking the Evolution of Energy Materials

    PubMed Central

    Zhakeyev, Adilet; Wang, Panfeng; Shu, Wenmiao; Wang, Huizhi

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The global energy infrastructure is undergoing a drastic transformation towards renewable energy, posing huge challenges on the energy materials research, development and manufacturing. Additive manufacturing has shown its promise to change the way how future energy system can be designed and delivered. It offers capability in manufacturing complex 3D structures, with near‐complete design freedom and high sustainability due to minimal use of materials and toxic chemicals. Recent literatures have reported that additive manufacturing could unlock the evolution of energy materials and chemistries with unprecedented performance in the way that could never be achieved by conventional manufacturing techniques. This comprehensive review will fill the gap in communicating on recent breakthroughs in additive manufacturing for energy material and device applications. It will underpin the discoveries on what 3D functional energy structures can be created without design constraints, which bespoke energy materials could be additively manufactured with customised solutions, and how the additively manufactured devices could be integrated into energy systems. This review will also highlight emerging and important applications in energy additive manufacturing, including fuel cells, batteries, hydrogen, solar cell as well as carbon capture and storage. PMID:29051861

  12. Additive Manufacturing: Unlocking the Evolution of Energy Materials.

    PubMed

    Zhakeyev, Adilet; Wang, Panfeng; Zhang, Li; Shu, Wenmiao; Wang, Huizhi; Xuan, Jin

    2017-10-01

    The global energy infrastructure is undergoing a drastic transformation towards renewable energy, posing huge challenges on the energy materials research, development and manufacturing. Additive manufacturing has shown its promise to change the way how future energy system can be designed and delivered. It offers capability in manufacturing complex 3D structures, with near-complete design freedom and high sustainability due to minimal use of materials and toxic chemicals. Recent literatures have reported that additive manufacturing could unlock the evolution of energy materials and chemistries with unprecedented performance in the way that could never be achieved by conventional manufacturing techniques. This comprehensive review will fill the gap in communicating on recent breakthroughs in additive manufacturing for energy material and device applications. It will underpin the discoveries on what 3D functional energy structures can be created without design constraints, which bespoke energy materials could be additively manufactured with customised solutions, and how the additively manufactured devices could be integrated into energy systems. This review will also highlight emerging and important applications in energy additive manufacturing, including fuel cells, batteries, hydrogen, solar cell as well as carbon capture and storage.

  13. Survey of background scattering from materials found in small-angle neutron scattering.

    PubMed

    Barker, J G; Mildner, D F R

    2015-08-01

    Measurements and calculations of beam attenuation and background scattering for common materials placed in a neutron beam are presented over the temperature range of 300-700 K. Time-of-flight (TOF) measurements have also been made, to determine the fraction of the background that is either inelastic or quasi-elastic scattering as measured with a 3 He detector. Other background sources considered include double Bragg diffraction from windows or samples, scattering from gases, and phonon scattering from solids. Background from the residual air in detector vacuum vessels and scattering from the 3 He detector dome are presented. The thickness dependence of the multiple scattering correction for forward scattering from water is calculated. Inelastic phonon background scattering at small angles for crystalline solids is both modeled and compared with measurements. Methods of maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio by material selection, choice of sample thickness and wavelength, removal of inelastic background by TOF or Be filters, and removal of spin-flip scattering with polarized beam analysis are discussed.

  14. Survey of background scattering from materials found in small-angle neutron scattering

    PubMed Central

    Barker, J. G.; Mildner, D. F. R.

    2015-01-01

    Measurements and calculations of beam attenuation and background scattering for common materials placed in a neutron beam are presented over the temperature range of 300–700 K. Time-of-flight (TOF) measurements have also been made, to determine the fraction of the background that is either inelastic or quasi-elastic scattering as measured with a 3He detector. Other background sources considered include double Bragg diffraction from windows or samples, scattering from gases, and phonon scattering from solids. Background from the residual air in detector vacuum vessels and scattering from the 3He detector dome are presented. The thickness dependence of the multiple scattering correction for forward scattering from water is calculated. Inelastic phonon background scattering at small angles for crystalline solids is both modeled and compared with measurements. Methods of maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio by material selection, choice of sample thickness and wavelength, removal of inelastic background by TOF or Be filters, and removal of spin-flip scattering with polarized beam analysis are discussed. PMID:26306088

  15. Infection as a Background to Safety: Source Material for Teaching.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wyatt, H. V.

    1986-01-01

    Offers selections from papers which illustrate accidents, epidemics, and bad practices which could be used as background material for lessons on laboratory safety. Advocates the need for instruction on pathogenicity and infectivity. (ML)

  16. Evaluation of ultra-low background materials for uranium and thorium using ICP-MS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hoppe, E. W.; Overman, N. R.; LaFerriere, B. D.

    2013-08-08

    An increasing number of physics experiments require low background materials for their construction. The presence of Uranium and Thorium and their progeny in these materials present a variety of unwanted background sources for these experiments. The sensitivity of the experiments continues to drive the necessary levels of detection ever lower as well. This requirement for greater sensitivity has rendered direct radioassay impractical in many cases requiring large quantities of material, frequently many kilograms, and prolonged counting times, often months. Other assay techniques have been employed such as Neutron Activation Analysis but this requires access to expensive facilities and instrumentation andmore » can be further complicated and delayed by the formation of unwanted radionuclides. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a useful tool and recent advancements have increased the sensitivity particularly in the elemental high mass range of U and Th. Unlike direct radioassay, ICP-MS is a destructive technique since it requires the sample to be in liquid form which is aspirated into a high temperature plasma. But it benefits in that it usually requires a very small sample, typically about a gram. This paper discusses how a variety of low background materials such as copper, polymers, and fused silica are made amenable to ICP-MS assay and how the arduous task of maintaining low backgrounds of U and Th is achieved.« less

  17. Evaluation of Ultra-Low Background Materials for Uranium and Thorium Using ICP-MS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hoppe, Eric W.; Overman, Nicole R.; LaFerriere, Brian D.

    2013-08-08

    An increasing number of physics experiments require low background materials for their construction. The presence of Uranium and Thorium and their progeny in these materials present a variety of unwanted background sources for these experiments. The sensitivity of the experiments continues to drive the necessary levels of detection ever lower as well. This requirement for greater sensitivity has rendered direct radioassay impractical in many cases requiring large quantities of material, frequently many kilograms, and prolonged counting times, often months. Other assay techniques have been employed such as Neutron Activation Analysis but this requires access to expensive facilities and instrumentation andmore » can be further complicated and delayed by the formation of unwanted radionuclides. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a useful tool and recent advancements have increased the sensitivity particularly in the elemental high mass range of U and Th. Unlike direct radioassay, ICP-MS is a destructive technique since it requires the sample to be in liquid form which is aspirated into a high temperature plasma. But it benefits in that it usually requires a very small sample, typically about a gram. Here we will discuss how a variety of low background materials such as copper, polymers, and fused silica are made amenable to ICP-MS assay and how the arduous task of maintaining low backgrounds of U and Th is achieved.« less

  18. 10 CFR 73.28 - Security background checks for secure transfer of nuclear materials.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Security background checks for secure transfer of nuclear materials. 73.28 Section 73.28 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF PLANTS AND MATERIALS Physical Protection of Special Nuclear Material in Transit § 73.28 Security...

  19. 10 CFR 73.28 - Security background checks for secure transfer of nuclear materials.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Security background checks for secure transfer of nuclear materials. 73.28 Section 73.28 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF PLANTS AND MATERIALS Physical Protection of Special Nuclear Material in Transit § 73.28 Security...

  20. 10 CFR 73.28 - Security background checks for secure transfer of nuclear materials.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Security background checks for secure transfer of nuclear materials. 73.28 Section 73.28 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF PLANTS AND MATERIALS Physical Protection of Special Nuclear Material in Transit § 73.28 Security...

  1. 10 CFR 73.28 - Security background checks for secure transfer of nuclear materials.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Security background checks for secure transfer of nuclear materials. 73.28 Section 73.28 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF PLANTS AND MATERIALS Physical Protection of Special Nuclear Material in Transit § 73.28 Security...

  2. 10 CFR 73.28 - Security background checks for secure transfer of nuclear materials.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Security background checks for secure transfer of nuclear materials. 73.28 Section 73.28 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF PLANTS AND MATERIALS Physical Protection of Special Nuclear Material in Transit § 73.28 Security...

  3. Materials as additives for advanced lubrication

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pol, Vilas G.; Thackeray, Michael M.; Mistry, Kuldeep

    This invention relates to carbon-based materials as anti-friction and anti-wear additives for advanced lubrication purposes. The materials comprise carbon nanotubes suspended in a liquid hydrocarbon carrier. Optionally, the compositions further comprise a surfactant (e.g., to aid in dispersion of the carbon particles). Specifically, the novel lubricants have the ability to significantly lower friction and wear, which translates into improved fuel economies and longer durability of mechanical devices and engines.

  4. Epoxy Matrices Modified by Green Additives for Recyclable Materials.

    PubMed

    Henriksen, Martin L; Ravnsbaek, Jens B; Bjerring, Morten; Vosegaard, Thomas; Daasbjerg, Kim; Hinge, Mogens

    2017-07-21

    Epoxy-based thermosets are one of the most popular matrix materials in many industries, and significant environmental benefits can be obtained by developing a recyclable variant of this widely utilized material. Incorporation of a bio-based disulfide additive within a commercial epoxy system leads to a cross-linked material that can be fractionated under mild and environmentally benign conditions. The material has been analyzed by FTIR and solid-state NMR. Furthermore, modified epoxy matrices with low additive concentrations are demonstrated to have similar mechanical and thermal properties compared to commercially available benchmarks. Thus, additive formulation and fractionation based on green chemistry principles have been demonstrated, and a recyclable epoxy matrix has been developed. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Additive Manufacturing of Composites and Complex Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spowart, Jonathan E.; Gupta, Nikhil; Lehmhus, Dirk

    2018-03-01

    Advanced composite materials form an important class of high-performance industrial materials used in weight-sensitive applications such as aerospace structures, automotive structures and sports equipment. In many of these applications, parts are made in small production runs, are highly customized and involve long process development times. Developments in additive manufacturing (AM) methods have helped in overcoming many of these limitations. The special topic of Additive Manufacturing of Composites and Complex Materials captures the state of the art in this area by collecting nine papers that present much novel advancement in this field. The studies under this topic show advancement in the area of AM of carbon fiber and graphene-reinforced composites with high thermal and electrical conductivities, development of new hollow glass particle-filled syntactic foam filaments for printing lightweight structures and integration of sensors or actuators during AM of metallic parts. Some of the studies are focused on process optimization or modification to increase the manufacturing speed or tuning manufacturing techniques to enable AM of new materials.

  6. Additive Technology: Update on Current Materials and Applications in Dentistry.

    PubMed

    Barazanchi, Abdullah; Li, Kai Chun; Al-Amleh, Basil; Lyons, Karl; Waddell, J Neil

    2017-02-01

    Additive manufacturing or 3D printing is becoming an alternative to subtractive manufacturing or milling in the area of computer-aided manufacturing. Research on material for use in additive manufacturing is ongoing, and a wide variety of materials are being used or developed for use in dentistry. Some materials, however, such as cobalt chromium, still lack sufficient research to allow definite conclusions about the suitability of their use in clinical dental practice. Despite this, due to the wide variety of machines that use additive manufacturing, there is much more flexibility in the build material and geometry when building structures compared with subtractive manufacturing. Overall additive manufacturing produces little material waste and is energy efficient when compared to subtractive manufacturing, due to passivity and the additive layering nature of the build process. Such features make the technique suitable to be used with fabricating structures out of hard to handle materials such as cobalt chromium. The main limitations of this technology include the appearance of steps due to layering of material and difficulty in fabricating certain material generally used in dentistry for use in 3D printing such as ceramics. The current pace of technological development, however, promises exciting possibilities. © 2016 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

  7. Additive manufacturing of biologically-inspired materials.

    PubMed

    Studart, André R

    2016-01-21

    Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies offer an attractive pathway towards the fabrication of functional materials featuring complex heterogeneous architectures inspired by biological systems. In this paper, recent research on the use of AM approaches to program the local chemical composition, structure and properties of biologically-inspired materials is reviewed. A variety of structural motifs found in biological composites have been successfully emulated in synthetic systems using inkjet-based, direct-writing, stereolithography and slip casting technologies. The replication in synthetic systems of design principles underlying such structural motifs has enabled the fabrication of lightweight cellular materials, strong and tough composites, soft robots and autonomously shaping structures with unprecedented properties and functionalities. Pushing the current limits of AM technologies in future research should bring us closer to the manufacturing capabilities of living organisms, opening the way for the digital fabrication of advanced materials with superior performance, lower environmental impact and new functionalities.

  8. Additive manufacturing of materials: Opportunities and challenges

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Babu, Sudarsanam Suresh; Love, Lonnie J.; Dehoff, Ryan R.

    Additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing) is considered a disruptive technology for producing components with topologically optimized complex geometries as well as functionalities that are not achievable by traditional methods. The realization of the full potential of 3D printing is stifled by a lack of computational design tools, generic material feedstocks, techniques for monitoring thermomechanical processes under in situ conditions, and especially methods for minimizing anisotropic static and dynamic properties brought about by microstructural heterogeneity. In this paper, we discuss the role of interdisciplinary research involving robotics and automation, process control, multiscale characterization of microstructure and properties, and high-performancemore » computational tools to address each of these challenges. In addition, emerging pathways to scale up additive manufacturing of structural materials to large sizes (>1 m) and higher productivities (5–20 kg/h) while maintaining mechanical performance and geometrical flexibility are also discussed.« less

  9. Additive manufacturing of materials: Opportunities and challenges

    DOE PAGES

    Babu, Sudarsanam Suresh; Love, Lonnie J.; Dehoff, Ryan R.; ...

    2015-11-01

    Additive manufacturing (also known as 3D printing) is considered a disruptive technology for producing components with topologically optimized complex geometries as well as functionalities that are not achievable by traditional methods. The realization of the full potential of 3D printing is stifled by a lack of computational design tools, generic material feedstocks, techniques for monitoring thermomechanical processes under in situ conditions, and especially methods for minimizing anisotropic static and dynamic properties brought about by microstructural heterogeneity. In this paper, we discuss the role of interdisciplinary research involving robotics and automation, process control, multiscale characterization of microstructure and properties, and high-performancemore » computational tools to address each of these challenges. In addition, emerging pathways to scale up additive manufacturing of structural materials to large sizes (>1 m) and higher productivities (5–20 kg/h) while maintaining mechanical performance and geometrical flexibility are also discussed.« less

  10. Application of addition-cured silicone denture relining materials to adjust mouthguards.

    PubMed

    Fukasawa, Shintaro; Churei, Hiroshi; Chowdhury, Ruman Uddin; Shirako, Takahiro; Shahrin, Sharika; Shrestha, Abhishekhi; Wada, Takahiro; Uo, Motohiro; Takahashi, Hidekazu; Ueno, Toshiaki

    2016-01-01

    The purposes of this study were to examine the shock absorption capability of addition-cured silicone denture relining materials and the bonding strength of addition-cured silicone denture relining materials and a commercial mouthguard material to determine its applicability to mouthguard adjustment. Two addition-cured silicone denture relining materials and eleven commercial mouthguard materials were selected as test materials. The impact test was applied by a free-falling steel ball. On the other hand, bonding strength was determined by a delamination test. After prepared surface treatments using acrylic resin on MG sheet surface, 2 types of addition-cured silicone denture relining materials were glued to MG surface. The peak intensity, the time to peak intensity from the onset of the transmitted force and bonding strength were statistically analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey's honest significant difference post hoc test (p<0.05). These results suggest that the silicone denture relining materials could be clinically applicable as a mouthguard adjustment material.

  11. Effect of the background solution and material composition on the transport of silver nanoparticles in saturated aquifer materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adrian, Yorck; Schneidewind, Uwe; Fernandez-Steeger, Tomas; Azzam, Rafig

    2016-04-01

    Engineered silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are used in various consumer products such as cloth or personal care products due to their antimicrobial properties (Benn et al., 2010). Their transport behavior in the environment is still under investigation. Previous studies have been focusing on the transport of AgNP in simple test systems with glass beads or soil materials (Braun et al., 2015), but studies investigating aquifer material are rare. However, the protection of fresh water resources in the subsurface is an important part in the protection of human health and the assurance of future economic activities. Therefore, expert knowledge regarding the transport and fate of engineered nanoparticles as potential contaminants in aquifers is essential. Within the scope of the research project NanoMobil funded by German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the transport and retention behavior of AgNP in aquifer material was investigated under saturated conditions in laboratory columns for different flow velocities, ionic strengths (IS) and background solutions. The used aquifer material consisted mainly of quartz and albite. The quartz grains were partially coated with iron hydroxides and oxides. Furthermore, 1% hematite was present in the silicate dominated aquifer material. The experiments were conducted using NaNO3 and Ca(NO3)2 background solutions to examine the effects of monovalent and divalent cations on the transport of AgNP. Flow velocities in the columns were chosen to represent typical flow velocities of groundwater in the subsurface. For the experiments two mean grain sizes of 0.3 and 0.7 mm were used to investigate the effect of the grain size on the transport behavior. Particle concentration was measured using ICP-MS and particle size was determined using flow field-flow fractionation (FlFFF). HYDRUS-1D (Šimůnek et al., 2013) was used to elucidate the transport and retention processes of the AgNP in the aquifer material. The obtained results show

  12. Review on Advances of Functional Material for Additive Manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zulkifli, Nur Amalina Binti; Akmal Johar, Muhammad; Faizan Marwah, Omar Mohd; Irwan Ibrahim, Mohd Halim

    2017-08-01

    The attempt of finding and making new materials in improving products that are already in the market are widely done by researchers nowadays. This project is focusing on making new materials for functional material through additive manufacturing application. The idea of this project came from the ability limitation of capacitor in market nowadays in storing higher charges but smaller in size. Powder glass is the new material that could to be used as a dielectric material for capacitor with the help of palm kernel oil as the binder. This paper reviews on applications done through additive manufacturing method and also types of functional materials used in this method previously. Structure of a capacitor, dielectric properties and measurement techniques that are trying to be carried out are also explains in this paper. Last part of this paper brief on the material proposal and reasons those materials are chosen. New dielectric material for capacitor which are able to store more charges but still small in size are expected to be produced as the outcome of this research.

  13. Graphene as a protein crystal mounting material to reduce background scatter.

    PubMed

    Wierman, Jennifer L; Alden, Jonathan S; Kim, Chae Un; McEuen, Paul L; Gruner, Sol M

    2013-10-01

    The overall signal-to-noise ratio per unit dose for X-ray diffraction data from protein crystals can be improved by reducing the mass and density of all material surrounding the crystals. This article demonstrates a path towards the practical ultimate in background reduction by use of atomically thin graphene sheets as a crystal mounting platform for protein crystals. The results show the potential for graphene in protein crystallography and other cases where X-ray scatter from the mounting material must be reduced and specimen dehydration prevented, such as in coherent X-ray diffraction imaging of microscopic objects.

  14. Graphene as a protein crystal mounting material to reduce background scatter

    PubMed Central

    Wierman, Jennifer L.; Alden, Jonathan S.; Kim, Chae Un; McEuen, Paul L.; Gruner, Sol M.

    2013-01-01

    The overall signal-to-noise ratio per unit dose for X-ray diffraction data from protein crystals can be improved by reducing the mass and density of all material surrounding the crystals. This article demonstrates a path towards the practical ultimate in background reduction by use of atomically thin graphene sheets as a crystal mounting platform for protein crystals. The results show the potential for graphene in protein crystallography and other cases where X-ray scatter from the mounting material must be reduced and specimen dehydration prevented, such as in coherent X-ray diffraction imaging of microscopic objects. PMID:24068843

  15. A review on natural background radiation

    PubMed Central

    Shahbazi-Gahrouei, Daryoush; Gholami, Mehrdad; Setayandeh, Samaneh

    2013-01-01

    The world is naturally radioactive and approximately 82% of human-absorbed radiation doses, which are out of control, arise from natural sources such as cosmic, terrestrial, and exposure from inhalation or intake radiation sources. In recent years, several international studies have been carried out, which have reported different values regarding the effect of background radiation on human health. Gamma radiation emitted from natural sources (background radiation) is largely due to primordial radionuclides, mainly 232Th and 238U series, and their decay products, as well as 40K, which exist at trace levels in the earth's crust. Their concentrations in soil, sands, and rocks depend on the local geology of each region in the world. Naturally occurring radioactive materials generally contain terrestrial-origin radionuclides, left over since the creation of the earth. In addition, the existence of some springs and quarries increases the dose rate of background radiation in some regions that are known as high level background radiation regions. The type of building materials used in houses can also affect the dose rate of background radiations. The present review article was carried out to consider all of the natural radiations, including cosmic, terrestrial, and food radiation. PMID:24223380

  16. Federal Guidance Report No. 5: Background Material for the Development of Radiation Protection Standards

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This report contains background material used in the development of guidance for Federal agencies in respect to planning protective actions to reduce potential doses from radioactive fission products to the population.

  17. Leaching of additives from construction materials to urban storm water runoff.

    PubMed

    Burkhardt, M; Zuleeg, S; Vonbank, R; Schmid, P; Hean, S; Lamani, X; Bester, K; Boller, M

    2011-01-01

    Urban water management requires further clarification about pollutants in storm water. Little is known about the release of organic additives used in construction materials and the impact of these compounds to storm water runoff. We investigated sources and pathways of additives used in construction materials, i.e., biocides in facades' render as well as root protection products in bitumen membranes for rooftops. Under wet-weather conditions, the concentrations of diuron, terbutryn, carbendazim, irgarol 1051 (all from facades) and mecoprop in storm water and receiving water exceeded the predicted no-effect concentrations values and the Swiss water quality standard of 0.1 microg/L. Under laboratory conditions maximum concentrations of additives were in the range of a few milligrams and a few hundred micrograms per litre in runoff of facades and bitumen membranes. Runoff from aged materials shows approximately one to two orders of magnitude lower concentrations. Concentrations decreased also during individual runoff events. In storm water and receiving water the occurrence of additives did not follow the typical first flush model. This can be explained by the release lasting over the time of rainfall and the complexity of the drainage network. Beside the amounts used, the impact of construction materials containing hazardous additives on water quality is related clearly to the age of the buildings and the separated sewer network. The development of improved products regarding release of hazardous additives is the most efficient way of reducing the pollutant load from construction materials in storm water runoff.

  18. Overview of Materials Qualification Needs for Metal Additive Manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seifi, Mohsen; Salem, Ayman; Beuth, Jack; Harrysson, Ola; Lewandowski, John J.

    2016-03-01

    This overview highlights some of the key aspects regarding materials qualification needs across the additive manufacturing (AM) spectrum. AM technology has experienced considerable publicity and growth in the past few years with many successful insertions for non-mission-critical applications. However, to meet the full potential that AM has to offer, especially for flight-critical components (e.g., rotating parts, fracture-critical parts, etc.), qualification and certification efforts are necessary. While development of qualification standards will address some of these needs, this overview outlines some of the other key areas that will need to be considered in the qualification path, including various process-, microstructure-, and fracture-modeling activities in addition to integrating these with lifing activities targeting specific components. Ongoing work in the Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Reliability Center at Case Western Reserve University is focusing on fracture and fatigue testing to rapidly assess critical mechanical properties of some titanium alloys before and after post-processing, in addition to conducting nondestructive testing/evaluation using micro-computerized tomography at General Electric. Process mapping studies are being conducted at Carnegie Mellon University while large area microstructure characterization and informatics (EBSD and BSE) analyses are being conducted at Materials Resources LLC to enable future integration of these efforts via an Integrated Computational Materials Engineering approach to AM. Possible future pathways for materials qualification are provided.

  19. Additive Manufacturing of Catalytically Active Living Materials.

    PubMed

    Saha, Abhijit; Johnston, Trevor G; Shafranek, Ryan T; Goodman, Cassandra J; Zalatan, Jesse G; Storti, Duane W; Ganter, Mark A; Nelson, Alshakim

    2018-04-25

    Living materials, which are composites of living cells residing in a polymeric matrix, are designed to utilize the innate functionalities of the cells to address a broad range of applications such as fermentation and biosensing. Herein, we demonstrate the additive manufacturing of catalytically active living materials (AMCALM) for continuous fermentation. A multi-stimuli-responsive yeast-laden hydrogel ink, based on F127-dimethacrylate, was developed and printed using a direct-write 3D printer. The reversible stimuli-responsive behaviors of the polymer hydrogel inks to temperature and pressure are critical, as they enabled the facile incorporation of yeast cells and subsequent fabrication of 3D lattice constructs. Subsequent photo-cross-linking of the printed polymer hydrogel afforded a robust elastic material. These yeast-laden living materials were metabolically active in the fermentation of glucose into ethanol for 2 weeks in a continuous batch process without significant reduction in efficiency (∼90% yield of ethanol). This cell immobilization platform may potentially be applicable toward other genetically modified yeast strains to produce other high-value chemicals in a continuous biofermentation process.

  20. Laser Additive Manufacturing of Magnetic Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mikler, C. V.; Chaudhary, V.; Borkar, T.; Soni, V.; Jaeger, D.; Chen, X.; Contieri, R.; Ramanujan, R. V.; Banerjee, R.

    2017-03-01

    While laser additive manufacturing is becoming increasingly important in the context of next-generation manufacturing technologies, most current research efforts focus on optimizing process parameters for the processing of mature alloys for structural applications (primarily stainless steels, titanium base, and nickel base alloys) from pre-alloyed powder feedstocks to achieve properties superior to conventionally processed counterparts. However, laser additive manufacturing or processing can also be applied to functional materials. This article focuses on the use of directed energy deposition-based additive manufacturing technologies, such as the laser engineered net shaping (LENS™) process, to deposit magnetic alloys. Three case studies are presented: Fe-30 at.%Ni, permalloys of the type Ni-Fe-V and Ni-Fe-Mo, and Fe-Si-B-Cu-Nb (derived from Finemet) alloys. All these alloys have been processed from a blend of elemental powders used as the feedstock, and their resultant microstructures, phase formation, and magnetic properties are discussed in this paper. Although these alloys were produced from a blend of elemental powders, they exhibited relatively uniform microstructures and comparable magnetic properties to those of their conventionally processed counterparts.

  1. Materials Characterization of Additively Manufactured Components for Rocket Propulsion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carter, Robert; Draper, Susan; Locci, Ivan; Lerch, Bradley; Ellis, David; Senick, Paul; Meyer, Michael; Free, James; Cooper, Ken; Jones, Zachary

    2015-01-01

    To advance Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies for production of rocket propulsion components the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is applying state of the art characterization techniques to interrogate microstructure and mechanical properties of AM materials and components at various steps in their processing. The materials being investigated for upper stage rocket engines include titanium, copper, and nickel alloys. Additive manufacturing processes include laser powder bed, electron beam powder bed, and electron beam wire fed processes. Various post build thermal treatments, including Hot Isostatic Pressure (HIP), have been studied to understand their influence on microstructure, mechanical properties, and build density. Micro-computed tomography, electron microscopy, and mechanical testing in relevant temperature environments has been performed to develop relationships between build quality, microstructure, and mechanical performance at temperature. A summary of GRC's Additive Manufacturing roles and experimental findings will be presented.

  2. Material Characterization of Additively Manufactured Components for Rocket Propulsion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carter, Robert; Draper, Susan; Locci, Ivan; Lerch, Bradley; Ellis, David; Senick, Paul; Meyer, Michael; Free, James; Cooper, Ken; Jones, Zachary

    2015-01-01

    To advance Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies for production of rocket propulsion components the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is applying state of the art characterization techniques to interrogate microstructure and mechanical properties of AM materials and components at various steps in their processing. The materials being investigated for upper stage rocket engines include titanium, copper, and nickel alloys. Additive manufacturing processes include laser powder bed, electron beam powder bed, and electron beam wire fed processes. Various post build thermal treatments, including Hot Isostatic Pressure (HIP), have been studied to understand their influence on microstructure, mechanical properties, and build density. Micro-computed tomography, electron microscopy, and mechanical testing in relevant temperature environments has been performed to develop relationships between build quality, microstructure, and mechanical performance at temperature. A summary of GRCs Additive Manufacturing roles and experimental findings will be presented.

  3. Erratum to: Application of addition-cured silicone denture relining materials to adjust mouthguards.

    PubMed

    Fukasawa, Shintaro; Churei, Hiroshi; Chowdhury, Ruman Uddin; Shirako, Takahiro; Shahrin, Sharika; Shrestha, Abhishekhi; Wada, Takahiro; Uo, Motohiro; Takahashi, Hidekazu; Ueno, Toshiaki

    2016-01-01

    The purposes of this study were to examine the shock absorption capability of addition-cured silicone denture relining materials and the bonding strength of addition-cured silicone denture relining materials and a commercial mouthguard material to determine its applicability to mouthguard adjustment. Two addition-cured silicone denture relining materials were selected as test materials. The impact test was applied by a free-falling steel ball. On the other hand, bonding strength was determined by a delamination test. After prepared surface treatments using acrylic resin on MG sheet surface, 2 types of addition-cured silicone denture relining materials were glued to MG surface. The peak intensity, the time to peak intensity from the onset of the transmitted force and bonding strength were statistically analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey's honest significant difference post hoc test (p<0.05). These results suggest that the silicone denture relining materials could be clinically applicable as a mouthguard adjustment material.

  4. Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 Collides with Jupiter. Background Material for Science Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA.

    In July of 1994, fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy collided with Jupiter. This document has been provided to better inform students of the work that will be done by scientists and others involved in the study of this event. This document offers some background material on Jupiter, comets, what has and possibly will happen, and how scientists…

  5. An efficient voting algorithm for finding additive biclusters with random background.

    PubMed

    Xiao, Jing; Wang, Lusheng; Liu, Xiaowen; Jiang, Tao

    2008-12-01

    The biclustering problem has been extensively studied in many areas, including e-commerce, data mining, machine learning, pattern recognition, statistics, and, more recently, computational biology. Given an n x m matrix A (n >or= m), the main goal of biclustering is to identify a subset of rows (called objects) and a subset of columns (called properties) such that some objective function that specifies the quality of the found bicluster (formed by the subsets of rows and of columns of A) is optimized. The problem has been proved or conjectured to be NP-hard for various objective functions. In this article, we study a probabilistic model for the implanted additive bicluster problem, where each element in the n x m background matrix is a random integer from [0, L - 1] for some integer L, and a k x k implanted additive bicluster is obtained from an error-free additive bicluster by randomly changing each element to a number in [0, L - 1] with probability theta. We propose an O(n(2)m) time algorithm based on voting to solve the problem. We show that when k >or= Omega(square root of (n log n)), the voting algorithm can correctly find the implanted bicluster with probability at least 1 - (9/n(2)). We also implement our algorithm as a C++ program named VOTE. The implementation incorporates several ideas for estimating the size of an implanted bicluster, adjusting the threshold in voting, dealing with small biclusters, and dealing with overlapping implanted biclusters. Our experimental results on both simulated and real datasets show that VOTE can find biclusters with a high accuracy and speed.

  6. The Development of High Temperature Thermoplastic Composite Materials for Additive Manufactured Autoclave Tooling

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kunc, Vlastimil; Duty, Chad E.; Lindahl, John M.

    2017-08-01

    In this work, ORNL and Techmer investigated and screened different high temperature thermoplastic reinforced materials to fabricate composite molds for autoclave processes using Additive Manufacturing (AM) techniques. This project directly led to the development and commercial release of two printable, high temperature composite materials available through Techmer PM. These new materials are targeted for high temperature tooling made via large scale additive manufacturing.

  7. Additive Manufacturing: Building the Pathway Towards Process and Material Qualification”

    DOE PAGES

    Carpenter, John S.; Beese, Allison M.; Bourell, David L.; ...

    2016-06-14

    The potential benefits of metal additive manufacturing, as compared with more traditional, subtractive-only approaches, has created excitement within design circles seeking to take advantage of the ability to build and repair complex shapes, to integrate or consolidate multiple parts and minimize joining concerns, and to locally tailor material properties to increase functionality. Tempering the excitement of designers, however, has been concerns with the material deposited by the process. It is not enough for a part to ‘look’ right from a geometric perspective. Rather, the metallurgical aspects associated with the material being deposited must ‘look’ and ‘behave’ correctly along with themore » aforementioned geometric accuracy. Finally, without elucidation of the connections between processing, microstructure, properties, and performance from a materials science perspective, metal additive manufacturing will not realize its potential to change the manufacturing world for property and performance-critical engineering applications.« less

  8. Mechanical and Fatigue Properties of Additively Manufactured Metallic Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yadollahi, Aref

    This study aims to investigate the mechanical and fatigue behavior of additively manufactured metallic materials. Several challenges associated with different metal additive manufacturing (AM) techniques (i.e. laser-powder bed fusion and direct laser deposition) have been addressed experimentally and numerically. Experiments have been carried out to study the effects of process inter-layer time interval--i.e. either building the samples one-at-a-time or multi-at-a-time (in-parallel)--on the microstructural features and mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel samples, fabricated via a direct laser deposition (DLD). Next, the effect of building orientation--i.e. the orientation in which AM parts are built--on microstructure, tensile, and fatigue behaviors of 17-4 PH stainless steel, fabricated via a laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) method was investigated. Afterwards, the effect of surface finishing--here, as-built versus machined--on uniaxial fatigue behavior and failure mechanisms of Inconel 718 fabricated via a laser-powder bed fusion technique was sought. The numerical studies, as part of this dissertation, aimed to model the mechanical behavior of AM materials, under monotonic and cyclic loading, based on the observations and findings from the experiments. Despite significant research efforts for optimizing process parameters, achieving a homogenous, defect-free AM product--immediately after fabrication--has not yet been fully demonstrated. Thus, one solution for ensuring the adoption of AM materials for application should center on predicting the variations in mechanical behavior of AM parts based on their resultant microstructure. In this regard, an internal state variable (ISV) plasticity-damage model was employed to quantify the damage evolution in DLD 316L SS, under tensile loading, using the microstructural features associated with the manufacturing process. Finally, fatigue behavior of AM parts has been modeled based on the crack-growth concept

  9. Survival of Listeria monocytogenes on a conveyor belt material with or without antimicrobial additives.

    PubMed

    Chaitiemwong, N; Hazeleger, W C; Beumer, R R

    2010-08-15

    Survival of Listeria monocytogenes on a conveyor belt material with or without antimicrobial additives, in the absence or presence of food debris from meat, fish and vegetables and at temperatures of 10, 25 and 37 degrees C was investigated. The pathogen survived best at 10 degrees C, and better at 25 degrees C than at 37 degrees C on both conveyor belt materials. The reduction in the numbers of the pathogen on belt material with antimicrobial additives in the first 6h at 10 degrees C was 0.6 log unit, which was significantly higher (P<0.05) than the reduction of 0.2 log unit on belt material without additives. Reductions were significantly less (P<0.05) in the presence of food residue. At 37 degrees C and 20% relative humidity, large decreases in the numbers of the pathogen on both conveyor belt materials during the first 6h were observed. Under these conditions, there was no obvious effect of the antimicrobial substances. However, at 25 degrees C and 10 degrees C and high humidity (60-75% rh), a rapid decrease in bacterial numbers on the belt material with antimicrobial substances was observed. Apparently the reduction in numbers of L. monocytogenes on belt material with antimicrobial additives was greater than on belt material without additives only when the surfaces were wet. Moreover, the presence of food debris neutralized the effect of the antimicrobials. The results suggest that the antimicrobial additives in conveyor belt material could help to reduce numbers of microorganisms on belts at low temperatures when food residues are absent and belts are not rapidly dried. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Methods for the additive manufacturing of semiconductor and crystal materials

    DOEpatents

    Stowe, Ashley C.; Speight, Douglas

    2016-11-22

    A method for the additive manufacturing of inorganic crystalline materials, including: physically combining a plurality of starting materials that are used to form an inorganic crystalline compound to be used as one or more of a semiconductor, scintillator, laser crystal, and optical filter; heating or melting successive regions of the combined starting materials using a directed heat source having a predetermined energy characteristic, thereby facilitating the reaction of the combined starting materials; and allowing each region of the combined starting materials to cool in a controlled manner, such that the desired inorganic crystalline compound results. The method also includes, prior to heating or melting the successive regions of the combined starting materials using the directed heat source, heating the combined starting materials to facilitate initial reaction of the combined starting materials. The method further includes translating the combined starting materials and/or the directed heat source between successive locations. The method still further includes controlling the mechanical, electrical, photonic, and/or optical properties of the inorganic crystalline compound.

  11. Ordered Materials via Additive Driven Assembly and Reaction using Surfactant-Based Templates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beaulieu, Michael R.; Daga, Vikram K.; Lesser, Alan J.; Watkins, James J.

    2011-03-01

    We recently reported (1) the ordering behavior of Pluronic surfactant melts through the addition of aromatic additives with hydrogen bond donating groups, which exhibit selective interactions with the polyethylene oxide (PEO) block. The ordered blends had domain sizes ranging from 12 to 16 nm at additive loadings up to 80%.The goal of this work is to utilize condensation chemistries based on the functionality of similar additives, to yield ordered composite materials that could be used for applications involving membranes or dielectric materials. The structure of the blends and composites are determined by small angle x-ray scattering, which indicates that the ordered structure is preserved following reaction of the additives. Differential scanning calorimetry indicates that an increase in additive loading causes a decrease in the melting temperature and enthalpy of melting of the PEO, which demonstrates that the interaction between the PEO segments and the additive is strong. (1) Daga, V.K., Watkins, J. J. Macromolecules, ASAP.

  12. PMMA denture base material enhancement: a review of fiber, filler, and nanofiller addition

    PubMed Central

    Gad, Mohammed M; Fouda, Shaimaa M; Al-Harbi, Fahad A; Näpänkangas, Ritva; Raustia, Aune

    2017-01-01

    This paper reviews acrylic denture base resin enhancement during the past few decades. Specific attention is given to the effect of fiber, filler, and nanofiller addition on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) properties. The review is based on scientific reviews, papers, and abstracts, as well as studies concerning the effect of additives, fibers, fillers, and reinforcement materials on PMMA, published between 1974 and 2016. Many studies have reported improvement of PMMA denture base material with the addition of fillers, fibers, nanofiller, and hybrid reinforcement. However, most of the studies were limited to in vitro investigations without bioactivity and clinical implications. Considering the findings of the review, there is no ideal denture base material, but the properties of PMMA could be improved with some modifications, especially with silanized nanoparticle addition and a hybrid reinforcement system. PMID:28553115

  13. 45 CFR 1641.21 - Additional proceedings as to disputed material facts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Additional proceedings as to disputed material facts. 1641.21 Section 1641.21 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION AND REMOVAL OF RECIPIENT AUDITORS Removal § 1641.21 Additional...

  14. 45 CFR 1641.10 - Additional proceedings as to disputed material facts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Additional proceedings as to disputed material facts. 1641.10 Section 1641.10 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION AND REMOVAL OF RECIPIENT AUDITORS Debarment § 1641.10 Additional...

  15. 45 CFR 1641.21 - Additional proceedings as to disputed material facts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Additional proceedings as to disputed material facts. 1641.21 Section 1641.21 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION AND REMOVAL OF RECIPIENT AUDITORS Removal § 1641.21 Additional...

  16. 45 CFR 1641.10 - Additional proceedings as to disputed material facts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Additional proceedings as to disputed material facts. 1641.10 Section 1641.10 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare (Continued) LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION AND REMOVAL OF RECIPIENT AUDITORS Debarment § 1641.10 Additional...

  17. Additively manufactured metallic pentamode meta-materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hedayati, R.; Leeflang, A. M.; Zadpoor, A. A.

    2017-02-01

    Mechanical metamaterials exhibit unusual mechanical properties that originate from their topological design. Pentamode metamaterials are particularly interesting because they could be designed to possess any thermodynamically admissible elasticity tensor. In this study, we additively manufacture the metallic pentamode metamaterials from a biocompatible and mechanically strong titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) using an energy distribution method developed for the powder bed fusion techniques. The mechanical properties of the developed materials were a few orders of magnitude higher than those of the similar topologies fabricated previously from polymers. Moreover, the elastic modulus and yield stress of the presented pentamode metamaterials were decoupled from their relative density, meaning that the metallic meta-biomaterials with independently tailored elastic and mass transport (permeability) properties could be designed for tissue regeneration purposes.

  18. Weld formation during material extrusion additive manufacturing.

    PubMed

    Seppala, Jonathan E; Hoon Han, Seung; Hillgartner, Kaitlyn E; Davis, Chelsea S; Migler, Kalman B

    2017-10-04

    Material extrusion (ME) is a layer-by-layer additive manufacturing process that is now used in personal and commercial production where prototyping and customization are required. However, parts produced from ME frequently exhibit poor mechanical performance relative to those from traditional means; moreover, fundamental knowledge of the factors leading to development of inter-layer strength in this highly non-isothermal process is limited. In this work, we seek to understand the development of inter-layer weld strength from the perspective of polymer interdiffusion under conditions of rapidly changing mobility. Our framework centers around three interrelated components: in situ thermal measurements (via infrared imaging), temperature dependent molecular processes (via rheology), and mechanical testing (via mode III fracture). We develop the concept of an equivalent isothermal weld time and test its relationship to fracture energy. For the printing conditions studied the equivalent isothermal weld time for T ref = 230 °C ranged from 0.1 ms to 100 ms. The results of these analysis provide a basis for optimizing inter-layer strength, the limitations of the ME process, and guide development of new materials.

  19. Geometric Modeling of Cellular Materials for Additive Manufacturing in Biomedical Field: A Review.

    PubMed

    Savio, Gianpaolo; Rosso, Stefano; Meneghello, Roberto; Concheri, Gianmaria

    2018-01-01

    Advances in additive manufacturing technologies facilitate the fabrication of cellular materials that have tailored functional characteristics. The application of solid freeform fabrication techniques is especially exploited in designing scaffolds for tissue engineering. In this review, firstly, a classification of cellular materials from a geometric point of view is proposed; then, the main approaches on geometric modeling of cellular materials are discussed. Finally, an investigation on porous scaffolds fabricated by additive manufacturing technologies is pointed out. Perspectives in geometric modeling of scaffolds for tissue engineering are also proposed.

  20. 16 CFR 803.20 - Requests for additional information or documentary material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Requests for additional information or documentary material. 803.20 Section 803.20 Commercial Practices FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION RULES, REGULATIONS, STATEMENTS AND INTERPRETATIONS UNDER THE HART-SCOTT-RODINO ANTITRUST IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 1976 TRANSMITTAL RULES § 803.20 Requests for additional...

  1. 16 CFR 803.20 - Requests for additional information or documentary material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Requests for additional information or documentary material. 803.20 Section 803.20 Commercial Practices FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION RULES, REGULATIONS, STATEMENTS AND INTERPRETATIONS UNDER THE HART-SCOTT-RODINO ANTITRUST IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 1976 TRANSMITTAL RULES § 803.20 Requests for additional...

  2. 16 CFR 803.20 - Requests for additional information or documentary material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Requests for additional information or documentary material. 803.20 Section 803.20 Commercial Practices FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION RULES, REGULATIONS, STATEMENTS AND INTERPRETATIONS UNDER THE HART-SCOTT-RODINO ANTITRUST IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 1976 TRANSMITTAL RULES § 803.20 Requests for additional...

  3. 16 CFR 803.20 - Requests for additional information or documentary material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Requests for additional information or documentary material. 803.20 Section 803.20 Commercial Practices FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION RULES, REGULATIONS, STATEMENTS AND INTERPRETATIONS UNDER THE HART-SCOTT-RODINO ANTITRUST IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 1976 TRANSMITTAL RULES § 803.20 Requests for additional...

  4. 16 CFR 803.20 - Requests for additional information or documentary material.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Requests for additional information or documentary material. 803.20 Section 803.20 Commercial Practices FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION RULES, REGULATIONS, STATEMENTS AND INTERPRETATIONS UNDER THE HART-SCOTT-RODINO ANTITRUST IMPROVEMENTS ACT OF 1976 TRANSMITTAL RULES § 803.20 Requests for additional...

  5. Geometric Modeling of Cellular Materials for Additive Manufacturing in Biomedical Field: A Review

    PubMed Central

    Rosso, Stefano; Meneghello, Roberto; Concheri, Gianmaria

    2018-01-01

    Advances in additive manufacturing technologies facilitate the fabrication of cellular materials that have tailored functional characteristics. The application of solid freeform fabrication techniques is especially exploited in designing scaffolds for tissue engineering. In this review, firstly, a classification of cellular materials from a geometric point of view is proposed; then, the main approaches on geometric modeling of cellular materials are discussed. Finally, an investigation on porous scaffolds fabricated by additive manufacturing technologies is pointed out. Perspectives in geometric modeling of scaffolds for tissue engineering are also proposed. PMID:29487626

  6. An Efficient Voting Algorithm for Finding Additive Biclusters with Random Background

    PubMed Central

    Xiao, Jing; Wang, Lusheng; Liu, Xiaowen

    2008-01-01

    Abstract The biclustering problem has been extensively studied in many areas, including e-commerce, data mining, machine learning, pattern recognition, statistics, and, more recently, computational biology. Given an n × m matrix A (n ≥ m), the main goal of biclustering is to identify a subset of rows (called objects) and a subset of columns (called properties) such that some objective function that specifies the quality of the found bicluster (formed by the subsets of rows and of columns of A) is optimized. The problem has been proved or conjectured to be NP-hard for various objective functions. In this article, we study a probabilistic model for the implanted additive bicluster problem, where each element in the n × m background matrix is a random integer from [0, L − 1] for some integer L, and a k × k implanted additive bicluster is obtained from an error-free additive bicluster by randomly changing each element to a number in [0, L − 1] with probability θ. We propose an O (n2m) time algorithm based on voting to solve the problem. We show that when \\documentclass{aastex}\\usepackage{amsbsy}\\usepackage{amsfonts}\\usepackage{amssymb}\\usepackage{bm}\\usepackage{mathrsfs}\\usepackage{pifont}\\usepackage{stmaryrd}\\usepackage{textcomp}\\usepackage{portland, xspace}\\usepackage{amsmath, amsxtra}\\pagestyle{empty}\\DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6}\\begin{document}$$k \\geq \\Omega (\\sqrt{n \\log n})$$\\end{document}, the voting algorithm can correctly find the implanted bicluster with probability at least \\documentclass{aastex}\\usepackage{amsbsy}\\usepackage{amsfonts}\\usepackage{amssymb}\\usepackage{bm}\\usepackage{mathrsfs}\\usepackage{pifont}\\usepackage{stmaryrd}\\usepackage{textcomp}\\usepackage{portland, xspace}\\usepackage{amsmath, amsxtra}\\pagestyle{empty}\\DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6}\\begin{document}$$1 - {\\frac {9} {n^ {2}}}$$\\end{document}. We also implement our algorithm as a C++ program named VOTE. The implementation incorporates several

  7. Multi-material composites prepared by additive manufacturing and melt casting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murialdo, Maxwell; Sullivan, Kyle; White, Bradley; LLNL MSD Collaboration

    2017-06-01

    Recent advances in additive manufacturing have disrupted not only means of production, but also have enabled a new parameter space of multiscale materials designs. Understanding the role of architecture to control material response is being investigated for a wide range of applications, from light-weight structural components to energetic materials. In this work, we combine 3D printing of scaffold structures with a subsequent melt-infiltration step to render an architected multi-material composite article. Both the scaffold architecture and material type were investigated. The processing challenges of filling such scaffolds using a melt-infiltration step will be discussed, along with our progress in this area. Using the combined method of printing and casting, we will discuss our path forward for testing the mechanical properties and the high-strain response of our composite architected parts. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. IM release: LLNL-ABS-725497-DRAFT.

  8. Large-scale additive manufacturing with bioinspired cellulosic materials.

    PubMed

    Sanandiya, Naresh D; Vijay, Yadunund; Dimopoulou, Marina; Dritsas, Stylianos; Fernandez, Javier G

    2018-06-05

    Cellulose is the most abundant and broadly distributed organic compound and industrial by-product on Earth. However, despite decades of extensive research, the bottom-up use of cellulose to fabricate 3D objects is still plagued with problems that restrict its practical applications: derivatives with vast polluting effects, use in combination with plastics, lack of scalability and high production cost. Here we demonstrate the general use of cellulose to manufacture large 3D objects. Our approach diverges from the common association of cellulose with green plants and it is inspired by the wall of the fungus-like oomycetes, which is reproduced introducing small amounts of chitin between cellulose fibers. The resulting fungal-like adhesive material(s) (FLAM) are strong, lightweight and inexpensive, and can be molded or processed using woodworking techniques. We believe this first large-scale additive manufacture with ubiquitous biological polymers will be the catalyst for the transition to environmentally benign and circular manufacturing models.

  9. Characterization of PCC Cement by Addition of Napa Soil from Subdistrict Sarilamak 50 Kota District as Alternative Additional Material for Semen Padang

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mawardi, M.; Deyundha, D.; Zainul, R.; Zalmi P, R.

    2018-04-01

    The study has been conducted to determine characteristics of the portland composite cement by the addition of napa soil from Sarilamak subdistrict, 50 Kota District as an alternative additional material at PT. Semen Padang. Napa soil is a natural material highly containing silica and alumina minerals so that it can be one of material in producing cement. This study aims to determine the effect of napa soil on the quality of portland composite cement. Napa soil used in the variation compositions 0%, 4%, 8%, 12% and 16%, for control of cement used 8 % of pozzolan and 0 % of napa soil. Determination of cement quality by testing cement characteristics include blaine test, sieving, lost of ignition or LOI, insoluble residue, normal consistency, setting time and compressive strength. Cement was characterized using XRF. Fineness of cement decreases with the addition of napa soil. Lost of Ignition of cement decreased, while the insoluble residue increased with the addition of napa soil. Normal consistency of cement increasing, so does initial setting time and final setting time of cement. While the resultant compressive strength decreases with the addition of napa soil on 28 days, 342, 325, 307, 306, and 300 kg / cm2.

  10. Theoretical backgrounds of non-tempered materials production based on new raw materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lesovik, V. S.; Volodchenko, A. A.; Glagolev, E. S.; Chernysheva, N. V.; Lashina, I. V.; Feduk, R. S.

    2018-03-01

    One of the trends in construction material science is development and implementation of highly effective finish materials which improve architectural exterior of cities. Silicate materials widely-used in the construction today have rather low decorative properties. Different coloring agents are used in order to produce competitive materials, but due to the peculiarities of the production, process very strict specifications are applied to them. The use of industrial wastes or variety of rock materials as coloring agents is of great interest nowadays. The article shows that clay rock can be used as raw material in production of finish materials of non-autoclaved solidification. This raw material due to its material composition actively interacts with cementing component in steam treatment at 90–95 °C with formation of cementing joints that form a firm coagulative-cristalized and crystallization structure of material providing high physic-mechanical properties of silicate goods. It is determined that energy-saving, colored finish materials with compression strength up to 16 MPa can be produced from clay rocks.

  11. Boron carbide nanostructures: A prospective material as an additive in concrete

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Paviter; Kaur, Gurpreet; Kumar, Rohit; Kumar, Umesh; Singh, Kulwinder; Kumar, Manjeet; Bala, Rajni; Meena, Ramovatar; Kumar, Akshay

    2018-05-01

    In recent decades, manufacture and ingestion of concrete have increased particularly in developing countries. Due to its low cost, safety and strength, concrete have become an economical choice for protection of radiation shielding material in nuclear reactors. As boron carbide has been known as a neutron absorber material makes it a great candidate as an additive in concrete for shielding radiation. This paper presents the synthesis of boron carbide nanostructures by using ball milling method. The X-ray diffraction pattern, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscope analysis confirms the formation of boron carbide nanostructures. The effect of boron carbide nanostructures on the strength of concrete samples was demonstrated. The compressive strength tests of concrete cube B4C powder additives for 0 % and 5 % of total weight of cement was compared for different curing time period such as 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. The high compressive strength was observed when 5 wt % boron carbide nanostructures were used as an additive in concrete samples after 28 days curing time and showed significant improvement in strength.

  12. Backgrounds in Language.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maxwell, John C.; Long, Barbara K.

    "Backgrounds in Language," a field-tested inservice course designed for use by groups of 15 or 25 language arts teachers, provides the subject matter background teachers need to make informed decisions about what curriculum materials to use in what way, at what time, and with which students. The course is comprised of eight 2-hour sessions,…

  13. Low background materials and fabrication techniques for cables and connectors in the Majorana Demonstrator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Busch, M.; Abgrall, N.; Alvis, S. I.; Arnquist, I. J.; Avignone, F. T.; Barabash, A. S.; Barton, C. J.; Bertrand, F. E.; Bode, T.; Bradley, A. W.; Brudanin, V.; Buuck, M.; Caldwell, T. S.; Chan, Y.-D.; Christofferson, C. D.; Chu, P.-H.; Cuesta, C.; Detwiler, J. A.; Dunagan, C.; Efremenko, Yu.; Ejiri, H.; Elliott, S. R.; Gilliss, T.; Giovanetti, G. K.; Green, M. P.; Gruszko, J.; Guinn, I. S.; Guiseppe, V. E.; Haufe, C. R.; Hehn, L.; Henning, R.; Hoppe, E. W.; Howe, M. A.; Keeter, K. J.; Kidd, M. F.; Konovalov, S. I.; Kouzes, R. T.; Lopez, A. M.; Martin, R. D.; Massarczyk, R.; Meijer, S. J.; Mertens, S.; Myslik, J.; O'Shaughnessy, C.; Othman, G.; Poon, A. W. P.; Radford, D. C.; Rager, J.; Reine, A. L.; Rielage, K.; Robertson, R. G. H.; Rouf, N. W.; Shanks, B.; Shirchenko, M.; Suriano, A. M.; Tedeschi, D.; Trimble, J. E.; Varner, R. L.; Vasilyev, S.; Vetter, K.; Vorren, K.; White, B. R.; Wilkerson, J. F.; Wiseman, C.; Xu, W.; Yakushev, E.; Yu, C.-H.; Yumatov, V.; Zhitnikov, I.; Zhu, B. X.

    2018-01-01

    The Majorana Collaboration is searching for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of the nucleus 76Ge. The Majorana Demonstrator is an array of germanium detectors deployed with the aim of implementing background reduction techniques suitable for a tonne scale 76Ge-based search (the LEGEND collaboration). In the Demonstrator, germanium detectors operate in an ultra-pure vacuum cryostat at 80 K. One special challenge of an ultra-pure environment is to develop reliable cables, connectors, and electronics that do not significantly contribute to the radioactive background of the experiment. This paper highlights the experimental requirements and how these requirements were met for the Majorana Demonstrator, including plans to upgrade the wiring for higher reliability in the summer of 2018. Also described are requirements for LEGEND R&D efforts underway to meet these additional requirements

  14. Are South African Speech-Language Therapists adequately equipped to assess English Additional Language (EAL) speakers who are from an indigenous linguistic and cultural background? A profile and exploration of the current situation

    PubMed Central

    Mdlalo, Thandeka; Flack, Penelope

    2016-01-01

    This article presents the results of a survey conducted on Speech-Language Therapists (SLTs) regarding current practices in the assessment of English Additional Language (EAL) speakers in South Africa. It forms part of the rationale for a broader (PhD) study that critiques the use of assessment instruments on EAL speakers from an indigenous linguistic and cultural background. This article discusses an aspect of the broader research and presents the background, method, findings, discussion and implications of the survey. The results of this survey highlight the challenges of human and material resources to, and the dominance of English in, the profession in South Africa. The findings contribute to understanding critical factors for acquiring reliable and valid assessment results with diverse populations, particularly the implications from a cultural and linguistic perspective. PMID:27247254

  15. Rapid Solidification and Phase Transformations in Additive Manufactured Materials

    DOE PAGES

    Asle Zaeem, Mohsen; Clarke, Amy Jean

    2016-01-14

    Within the past few years, additive manufacturing (AM) has emerged as a promising manufacturing technique to enable the production of complex engineering structures with high efficiency and accuracy. Among the important factors establishing AM as a sustainable manufacturing process is the ability to control the microstructures and properties of AM products. In most AM processes, such as laser sintering (LS), laser melting (LM), and laser metal deposition (LMD), rapid solidification and high-temperature phase transformations play primary roles in determining nano- and microstructures, and consequently the mechanical and other properties of AM products. This topic of JOM is dedicated to summarizingmore » the current research efforts in the area of rapid solidification and phase transformations in additively manufactured materials. Finally, a brief summary follows below of 10 journal articles in this topic.« less

  16. Laser-shocked energetic materials with metal additives: evaluation of detonation performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gottfried, Jennifer; Bukowski, Eric

    A focused, nanosecond-pulsed laser with sufficient energy to exceed the breakdown threshold of a material generates a laser-induced plasma with high peak temperatures, pressures, and shock velocities. Depending on the laser parameters and material properties, nanograms to micrograms of material is ablated, atomized, ionized and excited in the laser-induced plasma. The subsequent shock wave expansion into the air above the sample has been monitored using high-speed schlieren imaging in a recently developed technique, laser-induced air shock from energetic materials (LASEM). The estimated detonation velocities using LASEM agree well with published experimental values. A comparison of the measured shock velocities for various energetic materials including RDX, DNTF, and LLM-172 doped with Al or B to the detonation velocities predicted by CHEETAH for inert or active metal participation demonstrates that LASEM has potential for predicting the early time participation of metal additives in detonation events. The LASEM results show that reducing the amount of hydrogen present in B formulations increases the resulting detonation velocities

  17. Low background materials and fabrication techniques for cables and connectors in the Majorana Demonstrator

    DOE PAGES

    Busch, M.; Abgrall, N.; Alvis, S. I.; ...

    2018-01-03

    Here, the Majorana Collaboration is searching for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of the nucleus 76Ge. The Majorana Demonstrator is an array of germanium detectors deployed with the aim of implementing background reduction techniques suitable for a tonne scale 76Ge-based search (the LEGEND collaboration). In the Demonstrator, germanium detectors operate in an ultra-pure vacuum cryostat at 80 K. One special challenge of an ultra-pure environment is to develop reliable cables, connectors, and electronics that do not significantly contribute to the radioactive background of the experiment. This paper highlights the experimental requirements and how these requirements were met for the Majorana Demonstrator,more » including plans to upgrade the wiring for higher reliability in the summer of 2018. Also described are requirements for LEGEND R&D efforts underway to meet these additional requirements« less

  18. Multiaxial Fatigue Damage Parameter and Life Prediction without Any Additional Material Constants

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Zheng-Yong; Liu, Qiang; Liu, Yunhan

    2017-01-01

    Based on the critical plane approach, a simple and efficient multiaxial fatigue damage parameter with no additional material constants is proposed for life prediction under uniaxial/multiaxial proportional and/or non-proportional loadings for titanium alloy TC4 and nickel-based superalloy GH4169. Moreover, two modified Ince-Glinka fatigue damage parameters are put forward and evaluated under different load paths. Results show that the generalized strain amplitude model provides less accurate life predictions in the high cycle life regime and is better for life prediction in the low cycle life regime; however, the generalized strain energy model is relatively better for high cycle life prediction and is conservative for low cycle life prediction under multiaxial loadings. In addition, the Fatemi–Socie model is introduced for model comparison and its additional material parameter k is found to not be a constant and its usage is discussed. Finally, model comparison and prediction error analysis are used to illustrate the superiority of the proposed damage parameter in multiaxial fatigue life prediction of the two aviation alloys under various loadings. PMID:28792487

  19. Multiaxial Fatigue Damage Parameter and Life Prediction without Any Additional Material Constants.

    PubMed

    Yu, Zheng-Yong; Zhu, Shun-Peng; Liu, Qiang; Liu, Yunhan

    2017-08-09

    Based on the critical plane approach, a simple and efficient multiaxial fatigue damage parameter with no additional material constants is proposed for life prediction under uniaxial/multiaxial proportional and/or non-proportional loadings for titanium alloy TC4 and nickel-based superalloy GH4169. Moreover, two modified Ince-Glinka fatigue damage parameters are put forward and evaluated under different load paths. Results show that the generalized strain amplitude model provides less accurate life predictions in the high cycle life regime and is better for life prediction in the low cycle life regime; however, the generalized strain energy model is relatively better for high cycle life prediction and is conservative for low cycle life prediction under multiaxial loadings. In addition, the Fatemi-Socie model is introduced for model comparison and its additional material parameter k is found to not be a constant and its usage is discussed. Finally, model comparison and prediction error analysis are used to illustrate the superiority of the proposed damage parameter in multiaxial fatigue life prediction of the two aviation alloys under various loadings.

  20. 21 CFR 570.13 - Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials prior sanctioned for animal feed and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials prior sanctioned for animal feed and pet food. 570.13 Section 570.13 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG... FOOD ADDITIVES General Provisions § 570.13 Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials...

  1. 21 CFR 570.13 - Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials prior sanctioned for animal feed and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials prior sanctioned for animal feed and pet food. 570.13 Section 570.13 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG... FOOD ADDITIVES General Provisions § 570.13 Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials...

  2. 21 CFR 570.13 - Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials prior sanctioned for animal feed and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials prior sanctioned for animal feed and pet food. 570.13 Section 570.13 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG... FOOD ADDITIVES General Provisions § 570.13 Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials...

  3. 21 CFR 570.13 - Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials prior sanctioned for animal feed and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials prior sanctioned for animal feed and pet food. 570.13 Section 570.13 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG... FOOD ADDITIVES General Provisions § 570.13 Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials...

  4. 21 CFR 570.13 - Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials prior sanctioned for animal feed and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials prior sanctioned for animal feed and pet food. 570.13 Section 570.13 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG... FOOD ADDITIVES General Provisions § 570.13 Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials...

  5. A high-saturation Fe-27Co material with microalloying additions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fohr, Frederik; Volbers, Niklas

    2018-04-01

    This paper reports work on a new variant of the high saturation Fe-27Co alloy. Ternary additions of niobium or tantalum are found to impart ductility to the hot formed material by means of grain refinement. The magnetic and tensile properties of the new alloy with the trade name VACOFLUX® 27 are compared to the standard chromium-type alloy. While the electrical resistivity is reduced, the saturation magnetization of VACOFLUX® 27 is superior.

  6. Multiscale and Multiphysics Modeling of Additive Manufacturing of Advanced Materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Liou, Frank; Newkirk, Joseph; Fan, Zhiqiang; Sparks, Todd; Chen, Xueyang; Fletcher, Kenneth; Zhang, Jingwei; Zhang, Yunlu; Kumar, Kannan Suresh; Karnati, Sreekar

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this proposed project is to research and develop a prediction tool for advanced additive manufacturing (AAM) processes for advanced materials and develop experimental methods to provide fundamental properties and establish validation data. Aircraft structures and engines demand materials that are stronger, useable at much higher temperatures, provide less acoustic transmission, and enable more aeroelastic tailoring than those currently used. Significant improvements in properties can only be achieved by processing the materials under nonequilibrium conditions, such as AAM processes. AAM processes encompass a class of processes that use a focused heat source to create a melt pool on a substrate. Examples include Electron Beam Freeform Fabrication and Direct Metal Deposition. These types of additive processes enable fabrication of parts directly from CAD drawings. To achieve the desired material properties and geometries of the final structure, assessing the impact of process parameters and predicting optimized conditions with numerical modeling as an effective prediction tool is necessary. The targets for the processing are multiple and at different spatial scales, and the physical phenomena associated occur in multiphysics and multiscale. In this project, the research work has been developed to model AAM processes in a multiscale and multiphysics approach. A macroscale model was developed to investigate the residual stresses and distortion in AAM processes. A sequentially coupled, thermomechanical, finite element model was developed and validated experimentally. The results showed the temperature distribution, residual stress, and deformation within the formed deposits and substrates. A mesoscale model was developed to include heat transfer, phase change with mushy zone, incompressible free surface flow, solute redistribution, and surface tension. Because of excessive computing time needed, a parallel computing approach was also tested. In addition

  7. Spectral characterization of natural backgrounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Winkelmann, Max

    2017-10-01

    As the distribution and use of hyperspectral sensors is constantly increasing, the exploitation of spectral features is a threat for camouflaged objects. To improve camouflage materials at first the spectral behavior of backgrounds has to be known to adjust and optimize the spectral reflectance of camouflage materials. In an international effort, the NATO CSO working group SCI-295 "Development of Methods for Measurements and Evaluation of Natural Background EO Signatures" is developing a method how this characterization of backgrounds has to be done. It is obvious that the spectral characterization of a background will be quite an effort. To compare and exchange data internationally the measurements will have to be done in a similar way. To test and further improve this method an international field trial has been performed in Storkow, Germany. In the following we present first impressions and lessons learned from this field campaign and describe the data that has been measured.

  8. Mechanical Behavior of Additive Manufactured Layered Materials, Part 2: Stainless Steels

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-04-30

    and/or excellent cyclic fatigue behavior: stainless - steel 316L and 17-4PH. Additive materials were fabricated at a leading-edge facility using their...Tensile deformation Representative engineering stress- strain data from measurements obtained with our stainless steel specimens are shown in... fatigue behavior Cyclic fatigue strengths demonstrated by the DMLS stainless steels fabricated in the horizontal orientation were almost equal to

  9. Measurement of fracture toughness of metallic materials produced by additive manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quénard, O.; Dorival, O.; Guy, Ph.; Votié, A.; Brethome, K.

    2018-04-01

    This study focuses on the microstructure and mechanical properties of metallic materials produced by additive layer manufacturing (ALM), especially the laser beam melting process. The influence of the specimen orientation during the ALM process and that of two post-build thermal treatments were investigated. The identified metal powder is Ti-6Al-4V (titanium base). Metallographic analysis shows their effects on the microstructure of the metals. Mechanical experiments involving tensile tests as well as toughness tests were performed according to ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) norms. The results show that the main influence is that of the thermal treatments; however the manufacturing stacking direction may lead to some anisotropy in the mechanical properties.

  10. Expected background in the LZ experiment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kudryavtsev, Vitaly A.

    2015-08-17

    The LZ experiment, featuring a 7-tonne active liquid xenon target, is aimed at achieving unprecedented sensitivity to WIMPs with the background expected to be dominated by astrophysical neutrinos. To reach this goal, extensive simulations are carried out to accurately calculate the electron recoil and nuclear recoil rates in the detector. Both internal (from target material) and external (from detector components and surrounding environment) backgrounds are considered. A very efficient suppression of background rate is achieved with an outer liquid scintillator veto, liquid xenon skin and fiducialisation. Based on the current measurements of radioactivity of different materials, it is shown thatmore » LZ can achieve the reduction of a total background for a WIMP search down to about 2 events in 1000 live days for 5.6 tonne fiducial mass.« less

  11. Expected background in the LZ experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kudryavtsev, Vitaly A.

    2015-08-01

    The LZ experiment, featuring a 7-tonne active liquid xenon target, is aimed at achieving unprecedented sensitivity to WIMPs with the background expected to be dominated by astrophysical neutrinos. To reach this goal, extensive simulations are carried out to accurately calculate the electron recoil and nuclear recoil rates in the detector. Both internal (from target material) and external (from detector components and surrounding environment) backgrounds are considered. A very efficient suppression of background rate is achieved with an outer liquid scintillator veto, liquid xenon skin and fiducialisation. Based on the current measurements of radioactivity of different materials, it is shown that LZ can achieve the reduction of a total background for a WIMP search down to about 2 events in 1000 live days for 5.6 tonne fiducial mass.

  12. Additive value of patch testing custom epoxy materials from the workplace at the occupational disease specialty clinic in Toronto.

    PubMed

    Houle, Marie-Claude; Holness, D Linn; Dekoven, Joel; Skotnicki, Sandy

    2012-01-01

    Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) to epoxy resins is one of the major causes of occupationally induced ACD. Testing of custom epoxy materials from the workplace is often performed to diagnose ACD. The objective of this study was to investigate the additive value of patch testing custom-made epoxy materials. We retrospectively analyzed outcomes of 24 patients who were tested to custom epoxy resin materials between January 2002 and July 2011. For 11 patients (46%), the testing of their materials from work had no additional value (negative results). For 13 patients (54%), there was an additional value of testing custom allergens. Of those, 7 patients (54%) had positive reactions to custom epoxy materials that reinforced the test results found with the commercially available allergens, and 6 (46%) patients had positive reactions only to custom epoxy materials. Therefore, for 6 patients (25%), there was a definite additive value of testing custom epoxy materials because the allergy was discovered with custom testing and not with the commercially available allergens. Because of the high percentage (54%) of patients with additive value of patch testing custom epoxy materials, we think that the inclusion of actual workplace epoxy materials should be strongly considered when patch testing patients with occupational epoxy exposure.

  13. Apparatus having reduced background for measuring radiation activity in aerosol particles

    DOEpatents

    Rodgers, John C.; McFarland, Andrew R.; Oritz, Carlos A.; Marlow, William H.

    1992-01-01

    Apparatus having reduced background for measuring radiation activity in aerosol particles. A continuous air monitoring sampler is described for use in detecting the presence of alpha-emitting aerosol particles. An inlet fractionating screen has been demonstrated to remove about 95% of freshly formed radon progeny from the aerosol sample, and approximately 33% of partially aged progeny. Addition of an electrical condenser and a modified dichotomous virtual impactor are expected to produce considerable improvement in these numbers, the goal being to enrich the transuranic (TRU) fraction of the aerosols. This offers the possibility of improving the signal-to-noise ratio for the detected alpha-particle energy spectrum in the region of interest for detecting TRU materials associated with aerosols, thereby enhancing the performance of background-compensation algorithms for improving the quality of alarm signals intended to warn personnel of potentially harmful quantities of TRU materials in the ambient air.

  14. Cluster 1: commercializing additive manufacturing—hurdles in materials characterization and testing

    DOE PAGES

    Roach, R. A.; Gardner, S. H.

    2017-10-20

    A major challenge in the commercialization of additive manufactured (AM) materials and processes is the ability to achieve acceptance of processes and products. There has been some progress towards acceptance has been made by adapting legacy qualification paradigms to match with the very limited process control and monitoring offered by AM machines. The opportunity for in-situ measurement can provide process monitoring and control perhaps changing the way we qualify parts however it is limited by lack of adequate process measurement methods. New measurement techniques, sensors and correlations to relevant phenomena are needed that enable process control and monitoring for consistentlymore » producing high quality articles. Beyond process data we need to characterize uncertainties of performance in all aspects of material, process and final part. These are prerequisites to achieving articles that are indeed worthy of materials characterization efforts that establish a microstructural reference of desirable performance through process-structure-property relations. Only then can industry apply physics based understanding of the material, part and process to probabilistically predict performance of an AM part. Our paper provides a brief overview, discussion of hurdles and key areas where R&D investment is needed.« less

  15. Cluster 1: commercializing additive manufacturing—hurdles in materials characterization and testing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Roach, R. A.; Gardner, S. H.

    A major challenge in the commercialization of additive manufactured (AM) materials and processes is the ability to achieve acceptance of processes and products. There has been some progress towards acceptance has been made by adapting legacy qualification paradigms to match with the very limited process control and monitoring offered by AM machines. The opportunity for in-situ measurement can provide process monitoring and control perhaps changing the way we qualify parts however it is limited by lack of adequate process measurement methods. New measurement techniques, sensors and correlations to relevant phenomena are needed that enable process control and monitoring for consistentlymore » producing high quality articles. Beyond process data we need to characterize uncertainties of performance in all aspects of material, process and final part. These are prerequisites to achieving articles that are indeed worthy of materials characterization efforts that establish a microstructural reference of desirable performance through process-structure-property relations. Only then can industry apply physics based understanding of the material, part and process to probabilistically predict performance of an AM part. Our paper provides a brief overview, discussion of hurdles and key areas where R&D investment is needed.« less

  16. The Effects of Fiber Orientation and Volume Fraction of Fiber on Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Composite Material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuchipudi, Suresh Chandra

    Additive manufacturing (AM) also known as 3D printing has tremendous advancements in recent days with a vast number of applications in industrial, automotive, architecture, consumer projects, fashion, toys, food, art, etc. Composite materials are widely used in structures with weight as a critical factor especially in aerospace industry. Recently, additive manufacturing technology, a rapidly growing innovative technology, has gained lot of importance in making composite materials. The properties of composite materials depend upon the properties of constituent's matrix and fiber. There is lot of research on effect of fiber orientation on mechanical properties of composite materials made using conventional manufacturing methods. It will be interesting and relevant to study the relationship between the fiber orientation and fiber volume with mechanical properties of additively manufactured composite materials. This thesis work presents experimental investigation of mechanical behavior like tensile strength and fatigue life with variation in fiber orientation and fiber volume fraction of 3D printed composite materials. The aim is to study the best combination of volume fraction of fiber and fiber orientation that has better fatigue strength for additive manufactured composite materials. Using this study, we can decide the type of orientation and volume percent for desired properties. This study also finds the range of fatigue limits of 3d printed composite materials.

  17. Food Additives: "Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy". Health and the Consumer.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Div. of Elementary and Secondary Education.

    One in a series, this consumer education learning activity package teaches secondary students about food additives. The package includes instructions for the teacher, suggestions for activities, lists of resource materials, film guides, student activity worksheets, a student resource booklet of background readings, and answer keys. Content taught…

  18. Fatigue performance of additively manufactured meta-biomaterials: The effects of topology and material type.

    PubMed

    Ahmadi, S M; Hedayati, R; Li, Y; Lietaert, K; Tümer, N; Fatemi, A; Rans, C D; Pouran, B; Weinans, H; Zadpoor, A A

    2018-01-01

    Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques enable fabrication of bone-mimicking meta-biomaterials with unprecedented combinations of topological, mechanical, and mass transport properties. The mechanical performance of AM meta-biomaterials is a direct function of their topological design. It is, however, not clear to what extent the material type is important in determining the fatigue behavior of such biomaterials. We therefore aimed to determine the isolated and modulated effects of topological design and material type on the fatigue response of metallic meta-biomaterials fabricated with selective laser melting. Towards that end, we designed and additively manufactured Co-Cr meta-biomaterials with three types of repeating unit cells and three to four porosities per type of repeating unit cell. The AM meta-biomaterials were then mechanically tested to obtain their normalized S-N curves. The obtained S-N curves of Co-Cr meta-biomaterials were compared to those of meta-biomaterials with same topological designs but made from other materials, i.e. Ti-6Al-4V, tantalum, and pure titanium, available from our previous studies. We found the material type to be far more important than the topological design in determining the normalized fatigue strength of our AM metallic meta-biomaterials. This is the opposite of what we have found for the quasi-static mechanical properties of the same meta-biomaterials. The effects of material type, manufacturing imperfections, and topological design were different in the high and low cycle fatigue regions. That is likely because the cyclic response of meta-biomaterials depends not only on the static and fatigue strengths of the bulk material but also on other factors that may include strut roughness, distribution of the micro-pores created inside the struts during the AM process, and plasticity. Meta-biomaterials are a special class of metamaterials with unusual or unprecedented combinations of mechanical, physical (e.g. mass transport

  19. Structural integrity of additive materials: Microstructure, fatigue behavior, and surface processing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Book, Todd A.

    Although Additive Manufacturing (AM) offers numerous performance advantages over existing methods, AM structures are not being utilized for critical aerospace and mechanical applications due to uncertainties in their structural integrity as a result of the microstructural variations and defects arising from the AM process itself. Two of these uncertainties are the observed scatter in tensile strength and fatigue lives of direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) parts. With strain localization a precursor for material failure, this research seeks to explore the impact of microstructural variations in DMLS produced materials on strain localization. The first part of this research explores the role of the microstructure in strain localization of DMLS produced IN718 and Ti6Al4V specimens (as-built and post-processed) through the characterization of the linkage between microstructural variations, and the accumulation of plastic strain during monotonic and low cycle fatigue loading. The second part of this research explores the feasibility for the application of select surface processing techniques in-situ during the DMLS build process to alter the microstructure in AlSi10Mg to reduce strain localization and improve material cohesion. This study is based on utilizing experimental observations through the employment of advanced material characterization techniques such as digital image correlation to illustrate the impacts of DMLS microstructural variation.

  20. Additive-Free Transparent Triarylamine-Based Polymeric Hole-Transport Materials for Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

    PubMed

    Matsui, Taisuke; Petrikyte, Ieva; Malinauskas, Tadas; Domanski, Konrad; Daskeviciene, Maryte; Steponaitis, Matas; Gratia, Paul; Tress, Wolfgang; Correa-Baena, Juan-Pablo; Abate, Antonio; Hagfeldt, Anders; Grätzel, Michael; Nazeeruddin, Mohammad Khaja; Getautis, Vytautas; Saliba, Michael

    2016-09-22

    Triarylamine-based polymers with different functional groups were synthetized as hole-transport materials (HTMs) for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). The novel materials enabled efficient PSCs without the use of chemical doping (or additives) to enhance charge transport. Devices employing poly(triarylamine) with methylphenylethenyl functional groups (V873) showed a power conversion efficiency of 12.3 %, whereas widely used additive-free poly[bis(4-phenyl)(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amine] (PTAA) demonstrated 10.8 %. Notably, devices with V873 enabled stable PSCs under 1 sun illumination at maximum power point tracking for approximately 40 h at room temperature, and in the dark under elevated temperature (85 °C) for more than 140 h. This is in stark contrast to additive-containing devices, which degrade significantly within the same time frame. The results present remarkable progress towards stable PSC under real working conditions and industrial stress tests. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  1. Finite element simulation and experimental verification of ultrasonic non-destructive inspection of defects in additively manufactured materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taheri, H.; Koester, L.; Bigelow, T.; Bond, L. J.

    2018-04-01

    Industrial applications of additively manufactured components are increasing quickly. Adequate quality control of the parts is necessary in ensuring safety when using these materials. Base material properties, surface conditions, as well as location and size of defects are some of the main targets for nondestructive evaluation of additively manufactured parts, and the problem of adequate characterization is compounded given the challenges of complex part geometry. Numerical modeling can allow the interplay of the various factors to be studied, which can lead to improved measurement design. This paper presents a finite element simulation verified by experimental results of ultrasonic waves scattering from flat bottom holes (FBH) in additive manufacturing materials. A focused beam immersion ultrasound transducer was used for both the modeling and simulations in the additive manufactured samples. The samples were SS17 4 PH steel samples made by laser sintering in a powder bed.

  2. Emissivity Measurements of Additively Manufactured Materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Morgan, Robert Vaughn; Reid, Robert Stowers; Baker, Andrew M.

    The emissivity of common 3D printing materials such as ABS and PLA were measured using a reflectivity meter and have the measured value of approximately 0.92. Adding a conductive material to the filament appears to cause a decrease in the emissivity of the surface. The angular dependence of the emissivity and the apparent temperature was measured using a FLIR infrared camera showing that the emissivity does not change much for shallow angles less than 40 angular degrees, and drops off dramatically after 70 angular degrees.

  3. [Influence of autoclave sterilization on dimensional stability and detail reproduction of 5 additional silicone impression materials].

    PubMed

    Xu, Tong-kai; Sun, Zhi-hui; Jiang, Yong

    2012-03-01

    To evaluate the dimensional stability and detail reproduction of five additional silicone impression materials after autoclave sterilization. Impressions were made on the ISO 4823 standard mold containing several marking lines, in five kinds of additional silicone. All the impressions were sterilized by high temperature and pressure (135 °C, 212.8 kPa) for 25 min. Linear measurements of pre-sterilization and post-sterilization were made with a measuring microscope. Statistical analysis utilized single-factor analysis with pair-wise comparison of mean values when appropriate. Hypothesis testing was conducted at alpha = 0.05. No significant difference was found between the pre-sterilization and post-sterilization conditions for all locations, and all the absolute valuse of linear rate of change less than 8%. All the sterilization by the autoclave did not affect the surfuce detail reproduction of the 5 impression materials. The dimensional stability and detail reproduction of the five additional silicone impression materials in the study was unaffected by autoclave sterilization.

  4. Background Materials Concerning Child and Family Services Act, 1975, H.R. 2966. Committee Print, 94th Congress, 2d Session.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Education and Labor.

    This document contains the text of Child and Family Services Act of 1975, H.R. 2966, and background materials concerning that act. Included are reprints of many newspaper and magazine articles as well as statements of members of Congress in response to the campaign against the bill. (MS)

  5. Developing radiopure copper alloys for high strength low background applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suriano, A. M.; Howard, S. M.; Christofferson, C. D.; Arnquist, I. J.; Hoppe, E. W.

    2018-01-01

    High purity copper continues to play an important role for ultra-low-background detectors. Measurements of rare nuclear decays, e.g. neutrinoless double-beta decay, and searches for dark matter can require construction materials that have high thermal and electrical conductivity with bulk radiopurity less than one micro-Becquerel per kilogram. However, experiments currently using components constructed of radiopure electroformed copper struggle with design of structural and mechanical parts due to the physical properties of pure copper. A higher strength material which possesses many of the favorable attributes of copper yet remains radiopure is desired. A number of copper alloying candidates which may provide improved mechanical performance and adequate radiopurity were considered. Development of an electrodeposited copper-chrome alloy from additive-free electrolyte systems is discussed. The resulting material is shown to possess high strength and meets the aforementioned radiopurity goals.

  6. Effects of addition of different carbon materials on the electrochemical performance of nickel hydroxide electrode

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sierczynska, Agnieszka; Lota, Katarzyna; Lota, Grzegorz

    Nickel hydroxide is used as an active material in positive electrodes of rechargeable alkaline batteries. The capacity of nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries depends on the specific capacity of the positive electrode and utilization of the active material because of the Ni(OH) 2/NiOOH electrode capacity limitation. The practical capacity of the positive nickel electrode depends on the efficiency of the conductive network connecting the Ni(OH) 2 particle with the current collector. As β-Ni(OH) 2 is a kind of semiconductor, the additives are necessary to improve the conductivity between the active material and the current collector. In this study the effect of adding different carbon materials (flake graphite, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT)) on the electrochemical performance of pasted nickel-foam electrode was established. A method of production of MWNT special type of catalysts had an influence on the performance of the nickel electrodes. The electrochemical tests showed that the electrode with added MWNT (110-170 nm diameter) exhibited better electrochemical properties in the chargeability, specific discharge capacity, active material utilization, discharge voltage and cycling stability. The nickel electrodes with MWNT addition (110-170 nm diameter) have exhibited a specific capacity close to 280 mAh g -1 of Ni(OH) 2, and the degree of active material utilization was ∼96%.

  7. Review of Monte Carlo simulations for backgrounds from radioactivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Selvi, Marco

    2013-08-01

    For all experiments dealing with the rare event searches (neutrino, dark matter, neutrino-less double-beta decay), the reduction of the radioactive background is one of the most important and difficult tasks. There are basically two types of background, electron recoils and nuclear recoils. The electron recoil background is mostly from the gamma rays through the radioactive decay. The nuclear recoil background is from neutrons from spontaneous fission, (α, n) reactions and muoninduced interactions (spallations, photo-nuclear and hadronic interaction). The external gammas and neutrons from the muons and laboratory environment, can be reduced by operating the detector at deep underground laboratories and by placing active or passive shield materials around the detector. The radioactivity of the detector materials also contributes to the background; in order to reduce it a careful screening campaign is mandatory to select highly radio-pure materials. In this review I present the status of current Monte Carlo simulations aimed to estimate and reproduce the background induced by gamma and neutron radioactivity of the materials and the shield of rare event search experiment. For the electromagnetic background a good level of agreement between the data and the MC simulation has been reached by the XENON100 and EDELWEISS experiments, using the GEANT4 toolkit. For the neutron background, a comparison between the yield of neutrons from spontaneous fission and (α, n) obtained with two dedicated softwares, SOURCES-4A and the one developed by Mei-Zhang-Hime, show a good overall agreement, with total yields within a factor 2 difference. The energy spectra from SOURCES-4A are in general smoother, while those from MZH presents sharp peaks. The neutron propagation through various materials has been studied with two MC codes, GEANT4 and MCNPX, showing a reasonably good agreement, inside 50% discrepancy.

  8. Novel Polymeric Dielectric Materials for the Additive Manufacturing of Microwave Devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Keefe, Shamus E.

    The past decade has seen a rapid increase in the deployment of additive manufacturing (AM) due to the perceived benefits of lower cost, higher quality, and a smaller environmental footprint. And while the hardware behind most of AM processes is mature, the study and development of material feedstock(s) are in their infancy, particularly so for niche areas. In this dissertation, we look at novel polymeric materials to support AM for microwave devices. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the benefits of AM, followed by the specific motivation for this work, and finally a scope defining the core objectives. Chapter 2 delves into a higher-level background of dielectric theory and includes a brief overview of the two common dielectric spectroscopy techniques used in this work. The remaining chapters, summarized below, describe experiments in which novel polymeric materials were developed and their microwave dielectric properties measured. Chapter 3 describes the successful synthesis of polytetrafluroethylene (PTFE)/polyacrylate (PA) core-shell nanoparticles and their measured microwave dielectric properties. PTFE/PA core-shell nanoparticles with spherical morphology were successfully made by aerosol deposition followed by a brief annealing. The annealing temperature is closely controlled to exceed the glass transition (Tg) of the PA shell yet not exceed the Tg of the PTFE core. Furthermore, the annealing promotes coalescence amongst the PA shells of neighboring nanoparticles and results in the formation of a contiguous PA matrix that has excellent dispersion of PTFE cores. The measured dielectric properties agree well with theoretical predictions and suggest the potential of this material as a feedstock for AM microwave devices. Chapter 4 delves into the exploration of various polyimide systems with the aim of replacing the PA in the previously studied PTFE/PA core-shell nanoparticles. Fundamental relationships between polymer attributes (flexibility/rigidity and

  9. Direct bonded HOPG - Analyzer support without background source

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Groitl, Felix; Kitaura, Hidetoshi; Nishiki, Naomi; Rønnow, Henrik M.

    2018-04-01

    A new production process allows a direct bonding of HOPG crystals on Si wafers. This new method facilitates the production of analyzer crystals with support structure without the use of additional, background inducing fixation material, e.g. glue, wax and screws. This new method is especially interesting for the upcoming generation of CAMEA-type multiplexing spectrometers. These instruments allow for a drastic performance increase due to the increased angular coverage and multiple energy analysis. Exploiting the transparency of multiple HOPG for cold neutrons, a consecutive arrangement of HOPG analyzer crystals per Q-channel can be achieved. This implies that neutrons travel through up to 10 arrays of analyzer crystals before reaching the analyzer corresponding to their energy. Hence, a careful choice of the fixation method for the analyzer crystals in regards to transparency and background is necessary. Here, we present first results on the diffraction and mechanical performance of direct bonded analyzer crystals.

  10. Preparations and properties of anti-corrosion additives of water-soluble metal working fluids for aluminum alloy materials.

    PubMed

    Watanabe, Shoji

    2008-01-01

    This short review describes various types of anti-corrosion additives of water-soluble metal working fluids for aluminum alloy materials. It is concerned with synthetic additives classified according to their functional groups; silicone compounds, carboxylic acids and dibasic acids, esters, Diels-Alder adducts, various polymers, nitrogen compounds, phosphoric esters, phosphonic acids, and others. Testing methods for water-soluble metal working fluids for aluminum alloy materials are described for a practical application in a laboratory.

  11. CUORE and Background Reduction Case Studies for CUPID

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sakai, Michinari; Gozlukluoglu, Nihal; Huang, Huan; Cuore Collaboration

    2017-09-01

    CUORE (Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events) is a bolometric experiment at cryogenic temperatures currently in operation to search for neutrinoless double beta decay. Successful detection of this extremely rare process requires stringent control of radioactive backgrounds of the experiment as well as the detector itself. Great care was taken in CUORE to select the materials and various parts that comprise the current detector. However next-generation neutrinoless double beta decay experiments face a challenge to further reduce backgrounds in order to probe more deeply into the effective Majorana neutrino mass phase space. In this presentation we will review the sensitivity and background budget for the currently running experiment CUORE, as well as the target sensitivity and background goals for the next generation experiment CUPID that will cover the inverted neutrino mass hierarchy. We will explore simulation based R&D case studies for background reduction and lay out achievable background reduction levels using possible materials and feasible geometries in the context of CUPID. National Science Foundation.

  12. The Madison School-Community: Abbreviated Background Materials.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sybouts, Ward; Tobiska, Kenneth

    The manual describes a simulated community and school district and is to be used with the "in-baskets" (VT 006 654) produced by the University Council of Educational Administration (UCEA) and those produced by the University of Nebraska in conjunction with the UCEA. The "Instructor's Guide for Using Simulated Materials to Instruct School…

  13. An observational study of patient satisfaction with fesoterodine in the treatment of overactive bladder: effects of additional educational material.

    PubMed

    Schneider, T; Arumi, D; Crook, T J; Sun, F; Michel, M C

    2014-09-01

    To compare the effects of additional educational material on treatment satisfaction of overactive bladder (OAB) patients treated with a muscarinic receptor antagonist. In an observational study of OAB patients being treated by their physician with fesoterodine for 4 months (FAKTEN study), sites were randomised to providing standard treatment or additional educational material including the SAGA tool. Patient satisfaction was assessed by three validated patient-reported outcomes including the Treatment Satisfaction Question. Because of premature discontinuation of the study, descriptive statistical analysis was performed. A total of 431 and 342 patients received standard treatment or additional educational material, respectively. At study end, 76.1% [95% CI = 71.3, 80.4] of patients with standard care and 79.6% [95% CI = 74.4, 84.1] with additional SAGA tool were satisfied with treatment (primary end-point). Comparable outcomes with and without the additional educational material were also found in various patient subgroups, at the 1-month time point, and for the other patient-reported outcomes. A notable exception was the subgroup of treatment-naïve patients in which the percentage of satisfied patients was 77.2% vs. 89.5% with standard treatment and additional SAGA tool, respectively (post hoc analysis). In an observational study, most overactive bladder patients were satisfied with fesoterodine treatment. Because of the small sample size, the study does not support or refute the hypothesis that adding the SAGA tool will improve patient satisfaction with treatment. The potential effect of additional educational material in treatment-naïve patients warrants further dedicated studies. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Design of novel materials for additive manufacturing - Isotropic microstructure and high defect tolerance.

    PubMed

    Günther, J; Brenne, F; Droste, M; Wendler, M; Volkova, O; Biermann, H; Niendorf, T

    2018-01-22

    Electron Beam Melting (EBM) is a powder-bed additive manufacturing technology enabling the production of complex metallic parts with generally good mechanical properties. However, the performance of powder-bed based additively manufactured materials is governed by multiple factors that are difficult to control. Alloys that solidify in cubic crystal structures are usually affected by strong anisotropy due to the formation of columnar grains of preferred orientation. Moreover, processing induced defects and porosity detrimentally influence static and cyclic mechanical properties. The current study presents results on processing of a metastable austenitic CrMnNi steel by EBM. Due to multiple phase transformations induced by intrinsic heat-treatment in the layer-wise EBM process the material develops a fine-grained microstructure almost without a preferred crystallographic grain orientation. The deformation-induced phase transformation yields high damage tolerance and, thus, excellent mechanical properties less sensitive to process-induced inhomogeneities. Various scan strategies were applied to evaluate the width of an appropriate process window in terms of microstructure evolution, porosity and change of chemical composition.

  15. Recent Progress in Biomimetic Additive Manufacturing Technology: From Materials to Functional Structures.

    PubMed

    Yang, Yang; Song, Xuan; Li, Xiangjia; Chen, Zeyu; Zhou, Chi; Zhou, Qifa; Chen, Yong

    2018-06-19

    Nature has developed high-performance materials and structures over millions of years of evolution and provides valuable sources of inspiration for the design of next-generation structural materials, given the variety of excellent mechanical, hydrodynamic, optical, and electrical properties. Biomimicry, by learning from nature's concepts and design principles, is driving a paradigm shift in modern materials science and technology. However, the complicated structural architectures in nature far exceed the capability of traditional design and fabrication technologies, which hinders the progress of biomimetic study and its usage in engineering systems. Additive manufacturing (three-dimensional (3D) printing) has created new opportunities for manipulating and mimicking the intrinsically multiscale, multimaterial, and multifunctional structures in nature. Here, an overview of recent developments in 3D printing of biomimetic reinforced mechanics, shape changing, and hydrodynamic structures, as well as optical and electrical devices is provided. The inspirations are from various creatures such as nacre, lobster claw, pine cone, flowers, octopus, butterfly wing, fly eye, etc., and various 3D-printing technologies are discussed. Future opportunities for the development of biomimetic 3D-printing technology to fabricate next-generation functional materials and structures in mechanical, electrical, optical, and biomedical engineering are also outlined. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. A Sensory Material Approach for Reducing Variability in Additively Manufactured Metal Parts.

    PubMed

    Franco, B E; Ma, J; Loveall, B; Tapia, G A; Karayagiz, K; Liu, J; Elwany, A; Arroyave, R; Karaman, I

    2017-06-15

    Despite the recent growth in interest for metal additive manufacturing (AM) in the biomedical and aerospace industries, variability in the performance, composition, and microstructure of AM parts remains a major impediment to its widespread adoption. The underlying physical mechanisms, which cause variability, as well as the scale and nature of variability are not well understood, and current methods are ineffective at capturing these details. Here, a Nickel-Titanium alloy is used as a sensory material in order to quantitatively, and rather rapidly, observe compositional and/or microstructural variability in selective laser melting manufactured parts; thereby providing a means to evaluate the role of process parameters on the variability. We perform detailed microstructural investigations using transmission electron microscopy at various locations to reveal the origins of microstructural variability in this sensory material. This approach helped reveal how reducing the distance between adjacent laser scans below a critical value greatly reduces both the in-sample and sample-to-sample variability. Microstructural investigations revealed that when the laser scan distance is wide, there is an inhomogeneity in subgrain size, precipitate distribution, and dislocation density in the microstructure, responsible for the observed variability. These results provide an important first step towards understanding the nature of variability in additively manufactured parts.

  17. 21 CFR 570.14 - Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials for animal feed and pet food.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Indirect food additives resulting from packaging..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) ANIMAL DRUGS, FEEDS, AND RELATED PRODUCTS FOOD ADDITIVES General Provisions § 570.14 Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials for animal feed and...

  18. 21 CFR 570.14 - Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials for animal feed and pet food.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Indirect food additives resulting from packaging..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) ANIMAL DRUGS, FEEDS, AND RELATED PRODUCTS FOOD ADDITIVES General Provisions § 570.14 Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials for animal feed and...

  19. 21 CFR 570.14 - Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials for animal feed and pet food.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Indirect food additives resulting from packaging..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) ANIMAL DRUGS, FEEDS, AND RELATED PRODUCTS FOOD ADDITIVES General Provisions § 570.14 Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials for animal feed and...

  20. 21 CFR 570.14 - Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials for animal feed and pet food.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Indirect food additives resulting from packaging..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) ANIMAL DRUGS, FEEDS, AND RELATED PRODUCTS FOOD ADDITIVES General Provisions § 570.14 Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials for animal feed and...

  1. 21 CFR 570.14 - Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials for animal feed and pet food.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Indirect food additives resulting from packaging..., DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) ANIMAL DRUGS, FEEDS, AND RELATED PRODUCTS FOOD ADDITIVES General Provisions § 570.14 Indirect food additives resulting from packaging materials for animal feed and...

  2. NASA's Additive Manufacturing Development Materials Science to Technology Infusion - Connecting the Digital Dots

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vickers, John

    2017-01-01

    At NASA, the first steps of the Journey to Mars are well underway with the development of NASA's next generation launch system and investments in research and technologies that should increase the affordability, capability, and safety of exploration activities. Additive Manufacturing presents a disruptive opportunity for NASA to design and manufacture hardware with new materials at dramatically reduced cost and schedule. Opportunities to incorporate additive manufacturing align very well with NASA missions and with most NASA programs related to space, science, and aeronautics. The Agency also relies on many partnerships with other government agencies, industry and academia.

  3. New water-soluble metal working fluids additives from phosphonic acid derivatives for aluminum alloy materials.

    PubMed

    Kohara, Ichitaro; Tomoda, Hideyuki; Watanabe, Shoji

    2007-01-01

    Water-soluble metal working fluids are used for processing of aluminum alloy materials. This short paper describes properties of new additives for water-soluble cutting fluids for aluminum alloy materials. Some alkyldiphosphonic acids were prepared with known method. Amine salts of these phosphonic acids showed anti-corrosion property for aluminum alloy materials. However, they have no hard water tolerance. Monoesters of octylphosphonic acid were prepared by the reaction of octylphosphonic acid dichloride with various alcohols in the presence of triethylamine. Amine salts of monoester of octylphosphonic acid with diethyleneglycol monomethyl ether, ethyleneglycol monomethyl ether and triethyleneglycol monomethyl ether showed both of a good anti-corrosion property for aluminum alloy materials and hard water tolerance.

  4. Additional Material Related to Child Care Legislation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Finance.

    Material relating to Child Care Legislation is provided. The material concerns the following: (1) Provisions of H.R. 1 relating to child care: Opportunities for families program; Family assistance plan; (2) Excerpts from House report on H.R. 1 relating to child care: Provision of child care by Department of Labor; Exclusion of child care expenses…

  5. Effect of the addition of antimicrobial agents on Shore A hardness and roughness of soft lining materials.

    PubMed

    Urban, Vanessa M; Lima, Thiago F; Bueno, Mirian G; Giannini, Marcelo; Arioli Filho, João N; de Almeida, Ana Lúcia P F; Neppelenbroek, Karin H

    2015-04-01

    While the incorporation of antimicrobial agents into soft denture liners has been suggested as a reliable alternative treatment for denture stomatitis, it may affect the liner's properties. The effect of addition of antimicrobial agents for the treatment of denture stomatitis on the surface roughness and Shore A hardness of soft lining materials was evaluated. The test groups comprised specimens (36 × 7 × 6 mm(3) ) of soft materials (Softone and Trusoft) without (control) or with incorporation of drugs (nystatin, miconazole, ketoconazole, chlorhexidine diacetate, and itraconazole). Hardness (Shore A) and roughness (Ra) were evaluated after immersion of specimens (n = 10) in distilled water at 37°C for 24 hours, 7 and 14 days. Data were analyzed by 3-way ANOVA/Tukey's test (α = 0.05). After 14 days, an increase (p < 0.05) was observed in the hardness of soft materials with time for the modified specimens, except for itraconazole. Addition of drugs increased the Softone roughness only for the addition of miconazole and chlorhexidine (p < 0.05), and did not increase the roughness of Trusoft with time. Only chlorhexidine and itraconazole altered the roughness compared to the control for each material (p < 0.05). The smallest changes of hardness and roughness with time in the modified groups compared to controls were observed for itraconazole groups for both materials. © 2014 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

  6. Timing of Getter Material Addition in Cementitious Wasteforms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lawter, A.; Qafoku, N. P.; Asmussen, M.; Neeway, J.; Smith, G. L.

    2015-12-01

    A cementitious waste form, Cast Stone, is being evaluated as a possible supplemental immobilization technology for the Hanford sites's low activity waste (LAW), which contains radioactive 99Tc and 129I, as part of the tank waste cleanup mission. Cast Stone is made of a dry blend 47% blast furnace slag, 45% fly ash, and 8% ordinary Portland cement, mixed with a low-activity waste (LAW). To improve the retention of Tc and/or I in Cast Stone, materials with a high affinity for Tc and/or I, termed "getters," can be added to provide a stable domain for the radionuclides of concern. Previous testing conducted with a variety of getters has identified Tin(II)-Apatite and Silver Exchanged Zeolite as promising candidates for Tc and I, respectively. Investigation into the sequence in which getters are added to Cast Stone was performed following two methods: 1) adding getters to the Cast Stone dry blend, and then mixing with liquid waste, and 2) adding getters to the liquid waste first, followed by addition of the Cast Stone dry blend. Cast Stone monolith samples were prepared with each method and leach tests, following EPA method 1315, were conducted in either distilled water or simulated vadose zone porewater for a period of up to 63 days. The leachate was analyzed for Tc, I, Na, NO3-, NO2- and Cr with ICP-MS, ICP-OES and ion chromatography and the results indicated that the Cast Stone with getter addition in the dry blend mix (method 1) has lower rates of Tc and I leaching. The mechanisms of radionuclide release from the Cast Stone were also investigated with a variety of solid phase characterization techniques of the monoliths before and after leaching, such as XRD, SEM/EDS, TEM/SAED and other spectroscopic techniques.

  7. Modeling surface backgrounds from radon progeny plate-out

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Perumpilly, G.; Guiseppe, V. E.; Snyder, N.

    2013-08-08

    The next generation low-background detectors operating deep underground aim for unprecedented low levels of radioactive backgrounds. The surface deposition and subsequent implantation of radon progeny in detector materials will be a source of energetic background events. We investigate Monte Carlo and model-based simulations to understand the surface implantation profile of radon progeny. Depending on the material and region of interest of a rare event search, these partial energy depositions can be problematic. Motivated by the use of Ge crystals for the detection of neutrinoless double-beta decay, we wish to understand the detector response of surface backgrounds from radon progeny. Wemore » look at the simulation of surface decays using a validated implantation distribution based on nuclear recoils and a realistic surface texture. Results of the simulations and measured α spectra are presented.« less

  8. Optimal background matching camouflage.

    PubMed

    Michalis, Constantine; Scott-Samuel, Nicholas E; Gibson, David P; Cuthill, Innes C

    2017-07-12

    Background matching is the most familiar and widespread camouflage strategy: avoiding detection by having a similar colour and pattern to the background. Optimizing background matching is straightforward in a homogeneous environment, or when the habitat has very distinct sub-types and there is divergent selection leading to polymorphism. However, most backgrounds have continuous variation in colour and texture, so what is the best solution? Not all samples of the background are likely to be equally inconspicuous, and laboratory experiments on birds and humans support this view. Theory suggests that the most probable background sample (in the statistical sense), at the size of the prey, would, on average, be the most cryptic. We present an analysis, based on realistic assumptions about low-level vision, that estimates the distribution of background colours and visual textures, and predicts the best camouflage. We present data from a field experiment that tests and supports our predictions, using artificial moth-like targets under bird predation. Additionally, we present analogous data for humans, under tightly controlled viewing conditions, searching for targets on a computer screen. These data show that, in the absence of predator learning, the best single camouflage pattern for heterogeneous backgrounds is the most probable sample. © 2017 The Authors.

  9. Utilization of Additive Manufacturing in Evaluating the Performance of Internally Defected Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mourad, A.-H. I.; Ghazal, A. M.; Syam, M. M.; Qadi, O. D. Al; Jassmi, H. Al

    2018-05-01

    The elimination of internal defects in a material present in the raw material or generated during the manufacturing or service is difficult. The inclusions of the defects have an adverse effect on the load bearing capacity. The presence of the cracks subjected to a specific orientation in materials or machinery can cause devastating unexpected failure during operation. Analysis of the failure in the components with cracks is more confined to analytical and numerical evaluation. The experimental evaluation has been tedious due to the complexity of replicating the actual defected component. The potential of additive manufacturing in developing user-defined components with cracks for the experimental evaluation is explored in this research. The present research investigated the effect of the internal elliptical cracks aligned at different orientations on the mechanical performance of polylactic acid (Green filament). The Fusion Deposition Method was utilized for the development of the standard tensile specimens with internal elliptical crack oriented at 0°, 45° and 90° using UltiMaker 2. The results proved that there is a considerable reduction in the load bearing capacity due to the presence of the cracks. The maximum load bearing capacity decreased by 15.01% for the specimen with crack inclined at 0° to the lateral axis compared to crack- free specimen. The nature of the fracture and the stress-strain graph evidently showcase the brittle nature of the material. The SEM image of the fractured region proved the phenomenal characteristics such as strong adhesion between the layers and the proper material flow. In the light of the results of this work, it can be concluded that the 3-D printing methodology is effective for evaluating the mechanical performance of the internally defected material.

  10. Aluminium content of some processed foods, raw materials and food additives in China by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Deng, Gui-Fang; Li, Ke; Ma, Jing; Liu, Fen; Dai, Jing-Jing; Li, Hua-Bin

    2011-01-01

    The level of aluminium in 178 processed food samples from Shenzhen city in China was evaluated using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Some processed foods contained a concentration of up to 1226 mg/kg, which is about 12 times the Chinese food standard. To establish the main source in these foods, Al levels in the raw materials were determined. However, aluminium concentrations in raw materials were low (0.10-451.5 mg/kg). Therefore, aluminium levels in food additives used in these foods was determined and it was found that some food additives contained a high concentration of aluminium (0.005-57.4 g/kg). The results suggested that, in the interest of public health, food additives containing high concentrations of aluminium should be replaced by those containing less. This study has provided new information on aluminium levels in Chinese processed foods, raw materials and a selection of food additives.

  11. An Examination of the Addition of Video Informed Reflective Practice to the Active Support Toolkit

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, Peter; Appleton, Philippa; Williams, Rosie

    2017-01-01

    Background: This study evaluated a package of Active Support (AS), which included standard training with additional video informed reflective practice. Materials & Methods: The training package was implemented as part of a service improvement initiative in four residential intellectual disability homes, using a concurrent multiple baseline…

  12. Poly(ether ester) Ionomers as Water-Soluble Polymers for Material Extrusion Additive Manufacturing Processes.

    PubMed

    Pekkanen, Allison M; Zawaski, Callie; Stevenson, André T; Dickerman, Ross; Whittington, Abby R; Williams, Christopher B; Long, Timothy E

    2017-04-12

    Water-soluble polymers as sacrificial supports for additive manufacturing (AM) facilitate complex features in printed objects. Few water-soluble polymers beyond poly(vinyl alcohol) enable material extrusion AM. In this work, charged poly(ether ester)s with tailored rheological and mechanical properties serve as novel materials for extrusion-based AM at low temperatures. Melt transesterification of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, 8k) and dimethyl 5-sulfoisophthalate afforded poly(ether ester)s of sufficient molecular weight to impart mechanical integrity. Quantitative ion exchange provided a library of poly(ether ester)s with varying counterions, including both monovalent and divalent cations. Dynamic mechanical and tensile analysis revealed an insignificant difference in mechanical properties for these polymers below the melting temperature, suggesting an insignificant change in final part properties. Rheological analysis, however, revealed the advantageous effect of divalent countercations (Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , and Zn 2+ ) in the melt state and exhibited an increase in viscosity of two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, time-temperature superposition identified an elevation in modulus, melt viscosity, and flow activation energy, suggesting intramolecular interactions between polymer chains and a higher apparent molecular weight. In particular, extrusion of poly(PEG 8k -co-CaSIP) revealed vast opportunities for extrusion AM of well-defined parts. The unique melt rheological properties highlighted these poly(ether ester) ionomers as ideal candidates for low-temperature material extrusion additive manufacturing of water-soluble parts.

  13. Mechanical Properties of a Newly Additive Manufactured Implant Material Based on Ti-42Nb

    PubMed Central

    Schulze, Christian; Weinmann, Markus; Schweigel, Christoph; Keßler, Olaf; Bader, Rainer

    2018-01-01

    The application of Ti-6Al-4V alloy or commercially pure titanium for additive manufacturing enables the fabrication of complex structural implants and patient-specific implant geometries. However, the difference in Young’s modulus of α + β-phase Ti alloys compared to the human bone promotes stress-shielding effects in the implant–bone interphase. The aim of the present study is the mechanical characterization of a new pre-alloyed β-phase Ti-42Nb alloy for application in additive manufacturing. The present investigation focuses on the mechanical properties of SLM-printed Ti-42Nb alloy in tensile and compression tests. In addition, the raw Ti-42Nb powder, the microstructure of the specimens prior to and after compression tests, as well as the fracture occurring in tensile tests are characterized by means of the SEM/EDX analysis. The Ti-42Nb raw powder exhibits a dendrite-like Ti-structure, which is melted layer-by-layer into a microstructure with a very homogeneous distribution of Nb and Ti during the SLM process. Tensile tests display Young’s modulus of 60.51 ± 3.92 GPa and an ultimate tensile strength of 683.17 ± 16.67 MPa, whereas, under a compressive load, a compressive strength of 1330.74 ± 53.45 MPa is observed. The combination of high mechanical strength and low elastic modulus makes Ti-42Nb an interesting material for orthopedic and dental implants. The spherical shape of the pre-alloyed material additionally allows for application in metal 3D printing, enabling the fabrication of patient-specific structural implants. PMID:29342864

  14. Mechanical Properties of a Newly Additive Manufactured Implant Material Based on Ti-42Nb.

    PubMed

    Schulze, Christian; Weinmann, Markus; Schweigel, Christoph; Keßler, Olaf; Bader, Rainer

    2018-01-13

    The application of Ti-6Al-4V alloy or commercially pure titanium for additive manufacturing enables the fabrication of complex structural implants and patient-specific implant geometries. However, the difference in Young's modulus of α + β-phase Ti alloys compared to the human bone promotes stress-shielding effects in the implant-bone interphase. The aim of the present study is the mechanical characterization of a new pre-alloyed β-phase Ti-42Nb alloy for application in additive manufacturing. The present investigation focuses on the mechanical properties of SLM-printed Ti-42Nb alloy in tensile and compression tests. In addition, the raw Ti-42Nb powder, the microstructure of the specimens prior to and after compression tests, as well as the fracture occurring in tensile tests are characterized by means of the SEM/EDX analysis. The Ti-42Nb raw powder exhibits a dendrite-like Ti-structure, which is melted layer-by-layer into a microstructure with a very homogeneous distribution of Nb and Ti during the SLM process. Tensile tests display Young's modulus of 60.51 ± 3.92 GPa and an ultimate tensile strength of 683.17 ± 16.67 MPa, whereas, under a compressive load, a compressive strength of 1330.74 ± 53.45 MPa is observed. The combination of high mechanical strength and low elastic modulus makes Ti-42Nb an interesting material for orthopedic and dental implants. The spherical shape of the pre-alloyed material additionally allows for application in metal 3D printing, enabling the fabrication of patient-specific structural implants.

  15. Laser-shocked energetic materials with metal additives: evaluation of chemistry and detonation performance.

    PubMed

    Gottfried, Jennifer L; Bukowski, Eric J

    2017-01-20

    A focused, nanosecond-pulsed laser has been used to ablate, atomize, ionize, and excite milligram quantities of metal-doped energetic materials that undergo exothermic reactions in the laser-induced plasma. The subsequent shock wave expansion in the air above the sample has been monitored using high-speed schlieren imaging in a recently developed technique, laser-induced air shock from energetic materials (LASEM). The method enables the estimation of detonation velocities based on the measured laser-induced air-shock velocities and has previously been demonstrated for organic military explosives. Here, the LASEM technique has been extended to explosive formulations with metal additives. A comparison of the measured laser-induced air-shock velocities for TNT, RDX, DNTF, and LLM-172 doped with Al or B to the detonation velocities predicted by the thermochemical code CHEETAH for inert or active metal participation demonstrates that LASEM has potential for predicting the early time (<10  μs) participation of metal additives in detonation events. The LASEM results show that while Al is mostly inert at early times in the detonation event (confirmed from large-scale detonation testing), B is active-and reducing the amount of hydrogen present during the early chemical reactions increases the resulting estimated detonation velocities.

  16. Drug Abuse Information, Teacher Resource Material.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bowen, Haskell, Comp.

    This informational publication is to be used as an aid for teachers, bringing them basic facts regarding drugs and drug abuse. Its purpose is to (1) give additional teacher background information and (2) enrich any course of study that has been developed on drug abuse. To use the material most effectively, it is suggested the teacher have an…

  17. Effect of zirconium oxide nanoparticles addition on the optical and tensile properties of polymethyl methacrylate denture base material

    PubMed Central

    Gad, Mohammed M; Abualsaud, Reem; Rahoma, Ahmed; Al-Thobity, Ahmad M; Al-Abidi, Khalid S; Akhtar, Sultan

    2018-01-01

    Background Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is widely used for the fabrication of removable prostheses. Recently, zirconium oxide nanoparticles (nano-ZrO2) have been added to improve some properties of PMMA, but their effect on the optical properties and tensile strength are neglected. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of nano-ZrO2 addition on the translucency and tensile strength of the PMMA denture base material. Materials and methods Eighty specimens (40 dumbbell-shaped and 40 discs) were prepared out of heat-polymerized acrylic resin and divided into four groups per test (n=10). The control group for each test included unreinforced acrylic, while the test groups were reinforced with 2.5, 5, and 7.5 wt% nano-ZrO2. Acrylic resin was mixed according to manufacturer’s instructions, packed, and processed by conventional method. After polymerization, all specimens were finished, polished, and stored in distilled water at 37°C for 48±2 hours. Tensile strength (MPa) was evaluated using the universal testing machine while the specimens’ translucency was examined using a spectrophotometer. Statistical analysis was carried out by SPSS using the paired sample t-test (p≤0.05). A scanning electron microscope was used to analyze the morphological changes and topography of the fractured surfaces. Results This study showed that the mean tensile strength of the PMMA in the test groups of 2.5%NZ, 5%NZ, and 7.5%NZ was significantly higher than the control group. The tensile strength increased significantly after nano-ZrO2 addition, and the maximum increase seen was in the 7.5%NZ group. The translucency values of the experimental groups were significantly lower than those of the control group. Within the reinforced groups, the 2.5%NZ group had significantly higher translucency values when compared to the 5%NZ and 7.5%NZ groups. Conclusion The addition of nano-ZrO2 increased the tensile strength of the denture base acrylic. The increase was directly

  18. Low background screening capability in the UK

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghag, Chamkaur

    2015-08-01

    Low background rare event searches in underground laboratories seeking observation of direct dark matter interactions or neutrino-less double beta decay have the potential to profoundly advance our understanding of the physical universe. Successful results from these experiments depend critically on construction from extremely radiologically clean materials and accurate knowledge of subsequent low levels of expected background. The experiments must conduct comprehensive screening campaigns to reduce radioactivity from detector components, and these measurements also inform detailed characterisation and quantification of background sources and their impact, necessary to assign statistical significance to any potential discovery. To provide requisite sensitivity for material screening and characterisation in the UK to support our rare event search activities, we have re-developed our infrastructure to add ultra-low background capability across a range of complementary techniques that collectively allow complete radioactivity measurements. Ultra-low background HPGe and BEGe detectors have been installed at the Boulby Underground Laboratory, itself undergoing substantial facility re-furbishment, to provide high sensitivity gamma spectroscopy in particular for measuring the uranium and thorium decay series products. Dedicated low-activity mass spectrometry instrumentation has been developed at UCL for part per trillion level contaminant identification to complement underground screening with direct U and Th measurements, and meet throughput demands. Finally, radon emanation screening at UCL measures radon background inaccessible to gamma or mass spectrometry techniques. With this new capability the UK is delivering half of the radioactivity screening for the LZ dark matter search experiment.

  19. Catalytic enantioselective addition of Grignard reagents to aromatic silyl ketimines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rong, Jiawei; Collados, Juan F.; Ortiz, Pablo; Jumde, Ravindra P.; Otten, Edwin; Harutyunyan, Syuzanna R.

    2016-12-01

    α-Chiral amines are of significant importance in medicinal chemistry, asymmetric synthesis and material science, but methods for their efficient synthesis are scarce. In particular, the synthesis of α-chiral amines with the challenging tetrasubstituted carbon stereocentre is a long-standing problem and catalytic asymmetric additions of organometallic reagents to ketimines that would give direct access to these molecules are underdeveloped. Here we report a highly enantioselective catalytic synthesis of N-sulfonyl protected α-chiral silyl amines via the addition of inexpensive, easy to handle and readily available Grignard reagents to silyl ketimines. The key to this success was our ability to suppress any unselective background addition reactions and side reduction pathway, through the identification of an inexpensive, chiral Cu-complex as the catalytically active structure.

  20. Reduction of CO2 diffuse emissions from the traditional ceramic industry by the addition of Si-Al raw material.

    PubMed

    González, I; Barba-Brioso, C; Campos, P; Romero, A; Galán, E

    2016-09-15

    The fabrication of ceramics can produce the emission of several gases, denominated exhaust gases, and also vapours resulting from firing processes, which usually contain metals and toxic substances affecting the environment and the health of workers. Especially harmful are the diffuse emissions of CO2, fluorine, chlorine and sulphur from the ceramics industry, which, in highly industrialized areas, can suppose an important emission focus of dangerous effects. Concerning CO2, factories that use carbonate-rich raw materials (>30% carbonates) can emit high concentrations of CO2 to the atmosphere. Thus, carbonate reduction or substitution with other raw materials would reduce the emissions. In this contribution, we propose the addition of Al-shales to the carbonated ceramic materials (marls) for CO2 emission reduction, also improving the quality of the products. The employed shales are inexpensive materials of large reserves in SW-Spain. The ceramic bodies prepared with the addition of selected Al-shale to marls in variable proportions resulted in a 40%-65% CO2 emission reduction. In addition, this research underlines at the same time that the use of a low-price raw material can also contribute to obtaining products with higher added value. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Increasing Educational Efficiency Through Technology (Commission Discussion and Background Materials).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Indiana State Commission for Higher Education, Indianapolis.

    A program schedule and background information for Indiana Commission for Higher Education-sponsored discussion of the use of educational technology to increase educational effeciency are presented. The four major topics of discussion to illustrate the uses and advantages/disadvantages of audio, video, and computing technologies are as follows:…

  2. Low-background Gamma Spectroscopy at Sanford Underground Laboratory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chiller, Christopher; Alanson, Angela; Mei, Dongming

    2014-03-01

    Rare-event physics experiments require the use of material with unprecedented radio-purity. Low background counting assay capabilities and detectors are critical for determining the sensitivity of the planned ultra-low background experiments. A low-background counting, LBC, facility has been built at the 4850-Level Davis Campus of the Sanford Underground Research Facility to perform screening of material and detector parts. Like many rare event physics experiments, our LBC uses lead shielding to mitigate background radiation. Corrosion of lead brick shielding in subterranean installations creates radon plate-out potential as well as human risks of ingestible or respirable lead compounds. Our LBC facilities employ an exposed lead shield requiring clean smooth surfaces. A cleaning process of low-activity silica sand blasting and borated paraffin hot coating preservation was employed to guard against corrosion due to chemical and biological exposures. The resulting lead shield maintains low background contribution integrity while fully encapsulating the lead surface. We report the performance of the current LBC and a plan to develop a large germanium well detector for PMT screening. Support provided by Sd governors research center-CUBED, NSF PHY-0758120 and Sanford Lab.

  3. Preliminary result on the enhancement of Ufer electrodes using recycle additives materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zulkifli, Muhammad Haziq Aniq Bin; Ahmad, Hussein Bin

    2016-11-01

    Ground building pillars is to be used as ground rod. The pillars are design, fabricated, and formulated with new ground fillers. The additives will be used from recycle waste materials mainly from the palm oil plant process. Micro scale building pillars will be fabricated and install in the test ground at all of the location. Earth tester meter are used to measure and collect the data of the soil resistivity when the research is conducted. In collecting these data, 3-terminal methods are used to carry the measurements. This experiment will be conducted for 30 weeks and regular measurements at the test ground copper grids will be conducted to measure the ground electrode resistance. The study will mainly base on IEC 62503-3. The used of reinforcing rods and mixture of recycle additives could produce a better grounding system that are suitable and can be used in all kind of soil condition and large industries.

  4. Effects of Coating Materials and Mineral Additives on Nitrate Reduction by Zerovalent Iron

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, K. H.; Jeong, H. Y.; Lee, S.; Kang, N.; Choi, H. J.; Park, M.

    2015-12-01

    In efforts to facilitate nitrate removal, a variety of coating materials and mineral additives were assessed for their effects on the nitrate reduction by zerovalent iron (ZVI). Coated ZVIs were prepared by reacting Fe particles with Cr(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and S(-II) solutions under anoxic conditions, with the resultant materials named Cr/Fe, Co/Fe, Ni/Fe, Cu/Fe, and FeS/Fe, respectively. The mineral additives used, synthesized or purchased, included goethite, magnetite, and hydrous ferric oxide (HFO). Kinetic experiments were performed using air-tight serum vials containing 1.0 g Fe (uncoated or coated forms) in 15 mL of 100 mg NO3×N/L solutions with pH buffered at 7.0. To monitor the reaction progress, the solution phase was analyzed for NO3-, NO2-, and NH4+ on an ion chromatography, while the headspace was analyzed for H2, N2, and O2 on a gas chromatography. By uncoated Fe, ca. 60% of nitrate was reductively transformed for 3.6 h, with NH4+ being the predominant product. Compared with uncoated one, Cr/Fe, Co/Fe, and Cu/Fe showed faster removal rates of nitrate. The observed reactivity enhancement was thought to result from additional reduction of nitrate by H atoms adsorbed on the surface of Cr, Co, or Cu metal. In contrast, both Ni/Fe and FeS/Fe showed slower removal of nitrate than uncoated Fe. In both cases, the coating, which highly disfavors the adsorption of nitrate, would form on the Fe surface. When goethite, HFO, and magnetite were amended, the nitrate reduction by Fe was significantly increased, with the effect being most evident with HFO. Although not capable of reducing nitrate, the mineral additives would serve as crystal nuclei for the corrosion products of Fe, thus making the development of passivation layers on the Fe surface less. In the future, we will perform a kinetic modeling of the experimental data to assess the relative contribution of multiple reaction paths in the nitrate reduction by Fe.

  5. Low Background Counting at LBNL

    DOE PAGES

    Smith, A. R.; Thomas, K. J.; Norman, E. B.; ...

    2015-03-24

    The Low Background Facility (LBF) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California provides low background gamma spectroscopy services to a wide array of experiments and projects. The analysis of samples takes place within two unique facilities; locally within a carefully-constructed, low background cave and remotely at an underground location that historically has operated underground in Oroville, CA, but has recently been relocated to the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, SD. These facilities provide a variety of gamma spectroscopy services to low background experiments primarily in the form of passive material screening for primordial radioisotopes (U, Th, K)more » or common cosmogenic/anthropogenic products, as well as active screening via Neutron Activation Analysis for specific applications. The LBF also provides hosting services for general R&D testing in low background environments on the surface or underground for background testing of detector systems or similar prototyping. A general overview of the facilities, services, and sensitivities is presented. Recent activities and upgrades will also be presented, such as the completion of a 3π anticoincidence shield at the surface station and environmental monitoring of Fukushima fallout. The LBF is open to any users for counting services or collaboration on a wide variety of experiments and projects.« less

  6. 32 CFR 770.49 - Background.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ..., Washington § 770.49 Background. (a) Puget Sound Naval Shipyard is a major naval ship repair facility, with... interruption. Additionally, most of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard is dedicated to heavy industrial activity where...

  7. Gamma-Radiation Background Onboard Russian Orbital Stations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dmitrenko, V. V.; Galper, A. M.; Gratchev, V. M.; Kirillov-Ugryumov, V. G.; Krivov, S. V.; Moiseev, A. A.; Ulin, S. E.; Uteshev, Z. M.; Vlasik, K. F.; Yurkin, Yn. T.

    Large manned space flight missions have several advantages for carrying out astrophysical and cosmic ray experiments, including the ability to install heavy instruments with large dimensions, increased electrical power and telemetry capacity, and the operation of fixed instruments by qualified personnel (astronauts). The main disadvantage in the use of heavy orbital stations for these experiments is the high level of background radiation generated by the interaction of station material with primary cosmic rays, high energy particles that exist in the magnetosphere of Earth, and albedo radiation from Earth. In some cases, additional radiation may originate from man-made radiation sources installed at the stations. For many years MEPhI have maintained experiments onboard manned Russian space flight missions to study primary gamma-rays at two energy intervals: 0.1 - 8 MeV and 30-600 MeV and electrons with energy more than 30 MeV. During these experiments significant time was spent investigating high energy background radiation onboard the stations. To measure 30-600 MeV gamma-rays, the gas-Cherenkov-scintillation telescope Elena was used. The angular view of this telescope was 10 deg, with a geometrical factor of 0.5 cm2sr. This telescope was operated onboard the orbital stations Salyut-6 and Salyut-7. Usually these stations were operated together with the space missions Soyuz and Progress. For background measurements, cosmonauts installed the telescope at various locations on Salyut, Soyuz and Progress, and oriented it in various directions respectively to the station's axes. During these experiments, the orbital stations were not oriented.

  8. Additive-free thick graphene film as an anode material for flexible lithium-ion batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rana, Kuldeep; Kim, Seong Dae; Ahn, Jong-Hyun

    2015-04-01

    This work demonstrates a simple route to develop mechanically flexible electrodes for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) that are usable as lightweight effective conducting networks for both cathodes and anodes. Removing electrochemically dead elements, such as binders, conducting agents and metallic current collectors, from the battery components will allow remarkable progress in this area. To investigate the feasibility of using thick, additive-free graphene films as anodes for flexible LIBs, we have synthesized and tested thick, additive-free, freestanding graphene films as anodes, first in a coin cell and further in a flexible full cell. As an anode material in a half cell, it showed a discharge capacity of about 350 mA h g-1 and maintained nearly this capacity over 50 cycles at various current rates. This film was also tested as an anode material in a full cell with a LiCoO2 cathode and showed good electrochemical performance. Because the graphene-based flexible film showed good performance in half- and full coin cells, we used this film as a flexible anode for flexible LIBs. No conducting agent or binder was used in the anode side, which helped in realizing the flexible LIBs. Using this, we demonstrate a thin, lightweight and flexible lithium ion battery with good electrochemical performance in both its flat and bent states.This work demonstrates a simple route to develop mechanically flexible electrodes for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) that are usable as lightweight effective conducting networks for both cathodes and anodes. Removing electrochemically dead elements, such as binders, conducting agents and metallic current collectors, from the battery components will allow remarkable progress in this area. To investigate the feasibility of using thick, additive-free graphene films as anodes for flexible LIBs, we have synthesized and tested thick, additive-free, freestanding graphene films as anodes, first in a coin cell and further in a flexible full cell. As an anode

  9. Druze Minority Students Learning Hebrew in Israel: The Relationship of Attitudes, Cultural Background, and Interest of Material to Reading Comprehension in a Second Language.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abu-Rabia, Salim

    1996-01-01

    Examines Israeli-Druze students' reading comprehension in Hebrew as a second language as related to their attitudes, cultural background, and interest in the material. Participants were administered questionnaires, Arab and Jewish cultural stories, and multiple-choice questions about each story. Results are discussed. (51 references) (Author/CK)

  10. Cosmological Implications of the Effects of X-Ray Clusters on the Cosmic Microwave Background

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Forman, William R.

    1996-01-01

    We have been carrying forward a program to confront X-ray observations of clusters and their evolution as derived from X-ray observatories with observations of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR). In addition to the material covered in our previous reports (including three published papers), most recently we have explored the effects of a cosmological constant on the predicted Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect from the ensemble of clusters. In this report we summarize that work from which a paper will be prepared.

  11. Sulfate reduction in sulfuric material after re-flooding: Effectiveness of organic carbon addition and pH increase depends on soil properties.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Chaolei; Fitzpatrick, Rob; Mosley, Luke M; Marschner, Petra

    2015-11-15

    Sulfuric material is formed upon oxidation of sulfidic material; it is extremely acidic, and therefore, an environmental hazard. One option for increasing pH of sulfuric material may be stimulation of bacterial sulfate reduction. We investigated the effects of organic carbon addition and pH increase on sulfate reduction after re-flooding in ten sulfuric materials with four treatments: control, pH increase to 5.5 (+pH), organic carbon addition with 2% w/w finely ground wheat straw (+C), and organic carbon addition and pH increase (+C+pH). After 36 weeks, in five of the ten soils, only treatment +C+pH significantly increased the concentration of reduced inorganic sulfur (RIS) compared to the control and increased the soil pore water pH compared to treatment+pH. In four other soils, pH increase or/and organic carbon addition had no significant effect on RIS concentration compared to the control. The RIS concentration in treatment +C+pH as percentage of the control was negatively correlated with soil clay content and initial nitrate concentration. The results suggest that organic carbon addition and pH increase can stimulate sulfate reduction after re-flooding, but the effectiveness of this treatment depends on soil properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Optical polarization: background and camouflage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Škerlind, Christina; Hallberg, Tomas; Eriksson, Johan; Kariis, Hans; Bergström, David

    2017-10-01

    Polarimetric imaging sensors in the electro-optical region, already military and commercially available in both the visual and infrared, show enhanced capabilities for advanced target detection and recognition. The capabilities arise due to the ability to discriminate between man-made and natural background surfaces using the polarization information of light. In the development of materials for signature management in the visible and infrared wavelength regions, different criteria need to be met to fulfil the requirements for a good camouflage against modern sensors. In conventional camouflage design, the aimed design of the surface properties of an object is to spectrally match or adapt it to a background and thereby minimizing the contrast given by a specific threat sensor. Examples will be shown from measurements of some relevant materials and how they in different ways affect the polarimetric signature. Dimensioning properties relevant in an optical camouflage from a polarimetric perspective, such as degree of polarization, the viewing or incident angle, and amount of diffuse reflection, mainly in the infrared region, will be discussed.

  13. In situ antimicrobial behavior of materials with copper-based additives in a hospital environment.

    PubMed

    Palza, Humberto; Nuñez, Mauricio; Bastías, Roberto; Delgado, Katherine

    2018-06-01

    Copper and its alloys are effective antimicrobial surface materials in the laboratory and in clinical trials. Copper has been used in the healthcare setting to reduce environmental contamination, and thus prevent healthcare-associated infections, complementing traditional protocols. The addition of copper nanoparticles to polymer/plastic matrices can also produce antimicrobial materials, as confirmed under laboratory conditions. However, there is a lack of studies validating the antimicrobial effects of these nanocomposite materials in clinical trials. To satisfy this issue, plastic waiting room chairs with embedded metal copper nanoparticles, and metal hospital IV pools coated with an organic paint with nanostructured zeolite/copper particles were produced and tested in a hospital environment. These prototypes were sampled once weekly for 10 weeks and the viable microorganisms were analysed and compared with the copper-free materials. In the waiting rooms, chairs with copper reduced by around 73% the total viable microorganisms present, showing activity regardless of the microorganism tested. Although there were only low levels of microorganisms in the IV pools installed in operating rooms because of rigorous hygiene protocols, samples with copper presented lower total viable microorganisms than unfilled materials. Some results did not have statistical significance because of the low load of microorganisms; however, during at least three weeks the IV pools with copper had reduced levels of microorganisms by a statistically significant 50%. These findings show for the first time the feasibility of utilizing the antimicrobial property of copper by adding nanosized fillers to other materials in a hospital environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

  14. Additive Biotech-Chances, challenges, and recent applications of additive manufacturing technologies in biotechnology.

    PubMed

    Krujatz, Felix; Lode, Anja; Seidel, Julia; Bley, Thomas; Gelinsky, Michael; Steingroewer, Juliane

    2017-10-25

    The diversity and complexity of biotechnological applications are constantly increasing, with ever expanding ranges of production hosts, cultivation conditions and measurement tasks. Consequently, many analytical and cultivation systems for biotechnology and bioprocess engineering, such as microfluidic devices or bioreactors, are tailor-made to precisely satisfy the requirements of specific measurements or cultivation tasks. Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies offer the possibility of fabricating tailor-made 3D laboratory equipment directly from CAD designs with previously inaccessible levels of freedom in terms of structural complexity. This review discusses the historical background of these technologies, their most promising current implementations and the associated workflows, fabrication processes and material specifications, together with some of the major challenges associated with using AM in biotechnology/bioprocess engineering. To illustrate the great potential of AM, selected examples in microfluidic devices, 3D-bioprinting/biofabrication and bioprocess engineering are highlighted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Colour of ground beef as influenced by raw materials, addition of sodium chloride and low oxygen packaging.

    PubMed

    Sørheim, O; Westad, F; Larsen, H; Alvseike, O

    2009-03-01

    The study aimed at examining the effects of freezing of raw materials, holding time for fresh raw materials post mortem and addition of 0.5-1.0% NaCl on the colour of ground beef under low oxygen (O2) modified atmosphere storage. The samples were exposed to 0.1-3.0% O2 at 4°C for up to 10 days, and analysed for O2 concentrations, instrumental and visual colour. Residual O2 in the headspace of the packages oxidizes myoglobin and discolours the meat. Meat may have the ability to scavenge residual O2, and ground beef differs from intact muscles by having a much higher capacity for O2 consumption. In this experiment, the use of frozen/thawed raw materials and addition of NaCl both decreased the rate of O2 consumption and increased discolouration. Using raw materials from 2 days rather than 7 days post mortem greatly increased the rate of removal of O2 and improved redness. In low O2 packaging, ground beef preferably should be stored for at least 2 days in an atmosphere with less than 0.1% residual O2 to produce a purple pigment predominantly consisting of deoxymyoglobin.

  16. Characterizing the Background Corona with SDO/AIA

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Napier, Kate; Alexander, Caroline; Winebarger, Amy

    2014-01-01

    Characterizing the nature of the solar coronal background would enable scientists to more accurately determine plasma parameters, and may lead to a better understanding of the coronal heating problem. Because scientists study the 3D structure of the Sun in 2D, any line-of-sight includes both foreground and background material, and thus, the issue of background subtraction arises. By investigating the intensity values in and around an active region, using multiple wavelengths collected from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) over an eight-hour period, this project aims to characterize the background as smooth or structured. Different methods were employed to measure the true coronal background and create minimum intensity images. These were then investigated for the presence of structure. The background images created were found to contain long-lived structures, including coronal loops, that were still present in all of the wavelengths, 131, 171, 193, 211, and 335 A. The intensity profiles across the active region indicate that the background is much more structured than previously thought.

  17. A Readout Integrated Circuit (ROIC) employing self-adaptive background current compensation technique for Infrared Focal Plane Array (IRFPA)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Tong; Zhao, Jian; He, Yong; Jiang, Bo; Su, Yan

    2018-05-01

    A novel self-adaptive background current compensation circuit applied to infrared focal plane array is proposed in this paper, which can compensate the background current generated in different conditions. Designed double-threshold detection strategy is to estimate and eliminate the background currents, which could significantly reduce the hardware overhead and improve the uniformity among different pixels. In addition, the circuit is well compatible to various categories of infrared thermo-sensitive materials. The testing results of a 4 × 4 experimental chip showed that the proposed circuit achieves high precision, wide application and high intelligence. Tape-out of the 320 × 240 readout circuit, as well as the bonding, encapsulation and imaging verification of uncooled infrared focal plane array, have also been completed.

  18. Investigation of the hard x-ray background in backlit pinhole imagers.

    PubMed

    Fein, J R; Peebles, J L; Keiter, P A; Holloway, J P; Klein, S R; Kuranz, C C; Manuel, M J-E; Drake, R P

    2014-11-01

    Hard x-rays from laser-produced hot electrons (>10 keV) in backlit pinhole imagers can give rise to a background signal that decreases signal dynamic range in radiographs. Consequently, significant uncertainties are introduced to the measured optical depth of imaged plasmas. Past experiments have demonstrated that hard x-rays are produced when hot electrons interact with the high-Z pinhole substrate used to collimate the softer He-α x-ray source. Results are presented from recent experiments performed on the OMEGA-60 laser to further study the production of hard x-rays in the pinhole substrate and how these x-rays contribute to the background signal in radiographs. Radiographic image plates measured hard x-rays from pinhole imagers with Mo, Sn, and Ta pinhole substrates. The variation in background signal between pinhole substrates provides evidence that much of this background comes from x-rays produced in the pinhole substrate itself. A Monte Carlo electron transport code was used to model x-ray production from hot electrons interacting in the pinhole substrate, as well as to model measurements of x-rays from the irradiated side of the targets, recorded by a bremsstrahlung x-ray spectrometer. Inconsistencies in inferred hot electron distributions between the different pinhole substrate materials demonstrate that additional sources of hot electrons beyond those modeled may produce hard x-rays in the pinhole substrate.

  19. Investigation of the hard x-ray background in backlit pinhole imagers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fein, J. R., E-mail: jrfein@umich.edu; Holloway, J. P.; Peebles, J. L.

    Hard x-rays from laser-produced hot electrons (>10 keV) in backlit pinhole imagers can give rise to a background signal that decreases signal dynamic range in radiographs. Consequently, significant uncertainties are introduced to the measured optical depth of imaged plasmas. Past experiments have demonstrated that hard x-rays are produced when hot electrons interact with the high-Z pinhole substrate used to collimate the softer He-α x-ray source. Results are presented from recent experiments performed on the OMEGA-60 laser to further study the production of hard x-rays in the pinhole substrate and how these x-rays contribute to the background signal in radiographs. Radiographicmore » image plates measured hard x-rays from pinhole imagers with Mo, Sn, and Ta pinhole substrates. The variation in background signal between pinhole substrates provides evidence that much of this background comes from x-rays produced in the pinhole substrate itself. A Monte Carlo electron transport code was used to model x-ray production from hot electrons interacting in the pinhole substrate, as well as to model measurements of x-rays from the irradiated side of the targets, recorded by a bremsstrahlung x-ray spectrometer. Inconsistencies in inferred hot electron distributions between the different pinhole substrate materials demonstrate that additional sources of hot electrons beyond those modeled may produce hard x-rays in the pinhole substrate.« less

  20. A study of nuclear recoil backgrounds in dark matter detectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Westerdale, Shawn S.

    Despite the great success of the Standard Model of particle physics, a preponderance of astrophysical evidence suggests that it cannot explain most of the matter in the universe. This so-called dark matter has eluded direct detection, though many theoretical extensions to the Standard Model predict the existence of particles with a mass on the 1-1000 GeV scale that interact only via the weak nuclear force. Particles in this class are referred to as Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), and their high masses and low scattering cross sections make them viable dark matter candidates. The rarity of WIMP-nucleus interactions makes them challenging to detect: any background can mask the signal they produce. Background rejection is therefore a major problem in dark matter detection. Many experiments greatly reduce their backgrounds by employing techniques to reject electron recoils. However, nuclear recoil backgrounds, which produce signals similar to what we expect from WIMPs, remain problematic. There are two primary sources of such backgrounds: surface backgrounds and neutron recoils. Surface backgrounds result from radioactivity on the inner surfaces of the detector sending recoiling nuclei into the detector. These backgrounds can be removed with fiducial cuts, at some cost to the experiment's exposure. In this dissertation we briefly discuss a novel technique for rejecting these events based on signals they make in the wavelength shifter coating on the inner surfaces of some detectors. Neutron recoils result from neutrons scattering off of nuclei in the detector. These backgrounds may produce a signal identical to what we expect from WIMPs and are extensively discussed here. We additionally present a new tool for calculating (alpha, n) yields in various materials. We introduce the concept of a neutron veto system designed to shield against, measure, and provide an anti-coincidence veto signal for background neutrons. We discuss the research and development

  1. A Study of Nuclear Recoil Backgrounds in Dark Matter Detectors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Westerdale, Shawn S.

    2016-01-01

    Despite the great success of the Standard Model of particle physics, a preponderance of astrophysical evidence suggests that it cannot explain most of the matter in the universe. This so-called dark matter has eluded direct detection, though many theoretical extensions to the Standard Model predict the existence of particles with a mass on themore » $1-1000$ GeV scale that interact only via the weak nuclear force. Particles in this class are referred to as Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), and their high masses and low scattering cross sections make them viable dark matter candidates. The rarity of WIMP-nucleus interactions makes them challenging to detect: any background can mask the signal they produce. Background rejection is therefore a major problem in dark matter detection. Many experiments greatly reduce their backgrounds by employing techniques to reject electron recoils. However, nuclear recoil backgrounds, which produce signals similar to what we expect from WIMPs, remain problematic. There are two primary sources of such backgrounds: surface backgrounds and neutron recoils. Surface backgrounds result from radioactivity on the inner surfaces of the detector sending recoiling nuclei into the detector. These backgrounds can be removed with fiducial cuts, at some cost to the experiment's exposure. In this dissertation we briefly discuss a novel technique for rejecting these events based on signals they make in the wavelength shifter coating on the inner surfaces of some detectors. Neutron recoils result from neutrons scattering from nuclei in the detector. These backgrounds may produce a signal identical to what we expect from WIMPs and are extensively discussed here. We additionally present a new tool for calculating ($$\\alpha$$, n)yields in various materials. We introduce the concept of a neutron veto system designed to shield against, measure, and provide an anti-coincidence veto signal for background neutrons. We discuss the research and

  2. Background in X-ray astronomy proportional counters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bower, C. R.; Dietz, K. L.; Ramsey, B. D.; Weisskopf, M. C.

    1991-01-01

    The authors report the results of an investigation into the nature of background events in proportional counters sensitive to X-ray photons having energy of less than 150 keV. Even with the use of thick shields composed of high-atomic-number material, a significant flux background in the detector's energy region can result from multiple Compton scattering in the mass surrounding the active region of the detector. The importance of the selection of detector components in the reduction of the background by more than an order of magnitude is emphasized. Experimental results are shown to agree qualitatively with Monte Carlo simulations. It is concluded that escape gating is a powerful means of determining the nature of background in flight detectors: the single/pair ratios reveal whether the detected events are charged particles or photons.

  3. Unsupervised background-constrained tank segmentation of infrared images in complex background based on the Otsu method.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Yulong; Gao, Min; Fang, Dan; Zhang, Baoquan

    2016-01-01

    In an effort to implement fast and effective tank segmentation from infrared images in complex background, the threshold of the maximum between-class variance method (i.e., the Otsu method) is analyzed and the working mechanism of the Otsu method is discussed. Subsequently, a fast and effective method for tank segmentation from infrared images in complex background is proposed based on the Otsu method via constraining the complex background of the image. Considering the complexity of background, the original image is firstly divided into three classes of target region, middle background and lower background via maximizing the sum of their between-class variances. Then, the unsupervised background constraint is implemented based on the within-class variance of target region and hence the original image can be simplified. Finally, the Otsu method is applied to simplified image for threshold selection. Experimental results on a variety of tank infrared images (880 × 480 pixels) in complex background demonstrate that the proposed method enjoys better segmentation performance and even could be comparative with the manual segmentation in segmented results. In addition, its average running time is only 9.22 ms, implying the new method with good performance in real time processing.

  4. Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement (ACME) / Automated Construction of Expeditionary Structures (ACES) Materials Delivery System (MDS)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mueller, R. P.; Townsend, I. I.; Tamasy, G. J.; Evers, C. J.; Sibille, L. J.; Edmunson, J. E.; Fiske, M. R.; Fikes, J. C.; Case, M.

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of the Automated Construction of Expeditionary Structures, Phase 3 (ACES 3) project is to incorporate the Liquid Goods Delivery System (LGDS) into the Dry Goods Delivery System (DGDS) structure to create an integrated and automated Materials Delivery System (MDS) for 3D printing structures with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete. ACES 3 is a prototype for 3-D printing barracks for soldiers in forward bases, here on Earth. The LGDS supports ACES 3 by storing liquid materials, mixing recipe batches of liquid materials, and working with the Dry Goods Feed System (DGFS) previously developed for ACES 2, combining the materials that are eventually extruded out of the print nozzle. Automated Construction of Expeditionary Structures, Phase 3 (ACES 3) is a project led by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and supported by NASA. The equivalent 3D printing system for construction in space is designated Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement (ACME) by NASA.

  5. Background for protective action recommendations: accidental radioactive contamination of food and animal feeds. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shleien, B.; Schmidt, G.D.; Chiacchierini, R.P.

    This report provides background material for the development of FDA's Protective Action Recommendations: Accidental Radioactive Contamination of Food and Animal Feeds. The rationale, dosimetric and agricultural transport models for the Protective Action Guides are presented, along with information on dietary intake. In addition, the document contains a discussion of field methods of analysis of radionuclides deposited on the ground or contained in milk and herbage. Various protective actions are described and evaluated, and a cost-effectiveness analysis for the recommendations performed.

  6. Additive-free thick graphene film as an anode material for flexible lithium-ion batteries.

    PubMed

    Rana, Kuldeep; Kim, Seong Dae; Ahn, Jong-Hyun

    2015-04-28

    This work demonstrates a simple route to develop mechanically flexible electrodes for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) that are usable as lightweight effective conducting networks for both cathodes and anodes. Removing electrochemically dead elements, such as binders, conducting agents and metallic current collectors, from the battery components will allow remarkable progress in this area. To investigate the feasibility of using thick, additive-free graphene films as anodes for flexible LIBs, we have synthesized and tested thick, additive-free, freestanding graphene films as anodes, first in a coin cell and further in a flexible full cell. As an anode material in a half cell, it showed a discharge capacity of about 350 mA h g(-1) and maintained nearly this capacity over 50 cycles at various current rates. This film was also tested as an anode material in a full cell with a LiCoO2 cathode and showed good electrochemical performance. Because the graphene-based flexible film showed good performance in half- and full coin cells, we used this film as a flexible anode for flexible LIBs. No conducting agent or binder was used in the anode side, which helped in realizing the flexible LIBs. Using this, we demonstrate a thin, lightweight and flexible lithium ion battery with good electrochemical performance in both its flat and bent states.

  7. Report From BPTCS Project Team On Evaluation Of Additive Manufacturing For Pressure Retaining Equipment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rawls, G.

    ASME is evaluating the use of additive manufacturing (AM) for the construction of pressure equipment. The information in this report assesses available AM technologies for direct metal fabrication of pressure equipment. Background information is included in the report to provide context for those not experienced in AM technology. Only commercially available technologies for direct metal fabrication are addressed in the report because these AM methods are the only viable approaches for the construction of pressure equipment. Metal AM technologies can produce near-net shape parts by using multiple layers of material from a three dimensional (3D) design model of the geometry.more » Additive manufacturing of metal components was developed from polymer based rapid prototyping or 3D printing. At the current maturity level, AM application for pressure equipment has the potential to reduce delivery times and costs for complex shapes. AM will also lead to a reduction in the use of high cost materials, since parts can be created with corrosion resistant layers of high alloy material and structural layers of lower cost materials.« less

  8. Feasibility Study on 3-D Printing of Metallic Structural Materials with Robotized Laser-Based Metal Additive Manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ding, Yaoyu; Kovacevic, Radovan

    2016-07-01

    Metallic structural materials continue to open new avenues in achieving exotic mechanical properties that are naturally unavailable. They hold great potential in developing novel products in diverse industries such as the automotive, aerospace, biomedical, oil and gas, and defense. Currently, the use of metallic structural materials in industry is still limited because of difficulties in their manufacturing. This article studied the feasibility of printing metallic structural materials with robotized laser-based metal additive manufacturing (RLMAM). In this study, two metallic structural materials characterized by an enlarged positive Poisson's ratio and a negative Poisson's ratio were designed and simulated, respectively. An RLMAM system developed at the Research Center for Advanced Manufacturing of Southern Methodist University was used to print them. The results of the tensile tests indicated that the printed samples successfully achieved the corresponding mechanical properties.

  9. Influence of the core material and the glass infiltration mode on the color of glass-infiltrated ceramic veneers over discolored backgrounds. A spectrophotometric evaluation.

    PubMed

    Koutayas, Spiridon-Oumvertos; Charisis, Dimitrios

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of the core material (Spinell or Alumina) and the glass infiltration mode (under or without vacuum) on the color of 2M2 Vita In-Ceram Spinell and Alumina ceramic veneers (Vident) for the restoration of 5M1 discolored backgrounds. A total of 40 In-Ceram Spinell (SP, n = 20) and Alumina (AL, n = 20) disks (diameter 10.0 mm, thickness 0.4 mm, Vident) were glass-infiltrated under (V, n = 20) or without vacuum (A, n = 20) using a translucent glass (S1, Vident) and then veneered (2M2 Vitadur Alpha, total thickness 0.7 mm). The veneer specimens were bonded onto the 5M1 color backgrounds (Vitadur Alpha, diameter 10.0 mm, thickness 2.0 mm) using a dual curing adhesive cement (Panavia F 2.0 Light, Kuraray), to create the study groups (SPV, SPA, ALV, ALA, each n = 10). Ten 2M2 feldspathic veneer disks (Vitadur Alpha, diameter 10.0 mm, thickness 0.7 mm) bonded onto 2M2 color backgrounds (Vitadur Alpha, diameter 10.0 mm, thickness 2.0 mm) were used as control (CTR group). L*a*b* color coordinates were measured 5 times for each study group and control specimen using a Vita Easyshade spectrophotometer (Vident). Mean color differences (DeltaE) were calculated using the equation DeltaE = (DeltaL*2 + Deltaa*2 + Deltab*2)1/2. Mean color differences and standard deviations between each study group and the control group were: 7.31 +/- 0.99 for SPV; 7.23 +/- 0.61 for SPA; 5.81 +/- 1.41 for ALV; and 6.25 +/- 0.89 for ALA. Two-way ANOVA followed by t test showed that only the core material had a statistically significant effect on the final color performance (alpha = .05, P = .000). The core material (Spinell or Alumina) significantly influenced the core-related opacity, while the glass infiltration mode (under or without vacuum) had a minor effect on the final color establishment of both glass-infiltrated veneers over discolored backgrounds. Regarding the reported clinical visible thresholds, In-Ceram Alumina ceramic veneers showed

  10. Cellulose nanomaterials as additives for cementitious materials

    Treesearch

    Tengfei Fu; Robert J. Moon; Pablo Zavatierri; Jeffrey Youngblood; William Jason Weiss

    2017-01-01

    Cementitious materials cover a very broad area of industries/products (buildings, streets and highways, water and waste management, and many others; see Fig. 20.1). Annual production of cements is on the order of 4 billion metric tons [2]. In general these industries want stronger, cheaper, more durable concrete, with faster setting times, faster rates of strength gain...

  11. A unidirectional acoustic cloak for multilayered background media with homogeneous metamaterials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Jian; Chen, Tianning; Liang, Qingxuan; Wang, Xiaopeng; Xiong, Jie; Jiang, Ping

    2015-08-01

    The acoustic cloak, which can make an object hard to detect acoustically in a homogeneous background, has attracted great attention from researchers in recent years. The inhomogeneous background media were considered in this paper. The relative constitutive parameters were derived for acoustic cloaks working in multilayered media. And a unidirectional acoustic cloak for layered background media was proposed, designed and implemented successfully in a wide frequency range. In water and NaCl aqueous solution, the acoustic cloak was designed and realized with homogeneous metamaterials which were composed of steel and porous materials. The effective parameters of the unit cells of the cloak were determined by using the effective medium theory. Numerical results demonstrated excellent cloaking performance and showed that such a device could be physically realized with natural materials which will greatly promote the real applications of an invisibility cloak in inhomogeneous backgrounds.

  12. Radon background in liquid xenon detectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rupp, N.

    2018-02-01

    The radioactive daughters isotope of 222Rn are one of the highest risk contaminants in liquid xenon detectors aiming for a small signal rate. The noble gas is permanently emanated from the detector surfaces and mixed with the xenon target. Because of its long half-life 222Rn is homogeneously distributed in the target and its subsequent decays can mimic signal events. Since no shielding is possible this background source can be the dominant one in future large scale experiments. This article provides an overview of strategies used to mitigate this source of background by means of material selection and on-line radon removal techniques.

  13. Characterizing the True Background Corona with SDO/AIA

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Napier, Kate; Winebarger, Amy; Alexander, Caroline

    2014-01-01

    Characterizing the nature of the solar coronal background would enable scientists to more accurately determine plasma parameters, and may lead to a better understanding of the coronal heating problem. Because scientists study the 3D structure of the Sun in 2D, any line of sight includes both foreground and background material, and thus, the issue of background subtraction arises. By investigating the intensity values in and around an active region, using multiple wavelengths collected from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) over an eight-hour period, this project aims to characterize the background as smooth or structured. Different methods were employed to measure the true coronal background and create minimum intensity images. These were then investigated for the presence of structure. The background images created were found to contain long-lived structures, including coronal loops, that were still present in all of the wavelengths, 193 Angstroms,171 Angstroms,131 Angstroms, and 211 Angstroms. The intensity profiles across the active region indicate that the background is much more structured than previously thought.

  14. Gamma-ray background induced by atmospheric neutrons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Y.-Q.

    1984-03-01

    A small piggyback detector system is used to study the reduction of gamma-ray background induced by atmospheric neutrons in the type of actively shielded gamma-ray spectroscopes. The system consists of two 1.5 x 1.5 arcsec NaI crystal units, one of which is surrounded by some neutron shield material. The results of a balloon flight in 1981 are presented. The data show that a shield of 3 cm-thick pure paraffin cannot reduce the gamma-ray background. On the contrary, it may even cause some enhancement.

  15. The background in the $$0\

    DOE PAGES

    Agostini, M.; Allardt, M.; Andreotti, E.; ...

    2014-04-04

    The GERmanium Detector Array (Gerda) experiment at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory (LNGS) of INFN is searching for neutrinoless double beta (0νββ) decay of 76 Ge. The signature of the signal is a monoenergetic peak at 2039 keV, the Q ββ value of the decay. To avoid bias in the signal search, the present analysis does not consider all those events, that fall in a 40 keV wide region centered around Q ββ. The main parameters needed for the 0νββ analysis are described. A background model was developed to describe the observed energy spectrum. The model contains severalmore » contributions, that are expected on the basis of material screening or that are established by the observation of characteristic structures in the energy spectrum. The model predicts a flat energy spectrum for the blinding window around Qββ with a background index ranging from 17.6 to 23.8 × 10 -3 cts/(keV kg yr). A part of the data not considered before has been used to test if the predictions of the background model are consistent. The observed number of events in this energy region is consistent with the background model. The background at Q ββ is dominated by close sources, mainly due to 42 K, 214 Bi, 228 60 Co and α emitting isotopes from the 226 Ra decay chain. The individual fractions depend on the assumed locations of the contaminants. It is shown, that after removal of the known γ peaks, the energy spectrum can be fitted in an energy range of 200 keV around Q ββ with a constant background. This gives a background index consistent with the full model and uncertainties of the same size.« less

  16. Application of Advanced Materials in Petroleum Engineering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Gufan; Di, Weina; Wang, Minsheng

    With the background of increasing requirements on the petroleum engineering technology from more high demanding exploration targets, global oil companies and oil service companies are making more efforts on both R&D and application of new petroleum engineering technology. Advanced materials always have a decisive role in the functionality of a new product. Technology transplantation has become the important means of innovation in oil and gas industry. Here, we mainly discuss the properties and scope of application of several advanced materials. Based on the material requirements in petroleum engineering, we provide several candidates for downhole electronics protection, drilling fluid additives, downhole tools, etc. Based on the analysis of petroleum engineering technology characteristics, this paper made analysis and research on such advanced materials as new insulation materials, functional gradient materials, self-healing polymers, and introduced their application prospect in petroleum engineering in terms of specific characteristics.

  17. Water-soluble metal working fluids additives derived from the esters of acid anhydrides with higher alcohols for aluminum alloy materials.

    PubMed

    Yamamoto, Syutaro; Tomoda, Hideyuki; Watanabe, Shoji

    2007-01-01

    Water-soluble metal working fluids are used for processing of aluminum alloy materials. This short article describes properties of new additives in water-soluble metal working fluids for aluminum alloy materials. Many half esters or diesters were prepared from the reactions of higher alcohols with acid anhydrides. Interestingly, diesters of PTMG (tetrahydrofuran oligomer, MW = 650 and 1000) and polybutylene oxide (MW = 650) with maleic anhydride and succinic anhydride showed both of an excellent anti-corrosion property for aluminum alloy and a good hard water tolerance. The industrial soluble type processing oils including these additives also showed anti-corrosion property and hard water tolerance.

  18. An ultra-low background PMT for liquid xenon detectors

    DOE PAGES

    Akerib, D. S.; Bai, X.; Bernard, E.; ...

    2012-11-15

    Results are presented from radioactivity screening of two models of photomultiplier tubes designed for use in current and future liquid xenon experiments. The Hamamatsu 5.6 cm diameter R8778 PMT, used in the LUX dark matter experiment, has yielded a positive detection of four common radioactive isotopes: 238U, 232Th, 40K, and 60Co. Screening of LUX materials has rendered backgrounds from other detector materials subdominant to the R8778 contribution. A prototype Hamamatsu 7.6 cm diameter R11410 MOD PMT has also been screened, with benchmark isotope counts measured at <0.4 238U / <0.3 232Th / < 8.3 40K / 2.0+-0.2 60Co mBq/PMT. This represents a large reduction, equal to a change of xmore » $$\\frac{1}{24}$$ 238U / x $$\\frac{1}{9}$$ 232Th / x $$\\frac{1}{8}$$ 40K per PMT, between R8778 and R11410 MOD, concurrent with a doubling of the photocathode surface area (4.5 cm to 6.4 cm diameter). 60Co measurements are comparable between the PMTs, but can be significantly reduced in future R11410 MOD units through further material selection. Assuming PMT activity equal to the measured 90% upper limits, Monte Carlo estimates indicate that replacement of R8778 PMTs with R11410 MOD PMTs will change LUX PMT electron recoil background contributions by a factor of x $$\\frac{1}{25}$$ after further material selection for 60Co reduction, and nuclear recoil backgrounds by a factor of \\times $$\\frac{1}{36}$$. The strong reduction in backgrounds below the measured R8778 levels makes the R11410 MOD a very competitive technology for use in large-scale liquid xenon detectors.« less

  19. Alpha Background Discrimination in the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gruszko, Julieta; Majorana Collaboration

    2017-09-01

    The Majorana Demonstrator (MJD) searches for neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76Ge using arrays of high-purity germanium detectors. If observed, this process would have implications for grand-unification and the predominance of matter over antimatter in the universe. A problematic background in such large granular detector arrays is posed by alpha particles. In MJD, potential background events that are consistent with energy-degraded alphas originating on the passivated detector surface have been observed. We have studied these events by scanning the passivated surface of a P-type point contact detector like those used in MJD with a collimated alpha source. We observe that surface alpha events exhibit high charge-trapping, with a significant fraction of the trapped charge being re-released slowly. This leads to both a reduced prompt signal and a measurable change in slope of the tail of a recorded pulse. In this contribution we discuss the characteristics of these events and the filter developed to identify the occurrence of this delayed charge recovery, allowing for the efficient rejection of passivated surface alpha events while retaining 99.8% of bulk events. We also discuss the impact of this filter on the sensitivity of MJD. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. DOE, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Phys., the Particle Astrophys. and Nuclear Phys. Programs of the NSF, and SURF. Additional support from the NSFGRFP under Grant No. 1256082.

  20. Background Model for the Majorana Demonstrator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cuesta, C.; Abgrall, N.; Aguayo, E.; Avignone, F. T.; Barabash, A. S.; Bertrand, F. E.; Boswell, M.; Brudanin, V.; Busch, M.; Byram, D.; Caldwell, A. S.; Chan, Y.-D.; Christofferson, C. D.; Combs, D. C.; Detwiler, J. A.; Doe, P. J.; Efremenko, Yu.; Egorov, V.; Ejiri, H.; Elliott, S. R.; Fast, J. E.; Finnerty, P.; Fraenkle, F. M.; Galindo-Uribarri, A.; Giovanetti, G. K.; Goett, J.; Green, M. P.; Gruszko, J.; Guiseppe, V. E.; Gusev, K.; Hallin, A. L.; Hazama, R.; Hegai, A.; Henning, R.; Hoppe, E. W.; Howard, S.; Howe, M. A.; Keeter, K. J.; Kidd, M. F.; Kochetov, O.; Konovalov, S. I.; Kouzes, R. T.; LaFerriere, B. D.; Leon, J.; Leviner, L. E.; Loach, J. C.; MacMullin, J.; MacMullin, S.; Martin, R. D.; Meijer, S.; Mertens, S.; Nomachi, M.; Orrell, J. L.; O'Shaughnessy, C.; Overman, N. R.; Phillips, D. G.; Poon, A. W. P.; Pushkin, K.; Radford, D. C.; Rager, J.; Rielage, K.; Robertson, R. G. H.; Romero-Romero, E.; Ronquest, M. C.; Schubert, A. G.; Shanks, B.; Shima, T.; Shirchenko, M.; Snavely, K. J.; Snyder, N.; Suriano, A. M.; Thompson, J.; Timkin, V.; Tornow, W.; Trimble, J. E.; Varner, R. L.; Vasilyev, S.; Vetter, K.; Vorren, K.; White, B. R.; Wilkerson, J. F.; Wiseman, C.; Xu, W.; Yakushev, E.; Young, A. R.; Yu, C.-H.; Yumatov, V.

    The Majorana Collaboration is constructing a system containing 40 kg of HPGe detectors to demonstrate the feasibility and potential of a future tonne-scale experiment capable of probing the neutrino mass scale in the inverted-hierarchy region. To realize this, a major goal of the Majorana Demonstrator is to demonstrate a path forward to achieving a background rate at or below 1 cnt/(ROI-t-y) in the 4 keV region of interest around the Q-value at 2039 keV. This goal is pursued through a combination of a significant reduction of radioactive impurities in construction materials with analytical methods for background rejection, for example using powerful pulse shape analysis techniques profiting from the p-type point contact HPGe detectors technology. The effectiveness of these methods is assessed using simulations of the different background components whose purity levels are constrained from radioassay measurements.

  1. Background model for the Majorana Demonstrator

    DOE PAGES

    Cuesta, C.; Abgrall, N.; Aguayo, E.; ...

    2015-01-01

    The Majorana Collaboration is constructing a system containing 40 kg of HPGe detectors to demonstrate the feasibility and potential of a future tonne-scale experiment capable of probing the neutrino mass scale in the inverted-hierarchy region. To realize this, a major goal of the Majorana Demonstrator is to demonstrate a path forward to achieving a background rate at or below 1 cnt/(ROI-t-y) in the 4 keV region of interest around the Q-value at 2039 keV. This goal is pursued through a combination of a significant reduction of radioactive impurities in construction materials with analytical methods for background rejection, for example usingmore » powerful pulse shape analysis techniques profiting from the p-type point contact HPGe detectors technology. The effectiveness of these methods is assessed using simulations of the different background components whose purity levels are constrained from radioassay measurements.« less

  2. New possibilities using additive manufacturing with materials that are difficult to process and with complex structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Olsson, Anders; Hellsing, Maja S.; Rennie, Adrian R.

    2017-05-01

    Additive manufacturing (or 3D printing) opens the possibility of creating new designs and manufacturing objects with new materials rapidly and economically. Particularly for use with polymers and polymer composites, simple printers can make high quality products, and these can be produced easily in offices, schools and in workshops and laboratories. This technology has opened a route for many to test ideas or to make custom devices. It is possible to easily manufacture complex geometries that would be difficult or even impossible to create with traditional methods. Naturally this technology has attracted attention in many fields that include the production of medical devices and prostheses, mechanical engineering as well as basic sciences. Materials that are highly problematic to machine can be used. We illustrate process developments with an account of the production of printer parts to cope with polymer fillers that are hard and abrasive; new nozzles with ruby inserts designed for such materials are durable and can be used to print boron carbide composites. As with other materials, complex parts can be printed using boron carbide composites with fine structures, such as screw threads and labels to identify materials. General ideas about design for this new era of manufacturing customised parts are presented.

  3. Pima Cultural Background Materials for an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title III Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brook, Weston L., Comp.; And Others

    Produced with funds under Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, this unit on Pima cultural background and Middle American civilization was designed to help Pima students achieve a sense of identity and pride in their Indian background by (1) thinking of themselves as a people with a long history and (2) learning that their…

  4. The Concept of Culture. Teacher's Background Material for the American, the Arunta, the Kazak. Grade One and Grade Four. Publications No. 3, 4 and 5.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hunt, Anne; And Others

    This guide presents background material to acquaint elementary social studies teachers with the cultural systems of the Arunta and Kazak tribes and the more technologically sophisticated American way of life. It is part of the Anthropology Curriculum Project and is designed to be used in conjunction with curriculum guides for grades 1 and 4 (SO…

  5. RenderView: physics-based multi- and hyperspectral rendering using measured background panoramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Talcott, Denise M.; Brown, Wade W.; Thomas, David J.

    2003-09-01

    As part of the survivability engineering process it is necessary to accurately model and visualize the vehicle signatures in multi- or hyperspectral bands of interest. The signature at a given wavelength is a function of the surface optical properties, reflection of the background and, in the thermal region, the emission of thermal radiation. Currently, it is difficult to obtain and utilize background models that are of sufficient fidelity when compared with the vehicle models. In addition, the background models create an additional layer of uncertainty in estimating the vehicles signature. Therefore, to meet exacting rendering requirements we have developed RenderView, which incorporates the full bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). Instead of using a modeled background we have incorporated a measured calibrated background panoramic image to provide the high fidelity background interaction. Uncertainty in the background signature is reduced to the error in the measurement which is considerably smaller than the uncertainty inherent in a modeled background. RenderView utilizes a number of different descriptions of the BRDF, including the Sandford-Robertson. In addition, it provides complete conservation of energy with off axis sampling. A description of RenderView will be presented along with a methodology developed for collecting background panoramics. Examples of the RenderView output and the background panoramics will be presented along with our approach to handling the solar irradiance problem.

  6. Judgments of aircraft noise in a traffic noise background

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Powell, C. A.; Rice, C. G.

    1975-01-01

    An investigation was conducted to determine subjective response to aircraft noise in different road traffic backgrounds. In addition, two laboratory techniques for presenting the aircraft noise with the background noise were evaluated. For one technique, the background noise was continuous over an entire test session; for the other, the background noise level was changed with each aircraft noise during a session. Subjective response to aircraft noise was found to decrease with increasing background noise level, for a range of typical indoor noise levels. Subjective response was found to be highly correlated with the Noise Pollution Level (NPL) measurement scale.

  7. The background in the experiment Gerda

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agostini, M.; Allardt, M.; Andreotti, E.; Bakalyarov, A. M.; Balata, M.; Barabanov, I.; Barnabé Heider, M.; Barros, N.; Baudis, L.; Bauer, C.; Becerici-Schmidt, N.; Bellotti, E.; Belogurov, S.; Belyaev, S. T.; Benato, G.; Bettini, A.; Bezrukov, L.; Bode, T.; Brudanin, V.; Brugnera, R.; Budjáš, D.; Caldwell, A.; Cattadori, C.; Chernogorov, A.; Cossavella, F.; Demidova, E. V.; Domula, A.; Egorov, V.; Falkenstein, R.; Ferella, A.; Freund, K.; Frodyma, N.; Gangapshev, A.; Garfagnini, A.; Gotti, C.; Grabmayr, P.; Gurentsov, V.; Gusev, K.; Guthikonda, K. K.; Hampel, W.; Hegai, A.; Heisel, M.; Hemmer, S.; Heusser, G.; Hofmann, W.; Hult, M.; Inzhechik, L. V.; Ioannucci, L.; Csáthy, J. Janicskó; Jochum, J.; Junker, M.; Kihm, T.; Kirpichnikov, I. V.; Kirsch, A.; Klimenko, A.; Knöpfle, K. T.; Kochetov, O.; Kornoukhov, V. N.; Kuzminov, V. V.; Laubenstein, M.; Lazzaro, A.; Lebedev, V. I.; Lehnert, B.; Liao, H. Y.; Lindner, M.; Lippi, I.; Liu, X.; Lubashevskiy, A.; Lubsandorzhiev, B.; Lutter, G.; Macolino, C.; Machado, A. A.; Majorovits, B.; Maneschg, W.; Nemchenok, I.; Nisi, S.; O'Shaughnessy, C.; Palioselitis, D.; Pandola, L.; Pelczar, K.; Pessina, G.; Pullia, A.; Riboldi, S.; Sada, C.; Salathe, M.; Schmitt, C.; Schreiner, J.; Schulz, O.; Schwingenheuer, B.; Schönert, S.; Shevchik, E.; Shirchenko, M.; Simgen, H.; Smolnikov, A.; Stanco, L.; Strecker, H.; Tarka, M.; Ur, C. A.; Vasenko, A. A.; Volynets, O.; von Sturm, K.; Wagner, V.; Walter, M.; Wegmann, A.; Wester, T.; Wojcik, M.; Yanovich, E.; Zavarise, P.; Zhitnikov, I.; Zhukov, S. V.; Zinatulina, D.; Zuber, K.; Zuzel, G.

    2014-04-01

    The GERmanium Detector Array ( Gerda) experiment at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory (LNGS) of INFN is searching for neutrinoless double beta () decay of Ge. The signature of the signal is a monoenergetic peak at 2039 keV, the value of the decay. To avoid bias in the signal search, the present analysis does not consider all those events, that fall in a 40 keV wide region centered around . The main parameters needed for the analysis are described. A background model was developed to describe the observed energy spectrum. The model contains several contributions, that are expected on the basis of material screening or that are established by the observation of characteristic structures in the energy spectrum. The model predicts a flat energy spectrum for the blinding window around with a background index ranging from 17.6 to 23.8 cts/(keV kg yr). A part of the data not considered before has been used to test if the predictions of the background model are consistent. The observed number of events in this energy region is consistent with the background model. The background at is dominated by close sources, mainly due to K, Bi, Th, Co and emitting isotopes from the Ra decay chain. The individual fractions depend on the assumed locations of the contaminants. It is shown, that after removal of the known peaks, the energy spectrum can be fitted in an energy range of 200 keV around with a constant background. This gives a background index consistent with the full model and uncertainties of the same size.

  8. Background radioactivity in sediments near Los Alamos, New Mexico.

    PubMed

    McLin, Stephen G

    2004-07-26

    River and reservoir sediments have been collected annually by Los Alamos National Laboratory since 1974 and 1979, respectively. These background samples are collected from five river stations and four reservoirs located throughout northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Analyses include 3H, 90Sr, 137Cs, total U, 238Pu, 239,240Pu, 241Am, gross alpha, gross beta, and gross gamma radioactivity. Surprisingly, there are no federal or state regulatory standards in the USA that specify how to compute background radioactivity values on sediments. Hence, the sample median (or 0.50 quantile) is proposed for this background because it reflects central data tendency and is distribution-free. Estimates for the upper limit of background radioactivity on river and reservoir sediments are made for sampled analytes using the 0.95 quantile (two-tail). These analyses also show that seven of ten analytes from reservoir sediments are normally distributed, or are normally distributed after a logarithmic or square root transformation. However, only three of ten analytes from river sediments are similarly distributed. In addition, isotope ratios for 137Cs/238Pu, 137Cs/239,240Pu, and 239,240Pu/238Pu from reservoir sediments are independent of clay content, total organic carbon/specific surface area (TOC/SSA) and cation exchange capacity/specific surface area (CEC/SSA) ratios. These TOC/SSA and CEC/SSA ratios reflect sediment organic carbon and surface charge densities that are associated with radionuclide absorption, adsorption, and ion exchange reactions on clay mineral structures. These latter ratio values greatly exceed the availability of background radionuclides in the environment, and insure that measured background levels are a maximum. Since finer-grained reservoir sediments contain larger clay-sized fractions compared to coarser river sediments, they show higher background levels for most analytes. Furthermore, radioactivity values on reservoir sediments have remained

  9. Navy Additive Manufacturing: Policy Analysis for Future DLA Material Support

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-12-01

    printing (3DP) for it is a direct offshoot of inkjet paper printing. There are two subtypes to his modality that both involve depositing droplets of...liquid material in layers. The first is material jetting, which uses an inkjet head to move across a print area and deposit a polymer or wax in layers... inkjet printer, this means that the product can be made in multiple colors. Supports have to be built, but they can be made of a different material that

  10. Matt waste from glass separated collection: an eco-sustainable addition for new building materials.

    PubMed

    Bignozzi, M C; Saccani, A; Sandrolini, F

    2009-01-01

    Matt waste (MW), a by-product of purification processes of cullet derived from separated glass waste collection, has been studied as filler for self-compacting concrete and as an addition for newly blended cement. Properties of self-compacting concrete compared to reference samples are reported. They include characteristics at the fresh and hardened states, and the compressive strength and porosity of mortar samples that were formulated with increasing amounts of MW to be used as cement replacement (up to 50wt.%). The effects of matt waste are discussed with respect to the mechanical and microstructural characteristics of the resulting new materials.

  11. Stable and general-purpose chemiluminescent detection system for horseradish peroxidase employing a thiazole compound enhancer and some additives.

    PubMed

    Iwata, R; Ito, H; Hayashi, T; Sekine, Y; Koyama, N; Yamaki, M

    1995-10-10

    A stable and highly sensitive chemiluminescent detection system for horseradish peroxidase (HRP)/luminol/hydrogen peroxide using a newly designed thiazole compound enhancer has been established. Some additives for the chemiluminescent reaction were explored to overcome some defects of the reaction such as rapid decay and high background of light emission. Recrystallization of luminol and the addition of several detergents into the reacting solution were effective to increase specific light emissions. The addition of skim milk into the reacting solution reduced the background. Consequently, skim milk combined with a detergent increased the signal to noise ratio about 20 times compared with the reactions in the absence of both additives. The optimal concentration of enhancer and the addition of egg albumin stabilized the emission. In the new method, 6x 10(-18) mol of HRP was detectable. This would be the most sensitive enhanced chemiluminescent detection system for HRP. Furthermore, we could detect picogram per milliliter (10(-17) mol) concentrations of a trace component in biological materials such as endothelin-1 by employing this reaction.

  12. Photoactive devices including porphyrinoids with coordinating additives

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Forrest, Stephen R; Zimmerman, Jeramy; Yu, Eric K

    Coordinating additives are included in porphyrinoid-based materials to promote intermolecular organization and improve one or more photoelectric characteristics of the materials. The coordinating additives are selected from fullerene compounds and organic compounds having free electron pairs. Combinations of different coordinating additives can be used to tailor the characteristic properties of such porphyrinoid-based materials, including porphyrin oligomers. Bidentate ligands are one type of coordinating additive that can form coordination bonds with a central metal ion of two different porphyrinoid compounds to promote porphyrinoid alignment and/or pi-stacking. The coordinating additives can shift the absorption spectrum of a photoactive material toward higher wavelengths,more » increase the external quantum efficiency of the material, or both.« less

  13. Mechanical strength of welding zones produced by material extrusion additive manufacturing.

    PubMed

    Davis, Chelsea S; Hillgartner, Kaitlyn E; Han, Seung Hoon; Seppala, Jonathan E

    2017-08-01

    As more manufacturing processes and research institutions adopt customized manufacturing as a key element in their design strategies and finished products, the resulting mechanical properties of parts produced through additive manufacturing (AM) must be characterized and understood. In material extrusion (MatEx), the most recently extruded polymer filament must bond to the previously extruded filament via polymer diffusion to form a "weld". The strength of the weld limits the performance of the manufactured part and is controlled through processing conditions. Under-standing the role of processing conditions, specifically extruder velocity and extruder temperature, on the overall strength of the weld will allow optimization of MatEx-AM parts. Here, the fracture toughness of a single weld is determined through a facile "trouser tear" Mode III fracture experiment. The actual weld thickness is observed directly by optical microscopy characterization of cross sections of MatEx-AM samples. Representative data of weld strength as a function of printing parameters on a commercial 3D printer demonstrates the robustness of the method.

  14. Reuse of Boron Waste as an Additive in Road Base Material

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Yutong; Guo, Qinglin; Li, Lili; Jiang, Ping; Jiao, Yubo; Cheng, Yongchun

    2016-01-01

    The amount of boron waste increases year by year. There is an urgent demand to manage it in order to reduce the environmental impact. In this paper, boron waste was reused as an additive in road base material. Lime and cement were employed to stabilize the waste mixture. Mechanical performances of stabilized mixture were evaluated by experimental methods. A compaction test, an unconfined compressive test, an indirect tensile test, a modulus test, a drying shrinkage test, and a frost resistance test were carried out. Results indicated that mechanical strengths of lime-stabilized boron waste mixture (LSB) satisfy the requirements of road base when lime content is greater than 8%. LSB can only be applied in non-frozen regions as a result of its poor frost resistance. The lime–cement-stabilized mixture can be used in frozen regions when lime and cement contents are 8% and 5%, respectively. Aggregate reduces the drying shrinkage coefficient effectively. Thus, aggregate is suggested for mixture stabilization properly. This work provides a proposal for the management of boron waste. PMID:28773539

  15. Additive manufacturing: Toward holistic design

    DOE PAGES

    Jared, Bradley H.; Aguilo, Miguel A.; Beghini, Lauren L.; ...

    2017-03-18

    Here, additive manufacturing offers unprecedented opportunities to design complex structures optimized for performance envelopes inaccessible under conventional manufacturing constraints. Additive processes also promote realization of engineered materials with microstructures and properties that are impossible via traditional synthesis techniques. Enthused by these capabilities, optimization design tools have experienced a recent revival. The current capabilities of additive processes and optimization tools are summarized briefly, while an emerging opportunity is discussed to achieve a holistic design paradigm whereby computational tools are integrated with stochastic process and material awareness to enable the concurrent optimization of design topologies, material constructs and fabrication processes.

  16. Characteristics of phase-change materials containing oxide nano-additives for thermal storage.

    PubMed

    Teng, Tun-Ping; Yu, Chao-Chieh

    2012-11-06

    In this study, the authors report the production of nanocomposite-enhanced phase-change materials (NEPCMs) using the direct-synthesis method by mixing paraffin with alumina (Al2O3), titania (TiO2), silica (SiO2), and zinc oxide (ZnO) as the experimental samples. Al2O3, TiO2, SiO2, and ZnO were dispersed into three concentrations of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 wt.%. Through heat conduction and differential scanning calorimeter experiments to evaluate the effects of varying concentrations of the nano-additives on the heat conduction performance and thermal storage characteristics of NEPCMs, their feasibility for use in thermal storage was determined. The experimental results demonstrate that TiO2 is more effective than the other additives in enhancing both the heat conduction and thermal storage performance of paraffin for most of the experimental parameters. Furthermore, TiO2 reduces the melting onset temperature and increases the solidification onset temperature of paraffin. This allows the phase-change heat to be applicable to a wider temperature range, and the highest decreased ratio of phase-change heat is only 0.46%, compared to that of paraffin. Therefore, this study demonstrates that TiO2, added to paraffin to form NEPCMs, has significant potential for enhancing the thermal storage characteristics of paraffin.

  17. Characteristics of phase-change materials containing oxide nano-additives for thermal storage

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    In this study, the authors report the production of nanocomposite-enhanced phase-change materials (NEPCMs) using the direct-synthesis method by mixing paraffin with alumina (Al2O3), titania (TiO2), silica (SiO2), and zinc oxide (ZnO) as the experimental samples. Al2O3, TiO2, SiO2, and ZnO were dispersed into three concentrations of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 wt.%. Through heat conduction and differential scanning calorimeter experiments to evaluate the effects of varying concentrations of the nano-additives on the heat conduction performance and thermal storage characteristics of NEPCMs, their feasibility for use in thermal storage was determined. The experimental results demonstrate that TiO2 is more effective than the other additives in enhancing both the heat conduction and thermal storage performance of paraffin for most of the experimental parameters. Furthermore, TiO2 reduces the melting onset temperature and increases the solidification onset temperature of paraffin. This allows the phase-change heat to be applicable to a wider temperature range, and the highest decreased ratio of phase-change heat is only 0.46%, compared to that of paraffin. Therefore, this study demonstrates that TiO2, added to paraffin to form NEPCMs, has significant potential for enhancing the thermal storage characteristics of paraffin. PMID:23127224

  18. Effectiveness of the addition of alkaline materials at surface coal mines in preventing or abating acid mine drainage--Part 2. Mine site case studies

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brady, Keith; Smith, Michael W.; Beam, Richard L.; Cravotta,, Charles A.

    1990-01-01

    The effectiveness of preventing or ameliorating acid mine drainage (AMD) through the application of alkaline additives is evaluated for eight surface coal mines in Pennsylvania. Many of the mine sites had overburden characteristics that made prediction of post‐mining water quality uncertain. Alkaline materials were applied at rates ranging from 42 to greater than 1,000 tons as calcium carbonate per acre. In addition, two sites that were mined and reclaimed without alkaline additives are included for comparative purposes. Overburden sulfur concentration and "neutralization potential" (NP) data for multiple strata at each mine site were used to compute the cumulative, mass‐weighted "maximum potential acidity" (MPA) and "net neutralization potential" (NNP = NP ‐ MPA) by using three different calculation methods. Post‐reclamation water‐quality data were used to compute the net alkalinity (= alkalinity ‐ acidity). The most conservative determination of NNP, whereby MPA is calculated by multiplying the total sulfur concentration, in weight percent, by 62.5 instead of 31.25, yielded the best agreement with net alkalinity (patching signs on NNP and net alkalinity). The error in prediction using each method was that the reclaimed overburden was computed to be alkaline overall (NNP > 0), but the post‐reclamation water was acid (net alkalinity < 0). In general, alkaline addition rates were probably insufficient to neutralize, or too late to prevent, acid production in the mine spoil. At six of the seven mine sites that had overburden with insufficient NP relative to MPA (NNP < 0), the addition of alkaline materials failed to create alkaline mine drainage; AMD was formed or persisted. A control site which also had insufficient alkaline material, but did not incorporate alkaline additives, generated severe AMD. Two sites that had substantial, natural alkaline overburden produced alkaline drainage. Although the addition rates appear to be inadequate, other factors

  19. The background in a balloon-borne fluorescence-gated proportional counter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ramsey, B. D.; Bower, C. R.; Dietz, K. L.; Weisskopf, M. C.

    1990-01-01

    The results of an analysis of the background in a fluorescence-gated proportional counter operating over the energy range 3-150 keV are presented. It is found that the dominant background component is that produced by high energy qamma-rays that penetrate the shields and undergo multiple scattering in the detector body, resulting in photoelectric absorption in the detector gas. A careful choice of materials and thickness can move the peak of this emission outside of the detector sensitive range, thereby dramatically reducing the residual background.

  20. Material Demand Studies: Materials Sorption of Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-06-01

    SORPTION OF VAPORIZED HYDROGEN PEROXIDE Lawrence R. Procell Zoe A. Hess David G. Gehring Joseph T. Lynn Philip W. Bartram Teri Lalain RESEARCH AND...2010 2. REPORT TYPE Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) Nov 2003 - Jul 2005 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Material Demand Studies: Materials Sorption of...of office surfaces 33 \\i MATERIAL DEMAND STUDIES: MATERIALS SORPTION OF VAPORIZED HYDROGEN PEROXIDE 1. BACKGROUND The Material Demand effort was

  1. Preferential elimination of chromosome 1D from homoeologous group-1 alien addition lines in hexaploid wheat.

    PubMed

    Garg, Monika; Elamein, Hala M M; Tanaka, Hiroyuki; Tsujimoto, Hisashi

    2007-10-01

    Alien chromosome addition lines are useful genetic material for studying the effect of an individual chromosome in the same genetic background. However, addition lines are sometimes unstable and tend to lose the alien chromosome in subsequent generations. In this study, we report preferential removal of chromosome 1D rather than the alien chromosome from homoeologous group-1 addition lines. The Agropyron intermedium chromosome 1Agi (1E) addition line, created in the background of 'Vilmorin 27', showed loss of a part of chromosome 1D, thereby losing its HMW glutenin locus. Even in the case of Aegilops longissima and Ae. peregrina, the genomes of which are closer to the B genome than D genome, chromosome 1D was lost from chromosome 1Sl and 1Sv addition lines in cv. 'Chinese Spring' rather than chromosome 1B during transfer from one generation to another. A similar observation was also observed in the case of a chromosome 1E disomic addition line of Ag. elongatum and alloplasmic common wheat line with Ag. intermedium ssp. trichophorum cytoplasm. The reason for this strange observation is thought to lie in the history of wheat evolution, the size of chromosome 1D compared to 1A and 1B, or differing pollen competition abilities.

  2. Polymeric Materials With Additives for Durability and Radiation Shielding in Space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kiefer, Richard

    2011-01-01

    Polymeric materials are attractive for use in space structures because of their light weight and high strength In addition, polymers are made of elements with low atomic numbers (Z), primarily carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (0), and nitrogen (N) which provide the best shielding from galactic cosmic rays (GCR) (ref. 1). Galactic cosmic rays are composed primarily of nuclei (i.e., fully ionized atoms) plus a contribution of about 2% from electrons and positrons. There is a small but significant component of GCR particles with high charge (Z > 10) and high energy (E >100 GeV) (ref. 2). These so-called HZE particles comprise only 1 to 2% of the cosmic ray fluence but they interact with very high specific ionization and contribute 50% of the long- term dose to humans. The best shield for this radiation would be liquid hydrogen, which is not feasible. For this reason, hydrogen-containing polymers make the most effective practical shields. Moreover, neutrons are formed in the interactions of GCR particles with materials. Neutrons can only lose energy by collisions or reactions with a nucleus since they are uncharged. This is a process that is much less probable than the Coulombic interactions of charged particles. Thus, neutrons migrate far from the site of the reaction in which they were formed. This increases the probability of neutrons reaching humans or electronic equipment. Fast neutrons (> 1 MeV) can interact with silicon chips in electronic equipment resulting in the production of recoil ions which can cause single event upsets (SEU) in sensitive components (ref. 3). Neutrons lose energy most effectively by elastic collisions with light atoms, particularly hydrogen atoms. Therefore, hydrogen-containing polymers are not only effective in interacting with GCR particles; they are also effective in reducing the energy of the neutrons formed in the interactions.

  3. Role of carbon nano-materials in the analysis of biological materials by laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Najam-ul-Haq, M; Rainer, M; Szabó, Z; Vallant, R; Huck, C W; Bonn, G K

    2007-03-10

    At present, carbon nano-materials are being utilized in various procedures, especially in laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) for analyzing a range of analytes, which include peptides, proteins, metabolites, and polymers. Matrix-oriented LDI-MS techniques are very well established, with weak organic acids as energy-absorbing substances. Carbon materials, such as nano-tubes and fullerenes are being successfully applied in the small-mass range, where routine matrices have strong background signals. In addition, the role of carbon nano-materials is very well established in the fractionation and purification fields. Modified diamond powder and surfaces are utilized in binding peptides and proteins from complex biological fluids and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). Polylysine-coated diamond is used for solid-phase extraction to pre-concentrate DNA oligonucleotides. Graphite is useful for desalting, pre-concentration, and as energy-absorbing material (matrix) in desorption/ionization. Carbon nano-tubes in their different derivatized forms are used as matrix materials for the analysis of a range of analytes, such as carbohydrates, amino acids, peptides, proteins, and some environmental samples by LDI-MS. Fullerenes are modified in different ways to bind serum entities analyzed through MALDI/TOF-MS and are subsequently utilized in their identifications. In addition, the fullerenes are a promising matrix in LDI-MS, but improvements are needed.

  4. Expected Backgrounds of the BetaCage, an Ultra-sensitive Screener for Surface Contamination

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Boqian; Bunker, Raymond; Schnee, Richard; Bowles, Michael; Kos, Marek; Ahmed, Zeeshan; Golwala, Sunil; Nelson, Robert; Grant, Darren

    2013-04-01

    Material screening for low-energy betas and alphas is necessary for rare-event-search experiments, such as dark matter and neutrinoless double-beta decay searches where surface radiocontamination has become a significant background. The BetaCage, a gaseous neon time-projection chamber, has been proposed as a screener for emitters of low-energy betas and alphas to which existing screening facilities are insufficiently sensitive. The expected sensitivity is 0.1 betas / (keV m^2 day) and 0.1 alphas / (m^2 day). Expected backgrounds are dominated by Compton scattering of external photons in the sample to be screened; radioassays and simulations indicate backgrounds from detector materials and radon daughters should be subdominant. We will report on details of the background simulations and the detector design that allows discrimination to reach these sensitivity levels.

  5. A correlation between the cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure in the Universe.

    PubMed

    Boughn, Stephen; Crittenden, Robert

    2004-01-01

    Observations of distant supernovae and the fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) indicate that the expansion of the Universe may be accelerating under the action of a 'cosmological constant' or some other form of 'dark energy'. This dark energy now appears to dominate the Universe and not only alters its expansion rate, but also affects the evolution of fluctuations in the density of matter, slowing down the gravitational collapse of material (into, for example, clusters of galaxies) in recent times. Additional fluctuations in the temperature of CMB photons are induced as they pass through large-scale structures and these fluctuations are necessarily correlated with the distribution of relatively nearby matter. Here we report the detection of correlations between recent CMB data and two probes of large-scale structure: the X-ray background and the distribution of radio galaxies. These correlations are consistent with those predicted by dark energy, indicating that we are seeing the imprint of dark energy on the growth of structure in the Universe.

  6. Development of Additive Construction Technologies for Application to Development of Lunar/Martian Surface Structures Using In-Situ Materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Werkheiser, Niki J.; Fiske, Michael R.; Edmunson, Jennifer E.; Khoshnevis, Berokh

    2015-01-01

    For long-duration missions on other planetary bodies, the use of in situ materials will become increasingly critical. As human presence on these bodies expands, so must the breadth of the structures required to accommodate them including habitats, laboratories, berms, radiation shielding for natural radiation and surface reactors, garages, solar storm shelters, greenhouses, etc. Planetary surface structure manufacturing and assembly technologies that incorporate in situ resources provide options for autonomous, affordable, pre-positioned environments with radiation shielding features and protection from micrometeorites, exhaust plume debris, and other hazards. The ability to use in-situ materials to construct these structures will provide a benefit in the reduction of up-mass that would otherwise make long-term Moon or Mars structures cost prohibitive. The ability to fabricate structures in situ brings with it the ability to repair these structures, which allows for the self-sufficiency and sustainability necessary for long-duration habitation. Previously, under the auspices of the MSFC In-Situ Fabrication and Repair (ISFR) project and more recently, under the jointly-managed MSFC/KSC Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement (ACME) project, the MSFC Surface Structures Group has been developing materials and construction technologies to support future planetary habitats with in-situ resources. One such additive construction technology is known as Contour Crafting. This paper presents the results to date of these efforts, including development of novel nozzle concepts for advanced layer deposition using this process. Conceived initially for rapid development of cementitious structures on Earth, it also lends itself exceptionally well to the automated fabrication of planetary surface structures using minimally processed regolith as aggregate, and binders developed from in situ materials as well. This process has been used successfully in the fabrication of

  7. Grain Structure Control of Additively Manufactured Metallic Materials

    PubMed Central

    Faierson, Eric J.

    2017-01-01

    Grain structure control is challenging for metal additive manufacturing (AM). Grain structure optimization requires the control of grain morphology with grain size refinement, which can improve the mechanical properties of additive manufactured components. This work summarizes methods to promote fine equiaxed grains in both the additive manufacturing process and subsequent heat treatment. Influences of temperature gradient, solidification velocity and alloy composition on grain morphology are discussed. Equiaxed solidification is greatly promoted by introducing a high density of heterogeneous nucleation sites via powder rate control in the direct energy deposition (DED) technique or powder surface treatment for powder-bed techniques. Grain growth/coarsening during post-processing heat treatment can be restricted by presence of nano-scale oxide particles formed in-situ during AM. Grain refinement of martensitic steels can also be achieved by cyclic austenitizing in post-processing heat treatment. Evidently, new alloy powder design is another sustainable method enhancing the capability of AM for high-performance components with desirable microstructures.

  8. Effects of background motion on eye-movement information.

    PubMed

    Nakamura, S

    1997-02-01

    The effect of background stimulus on eye-movement information was investigated by analyzing the underestimation of the target velocity during pursuit eye movement (Aubert-Fleishl paradox). In the experiment, a striped pattern with various brightness contrasts and spatial frequencies was used as a background stimulus, which was moved at various velocities. Analysis showed that the perceived velocity of the pursuit target, which indicated the magnitudes of eye-movement information, decreased when the background stripes moved in the same direction as eye movement at higher velocities and increased when the background moved in the opposite direction. The results suggest that the eye-movement information varied as a linear function of the velocity of the motion of the background retinal image (optic flow). In addition, the effectiveness of optic flow on eye-movement information was determined by the attributes of the background stimulus such as the brightness contrast or the spatial frequency of the striped pattern.

  9. Surface characterization of an energetic material, pentaerythritoltetranitrate (PETN), having a thin coating achieved through a starved addition microencapsulation technique

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Worley, C.M.

    The objective of this research was to: (1) determine the nature of a thin coating on an explosive material which was applied using a starved addition microencapsulation technique, (2) understand the coating/crystal bond, and (3) investigate the wettability/adhesion of plastic/solvent combinations using the coating process. The coating used in this work was a Firestone Plastic Company copolymer (FPC-461) of vinylchloride/trifluorochloroethylene in a 1.5/1.0 weight ratio. The energetic explosive examined was pentaerythritoltetranitrate (PETN). The coating process used was starved addition followed by a solvent evaporation technique. Surface analytical studies, completed for characterization of the coating process, show (1) evidence that themore » polymer coating is present, but not continuous, over the surface of PETN; (2) the average thickness of the polymer coating is between 16-32 A and greater than 44 A, respectively, for 0.5 and 20 wt % coated PETN; (3) no changes in surface chemistry of the polymer or the explosive material following microencapsulation; and (4) the presence of explosive material on the surface of 0.5 wt % FPC-461 coated explosives. 5 refs., 15 figs., 6 tabs.« less

  10. Background Model for the Majorana Demonstrator

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cuesta, C.; Abgrall, N.; Aguayo, Estanislao

    2015-06-01

    The Majorana Collaboration is constructing a prototype system containing 40 kg of HPGe detectors to demonstrate the feasibility and potential of a future tonne-scale experiment to search for neutrinoless double-beta (0v BB) decay in 76Ge. In view of the requirement that the next generation of tonne-scale Ge-based 0vBB-decay experiment be capable of probing the neutrino mass scale in the inverted-hierarchy region, a major goal of theMajorana Demonstrator is to demonstrate a path forward to achieving a background rate at or below 1 cnt/(ROI-t-y) in the 4 keV region of interest around the Q-value at 2039 keV. This goal is pursuedmore » through a combination of a significant reduction of radioactive impurities in construction materials with analytical methods for background rejection, for example using powerful pulse shape analysis techniques profiting from the p-type point contact HPGe detectors technology. The effectiveness of these methods is assessed using Geant4 simulations of the different background components whose purity levels are constrained from radioassay measurements.« less

  11. Background rejection in NEXT using deep neural networks

    DOE PAGES

    Renner, J.; Farbin, A.; Vidal, J. Muñoz; ...

    2017-01-16

    Here, we investigate the potential of using deep learning techniques to reject background events in searches for neutrinoless double beta decay with high pressure xenon time projection chambers capable of detailed track reconstruction. The differences in the topological signatures of background and signal events can be learned by deep neural networks via training over many thousands of events. These networks can then be used to classify further events as signal or background, providing an additional background rejection factor at an acceptable loss of efficiency. The networks trained in this study performed better than previous methods developed based on the usemore » of the same topological signatures by a factor of 1.2 to 1.6, and there is potential for further improvement.« less

  12. Laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing of metals; physics, computational, and materials challenges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    King, W. E.; Anderson, A. T.; Ferencz, R. M.; Hodge, N. E.; Kamath, C.; Khairallah, S. A.; Rubenchik, A. M.

    2015-12-01

    The production of metal parts via laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing is growing exponentially. However, the transition of this technology from production of prototypes to production of critical parts is hindered by a lack of confidence in the quality of the part. Confidence can be established via a fundamental understanding of the physics of the process. It is generally accepted that this understanding will be increasingly achieved through modeling and simulation. However, there are significant physics, computational, and materials challenges stemming from the broad range of length and time scales and temperature ranges associated with the process. In this paper, we review the current state of the art and describe the challenges that need to be met to achieve the desired fundamental understanding of the physics of the process.

  13. Laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing of metals; physics, computational, and materials challenges

    DOE PAGES

    King, W. E.; Anderson, A. T.; Ferencz, R. M.; ...

    2015-12-29

    The production of metal parts via laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing is growing exponentially. However, the transition of this technology from production of prototypes to production of critical parts is hindered by a lack of confidence in the quality of the part. Confidence can be established via a fundamental understanding of the physics of the process. It is generally accepted that this understanding will be increasingly achieved through modeling and simulation. However, there are significant physics, computational, and materials challenges stemming from the broad range of length and time scales and temperature ranges associated with the process. In thismore » study, we review the current state of the art and describe the challenges that need to be met to achieve the desired fundamental understanding of the physics of the process.« less

  14. Hypervelocity Impact Testing of Materials for Additive Construction: Applications on Earth, the Moon, and Mars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ordonez, Erick; Edmunson, Jennifer; Fiske, Michael; Christiansen, Eric; Miller, Josh; Davis, Bruce Alan; Read, Jon; Johnston, Mallory; Fikes, John

    2017-01-01

    Additive Construction is the process of building infrastructure such as habitats, garages, roads, berms, etcetera layer by layer (3D printing). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are pursuing additive construction to build structures using resources available in-situ. Using materials available in-situ reduces the cost of planetary missions and operations in theater. The NASA team is investigating multiple binders that can be produced on planetary surfaces, including the magnesium oxide-based Sorel cement; the components required to make Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), the common cement used on Earth, have been found on Mars. The availability of OPC-based concrete on Earth drove the USACE to pursue additive construction for base housing and barriers for military operations. Planetary and military base structures must be capable of resisting micrometeoroid impacts with velocities ranging from 11 to 72km/s for particle sizes 200 micrometers or more (depending on protection requirements) as well as bullets and shrapnel with a velocity of 1.036km/s with projectiles 5.66mm diameter and 57.40mm in length, respectively.

  15. Ultra-Low Background Measurements Of Decayed Aerosol Filters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miley, H.

    2009-04-01

    To experimentally evaluate the opportunity to apply ultra-low background measurement methods to samples collected, for instance, by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty International Monitoring System (IMS), aerosol samples collected on filter media were measured using HPGe spectrometers of varying low-background technology approaches. In this way, realistic estimates of the impact of low-background methodology can be assessed on the Minimum Detectable Activities obtained in systems such as the IMS. The current measurement requirement of stations in the IMS is 30 microBq per cubic meter of air for 140Ba, or about 106 fissions per daily sample. Importantly, this is for a fresh aerosol filter. Decay varying form 3 days to one week reduce the intrinsic background from radon daughters in the sample. Computational estimates of the improvement factor for these decayed filters for underground-based HPGe in clean shielding materials are orders of magnitude less, even when the decay of the isotopes of interest is included.

  16. Input comparison of radiogenic neutron estimates for ultra-low background experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cooley, J.; Palladino, K. J.; Qiu, H.; Selvi, M.; Scorza, S.; Zhang, C.

    2018-04-01

    Ultra-low-background experiments address some of the most important open questions in particle physics, cosmology and astrophysics: the nature of dark matter, whether the neutrino is its own antiparticle, and does the proton decay. These rare event searches require well-understood and minimized backgrounds. Simulations are used to understand backgrounds caused by naturally occurring radioactivity in the rock and in every piece of shielding and detector material used in these experiments. Most important are processes like spontaneous fission and (α,n) reactions in material close to the detectors that can produce neutrons. A comparison study of the (α,n) reactions between two dedicated software packages is detailed. The cross section libraries, neutron yields, and spectra from the Mei-Zhang-Hime and the SOURCES-4A codes are presented. The resultant yields and spectra are used as inputs to direct dark matter detector toy models in GEANT4, to study the impact of their differences on background estimates and fits. Although differences in neutron yield calculations up to 50% were seen, there was no systematic difference between the Mei-Hime-Zhang and SOURCES-4A results. Neutron propagation simulations smooth differences in spectral shape and yield, and both tools were found to meet the broad requirements of the low-background community.

  17. High pulse number thermal shock tests on tungsten with steady state particle background

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wirtz, M.; Kreter, A.; Linke, J.; Loewenhoff, Th; Pintsuk, G.; Sergienko, G.; Steudel, I.; Unterberg, B.; Wessel, E.

    2017-12-01

    Thermal fatigue of metallic materials, which will be exposed to severe environmental conditions e.g. plasma facing materials in future fusion reactors, is an important issue in order to predict the life time of complete wall components. Therefore experiments in the linear plasma device PSI-2 were performed to investigate the synergistic effects of high pulse number thermal shock events (L = 0.38 GW m-2, Δt = 0.5 ms) and stationary D/He (6%) plasma particle background on the thermal fatigue behavior of tungsten. Similar to experiments with pure thermal loads, the induced microstructural and surface modifications such as recrystallization and roughening as well as crack formation become more pronounced with increasing number of thermal shock events. However, the amount of damage significantly increases for synergistic loads showing severe surface roughening, plastic deformation and erosion resulting from the degradation of the mechanical properties caused by bombardment and diffusion of D/He to the surface and the bulk of the material. Additionally, D/He induced blistering and bubble formation were observed for all tested samples, which could change the thermal and mechanical properties of near surface regions.

  18. Mitigation of hard x-ray background in backlit pinhole imagers

    DOE PAGES

    Fein, J. R.; Keiter, P. A.; Holloway, J. P.; ...

    2016-09-16

    Experiments were performed to mitigate the hard x-ray background commonly observed in backlit pinhole imagers. The material of the scaffold holding the primary backlighter foil was varied to reduce the laser-plasma instabilities responsible for hot electrons and resulting hard x-ray background. Radiographic measurements with image plates showed a factor of >25 decrease in x-rays between 30 and 67 keV when going from a plastic to Al or V scaffold. Here, a potential design using V scaffold offers a signal-to-background ratio of 6:1, a factor of 2 greater than using the bare plastic scaffold.

  19. Radon exhalation rate and natural radionuclide content in building materials of high background areas of Ramsar, Iran.

    PubMed

    Bavarnegin, E; Fathabadi, N; Vahabi Moghaddam, M; Vasheghani Farahani, M; Moradi, M; Babakhni, A

    2013-03-01

    Radon exhalation rates from building materials used in high background radiation areas (HBRA) of Ramsar were measured using an active radon gas analyzer with an emanation container. Radon exhalation rates from these samples varied from below the lower detection limit up to 384 Bq.m(-2) h(-1). The (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K contents were also measured using a high resolution HPGe gamma- ray spectrometer system. The activity concentration of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K content varied from below the minimum detection limit up to 86,400 Bq kg(-1), 187 Bq kg(-1) and 1350 Bq kg(-1), respectively. The linear correlation coefficient between radon exhalation rate and radium concentration was 0.90. The result of this survey shows that radon exhalation rate and radium content in some local stones used as basements are extremely high and these samples are main sources of indoor radon emanation as well as external gamma radiation from uranium series. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Surface alpha backgrounds from plate-out of radon progeny

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perumpilly, Gopakumar; Guiseppe, Vincente

    2012-03-01

    Low-background detectors operating underground aim for unprecedented low levels of radioactive backgrounds. Although the radioactive decays of airborne radon (particularly Rn-222) and its subsequent daughters present in an experiment are potential backgrounds, more troublesome is the deposition of radon daughters on detector materials. Exposure to radon at any stage of assembly of an experiment can result in surface contamination by daughters supported by the long half life (22 y) of Pb-210 on sensitive locations of a detector. We have developed a model of the radon progeny implantation using Geant4 simulations based on the low energy nuclear recoil process. We explore the alpha decays from implanted progeny on a Ge crystal as potential backgrounds for a neutrinoless double-beta decay experiment. Results of the simulations validated with alpha spectrum measurement of plate-out samples will be presented.

  1. Assessing the Value of Additional Years of Schooling for the Non-Academically Inclined. Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth. Research Report 38

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dockery, Alfred Michael

    2005-01-01

    In this report data from the 1995 Year 9 Cohort of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) is used along with a variety of empirical approaches to assess the benefits of additional years of schooling for various groups of youth conditional upon their estimated propensity to engage in further schooling. Background material is provided…

  2. Gamma-Ray Background Variability in Mobile Detectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aucott, Timothy John

    Gamma-ray background radiation significantly reduces detection sensitivity when searching for radioactive sources in the field, such as in wide-area searches for homeland security applications. Mobile detector systems in particular must contend with a variable background that is not necessarily known or even measurable a priori. This work will present measurements of the spatial and temporal variability of the background, with the goal of merging gamma-ray detection, spectroscopy, and imaging with contextual information--a "nuclear street view" of the ubiquitous background radiation. The gamma-ray background originates from a variety of sources, both natural and anthropogenic. The dominant sources in the field are the primordial isotopes potassium-40, uranium-238, and thorium-232, as well as their decay daughters. In addition to the natural background, many artificially-created isotopes are used for industrial or medical purposes, and contamination from fission products can be found in many environments. Regardless of origin, these backgrounds will reduce detection sensitivity by adding both statistical as well as systematic uncertainty. In particular, large detector arrays will be limited by the systematic uncertainty in the background and will suffer from a high rate of false alarms. The goal of this work is to provide a comprehensive characterization of the gamma-ray background and its variability in order to improve detection sensitivity and evaluate the performance of mobile detectors in the field. Large quantities of data are measured in order to study their performance at very low false alarm rates. Two different approaches, spectroscopy and imaging, are compared in a controlled study in the presence of this measured background. Furthermore, there is additional information that can be gained by correlating the gamma-ray data with contextual data streams (such as cameras and global positioning systems) in order to reduce the variability in the background

  3. On-Orbit Sky Background Measurements with the FOS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lyons, R. W.; Baity, W. A.; Beaver, E. A.; Cohen, R. D.; Junkkarinen, V. T.; Linsky, J. B.; Bohlin, R. C.

    1993-01-01

    Observations of the sky background obtained with the Faint Object Spectrograph during 1991-1992 are discussed. Sky light can be an important contributor to the observed count rate in several of the instrument configurations especially when large apertures are used. In general, the sky background is consistent with the pre-launch expectations and showed the expected effects of zodiacal light and diffuse galactic light. In addition to these sources, there is, particularly during the daytime, a highly variable airglow component which includes a number of emission lines. The sky background will have an impact on the reduction and possibly the interpretation of some spectra.

  4. Why background colour matters to bees and flowers.

    PubMed

    Bukovac, Zoë; Shrestha, Mani; Garcia, Jair E; Burd, Martin; Dorin, Alan; Dyer, Adrian G

    2017-05-01

    Flowers are often viewed by bee pollinators against a variety of different backgrounds. On the Australian continent, backgrounds are very diverse and include surface examples of all major geological stages of the Earth's history, which have been present during the entire evolutionary period of Angiosperms. Flower signals in Australia are also representative of typical worldwide evolutionary spectral adaptations that enable successful pollination. We measured the spectral properties of 581 natural surfaces, including rocks, sand, green leaves, and dry plant materials, sampled from tropical Cairns through to the southern tip of mainland Australia. We modelled in a hexagon colour space, how interactions between background spectra and flower-like colour stimuli affect reliable discrimination and detection in bee pollinators. We calculated the extent to which a given locus would be conflated with the loci of a different flower-colour stimulus using empirically determined colour discrimination regions for bee vision. Our results reveal that whilst colour signals are robust in homogeneous background viewing conditions, there could be significant pressure on plant flowers to evolve saliently-different colours to overcome background spectral noise. We thus show that perceptual noise has a large influence on how colour information can be used in natural conditions.

  5. Modeling background radiation in Southern Nevada

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Haber, Daniel A.; Burnley, Pamela C.; Adcock, Christopher T.

    Aerial gamma ray surveys are an important tool for national security, scientific, and industrial interests in determining locations of both anthropogenic and natural sources of radioactivity. There is a relationship between radioactivity and geology and in the past this relationship has been used to predict geology from an aerial survey. The purpose of this project is to develop a method to predict the radiologic exposure rate of the geologic materials by creating a high resolution background model. The intention is for this method to be used in an emergency response scenario where the background radiation envi-ronment is unknown. Two studymore » areas in Southern Nevada have been modeled using geologic data, images from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), geochemical data, and pre-existing low resolution aerial surveys from the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Survey. Using these data, geospatial areas that are homogenous in terms of K, U, and Th, referred to as background radiation units, are defined and the gamma ray exposure rate is predicted. The prediction is compared to data collected via detailed aerial survey by the Department of Energy's Remote Sensing Lab - Nellis, allowing for the refinement of the technique. By using geologic units to define radiation background units of exposed bedrock and ASTER visualizations to subdivide and define radiation background units within alluvium, successful models have been produced for Government Wash, north of Lake Mead, and for the western shore of Lake Mohave, east of Searchlight, NV.« less

  6. Modeling background radiation in Southern Nevada

    DOE PAGES

    Haber, Daniel A.; Burnley, Pamela C.; Adcock, Christopher T.; ...

    2017-02-06

    Aerial gamma ray surveys are an important tool for national security, scientific, and industrial interests in determining locations of both anthropogenic and natural sources of radioactivity. There is a relationship between radioactivity and geology and in the past this relationship has been used to predict geology from an aerial survey. The purpose of this project is to develop a method to predict the radiologic exposure rate of the geologic materials by creating a high resolution background model. The intention is for this method to be used in an emergency response scenario where the background radiation envi-ronment is unknown. Two studymore » areas in Southern Nevada have been modeled using geologic data, images from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), geochemical data, and pre-existing low resolution aerial surveys from the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Survey. Using these data, geospatial areas that are homogenous in terms of K, U, and Th, referred to as background radiation units, are defined and the gamma ray exposure rate is predicted. The prediction is compared to data collected via detailed aerial survey by the Department of Energy's Remote Sensing Lab - Nellis, allowing for the refinement of the technique. By using geologic units to define radiation background units of exposed bedrock and ASTER visualizations to subdivide and define radiation background units within alluvium, successful models have been produced for Government Wash, north of Lake Mead, and for the western shore of Lake Mohave, east of Searchlight, NV.« less

  7. DNDO Report: Predicting Solar Modulation Potentials for Modeling Cosmic Background Radiation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Behne, Patrick Alan

    The modeling of the detectability of special nuclear material (SNM) at ports and border crossings requires accurate knowledge of the background radiation at those locations. Background radiation originates from two main sources, cosmic and terrestrial. Cosmic background is produced by high-energy galactic cosmic rays (GCR) entering the atmosphere and inducing a cascade of particles that eventually impact the earth’s surface. The solar modulation potential represents one of the primary inputs to modeling cosmic background radiation. Usosokin et al. formally define solar modulation potential as “the mean energy loss [per unit charge] of a cosmic ray particle inside the heliosphere…” Modulationmore » potential, a function of elevation, location, and time, shares an inverse relationship with cosmic background radiation. As a result, radiation detector thresholds require adjustment to account for differing background levels, caused partly by differing solar modulations. Failure to do so can result in higher rates of false positives and failed detection of SNM for low and high levels of solar modulation potential, respectively. This study focuses on solar modulation’s time dependence, and seeks the best method to predict modulation for future dates using Python. To address the task of predicting future solar modulation, we utilize both non-linear least squares sinusoidal curve fitting and cubic spline interpolation. This material will be published in transactions of the ANS winter meeting of November, 2016.« less

  8. Effect of polymerization technique and glass fiber addition on the surface roughness and hardness of PMMA denture base material.

    PubMed

    Gad, Mohammed M; Rahoma, Ahmed; Al-Thobity, Ahmad M

    2018-06-20

    The current study evaluated the effects of autoclave polymerization both with and without glass fiber (GF) reinforcement on the surface roughness and hardness of acrylic denture base material. Ninety disc specimens (30×2.5 mm) were prepared from Vertex resin and divided according to polymerization techniques into a water bath, short and long autoclave polymerization groups. Tested groups were divided into three subgroups according to the GF concentration (0, 2.5, and 5 wt%). Profilometer and Vickers hardness tests were performed to measure surface roughness and hardness. ANOVA and Tukey-Kramer multiple comparison tests analyzed the results, and p≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Autoclave polymerization significantly decreased the surface roughness and increased the hardness of acrylic resin without GF reinforcement (p<0.05). However, 5 wt% GF addition significantly increased surface roughness and decreased hardness of the autoclave polymerized denture base resin (p<0.05). Surface properties of Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) denture base material improved with autoclave polymerization and negatively affected with GFs addition.

  9. Comparison of electron beam and laser beam powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process for high temperature turbine component materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dryepondt, Sebastien N; Pint, Bruce A; Ryan, Daniel

    2016-04-01

    The evolving 3D printer technology is now at the point where some turbine components could be additive manufactured (AM) for both development and production purposes. However, this will require a significant evaluation program to qualify the process and components to meet current design and quality standards. The goal of the project was to begin characterization of the microstructure and mechanical properties of Nickel Alloy X (Ni-22Cr-18Fe-9Mo) test bars fabricated by powder bed fusion (PBF) AM processes that use either an electron beam (EB) or laser beam (LB) power source. The AM materials produced with the EB and LB processes displayedmore » significant differences in microstructure and resultant mechanical properties. Accordingly, during the design analysis of AM turbine components, the specific mechanical behavior of the material produced with the selected AM process should be considered. Comparison of the mechanical properties of both the EB and LB materials to those of conventionally processed Nickel Alloy X materials indicates the subject AM materials are viable alternatives for manufacture of some turbine components.« less

  10. IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL SOURCES OF BACKGROUND CONTAMINATION IN RT-PCR

    EPA Science Inventory

    Extraction of nucleic acids from low biomass samples, such as drinking water, is particularly sensitive to potential background contamination because the contaminating material is minimally diluted by the sample. The presence of bacterial DNA in Taq DNA polymerase is wel...

  11. The Radio Background below 100 MHz

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dowell, Jayce; Taylor, Greg B.

    2018-05-01

    The recent detection of the “cosmic dawn” redshifted 21 cm signal at 78 MHz by the Experiment to Detect the Global EoR Signatures (EDGES) differs significantly from theoretical predictions. In particular, the absorption trough is roughly a factor of two stronger than the most optimistic theoretical models. The early interpretations of the origin of this discrepancy fall into two categories. The first is that there is increased cooling of the gas due to interactions with dark matter, while the second is that the background radiation field includes a contribution from a component in addition to the cosmic microwave background (CMB). In this Letter we examine the feasibility of the second idea using new data from the first station of the Long Wavelength Array. The data span 40–80 MHz and provide important constraints on the present-day background in a frequency range where there are few surveys with absolute temperature calibration suitable for measuring the strength of the radio monopole. We find support for a strong, diffuse radio background that was suggested by the ARCARDE 2 results in the 3–10 GHz range. We find that this background is well modeled by a power law with a spectral index of ‑2.58 ± 0.05 and a temperature at the rest frame 21 cm frequency of {603}-92+102 mK.

  12. Effects of Build Parameters on Additive Materials

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-10-30

    orthotropic composite  laminates . Thermal expansion experiments show that FDM parts expand  15% less than bulk material. Heat transfer simulations are...Determining the Stress and Strain Relationships in a Quasi‐Isotropic  Laminate  . 161  6.4.16  Determining the stress and strain relationships in a 0/90 Ply... Laminate  .............. 172  6.4.17  Determining the stress and strain relationships in a 45/‐45  Laminate  ................ 178  6.4.18  Sub‐functions

  13. Additional corpus biopsy enhances the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection in a background of gastritis with atrophy

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background The best sites for biopsy-based tests to evaluate H. pylori infection in gastritis with atrophy are not well known. This study aimed to evaluate the site and sensitivity of biopsy-based tests in terms of degree of gastritis with atrophy. Methods One hundred and sixty-four (164) uninvestigated dyspepsia patients were enrolled. Biopsy-based tests (i.e., culture, histology Giemsa stain and rapid urease test) and non-invasive tests (anti-H. pylori IgG) were performed. The gold standard of H. pylori infection was defined according to previous criteria. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive rate and negative predictive rate of biopsy-based tests at the gastric antrum and body were calculated in terms of degree of gastritis with atrophy. Results The prevalence rate of H. pylori infection in the 164 patients was 63.4%. Gastritis with atrophy was significantly higher at the antrum than at the body (76% vs. 31%; p<0.001). The sensitivity of biopsy-based test decreased when the degree of gastritis with atrophy increased regardless of biopsy site (for normal, mild, moderate, and severe gastritis with atrophy, the sensitivity of histology Giemsa stain was 100%, 100%, 88%, and 66%, respectively, and 100%, 97%, 91%, and 66%, respectively, for rapid urease test). In moderate to severe antrum or body gastritis with atrophy, additional corpus biopsy resulted in increased sensitivity to 16.67% compare to single antrum biopsy. Conclusions In moderate to severe gastritis with atrophy, biopsy-based test should include the corpus for avoiding false negative results. PMID:23272897

  14. Estimating the Additional Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Korea: Focused on Demolition of Asbestos Containing Materials in Building

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Young-Chan; Hong, Won-Hwa; Zhang, Yuan-Long; Son, Byeung-Hun; Seo, Youn-Kyu; Choi, Jun-Ho

    2016-01-01

    When asbestos containing materials (ACM) must be removed from the building before demolition, additional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are generated. However, precedent studies have not considered the removal of ACM from the building. The present study aimed to develop a model for estimating GHG emissions created by the ACM removal processes, specifically the removal of asbestos cement slates (ACS). The second objective was to use the new model to predict the total GHG emission produced by ACM removal in the entire country of Korea. First, an input-equipment inventory was established for each step of the ACS removal process. Second, an energy consumption database for each equipment type was established. Third, the total GHG emission contributed by each step of the process was calculated. The GHG emissions generated from the 1,142,688 ACS-containing buildings in Korea was estimated to total 23,778 tonCO2eq to 132,141 tonCO2eq. This study was meaningful in that the emissions generated by ACS removal have not been studied before. Furthermore, the study deals with additional problems that can be triggered by the presence of asbestos in building materials. The method provided in this study is expected to contribute greatly to the calculation of GHG emissions caused by ACM worldwide. PMID:27626433

  15. A preliminary measurement of the cosmic microwave background spectrum by the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mather, J. C.; Cheng, E. S.; Shafer, R. A.; Bennett, C. L.; Boggess, N. W.; Dwek, E.; Hauser, M. G.; Kelsall, T.; Moseley, S. H., Jr.; Silverberg, R. F.

    1990-01-01

    A preliminary spectrum is presented of the background radiation between 1 and 20/cm from regions near the north Galactic pole, as observed by the FIRAS instrument on the COBE satellite. The spectral resolution is 1/cm. The spectrum is well fitted by a blackbody with a temperature of 2.735 + or - 0.06 K, and the deviation from a blackbody is less than 1 percent of the peak intensity over the range 1-20/cm. These new data show no evidence for the submillimeter excess previously reported by Matsumoto et al. (1988) in the cosmic microwave background. Further analysis and additional data are expected to improve the sensitivity to deviations from a blackbody spectrum by an order of magnitude.

  16. Ceramic-Based 4D Components: Additive Manufacturing (AM) of Ceramic-Based Functionally Graded Materials (FGM) by Thermoplastic 3D Printing (T3DP).

    PubMed

    Scheithauer, Uwe; Weingarten, Steven; Johne, Robert; Schwarzer, Eric; Abel, Johannes; Richter, Hans-Jürgen; Moritz, Tassilo; Michaelis, Alexander

    2017-11-28

    In our study, we investigated the additive manufacturing (AM) of ceramic-based functionally graded materials (FGM) by the direct AM technology thermoplastic 3D printing (T3DP). Zirconia components with varying microstructures were additively manufactured by using thermoplastic suspensions with different contents of pore-forming agents (PFA), which were co-sintered defect-free. Different materials were investigated concerning their suitability as PFA for the T3DP process. Diverse zirconia-based suspensions were prepared and used for the AM of single- and multi-material test components. All of the samples were sintered defect-free, and in the end, we could realize a brick wall-like component consisting of dense (<1% porosity) and porous (approx. 5% porosity) zirconia areas to combine different properties in one component. T3DP opens the door to the AM of further ceramic-based 4D components, such as multi-color, multi-material, or especially, multi-functional components.

  17. Ceramic-Based 4D Components: Additive Manufacturing (AM) of Ceramic-Based Functionally Graded Materials (FGM) by Thermoplastic 3D Printing (T3DP)

    PubMed Central

    Weingarten, Steven; Johne, Robert; Schwarzer, Eric; Richter, Hans-Jürgen; Michaelis, Alexander

    2017-01-01

    In our study, we investigated the additive manufacturing (AM) of ceramic-based functionally graded materials (FGM) by the direct AM technology thermoplastic 3D printing (T3DP). Zirconia components with varying microstructures were additively manufactured by using thermoplastic suspensions with different contents of pore-forming agents (PFA), which were co-sintered defect-free. Different materials were investigated concerning their suitability as PFA for the T3DP process. Diverse zirconia-based suspensions were prepared and used for the AM of single- and multi-material test components. All of the samples were sintered defect-free, and in the end, we could realize a brick wall-like component consisting of dense (<1% porosity) and porous (approx. 5% porosity) zirconia areas to combine different properties in one component. T3DP opens the door to the AM of further ceramic-based 4D components, such as multi-color, multi-material, or especially, multi-functional components. PMID:29182541

  18. Impact of Defects in Powder Feedstock Materials on Microstructure of 304L and 316L Stainless Steel Produced by Additive Manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morrow, Benjamin M.; Lienert, Thomas J.; Knapp, Cameron M.; Sutton, Jacob O.; Brand, Michael J.; Pacheco, Robin M.; Livescu, Veronica; Carpenter, John S.; Gray, George T.

    2018-05-01

    Recent work in both 304L and 316L stainless steel produced by additive manufacturing (AM) has shown that in addition to the unique, characteristic microstructures formed during the process, a fine dispersion of sub-micron particles, with a chemistry different from either the powder feedstock or the expected final material, are evident in the final microstructure. Such fine-scale features can only be resolved using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) or similar techniques. The present work uses electron microscopy to study both the initial powder feedstock and microstructures in final AM parts. Special attention is paid to the chemistry and origin of these nanoscale particles in several different metal alloys, and their impact on the final build. Comparisons to traditional, wrought material will be made.

  19. Theoretical Considerations for Improving the Pulse Power of a Battery through the Addition of a Second Electrochemically Active Material

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Knehr, K. W.; West, Alan C.

    Here, porous electrode theory is used to conduct case studies for when the addition of a second electrochemically active material can improve the pulse-power performance of an electrode. Case studies are conducted for the positive electrode of a sodium metal-halide battery and the graphite negative electrode of a lithium “rocking chair” battery. The replacement of a fraction of the nickel chloride capacity with iron chloride in a sodium metal-halide electrode and the replacement of a fraction of the graphite capacity with carbon black in a lithium-ion negative electrode were both predicted to increase the maximum pulse power by up tomore » 40%. In general, whether or not a second electrochemically active material increases the pulse power depends on the relative importance of ohmic-to-charge transfer resistances within the porous structure, the capacity fraction of the second electrochemically active material, and the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the two active materials.« less

  20. Theoretical Considerations for Improving the Pulse Power of a Battery through the Addition of a Second Electrochemically Active Material

    DOE PAGES

    Knehr, K. W.; West, Alan C.

    2016-05-26

    Here, porous electrode theory is used to conduct case studies for when the addition of a second electrochemically active material can improve the pulse-power performance of an electrode. Case studies are conducted for the positive electrode of a sodium metal-halide battery and the graphite negative electrode of a lithium “rocking chair” battery. The replacement of a fraction of the nickel chloride capacity with iron chloride in a sodium metal-halide electrode and the replacement of a fraction of the graphite capacity with carbon black in a lithium-ion negative electrode were both predicted to increase the maximum pulse power by up tomore » 40%. In general, whether or not a second electrochemically active material increases the pulse power depends on the relative importance of ohmic-to-charge transfer resistances within the porous structure, the capacity fraction of the second electrochemically active material, and the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the two active materials.« less

  1. The flip-over effect in pulsed laser deposition: Is it relevant at high background gas pressures?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ojeda-G-P, Alejandro; Schneider, Christof W.; Döbeli, Max; Lippert, Thomas; Wokaun, Alexander

    2015-12-01

    In pulsed laser deposition the use of a rectangular or elliptical beam spot with a non 1:1 aspect ratio leads to the so called flip-over effect. Here, the longest dimension of the laser spot results in the shortest direction of plasma plume expansion. This effect has been mainly reported for vacuum depositions of single element targets and is particularly noticeable when the aspect ratio of the beam spot is large. We investigate the flip-over effect in vacuum and at three relevant background-gas pressures for pulsed laser deposition using a La0.4Ca0.6MnO3 target by measuring the thickness dependence of the deposited material as a function of angle. The film thicknesses and compositions are determined by Rutherford backscattering and argon is used to reduce the influence of additional chemical reactions in the plasma. The results show the prevalence of the flip-over effect for all pressures except for the highest, i.e. 1 × 10-1 mbar, where the film thickness is constant for all angles. The composition profiles show noticeable compositional variations of up to 30% with respect to the target material depending on the background gas pressure, the angular location, and the laser spot dimensions.

  2. Addition of Si-Containing Gases for Anisotropic Etching of III-V Materials in Chlorine-Based Inductively Coupled Plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gatilova, Lina; Bouchoule, Sophie; Patriarche, Gilles; Guilet, Stephane

    2011-08-01

    We discuss the possibility of obtaining high-aspect-ratio etching of InP materials in Cl2- and HBr-based inductively coupled plasmas (ICP) with the addition of Si-containing gases (SiH4 or SiCl4). A vertical and smooth etching profile is demonstrated in SiCl4/H2 plasma. The effect of adding of a small amount of SiH4 to a previously optimised Cl2/H2 chemistry is presented, and new SiH4/Cl2 and SiH4/HBr chemistries are proposed. Ex-situ energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy coupled to transmission electron microscopy (EDX-TEM) is used to analyze the composition of the thin passivation layer deposited on the etched sidewalls. We show that it consists of a Si-rich silicon oxide (Si/O˜1) in Cl2/H2/SiH4 chemistry, and is changed to nano-crystalline (nc-) Si in SiH4/Cl2 chemistry depending on the SiH4 percentage. Moreover, we show that deep anisotropic etching of InP independent of the electrode coverplate material can be obtained via a SiOx passivation mechanism with the addition of Si-containing gases.

  3. Rigid supersymmetric backgrounds of 3-dimensional Newton-Cartan supergravity

    DOE PAGES

    Knodel, Gino; Lisbao, Pedro; Liu, James T.

    2016-06-06

    Recently, a non-relativistic off-shell formulation of three dimensional Newton-Cartan supergravity was proposed as the c → ∞ limit of three dimensional N = 2 super-gravity [1]. Here in the present paper we study supersymmetric backgrounds within this theory. Using integrability constraints for the non-relativistic Killing spinor equations, we explicitly construct all maximally supersymmetric solutions, which admit four supercharges. In addition to these solutions, there aremore » $$\\frac{1}{2}$$ -BPS solutions with reduced supersymmetry. We give explicit examples of such backgrounds and derive necessary conditions for backgrounds preserving two supercharges. Finally, we address how supersymmetric backgrounds of N = 2 supergravity are connected to the solutions found here in the c → ∞ limit.« less

  4. 75 FR 30863 - Nixon Presidential Historical Materials: Opening of Materials

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-02

    ... NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION Nixon Presidential Historical Materials: Opening of Materials AGENCY: National Archives and Records Administration. ACTION: Notice of opening of additional materials. SUMMARY: This notice announces the opening of additional Nixon Presidential Historical Materials...

  5. The projected background for the CUORE experiment

    DOE PAGES

    Alduino, C.; Alfonso, K.; Artusa, D. R.; ...

    2017-08-14

    The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) is designed to search for neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te with an array of 988 TeO 2 bolometers operating at temperatures around 10 mK. The experiment is currently being commissioned in Hall A of Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy. The goal of CUORE is to reach a 90% C.L. exclusion sensitivity on the 130Te decay half-life of 9 × 10 25 years after 5 years of data taking. The main issue to be addressed to accomplish this aim is the rate of background events in the region of interest, whichmore » must not be higher than 10 –2 counts/keV/kg/year. We developed a detailed Monte Carlo simulation, based on results from a campaign of material screening, radioassays, and bolometric measurements, to evaluate the expected background. This was used over the years to guide the construction strategies of the experiment and we use it here to project a background model for CUORE. In this paper we report the results of our study and our expectations for the background rate in the energy region where the peak signature of neutrinoless double beta decay of 130Te is expected.« less

  6. The projected background for the CUORE experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alduino, C.; Alfonso, K.; Artusa, D. R.; Avignone, F. T.; Azzolini, O.; Banks, T. I.; Bari, G.; Beeman, J. W.; Bellini, F.; Benato, G.; Bersani, A.; Biassoni, M.; Branca, A.; Brofferio, C.; Bucci, C.; Camacho, A.; Caminata, A.; Canonica, L.; Cao, X. G.; Capelli, S.; Cappelli, L.; Carbone, L.; Cardani, L.; Carniti, P.; Casali, N.; Cassina, L.; Chiesa, D.; Chott, N.; Clemenza, M.; Copello, S.; Cosmelli, C.; Cremonesi, O.; Creswick, R. J.; Cushman, J. S.; D'Addabbo, A.; Dafinei, I.; Davis, C. J.; Dell'Oro, S.; Deninno, M. M.; Di Domizio, S.; Di Vacri, M. L.; Drobizhev, A.; Fang, D. Q.; Faverzani, M.; Fernandes, G.; Ferri, E.; Ferroni, F.; Fiorini, E.; Franceschi, M. A.; Freedman, S. J.; Fujikawa, B. K.; Giachero, A.; Gironi, L.; Giuliani, A.; Gladstone, L.; Gorla, P.; Gotti, C.; Gutierrez, T. D.; Haller, E. E.; Han, K.; Hansen, E.; Heeger, K. M.; Hennings-Yeomans, R.; Hickerson, K. P.; Huang, H. Z.; Kadel, R.; Keppel, G.; Kolomensky, Yu. G.; Leder, A.; Ligi, C.; Lim, K. E.; Ma, Y. G.; Maino, M.; Marini, L.; Martinez, M.; Maruyama, R. H.; Mei, Y.; Moggi, N.; Morganti, S.; Mosteiro, P. J.; Napolitano, T.; Nastasi, M.; Nones, C.; Norman, E. B.; Novati, V.; Nucciotti, A.; O'Donnell, T.; Ouellet, J. L.; Pagliarone, C. E.; Pallavicini, M.; Palmieri, V.; Pattavina, L.; Pavan, M.; Pessina, G.; Pettinacci, V.; Piperno, G.; Pira, C.; Pirro, S.; Pozzi, S.; Previtali, E.; Rosenfeld, C.; Rusconi, C.; Sakai, M.; Sangiorgio, S.; Santone, D.; Schmidt, B.; Schmidt, J.; Scielzo, N. D.; Singh, V.; Sisti, M.; Smith, A. R.; Taffarello, L.; Tenconi, M.; Terranova, F.; Tomei, C.; Trentalange, S.; Vignati, M.; Wagaarachchi, S. L.; Wang, B. S.; Wang, H. W.; Welliver, B.; Wilson, J.; Winslow, L. A.; Wise, T.; Woodcraft, A.; Zanotti, L.; Zhang, G. Q.; Zhu, B. X.; Zimmermann, S.; Zucchelli, S.; Laubenstein, M.

    2017-08-01

    The Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events (CUORE) is designed to search for neutrinoless double beta decay of ^{130}Te with an array of 988 TeO_2 bolometers operating at temperatures around 10 mK. The experiment is currently being commissioned in Hall A of Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, Italy. The goal of CUORE is to reach a 90% C.L. exclusion sensitivity on the ^{130}Te decay half-life of 9 × 10^{25} years after 5 years of data taking. The main issue to be addressed to accomplish this aim is the rate of background events in the region of interest, which must not be higher than 10^{-2} counts/keV/kg/year. We developed a detailed Monte Carlo simulation, based on results from a campaign of material screening, radioassays, and bolometric measurements, to evaluate the expected background. This was used over the years to guide the construction strategies of the experiment and we use it here to project a background model for CUORE. In this paper we report the results of our study and our expectations for the background rate in the energy region where the peak signature of neutrinoless double beta decay of ^{130}Te is expected.

  7. Rational molecular dynamics scheme for predicting optimum concentration loading of nano-additive in phase change materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rastogi, Monisha; Vaish, Rahul; Madhar, Niyaz Ahamad; Shaikh, Hamid; Al-Zahrani, S. M.

    2015-10-01

    The present study deals with the diffusion and phase transition behaviour of paraffin reinforced with carbon nano-additives namely graphene oxide (GO) and surface functionalized single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT). Bulk disordered systems of paraffin hydrocarbons impregnated with carbon nano-additives have been generated in realistic equilibrium conformations for potential application as latent heat storage systems. Ab initio molecular dynamics(MD) in conjugation with COMPASS forcefield has been implemented using periodic boundary conditions. The proposed scheme allows determination of optimum nano-additive loading for improving thermo-physical properties through analysis of mass, thermal and transport properties; and assists in determination of composite behaviour and related performance from microscopic point of view. It was observed that nanocomposites containing 7.8 % surface functionalised SWCNT and 55% GO loading corresponds to best latent heat storage system. The propounded methodology could serve as a by-pass route for economically taxing and iterative experimental procedures required to attain the optimum composition for best performance. The results also hint at the large unexplored potential of ab-initio classical MD techniques for predicting performance of new nanocomposites for potential phase change material applications.

  8. Collaborative Russian-US work in nuclear material protection, control and accounting at the Institute of Physics and Power Engineering. 2: Extension to additional facilities

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kuzin, V.V.; Pshakin, G.M.; Belov, A.P.

    1996-12-31

    During 1995, collaborative Russian-US nuclear material protection, control, and accounting (MPC and A) tasks at the Institute of Physics and Power Engineering (IPPE) in Obninsk, Russia focused on improving the protection of nuclear materials at the BFS Fast Critical Facility. BFS has tens of thousands of fuel disks containing highly enriched uranium and weapons-grade plutonium that are used to simulate the core configurations of experimental reactors in two critical assemblies. Completed tasks culminated in demonstrations of newly implemented equipment (Russian and US) and methods that enhanced the MPC and A at BFS through computerized accounting, nondestructive inventory verification measurements, personnelmore » identification and access control, physical inventory taking, physical protection, and video surveillance. The collaborative work with US Department of Energy national laboratories is now being extended. In 1996 additional tasks to improve MPC and A have been implemented at BFS, the Technological Laboratory for Fuel Fabrication (TLFF) the Central Storage Facility (CSF), and for the entire site. The TLFF reclads BFS uranium metal fuel disks (process operations and transfers of fissile material). The CSF contains many different types of nuclear material. MPC and A at these additional facilities will be integrated with that at BFS as a prototype site-wide approach. Additional site-wide tasks encompass communications and tamper-indicating devices. Finally, new storage alternatives are being implemented that will consolidate the more attractive nuclear materials in a better-protected nuclear island. The work this year represents not just the addition of new facilities and the site-wide approach, but the systematization of the MPC and A elements that are being implemented as a first step and the more comprehensive ones planned.« less

  9. Proppant flowback control additives

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nguyen, P.D.; Weaver, J.D.; Parker, M.A.

    1996-12-31

    This paper describes the laboratory and field development of thermoplastic film materials used to reduce proppant flowback that can occur after fracturing treatments. The paper provides a summary of flowback mechanism theories and laboratory tests comparing flowback tendency for various types of treating procedures and materials. Some of these materials include angular proppant, proppant/fiber mixtures, and proppant with film strips tested over a wide range of temperature, closure stress, and flow-rate conditions. Field treatment procedures are discussed, and several case histories are presented. All of the methods evaluated were effective in reducing proppant flowback under certain conditions. Heat-shrink film cutmore » into thin slivers proved to provide flowback reduction over broad temperature and closure stress ranges and was found to cause little impairment to fracture conductivity with some dependency on use concentration, temperature, and closure stress. The film materials were more resistant to damage caused by blending and pumping than all other materials evaluated. In addition, proppant packs, including consolidated packs, were significantly more tolerant of large, repeated stress changes. Field results indicate that the use of the heat-shrink film material as a flowback control agent permits more aggressive bean-up procedures following conventional fracturing treatments. Conventional dry-additive metering systems were used to add the film material to the fracturing fluid proppant slurry.« less

  10. Polishability and wear resistance of splint material for oral appliances produced with conventional, subtractive, and additive manufacturing.

    PubMed

    Huettig, Fabian; Kustermann, Achim; Kuscu, Ebru; Geis-Gerstorfer, Jürgen; Spintzyk, Sebastian

    2017-11-01

    Occlusal splints to treat bruxism are commonly made from polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) in a manual workflow (powder-liquid technique). Today digitalization allows a machine-based manufacturing in subtractive (milling) and additive (printing) means using industrial-made PMMA or comparable resins. An in-vitro study should assess the surface finish and screen the wear resistance of conventional and industrial materials. Therefore, a total of 30 specimens made from conventionally PMMA (group C; powder-liquid, Palapress), polycarbonate ingots (group S; innoBlanc splint plus), and light-curing resin (group A; VarseoWax splint) were polished to examine the surface roughness (Ra) by profilometry and further analyzed by SEM. The specimens were loaded with a steatite ball moving 5000 times along 1cm with 5N of surface pressure under constant wetting (artificial saliva). The total height of profile (Pt) was calculated by further profilometry of the specimens. All specimen showed initially comparable Ra values ranging between 0.06 and 0.05µm (SD = 0.01) after polishing. SEM investigations revealed no visual cues for scratches or irregularities in any group. After abrasion test, the comparison of the wear depths, revealed mean Pt values of 111.4µm (SD = 18.5) in C, 85.7µm (SD = 21.5) in S, and 99.1µm (SD = 21.5) in A, whereas the mean of S was statistically different from C (p = 0.025). No signs of abrasion were found on the steatite balls. All materials showed comparable polished surfaces and a similar scale of wear. It remains questionable if the detected statistical differences are of clinical relevance, but indicates the need for tests of novel materials, especially in additive manufacturing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Measurement of electromagnetic properties of powder and solid metal materials for additive manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Todorov, Evgueni Iordanov

    2017-04-01

    The lack of validated nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques for examination during and after additive manufacturing (AM) component fabrication is one of the obstacles in the way of broadening use of AM for critical applications. Knowledge of electromagnetic properties of powder (e.g. feedstock) and solid AM metal components is necessary to evaluate and deploy electromagnetic NDE modalities for examination of AM components. The objective of this research study was to develop and implement techniques for measurement of powder and solid metal electromagnetic properties. Three materials were selected - Inconel 625, duplex stainless steel 2205, and carbon steel 4140. The powder properties were measured with alternate current (AC) model based eddy current technique and direct current (DC) resistivity measurements. The solid metal properties were measured with DC resistivity measurements, DC magnetic techniques, and AC model based eddy current technique. Initial magnetic permeability and electrical conductivity were acquired for both powder and solid metal. Additional magnetic properties such as maximum permeability, coercivity, retentivity, and others were acquired for 2205 and 4140. Two groups of specimens were tested along the build length and width respectively to investigate for possible anisotropy. There was no significant difference or anisotropy when comparing measurements acquired along build length to those along the width. A trend in AC measurements might be associated with build geometry. Powder electrical conductivity was very low and difficult to estimate reliably with techniques used in the study. The agreement between various techniques was very good where adequate comparison was possible.

  12. Isolated and modulated effects of topology and material type on the mechanical properties of additively manufactured porous biomaterials.

    PubMed

    Hedayati, R; Ahmadi, S M; Lietaert, K; Pouran, B; Li, Y; Weinans, H; Rans, C D; Zadpoor, A A

    2018-03-01

    In this study, we tried to quantify the isolated and modulated effects of topological design and material type on the mechanical properties of AM porous biomaterials. Towards this aim, we assembled a large dataset comprising the mechanical properties of AM porous biomaterials with different topological designs (i.e. different unit cell types and relative densities) and material types. Porous structures were additively manufactured from Co-Cr using a selective laser melting (SLM) machine and tested under quasi-static compression. The normalized mechanical properties obtained from those structures were compared with mechanical properties available from our previous studies for porous structures made from Ti-6Al-4V and pure titanium as well as with analytical solutions. The normalized values of elastic modulus and yield stress were found to be relatively close to each other as well as in agreement with analytical solutions regardless of material type. However, the material type was found to systematically affect the mechanical properties of AM porous biomaterials in general and the post-elastic/post-yield range (plateau stress and energy absorption capacity) in particular. To put this in perspective, topological design could cause up to 10-fold difference in the mechanical properties of AM porous biomaterials while up to 2-fold difference was observed as a consequence of changing the material type. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Overview of NATO Background on Scramjet Technology. Chapter 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Drummond, J. Philip; Bouchez, Marc; McClinton, Charles R.

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of the present overview is to summarize the current knowledge of the NATO contributors. All the topics will be addressed in this chapter, with references and some examples. This background enhances the level of knowledge of the NATO scramjet community, which will be used for writing the specific chapters of the Report. Some previous overviews have been published on scramjet technology worldwide. NASA, DOD, the U.S. industry and global community have studied scramjet-powered hypersonic vehicles for over 40 years. Within the U.S. alone, NASA, DOD (DARPA, U.S. Navy and USAF), and industry have participated in hypersonic technology development. Over this time NASA Langley Research Center continuously studied hypersonic system design, aerothermodynamics, scramjet propulsion, propulsion-airframe integration, high temperature materials and structural architectures, and associated facilities, instrumentation and test methods. These modestly funded programs were substantially augmented during the National Aero-Space Plane (X-30) Program, which spent more than $3B between 1984 and 1995, and brought the DOD and other NASA Centers, universities and industry back into hypersonics. In addition, significant progress was achieved in all technologies required for hypersonic flight, and much of that technology was transferred into other programs, such as X-33, DC-X, X-37, X-43, etc. In addition, technology transfer impacted numerous other industries, including automotive, medical, sports and aerospace.

  14. Drilling mud additives

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Roemer, P.; Downhour, R. Jr.

    1970-06-30

    A drilling mud additive prepared from farinaceous material contains relatively high gluten and fat contents and has between 30 and 40% water soluble solids on a dry basis. The product is particularly useful in rotary drilling as an additive to the drilling mud to inhibit water loss. The key to achieving the desired product is pretreatment of the raw flour and control of moisture. (2 claims)

  15. Reducing DRIFT backgrounds with a submicron aluminized-mylar cathode

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Battat, J. B. R.; Daw, E.; Dorofeev, A.; Ezeribe, A. C.; Fox, J. R.; Gauvreau, J.-L.; Gold, M.; Harmon, L.; Harton, J.; Lafler, R.; Landers, J.; Lauer, R. J.; Lee, E. R.; Loomba, D.; Lumnah, A.; Matthews, J.; Miller, E. H.; Mouton, F.; Murphy, A. St. J.; Paling, S. M.; Phan, N.; Sadler, S. W.; Scarff, A.; Schuckman, F. G.; Snowden-Ifft, D.; Spooner, N. J. C.; Walker, D.

    2015-09-01

    Background events in the DRIFT-IId dark matter detector, mimicking potential WIMP signals, are predominantly caused by alpha decays on the central cathode in which the alpha particle is completely or partially absorbed by the cathode material. We installed a 0.9 μm thick aluminized-mylar cathode as a way to reduce the probability of producing these backgrounds. We study three generations of cathode (wire, thin-film, and radiologically clean thin-film) with a focus on the ratio of background events to alpha decays. Two independent methods of measuring the absolute alpha decay rate are used to ensure an accurate result, and agree to within 10%. Using alpha range spectroscopy, we measure the radiologically cleanest cathode version to have a contamination of 3.3±0.1 ppt 234U and 73±2 ppb 238U. This cathode reduces the probability of producing an RPR from an alpha decay by a factor of 70±20 compared to the original stainless steel wire cathode. First results are presented from a texturized version of the cathode, intended to be even more transparent to alpha particles. These efforts, along with other background reduction measures, have resulted in a drop in the observed background rate from 500/day to 1/day. With the recent implementation of full-volume fiducialization, these remaining background events are identified, allowing for background-free operation.

  16. Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-05-12

    contributions from Germany , Japan, and Switzerland. For more information on the MFO, see http://www.mfo.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1. Egypt: Background and...2008 Report, Egypt’s pace of business reforms and deregulation between 2006 and 2007 ranked first worldwide. In recent years, the state has...reinvigorated its privatization program by divesting shares in the state-dominated banking and insurance sectors. Additionally, the government removed import

  17. Solid Lubrication Fundamentals and Applications: Introduction and Background. Revision 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miyoshi, Kazuhisa

    1998-01-01

    This chapter presents an introduction and historical background to the field of tribology, especially solid lubrication and lubricants and sets them in the perspective of techniques and materials in lubrication. Also, solid and liquid lubrication films are defined and described.

  18. Solid Lubrication Fundamentals and Applications. Chapter 1; Introduction and Background

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miyoshi, Kazuhisa

    1996-01-01

    This chapter presents an introduction and historical background to the field of tribology, especially solid lubrication and lubricants and sets them in the perspective of techniques and materials in lubrication. Also, solid and liquid lubrication films are defined and described.

  19. Multi-material Additive Manufacturing of Metamaterials with Giant, Tailorable Negative Poisson's Ratios.

    PubMed

    Chen, Da; Zheng, Xiaoyu

    2018-06-14

    Nature has evolved with a recurring strategy to achieve unusual mechanical properties through coupling variable elastic moduli from a few GPa to below KPa within a single tissue. The ability to produce multi-material, three-dimensional (3D) micro-architectures with high fidelity incorporating dissimilar components has been a major challenge in man-made materials. Here we show multi-modulus metamaterials whose architectural element is comprised of encoded elasticity ranging from rigid to soft. We found that, in contrast to ordinary architected materials whose negative Poisson's ratio is dictated by their geometry, these type of metamaterials are capable of displaying Poisson's ratios from extreme negative to zero, independent of their 3D micro-architecture. The resulting low density metamaterials is capable of achieving functionally graded, distributed strain amplification capabilities within the metamaterial with uniform micro-architectures. Simultaneous tuning of Poisson's ratio and moduli within the 3D multi-materials could open up a broad array of material by design applications ranging from flexible armor, artificial muscles, to actuators and bio-mimetic materials.

  20. Ultra-low background mass spectrometry for rare-event searches

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dobson, J.; Ghag, C.; Manenti, L.

    2018-01-01

    Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) allows for rapid, high-sensitivity determination of trace impurities, notably the primordial radioisotopes 238U and 232Th, in candidate materials for low-background rare-event search experiments. We describe the setup and characterisation of a dedicated low-background screening facility at University College London where we operate an Agilent 7900 ICP-MS. The impact of reagent and carrier gas purity is evaluated and we show that twice-distilled ROMIL-SpATM-grade nitric acid and zero-grade Ar gas delivers similar sensitivity to ROMIL-UpATM-grade acid and research-grade gas. A straightforward procedure for sample digestion and analysis of materials with U/Th concentrations down to 10 ppt g/g is presented. This includes the use of 233U and 230Th spikes to correct for signal loss from a range of sources and verification of 238U and 232Th recovery through digestion and analysis of a certified reference material with a complex sample matrix. Finally, we demonstrate assays and present results from two sample preparation and assay methods: a high-sensitivity measurement of ultra-pure Ti using open digestion techniques, and a closed vessel microwave digestion of a nickel-chromium-alloy using a multi-acid mixture.

  1. Background-reducing X-ray multilayer mirror

    DOEpatents

    Bloch, Jeffrey J.; Roussel-Dupre', Diane; Smith, Barham W.

    1992-01-01

    Background-reducing x-ray multilayer mirror. A multiple-layer "wavetrap" deposited over the surface of a layered, synthetic-microstructure soft x-ray mirror optimized for reflectivity at chosen wavelengths is disclosed for reducing the reflectivity of undesired, longer wavelength incident radiation incident thereon. In three separate mirror designs employing an alternating molybdenum and silicon layered, mirrored structure overlaid by two layers of a molybdenum/silicon pair anti-reflection coating, reflectivities of near normal incidence 133, 171, and 186 .ANG. wavelengths have been optimized, while that at 304 .ANG. has been minimized. The optimization process involves the choice of materials, the composition of the layer/pairs as well as the number thereof, and the distance therebetween for the mirror, and the simultaneous choice of materials, the composition of the layer/pairs, and their number and distance for the "wavetrap."

  2. Investigation of Effect Additive Phase Change Materials on the Thermal Conductivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakielska, Magdalena; Chalamoński, Mariusz; Pawłowski, Krzysztof

    2017-10-01

    The aim of worldwide policy is to reduce the amount of consumed energy and conventional fuels. An important branch of the economy that affects the energy balance of the country is construction industry. In Poland, since January 1st, 2017 new limit values have been valid regarding energy saving and thermal insulation of buildings. To meet the requirements of more and more stringent technical and environmental standards, new technological solutions are currently being looked for. When it comes to the use of new materials, phase-change materials are being widely introduced into construction industry. Thanks to phase-change materials, we can increase the amount of heat storage. Great thermal inertia of the building provides more stable conditions inside the rooms and allows the use of unconventional sources of energy such as solar energy. A way to reduce the energy consumption of the object is the use of modern solutions for ventilation systems. An example is the solar chimney, which supports natural ventilation in order to improve internal comfort of the rooms. Numerous studies are being carried out in order to determine the optimal construction of solar chimneys in terms of materials and construction parameters. One of the elements of solar chimneys is an absorption plate, which affects the amount of accumulated heat in the construction. In order to carry out the research on the thermal capacity of the absorption plate, the first research work has been already planned. The work presents the research results of a heat-transfer coefficient of the absorption plates samples made of cement, aggregate, water, and phase-change material in different volume percentage. The work also presents methodology and the research process of phase-change material samples.

  3. Identification of trace additives in polymer materials by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared mapping coupled with multivariate curve resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Qian; Tang, Yongjiao; Yan, Zhiwei; Zhang, Pudun

    2017-06-01

    Although multivariate curve resolution (MCR) has been applied to the analysis of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) imaging, it is still problematic to determine the number of components. The reported methods at present tend to cause the components of low concentration missed. In this paper a new idea was proposed to resolve this problem. First, MCR calculation was repeated by increasing the number of components sequentially, then each retrieved pure spectrum of as-resulted MCR component was directly compared with a real-world pixel spectrum of the local high concentration in the corresponding MCR map. One component was affirmed only if the characteristic bands of the MCR component had been included in its pixel spectrum. This idea was applied to attenuated total reflection (ATR)/FTIR mapping for identifying the trace additives in blind polymer materials and satisfactory results were acquired. The successful demonstration of this novel approach opens up new possibilities for analyzing additives in polymer materials.

  4. Exploration of new superconductors and functional materials, and fabrication of superconducting tapes and wires of iron pnictides.

    PubMed

    Hosono, Hideo; Tanabe, Keiichi; Takayama-Muromachi, Eiji; Kageyama, Hiroshi; Yamanaka, Shoji; Kumakura, Hiroaki; Nohara, Minoru; Hiramatsu, Hidenori; Fujitsu, Satoru

    2015-06-01

    This review shows the highlights of a 4-year-long research project supported by the Japanese Government to explore new superconducting materials and relevant functional materials. The project found several tens of new superconductors by examining ∼1000 materials, each of which was chosen by Japanese experts with a background in solid state chemistry. This review summarizes the major achievements of the project in newly found superconducting materials, and the fabrication wires and tapes of iron-based superconductors; it incorporates a list of ∼700 unsuccessful materials examined for superconductivity in the project. In addition, described are new functional materials and functionalities discovered during the project.

  5. Exploration of new superconductors and functional materials, and fabrication of superconducting tapes and wires of iron pnictides

    PubMed Central

    Hosono, Hideo; Tanabe, Keiichi; Takayama-Muromachi, Eiji; Kageyama, Hiroshi; Yamanaka, Shoji; Kumakura, Hiroaki; Nohara, Minoru; Hiramatsu, Hidenori; Fujitsu, Satoru

    2015-01-01

    This review shows the highlights of a 4-year-long research project supported by the Japanese Government to explore new superconducting materials and relevant functional materials. The project found several tens of new superconductors by examining ∼1000 materials, each of which was chosen by Japanese experts with a background in solid state chemistry. This review summarizes the major achievements of the project in newly found superconducting materials, and the fabrication wires and tapes of iron-based superconductors; it incorporates a list of ∼700 unsuccessful materials examined for superconductivity in the project. In addition, described are new functional materials and functionalities discovered during the project. PMID:27877784

  6. A radon daughter deposition model for low background experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rielage, K.; Guiseppe, V. E.; Mastbaum, A.; Elliott, S. R.; Hime, A.

    2009-05-01

    The next generation low-background detectors operating underground, such as dark matter searches and neutrinoless double-beta decay, aim for unprecedented low levels of radioactive backgrounds. Although the radioactive decays of airborne radon (particularly ^222Rn) and its subsequent daughters present in an experiment are potential backgrounds, more troublesome is the deposition of radon daughters on detector materials. Exposure to radon at any stage of assembly of an experiment can result in surface contamination by daughters supported by the long half life (22 y) of ^210Pb on sensitive locations of a detector. An understanding of the potential surface contamination will enable requirements of radon-reduced air and clean room environments for the assembly of low background experiments. It is known that there are a number of environmental factors that govern the deposition of daughters onto surfaces. However, existing models have not explored the impact of some environmental factors important for low background experiments. A test stand has been constructed to deposit radon daughters on various surfaces under a controlled environment in order to develop a deposition model. Results from this test stand and the resulting deposition model will be presented.

  7. The Physics and Chemistry of Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gersten, Joel I.; Smith, Frederick W.

    2001-06-01

    A comprehensive introduction to the structure, properties, and applications of materials This title provides the first unified treatment for the broad subject of materials. Authors Gersten and Smith use a fundamental approach to define the structure and properties of a wide range of solids on the basis of the local chemical bonding and atomic order present in the material. Emphasizing the physical and chemical origins of material properties, the book focuses on the most technologically important materials being utilized and developed by scientists and engineers. Appropriate for use in advanced materials courses, The Physics and Chemistry of Materials provides the background information necessary to assimilate the current academic and patent literature on materials and their applications. Problem sets, illustrations, and helpful tables complete this well-rounded new treatment. Five sections cover these important topics: * Structure of materials, including crystal structure, bonding in solids, diffraction and the reciprocal lattice, and order and disorder in solids * Physical properties of materials, including electrical, thermal, optical, magnetic, and mechanical properties * Classes of materials, including semiconductors, superconductors, magnetic materials, and optical materials in addition to metals, ceramics, polymers, dielectrics, and ferroelectrics * A section on surfaces, thin films, interfaces, and multilayers discusses the effects of spatial discontinuities in the physical and chemical structure of materials * A section on synthesis and processing examines the effects of synthesis on the structure and properties of various materials This book is enhanced by a Web-based supplement that offers advanced material together with an entire electronic chapter on the characterization of materials. The Physics and Chemistry of Materials is a complete introduction to the structure and properties of materials for students and an excellent reference for scientists and

  8. The Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bennett, C. L.

    1994-12-01

    The properties of the cosmic microwave background radiation provide unique constraints on the history and evolution of the universe. The first detection of anisotropy of the microwave radiation was reported by the COBE Team in 1992, based on the first year of flight data. The latest analyses of the first two years of COBE data are reviewed in this talk, including the amplitude of the microwave anisotropy as a function of angular scale and the statistical nature of the fluctuations. The two-year results are generally consistent with the earlier first year results, but the additional data allow for a better determination of the key cosmological parameters. In this talk the COBE results are compared with other observational anisotropy results and directions for future cosmic microwave anisotropy observations will be discussed. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration/Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC) is responsible for the design, development, and operation of the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE). Scientific guidance is provided by the COBE Science Working Group.

  9. Protocol for Atomic Oxygen Testing of Materials in Ground-Based Facilities. No. 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Minton, Timothy K.

    1995-01-01

    A second version of standard guidelines is proposed for improving materials testing in ground-based atomic oxygen environments for the purpose of predicting the durability of the tested materials in low Earth orbit (LEO). Accompanying these guidelines are background information and notes about testing. Both the guidelines and the additional information are intended to aid users who wish to evaluate the potential hazard of atomic oxygen in LEO to a candidate space component without actually flying the component in space, and to provide a framework for more consistent atomic oxygen testing in the future.

  10. Eliminate background interference from latent fingerprints using ultraviolet multispectral imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Wei; Xu, Xiaojing; Wang, Guiqiang

    2014-02-01

    Fingerprints are the most important evidence in crime scene. The technology of developing latent fingerprints is one of the hottest research areas in forensic science. Recently, multispectral imaging which has shown great capability in fingerprints development, questioned document detection and trace evidence examination is used in detecting material evidence. This paper studied how to eliminate background interference from non-porous and porous surface latent fingerprints by rotating filter wheel ultraviolet multispectral imaging. The results approved that background interference could be removed clearly from latent fingerprints by using multispectral imaging in ultraviolet bandwidth.

  11. Searching for the stochastic gravitational-wave background in Advanced LIGO's first observing run

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meyers, Patrick

    2017-01-01

    One of the most exciting prospects of gravitational-wave astrophysics and cosmology is the measurement of the stochastic gravitational-wave background. In this talk, we discuss the most recent searches for a stochastic background with Advanced LIGO--the first performed with advanced interferometric detectors. We search for an isotropic as well as an anisotropic background, and perform a directed search for persistent gravitational waves in three promising directions. Additionally, with the accumulation of more Advanced LIGO data and the anticipated addition of Advanced Virgo to the network in 2017, we can also start to consider what the recent gravitational-wave detections--GW150914 and GW151226--tell us about when we can expect a detection of the stochastic background from binary black hole coalescences. For the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo Collaboration.

  12. The Cultured Word: Cultural Background, Bilingualism, and the School Library.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Agosto, Denise E.

    2001-01-01

    Presents major research related to cultural background as a framework for textual meaning-making, bilingualism, and literacy development. Discusses bilingualism, literacy, and social context; considers why these issues are important to school librarians; and offers suggestions for making multicultural materials central aspects of school library…

  13. The Chemistry of Ultra-Radiopure Materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Miley, Harry S.; Aalseth, Craig E.; Day, Anthony R.

    Ultra-pure materials are needed for the construction of the next generation of ultra-low level radiation detectors. These detectors are used for environmental research as well as rare nuclear decay experiments, e.g. probing the effective mass and character of the neutrino. Unfortunately, radioactive isotopes are found in most construction materials, either primordial isotopes, activation/spallation products from cosmic-ray exposure, or surface deposition of dust or radon progeny. Copper is an ideal candidate material for these applications. High-purity copper is commercially available and, when even greater radiopurity is needed, additional electrochemical purification can be combined with the final construction step, resulting in “electroformed”more » copper of extreme purity. Copper also offers desirable thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties. To bridge the gap between commercially-available high purity copper and the most stringent requirements of next-generation low-background experiments, a method of additional chemical purification is being developed based on well-known copper electrochemistry. This method is complemented with the co-development of surface cleaning techniques and more sensitive assay for both surface and bulk contamination. Developments in the electroplating of copper, surface cleaning, assay of U and Th in the bulk copper, and residual surface contamination will be discussed relative to goals of less than 1 microBq/kg Th.« less

  14. MATERIALS FOR MODERNIZATION.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    JACKSON, R. GRAHAM

    CHOICES AND ISSUES IN SELECTING MATERIALS FOR MODERNIZATION OF SCHOOL BUILDINGS ARE DISCUSSED IN THIS REPORT. BACKGROUND INFORMATION IS INTRODUCED IN TERMS OF REASONS FOR ABANDONMENT, THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF SCHOOL BUILDING OBSOLESCENCE, AND PROBLEMS IN THE MODERNIZATION PROCESS. INTERIOR PARTITIONS ARE DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF BUILDING MATERIALS,…

  15. Low Background Assay Results for LZ

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oliver-Mallory, Kelsey; Thomas, Keenan; Lux-Zeplin Collaboration; Berkeley Low Background Facility Team

    2016-03-01

    The next generation dark matter experiment LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) requires careful control of intrinsic radioactivity in all critical detector components in order to reach its unprecedented target sensitivity to Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs): 2 ×10-48 cm2 at 50 GeV/c2. Appropriate material selection is essential to meeting this goal, and an extensive campaign of low background screening is currently being carried out using assay devices at the Sanford Underground Research Facility and the Boulby Underground Laboratory. We will present results from this work, including measurements for the Ti cryostat, PMT bases, PMT raw materials, PTFE, and other components. This work was partially supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Award Number DE-AC02-05CH11231, and is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. 1106400.

  16. Reference analysis of the signal + background model in counting experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Casadei, D.

    2012-01-01

    The model representing two independent Poisson processes, labelled as ``signal'' and ``background'' and both contributing additively to the total number of counted events, is considered from a Bayesian point of view. This is a widely used model for the searches of rare or exotic events in presence of a background source, as for example in the searches performed by high-energy physics experiments. In the assumption of prior knowledge about the background yield, a reference prior is obtained for the signal alone and its properties are studied. Finally, the properties of the full solution, the marginal reference posterior, are illustrated with few examples.

  17. Background-Modeling-Based Adaptive Prediction for Surveillance Video Coding.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xianguo; Huang, Tiejun; Tian, Yonghong; Gao, Wen

    2014-02-01

    The exponential growth of surveillance videos presents an unprecedented challenge for high-efficiency surveillance video coding technology. Compared with the existing coding standards that were basically developed for generic videos, surveillance video coding should be designed to make the best use of the special characteristics of surveillance videos (e.g., relative static background). To do so, this paper first conducts two analyses on how to improve the background and foreground prediction efficiencies in surveillance video coding. Following the analysis results, we propose a background-modeling-based adaptive prediction (BMAP) method. In this method, all blocks to be encoded are firstly classified into three categories. Then, according to the category of each block, two novel inter predictions are selectively utilized, namely, the background reference prediction (BRP) that uses the background modeled from the original input frames as the long-term reference and the background difference prediction (BDP) that predicts the current data in the background difference domain. For background blocks, the BRP can effectively improve the prediction efficiency using the higher quality background as the reference; whereas for foreground-background-hybrid blocks, the BDP can provide a better reference after subtracting its background pixels. Experimental results show that the BMAP can achieve at least twice the compression ratio on surveillance videos as AVC (MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding) high profile, yet with a slightly additional encoding complexity. Moreover, for the foreground coding performance, which is crucial to the subjective quality of moving objects in surveillance videos, BMAP also obtains remarkable gains over several state-of-the-art methods.

  18. In vitro cytotoxicity and surface topography evaluation of additive manufacturing titanium implant materials.

    PubMed

    Tuomi, Jukka T; Björkstrand, Roy V; Pernu, Mikael L; Salmi, Mika V J; Huotilainen, Eero I; Wolff, Jan E H; Vallittu, Pekka K; Mäkitie, Antti A

    2017-03-01

    Custom-designed patient-specific implants and reconstruction plates are to date commonly manufactured using two different additive manufacturing (AM) technologies: direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) and electron beam melting (EBM). The purpose of this investigation was to characterize the surface structure and to assess the cytotoxicity of titanium alloys processed using DMLS and EBM technologies as the existing information on these issues is scarce. "Processed" and "polished" DMLS and EBM disks were assessed. Microscopic examination revealed titanium alloy particles and surface flaws on the processed materials. These surface flaws were subsequently removed by polishing. Surface roughness of EBM processed titanium was higher than that of DMLS processed. The cytotoxicity results of the DMLS and EBM discs were compared with a "gold standard" commercially available titanium mandible reconstruction plate. The mean cell viability for all discs was 82.6% (range, 77.4 to 89.7) and 83.3% for the control reconstruction plate. The DMLS and EBM manufactured titanium plates were non-cytotoxic both in "processed" and in "polished" forms.

  19. Workshop Report on Additive Manufacturing for Large-Scale Metal Components - Development and Deployment of Metal Big-Area-Additive-Manufacturing (Large-Scale Metals AM) System

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Babu, Sudarsanam Suresh; Love, Lonnie J.; Peter, William H.

    Additive manufacturing (AM) is considered an emerging technology that is expected to transform the way industry can make low-volume, high value complex structures. This disruptive technology promises to replace legacy manufacturing methods for the fabrication of existing components in addition to bringing new innovation for new components with increased functional and mechanical properties. This report outlines the outcome of a workshop on large-scale metal additive manufacturing held at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) on March 11, 2016. The charter for the workshop was outlined by the Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Manufacturing Office program manager. The status and impact ofmore » the Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) for polymer matrix composites was presented as the background motivation for the workshop. Following, the extension of underlying technology to low-cost metals was proposed with the following goals: (i) High deposition rates (approaching 100 lbs/h); (ii) Low cost (<$10/lbs) for steel, iron, aluminum, nickel, as well as, higher cost titanium, (iii) large components (major axis greater than 6 ft) and (iv) compliance of property requirements. The above concept was discussed in depth by representatives from different industrial sectors including welding, metal fabrication machinery, energy, construction, aerospace and heavy manufacturing. In addition, DOE’s newly launched High Performance Computing for Manufacturing (HPC4MFG) program was reviewed. This program will apply thermo-mechanical models to elucidate deeper understanding of the interactions between design, process, and materials during additive manufacturing. Following these presentations, all the attendees took part in a brainstorming session where everyone identified the top 10 challenges in large-scale metal AM from their own perspective. The feedback was analyzed and grouped in different categories including, (i) CAD to PART software, (ii) selection of energy source, (iii

  20. Why are background telephone conversations distracting?

    PubMed

    Marsh, John E; Ljung, Robert; Jahncke, Helena; MacCutcheon, Douglas; Pausch, Florian; Ball, Linden J; Vachon, François

    2018-06-01

    Telephone conversation is ubiquitous within the office setting. Overhearing a telephone conversation-whereby only one of the two speakers is heard-is subjectively more annoying and objectively more distracting than overhearing a full conversation. The present study sought to determine whether this "halfalogue" effect is attributable to unexpected offsets and onsets within the background speech (acoustic unexpectedness) or to the tendency to predict the unheard part of the conversation (semantic [un]predictability), and whether these effects can be shielded against through top-down cognitive control. In Experiment 1, participants performed an office-related task in quiet or in the presence of halfalogue and dialogue background speech. Irrelevant speech was either meaningful or meaningless speech. The halfalogue effect was only present for the meaningful speech condition. Experiment 2 addressed whether higher task-engagement could shield against the halfalogue effect by manipulating the font of the to-be-read material. Although the halfalogue effect was found with an easy-to-read font (fluent text), the use of a difficult-to-read font (disfluent text) eliminated the effect. The halfalogue effect is thus attributable to the semantic (un)predictability, not the acoustic unexpectedness, of background telephone conversation and can be prevented by simple means such as increasing the level of engagement required by the focal task. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  1. A novel material detection algorithm based on 2D GMM-based power density function and image detail addition scheme in dual energy X-ray images.

    PubMed

    Pourghassem, Hossein

    2012-01-01

    Material detection is a vital need in dual energy X-ray luggage inspection systems at security of airport and strategic places. In this paper, a novel material detection algorithm based on statistical trainable models using 2-Dimensional power density function (PDF) of three material categories in dual energy X-ray images is proposed. In this algorithm, the PDF of each material category as a statistical model is estimated from transmission measurement values of low and high energy X-ray images by Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM). Material label of each pixel of object is determined based on dependency probability of its transmission measurement values in the low and high energy to PDF of three material categories (metallic, organic and mixed materials). The performance of material detection algorithm is improved by a maximum voting scheme in a neighborhood of image as a post-processing stage. Using two background removing and denoising stages, high and low energy X-ray images are enhanced as a pre-processing procedure. For improving the discrimination capability of the proposed material detection algorithm, the details of the low and high energy X-ray images are added to constructed color image which includes three colors (orange, blue and green) for representing the organic, metallic and mixed materials. The proposed algorithm is evaluated on real images that had been captured from a commercial dual energy X-ray luggage inspection system. The obtained results show that the proposed algorithm is effective and operative in detection of the metallic, organic and mixed materials with acceptable accuracy.

  2. Dynamic Rupture along a Material Interface: Background, Implications, and Recent Seismological Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ben-Zion, Y.; McGuire, J.

    2003-04-01

    Natural fault systems have interfaces that separate different media. There are fundamental differences between in-plane ruptures on planar faults that separate similar and dissimilar elastic solids. In a linear isotropic homogeneous solid, slip does not change the normal stress on the rupture plane. However, if the fault separates different materials in-plane slip can produce strong variations of normal stress on the fault. The interaction between slip and normal stress along a material interface can reduce dynamically the frictional strength, making material interfaces mechanically favored surfaces for rupture propagation. Analytical and numerical works (Weertman, 1980; Adams, 1995; Andrews and Ben-Zion, 1997; Ben-Zion and Andrews, 1998) have shown that rupture along a material interface occurs as a narrow wrinkle-like pulse propagating spontaneously only in one direction, that of slip in the more compliant medium. Characteristic features of the wrinkle-like pulse include: (1) Strong correlation between variations of normal stress and slip. (2) Asymmetric motion on different sides of the fault. (3) Preferred direction of rupture propagation. (4) Self-sharpening and divergent behavior with propagation distance. These characteristics can be important to a number of fundamental issues, including trapping of rupture in structures with material interfaces, the heat flow paradox, short rise-time of earthquake slip, possible existence of tensile component of rupture, and spatial distribution of seismic shaking. Rubin and Gillard (2000), Rubin (2002) and McGuire et al. (2002) presented some seismological evidence that rupture propagation along the San Andreas and other large faults is predominantly unidirectional. Features (1)-(4) are consistent with observations from lab sliding and fracture experiments (Anooshehpoor and Brune, 1999; Schallamach, 1971; Samudrala and Rosakis, 2000). Cochard and Rice (2000) performed calculations of rupture along a material interface

  3. Dielectric breakdown of additively manufactured polymeric materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Monzel, W. Jacob; Hoff, Brad W.; Maestas, Sabrina S.

    Dielectric strength testing of selected Polyjet-printed polymer plastics was performed in accordance with ASTM D149. This dielectric strength data is compared to manufacturer-provided dielectric strength data for selected plastics printed using the stereolithography (SLA), fused deposition modeling (FDM), and selective laser sintering (SLS) methods. Tested Polyjet samples demonstrated dielectric strengths as high as 47.5 kV/mm for a 0.5 mm thick sample and 32.1 kV/mm for a 1.0 mm sample. As a result, the dielectric strength of the additively manufactured plastics evaluated as part of this study was lower than the majority of non-printed plastics by at least 15% (with themore » exception of polycarbonate).« less

  4. Dielectric breakdown of additively manufactured polymeric materials

    DOE PAGES

    Monzel, W. Jacob; Hoff, Brad W.; Maestas, Sabrina S.; ...

    2016-01-11

    Dielectric strength testing of selected Polyjet-printed polymer plastics was performed in accordance with ASTM D149. This dielectric strength data is compared to manufacturer-provided dielectric strength data for selected plastics printed using the stereolithography (SLA), fused deposition modeling (FDM), and selective laser sintering (SLS) methods. Tested Polyjet samples demonstrated dielectric strengths as high as 47.5 kV/mm for a 0.5 mm thick sample and 32.1 kV/mm for a 1.0 mm sample. As a result, the dielectric strength of the additively manufactured plastics evaluated as part of this study was lower than the majority of non-printed plastics by at least 15% (with themore » exception of polycarbonate).« less

  5. Mean-variance model for portfolio optimization with background risk based on uncertainty theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhai, Jia; Bai, Manying

    2018-04-01

    The aim of this paper is to develop a mean-variance model for portfolio optimization considering the background risk, liquidity and transaction cost based on uncertainty theory. In portfolio selection problem, returns of securities and assets liquidity are assumed as uncertain variables because of incidents or lacking of historical data, which are common in economic and social environment. We provide crisp forms of the model and a hybrid intelligent algorithm to solve it. Under a mean-variance framework, we analyze the portfolio frontier characteristic considering independently additive background risk. In addition, we discuss some effects of background risk and liquidity constraint on the portfolio selection. Finally, we demonstrate the proposed models by numerical simulations.

  6. Background characterization of an ultra-low background liquid scintillation counter

    DOE PAGES

    Erchinger, J. L.; Orrell, John L.; Aalseth, C. E.; ...

    2017-01-26

    The Ultra-Low Background Liquid Scintillation Counter developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will expand the application of liquid scintillation counting by enabling lower detection limits and smaller sample volumes. By reducing the overall count rate of the background environment approximately 2 orders of magnitude below that of commercially available systems, backgrounds on the order of tens of counts per day over an energy range of ~3–3600 keV can be realized. Finally, initial test results of the ULB LSC show promising results for ultra-low background detection with liquid scintillation counting.

  7. Paper-polymer composite devices with minimal fluorescence background.

    PubMed

    Wang, Chang-Ming; Chen, Chong-You; Liao, Wei-Ssu

    2017-04-22

    Polymer film incorporated paper-based devices show advantages in simplicity and rugged backing. However, their applications are restricted by the high fluorescence background interference of conventional laminating pouches. Herein, we report a straightforward approach for minimal fluorescence background device fabrication, in which filter paper was shaped and laminated in between two biaxially oriented polypropylene (OPP) and polyvinyl butyral (PVB) composite films. This composite film provides mechanical strength for enhanced device durability, protection from environmental contamination, and prevents reagent degradation. This approach was tested by the determination of copper ions with a fluorescent probe, while the detection of glucose was used to illustrate the improved device durability. Our results show that lamination by the polymer composite lengthens device lifetime, while allowing for fluorescence detection methods combination with greatly reduced fluorescent background widely present in commercially available lamination pouches. By the combination of rapid device prototyping with low cost materials, we believe that this composite design would further expand the potential of paper-based devices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Evaluation of an improved fiberoptics luminescence skin monitor with background correction.

    PubMed

    Vo-Dinh, T

    1987-06-01

    In this work, an improved version of a fiberoptics luminescence monitor, the prototype luminoscope II, is evaluated for in situ quantitative measurements. The instrument was developed to detect traces of luminescing organic contaminants on skin. An electronic background-nulling system was designed and incorporated into the instrument to compensate for various skin background emissions. A dose-response curve for a coal liquid spotted on mouse skin was established. The results illustrated the usefulness of the instrument for in vivo detection of organic materials on laboratory mouse skin.

  9. Assessing the impact of background spectral graph construction techniques on the topological anomaly detection algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ziemann, Amanda K.; Messinger, David W.; Albano, James A.; Basener, William F.

    2012-06-01

    Anomaly detection algorithms have historically been applied to hyperspectral imagery in order to identify pixels whose material content is incongruous with the background material in the scene. Typically, the application involves extracting man-made objects from natural and agricultural surroundings. A large challenge in designing these algorithms is determining which pixels initially constitute the background material within an image. The topological anomaly detection (TAD) algorithm constructs a graph theory-based, fully non-parametric topological model of the background in the image scene, and uses codensity to measure deviation from this background. In TAD, the initial graph theory structure of the image data is created by connecting an edge between any two pixel vertices x and y if the Euclidean distance between them is less than some resolution r. While this type of proximity graph is among the most well-known approaches to building a geometric graph based on a given set of data, there is a wide variety of dierent geometrically-based techniques. In this paper, we present a comparative test of the performance of TAD across four dierent constructs of the initial graph: mutual k-nearest neighbor graph, sigma-local graph for two different values of σ > 1, and the proximity graph originally implemented in TAD.

  10. New material model for simulating large impacts on rocky bodies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tonge, A.; Barnouin, O.; Ramesh, K.

    2014-07-01

    -dependent failure behavior to the sub-scale flaw distribution in the material, we are able to investigate the effect of changing the assumed initial flaw population on an asteroid. Additionally, by simulating the naturally variable local flaw population in a body, we introduce macroscopic variability that is both physical and improves the numerical stability. We have implemented this material model using the Generalized Interpolated Material Point method (GIMP) within the Uintah computational framework [5]. GIMP is an updated Lagrangian formulation, which uses material points to track field quantities in the simulation and a background grid to solve the equations of motion. Since nodal quantities on the grid are mapped from the material points, the grid can be reset at the end of each timestep avoiding mesh entanglement errors associated with Lagrangian finite-element approaches. Since the material points always stay with the same block of material, this method is ideal for history-dependent damage models that are difficult to solve using Eulerian approaches. Finally, using a background grid simplifies the computation of gradients in the material and specifically eliminates the costly neighbor search step in pure particle methods such as SPH. The disadvantage of a background grid is that it must cover the entire simulation domain, not just the location where there is material. This is an acceptable trade-off, because, in our material model, most of the cost of the calculation is confined to the particles and updating the constitutive model. In this work, we demonstrate the strength of our modeling approach by simulating the impact history of Eros. We assume that Eros began as a solid shard of material, consistent with [3], and then simulate the series of impacts that could have formed the three major craters Himeros, Psyche, and Shoemaker. Work presented by Tonge et al. [6] demonstrated that this material model was able to explain the 20 percent porosity of (433) Eros from porosity

  11. Motor performance of tongue with a computer-integrated system under different levels of background physical exertion

    PubMed Central

    Huo, Xueliang; Johnson-Long, Ashley N.; Ghovanloo, Maysam; Shinohara, Minoru

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare the motor performance of tongue, using Tongue Drive System, to hand operation for relatively complex tasks under different levels of background physical exertion. Thirteen young able-bodied adults performed tasks that tested the accuracy and variability in tracking a sinusoidal waveform, and the performance in playing two video games that require accurate and rapid movements with cognitive processing using tongue and hand under two levels of background physical exertion. Results show additional background physical activity did not influence rapid and accurate displacement motor performance, but compromised the slow waveform tracking and shooting performances in both hand and tongue. Slow waveform tracking performance by the tongue was compromised with an additional motor or cognitive task, but with an additional motor task only for the hand. Practitioner Summary We investigated the influence of task complexity and background physical exertion on the motor performance of tongue and hand. Results indicate the task performance degrades with an additional concurrent task or physical exertion due to the limited attentional resources available for handling both the motor task and background exertion. PMID:24003900

  12. On the time response of background obtained in γ-ray spectroscopy experiments using LaBr3(Ce) detectors with different shielding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Régis, J.-M.; Dannhoff, M.; Jolie, J.; Müller-Gatermann, C.; Saed-Samii, N.

    2016-03-01

    Employing the γ-γ fast-timing technique with LaBr3(Ce) scintillator detectors allows the direct determination of lifetimes of nuclear excited states with a lower limit of about 5 ps. This limit is increased as soon as background is present in the coincidence spectra underneath the full-energy peaks of the γ-γ cascade. Our aim was to identify the components of the γ-ray background by systematic γ-γ fast-timing measurements using different types of γ shielding within a large γ-ray spectrometer. The energy dependent physical zero-time response was measured using background-free full-energy peak events from the 152Eu γ-ray source. This is compared with the time response of the (Compton-) background distribution as obtained using the prompt 60Co γ-ray source. The time response of the typical Compton background is about 15 ps faster than the time response of background-free full-energy peak events. Below about 500 keV, a second type of background contributes by the detection of Compton-scattered γ rays generated in the materials of the spectrometer around the detector. Due to the additional time-of-flight of the Compton-scattered γ rays, this low-energy background is largely delayed. Compared with a bare cylindrical 1.5 in . × 1.5 in . LaBr3(Ce) detector, the BGO-shielded detector in the Compton-suppression mode improves the peak-to-total ratio by a factor of 1.66(5), while the Pb-shielded detector only slightly reduces the low-energy background.

  13. Coherent photon scattering background in sub- GeV / c 2 direct dark matter searches

    DOE PAGES

    Robinson, Alan E.

    2017-01-18

    Here, proposed dark matter detectors with eV-scale sensitivities will detect a large background of atomic (nuclear) recoils from coherent photon scattering of MeV-scale photons. This background climbs steeply below ~10 eV, far exceeding the declining rate of low-energy Compton recoils. The upcoming generation of dark matter detectors will not be limited by this background, but further development of eV-scale and sub-eV detectors will require strategies, including the use of low nuclear mass target materials, to maximize dark matter sensitivity while minimizing the coherent photon scattering background.

  14. Proposed chemical mechanismsManagement practices impacts soil nutrients and bacterial populations in backgrounding beef feedlot

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Intensive beef backgrounding often accumulate manure born soil nutrients, microbes, and pharmaceuticals at different site locations. Unless properly managed, such waste materials can pollute surrounding soil and water sources. Soil sampling from these sites helps determining waste material levels bu...

  15. Spectroscopic limits to an extragalactic far-ultraviolet background.

    PubMed

    Martin, C; Hurwitz, M; Bowyer, S

    1991-10-01

    We use a spectrum of the lowest intensity diffuse far-ultraviolet background obtained from a series of observations in a number of celestial view directions to constrain the properties of the extragalactic FUV background. The mean continuum level, IEG = 280 +/- 35 photons cm-2 s-1 angstrom-1 sr-1, was obtained in a direction with very low H I column density, and this represents a firm upper limit to any extragalactic background in the 1400-1900 angstroms band. Previous work has demonstrated that the far-ultraviolet background includes (depending on a view direction) contributions from dust-scattered Galactic light, high-ionization emission lines, two-photon emission from H II, H2 fluorescence, and the integrated light of spiral galaxies. We find no evidence in the spectrum of line or continuum features that would signify additional extragalactic components. Motivated by the observation of steep BJ and U number count distributions, we have made a detailed comparison of galaxy evolution models to optical and UV data. We find that the observations are difficult to reconcile with a dominant contribution from unclustered, starburst galaxies at low redshifts. Our measurement rules out large ionizing fluxes at z = 0, but cannot strongly constrain the QSO background light, which is expected to be 0.5%-4% of IEG. We present improved limits on radiative lifetimes of massive neutrinos. We demonstrated with a simple model that IGM radiation is unlikely to make a significant contribution to IEG. Since dust scattering could produce a significant part of the continuum in this lowest intensity spectrum, we carried out a series of tests to evaluate this possibility. We find that the spectrum of a nearby target with higher NH I, when corrected for H2 fluorescence, is very similar to the spectrum obtained in the low H I view direction. This is evidence that the majority of the continuum observed at low NH I is also dust reflection, indicating either the existence of a hitherto

  16. Important Trends for California Community Colleges, 1992 Update. Background Data.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    California Community Colleges, Sacramento. Office of the Chancellor.

    Designed to serve as background material for the development of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges' 1992-93 basic agenda, this report examines several statewide trends affecting community colleges. Data presented in the report supersede papers prepared for previous Board retreats. Among the trends examined are those…

  17. Modeling radon daughter deposition rates for low background detectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Westerdale, S.; Guiseppe, V. E.; Rielage, K.; Elliot, S. R.; Hime, A.

    2009-10-01

    Detectors such as those looking for dark matter and those working to detect neutrinoless double-beta decay require record low levels of background radiation. One major source of background radiation is from radon daughters that decay from airborne radon. In particular, ^222Rn decay products may be deposited on any detector materials that are exposed to environmental radon. Long-lasting daughters, especially ^210Pb, can pose a long-term background radiation source that can interfere with the detectors' measurements by emitting alpha particles into sensitive parts of the detectors. A better understanding of this radon daughter deposition will allow for preventative actions to be taken to minimize the amount of noise from this source. A test stand has therefore been set up to study the impact of various environmental factors on the rate of radon daughter deposition so that a model can be constructed. Results from the test stand and a model of radon daughter deposition will be presented.

  18. Sensitivity curves for searches for gravitational-wave backgrounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thrane, Eric; Romano, Joseph D.

    2013-12-01

    We propose a graphical representation of detector sensitivity curves for stochastic gravitational-wave backgrounds that takes into account the increase in sensitivity that comes from integrating over frequency in addition to integrating over time. This method is valid for backgrounds that have a power-law spectrum in the analysis band. We call these graphs “power-law integrated curves.” For simplicity, we consider cross-correlation searches for unpolarized and isotropic stochastic backgrounds using two or more detectors. We apply our method to construct power-law integrated sensitivity curves for second-generation ground-based detectors such as Advanced LIGO, space-based detectors such as LISA and the Big Bang Observer, and timing residuals from a pulsar timing array. The code used to produce these plots is available at https://dcc.ligo.org/LIGO-P1300115/public for researchers interested in constructing similar sensitivity curves.

  19. On The Development of Additive Construction Technologies for Application to Development of Lunar/Martian Surface Structures Using In-Situ Materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Werkheiser, Niki; Fiske, Michael; Edmunson, Jennifer; Khoshnevis, Behrokh

    2015-01-01

    For long-duration missions on other planetary bodies, the use of in-situ materials will become increasingly critical. As man's presence on these bodies expands, so must the breadth of the structures required to accommodate them including habitats, laboratories, berms, radiation shielding for natural radiation and surface reactors, garages, solar storm shelters, greenhouses, etc. Planetary surface structure manufacturing and assembly technologies that incorporate in-situ resources provide options for autonomous, affordable, pre-positioned environments with radiation shielding features and protection from micrometeorites, exhaust plume debris, and other hazards. This is important because gamma and particle radiation constitute a serious but reducible threat to long-term survival of human beings, electronics, and other materials in space environments. Also, it is anticipated that surface structures will constitute the primary mass element of lunar or Martian launch requirements. The ability to use in-situ materials to construct these structures will provide a benefit in the reduction of up-mass that would otherwise make long-term Moon or Mars structures cost prohibitive. The ability to fabricate structures in situ brings with it the ability to repair these structures, which allows for self-sufficiency necessary for long-duration habitation. Previously, under the auspices of the MSFC In Situ Fabrication and Repair (ISFR) project and more recently, under the joint MSFC/KSC Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement (ACME) project, the MSFC Surface Structures Group has been developing materials and construction technologies to support future planetary habitats with in situ resources. One such technology, known as Contour Crafting (additive construction), is shown in Figure 1, along with a typical structure fabricated using this technology. This paper will present the results to date of these efforts, including development of novel nozzle concepts for advanced layer

  20. Ship Effect Neutron Measurements And Impacts On Low-Background Experiments

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Aguayo Navarrete, Estanislao; Kouzes, Richard T.; Siciliano, Edward R.

    2013-10-01

    The primary particles entering the upper atmosphere as cosmic rays create showers in the atmosphere that include a broad spectrum of secondary neutrons, muons and protons. These cosmic-ray secondaries interact with materials at the surface of the Earth, yielding prompt backgrounds in radiation detection systems, as well as inducing long-lived activities through spallation events, dominated by the higher-energy neutron secondaries. For historical reasons, the multiple neutrons produced in spallation cascade events are referred to as “ship effect” neutrons. Quantifying the background from cosmic ray induced activities is important to low-background experiments, such as neutrino-less double beta decay. Since direct measurementsmore » of the effects of shielding on the cosmic-ray neutron spectrum are not available, Monte Carlo modeling is used to compute such effects. However, there are large uncertainties (orders of magnitude) in the possible cross-section libraries and the cosmic-ray neutron spectrum for the energy range needed in such calculations. The measurements reported here were initiated to validate results from Monte Carlo models through experimental measurements in order to provide some confidence in the model results. The results indicate that the models provide the correct trends of neutron production with increasing density, but there is substantial disagreement between the model and experimental results for the lower-density materials of Al, Fe and Cu.« less

  1. Terrestrial Background Reduction in RPM Systems by Direct Internal Shielding

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Robinson, Sean M.; Ashbaker, Eric D.; Schweppe, John E.

    2008-11-19

    Gamma-ray detection systems that are close to the earth or other sources of background radiation often require shielding, especially when trying to detect a relatively weak source. One particular case of interest that we address in this paper is that encountered by the Radiation Portal Monitors (RPMs) systems placed at border-crossing Ports of Entry (POE). These RPM systems are used to screen for illicit radiological materials, and they are often placed in situations where terrestrial background is large. In such environments, it is desirable to consider simple physical modifications that could be implemented to reduce the effects from background radiationmore » without affecting the flow of traffic and the normal operation of the portal. Simple modifications include adding additional shielding to the environment, either inside or outside the apparatus. Previous work [2] has shown the utility of some of these shielding configurations for increasing the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of gross-counting RPMs. Because the total cost for purchasing and installing RPM systems can be quite expensive, in the range of hundreds of thousands of dollars for each cargo-screening installation, these shielding variations may offer increases in detection capability for relatively small cost. Several modifications are considered here in regard to their real-world applicability, and are meant to give a general idea of the effectiveness of the schemes used to reduce background for both gross-counting and spectroscopic detectors. These scenarios are modeled via the Monte-Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) code package [1] for ease of altering shielding configurations, as well as enacting unusual scenarios prior to prototyping in the field. The objective of this paper is to provide results representative of real modifications that could enhance the sensitivity of this, as well as the next generation of radiation detectors. The models used in this work were designed to provide the most general

  2. Examination of Libby, Montana, Fill Material for Background Levels of Amphibole from the Rainy Creek Complex Using Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Microanalysis

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Adams, David T.; Langer, William H.; Hoefen, Todd M.; Van Gosen, Bradley S.; Meeker, Gregory P.

    2010-01-01

    Natural background levels of Libby-type amphibole in the sediment of the Libby valley in Montana have not, up to this point, been determined. The purpose of this report is to provide the preliminary findings of a study designed by both the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and performed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The study worked to constrain the natural background levels of fibrous amphiboles potentially derived from the nearby Rainy Creek Complex. The material selected for this study was sampled from three localities, two of which are active open-pit sand and gravel mines. Seventy samples were collected in total and examined using a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer. All samples contained varying amounts of feldspars, ilmenite, magnetite, quartz, clay minerals, pyroxene minerals, and non-fibrous amphiboles such as tremolite, actinolite, and magnesiohornblende. Of the 70 samples collected, only three had detectable levels of fibrous amphiboles compatible with those found in the rainy creek complex. The maximum concentration, identified here, of the amphiboles potentially from the Rainy Creek Complex is 0.083 percent by weight.

  3. Background Languages, Learner Motivation and Self-Assessed Progress in Learning Zulu as an Additional Language in the UK

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marten, Lutz; Mostert, Carola

    2012-01-01

    The article reports results of a study of beginner-level learners of Zulu in higher education in the UK, focussing on learners' linguistic background, their motivation and reasons for studying Zulu, and their self-assessed progress at the beginning of the second term of teaching. The study shows that participants typically studied Zulu as an…

  4. Characterization techniques for incorporating backgrounds into DIRSIG

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, Scott D.; Schott, John R.

    2000-07-01

    The appearance of operation hyperspectral imaging spectrometers in both solar and thermal regions has lead to the development of a variety of spectral detection algorithms. The development and testing of these algorithms requires well characterized field collection campaigns that can be time and cost prohibitive. Radiometrically robust synthetic image generation (SIG) environments that can generate appropriate images under a variety of atmospheric conditions and with a variety of sensors offers an excellent supplement to reduce the scope of the expensive field collections. In addition, SIG image products provide the algorithm developer with per-pixel truth, allowing for improved characterization of the algorithm performance. To meet the needs of the algorithm development community, the image modeling community needs to supply synthetic image products that contain all the spatial and spectral variability present in real world scenes, and that provide the large area coverage typically acquired with actual sensors. This places a heavy burden on synthetic scene builders to construct well characterized scenes that span large areas. Several SIG models have demonstrated the ability to accurately model targets (vehicles, buildings, etc.) Using well constructed target geometry (from CAD packages) and robust thermal and radiometry models. However, background objects (vegetation, infrastructure, etc.) dominate the percentage of real world scene pixels and utilizing target building techniques is time and resource prohibitive. This paper discusses new methods that have been integrated into the Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing Image Generation (DIRSIG) model to characterize backgrounds. The new suite of scene construct types allows the user to incorporate both terrain and surface properties to obtain wide area coverage. The terrain can be incorporated using a triangular irregular network (TIN) derived from elevation data or digital elevation model (DEM) data from actual

  5. Evaluation of Advanced Polymers for Additive Manufacturing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rios, Orlando; Carter, William G.; Kutchko, Cindy

    The goal of this Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) technical collaboration project between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and PPG Industries, Inc. (PPG) was to evaluate the feasibility of using conventional coatings chemistry and technology to build up material layer-by-layer. The PPG-ORNL study successfully demonstrated that polymeric coatings formulations may overcome many limitations of common thermoplastics used in additive manufacturing (AM), allow lightweight nozzle design for material deposition, and increase build rate. The materials effort focused on layer-by-layer deposition of coatings with each layer fusing together. The combination of materials and deposition results in an additively manufactured build that has sufficientmore » mechanical properties to bear the load of additional layers, yet is capable of bonding across the z-layers to improve build direction strength. The formulation properties were tuned to enable a novel, high-throughput deposition method that is highly scalable, compatible with high loading of reinforcing fillers, and inherently low-cost.« less

  6. Effect of additional materials on the properties of glass-ceramic produced from incinerator fly ashes.

    PubMed

    Cheng, T W

    2004-07-01

    There are 21 Metro-waste incinerators in Taiwan under construction and are expected to be finished at year 2003. It is estimated that these incinerators will produce about two million tons of incinerator ash. In order to reduce the volume and eliminate contamination problems, high temperature molten technology studies have been conducted. The purpose of this research was that of trying to control the chemical composition of the glass-ceramic produced from incinerator fly ash, in order to improve the characteristics of the glass-ceramic. The experimental results showed that the additional materials, Mg(OH)2 and waste glass cullet, can change glass-ceramic phases from gehlenite to augite, pigeonite, and diopside. The physical, mechanical and chemical resistance properties of the glass-ceramic also showed much better characteristics than prepared glass-ceramic using incinerator fly ash alone.

  7. IR-laser assisted additive freeform optics manufacturing.

    PubMed

    Hong, Zhihan; Liang, Rongguang

    2017-08-02

    Computer-controlled additive manufacturing (AM) processes, also known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, create 3D objects by the successive adding of a material or materials. While there have been tremendous developments in AM, the 3D printing of optics is lagging due to the limits in materials and tight requirements for optical applicaitons. We propose a new precision additive freeform optics manufacturing (AFOM) method using an pulsed infrared (IR) laser. Compared to ultraviolet (UV) curable materials, thermally curable optical silicones have a number of advantages, such as strong UV stability, non-yellowing, and high transmission, making it particularly suitable for optical applications. Pulsed IR laser radiation offers a distinct advantage in processing optical silicones, as the high peak intensity achieved in the focal region allows for curing the material quickly, while the brief duration of the laser-material interaction creates a negligible heat-affected zone.

  8. Evaluation of antistripping additives.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1989-01-01

    Several chemical antistripping additives were used in field installations and compared to a similar installation using hydrated lime. The performance of the installations was monitored periodically, and material that was sampled during construction w...

  9. Fusion materials high energy-neutron studies. A status report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Doran, D.G.; Guinan, M.W.

    1980-01-01

    The objectives of this paper are (1) to provide background information on the US Magnetic Fusion Reactor Materials Program, (2) to provide a framework for evaluating nuclear data needs associated with high energy neutron irradiations, and (3) to show the current status of relevant high energy neutron studies. Since the last symposium, the greatest strides in cross section development have been taken in those areas providing FMIT design data, e.g., source description, shielding, and activation. In addition, many dosimetry cross sections have been tentatively extrapolated to 40 MeV and integral testing begun. Extensive total helium measurements have been made inmore » a variety of neutron spectra. Additional calculations are needed to assist in determining energy dependent cross sections.« less

  10. Evaluation of the Elastic Properties of Thirteen Silicone Interocclusal Recording Materials

    PubMed Central

    Zietek, Marek

    2016-01-01

    Background. Addition silicones are popular as dental impression materials and are used in bite registration procedures. Objective. This study aimed to compare the postsetting elasticities and other mechanical properties of thirteen addition silicone interocclusal recording materials. Materials and Methods. The following materials were investigated: Colorbite D, Futar D, Genie Bite, Jet Blue Bite fast, Memoreg 2, O-Bite, Occlufast Rock, Omni-Bite Plus, Regidur i, Registrado X-tra, Regofix transparent, StoneBite, and Variotime Bite. Thirty specimens of each material were tested. The elasticities and strengths of the materials were measured with a universal testing machine, and computer software was used to determine the E-moduli, ultimate tensile strengths, and ultimate elongations of the specimens. Results. The results were subjected to statistical analysis using the Kruskal-Wallis test (p ≤ 0.05). The statistics revealed that the mean E-modulus values varied significantly across the materials (p = 0.000) and were highest for the StoneBite and Registrado X-tra and lowest for the Regofix transparent. The ultimate tensile strengths were highest for the Regofix transparent and Registrado X-tra (p = 0.000) and lowest for the Jet Blue Bite fast and Memoreg 2 (p = 0.000). The elongation percentages at the point of breaking varied significantly across the materials (p = 0.000); the lowest value was observed for the StoneBite, whereas the Regofix transparent nearly doubled original length. Conclusions. The authors concluded that materials with the high E-moduli and great ultimate tensile strengths may be most useful clinically. Registrado X-tra and StoneBite best met these criteria. PMID:27747239

  11. Radiodensity evaluation of dental impression materials in comparison to tooth structures.

    PubMed

    Fonseca, Rodrigo Borges; Branco, Carolina Assaf; Haiter-Neto, Francisco; Gonçalves, Luciano de Souza; Soares, Carlos José; Carlo, Hugo Lemes; Sinhoreti, Mário Alexandre Coelho; Correr-Sobrinho, Lourenço

    2010-01-01

    In the most recent decades, several developments have been made on impression materials' composition, but there are very few radiodensity studies in the literature. It is expected that an acceptable degree of radiodensity would enable the detection of small fragments left inside gingival sulcus or root canals. The aim of this study was to determine the radiodensity of different impression materials, and to compare them to human and bovine enamel and dentin. Twenty-five impression materials, from 5 classes, were studied: addition and condensation silicones, polyether, polysulfides and alginates. Five 1-mm-thick samples of each material and tooth structure were produced. Each sample was evaluated 3 times (N=15), being exposed to x-ray over a phosphor plate of Digora digital system, and radiodensity was obtained by the software Digora for Windows 2.5 Rev 0. An aluminum stepwedge served as a control. Data were subjected to Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's method (α=0.05). Different materials and respective classes had a different behavior with respect to radiodensity. Polysulfides showed high values of radiodensity, comparable to human enamel (p>0.05), but not to bovine enamel (p<0.05). Human dentin was similar only to a heavy-body addition silicon material, but bovine dentin was similar to several materials. Generally, heavy-body materials showed higher radiodensity than light-body ones (p<0.05). Impression materials' radiodensity are influenced by composition, and almost all of them would present a difficult detection against enamel or dentin background in radiographic examinations.

  12. Exposure of Polymer Film Thermal Control Materials on the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dever, Joyce; Miller, Sharon; Messer, Russell; Sechkar, Edward; Tollis, Greg

    2002-01-01

    Seventy-nine samples of polymer film thermal control (PFTC) materials have been provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center (GRC) for exposure to the low Earth orbit environment on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE). MISSE is a materials flight experiment sponsored by the Air Force Research Lab/Materials Lab and NASA. This paper will describe background, objectives, and configurations for the GRC PFTC samples for MISSE. These samples include polyimides, fluorinated polyimides, and Teflon fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) with and without second-surface metallizing layers and/or surface coatings. Also included are polyphenylene benzobisoxazole (PBO) and a polyarylene ether benzimidazole (TOR-LM). On August 16, 2001, astronauts installed passive experiment carriers (PECs) on the exterior of the ISS in which were located twenty-eight of the GRC PFTC samples for 1-year space exposure. MISSE PECs for 3-year exposure, which will contain fifty-one GRC PFTC samples, will be installed on the ISS at a later date. Once returned from the ISS, MISSE GRC PFTC samples will be examined for changes in optical and mechanical properties and atomic oxygen (AO) erosion. Additional sapphire witness samples located on the AO exposed trays will be examined for deposition of contaminants.

  13. Mitigation strategies against radiation-induced background for space astronomy missions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davis, C. S. W.; Hall, D.; Keelan, J.; O'Farrell, J.; Leese, M.; Holland, A.

    2018-01-01

    The Advanced Telescope for High ENergy Astrophysics (ATHENA) mission is a major upcoming space-based X-ray observatory due to be launched in 2028 by ESA, with the purpose of mapping the early universe and observing black holes. Background radiation is expected to constitute a large fraction of the total system noise in the Wide Field Imager (WFI) instrument on ATHENA, and designing an effective system to reduce the background radiation impacting the WFI will be crucial for maximising its sensitivity. Significant background sources are expected to include high energy protons, X-ray fluorescence lines, 'knock-on' electrons and Compton electrons. Due to the variety of the different background sources, multiple shielding methods may be required to achieve maximum sensitivity in the WFI. These techniques may also be of great interest for use in future space-based X-ray experiments. Simulations have been developed to model the effect of a graded-Z shield on the X-ray fluorescence background. In addition the effect of a 90nm optical blocking filter on the secondary electron background has been investigated and shown to modify the requirements of any secondary electron shielding that is to be used.

  14. Readout circuit with novel background suppression for long wavelength infrared focal plane arrays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xie, L.; Xia, X. J.; Zhou, Y. F.; Wen, Y.; Sun, W. F.; Shi, L. X.

    2011-02-01

    In this article, a novel pixel readout circuit using a switched-capacitor integrator mode background suppression technique is presented for long wavelength infrared focal plane arrays. This circuit can improve dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio by suppressing the large background current during integration. Compared with other background suppression techniques, the new background suppression technique is less sensitive to the process mismatch and has no additional shot noise. The proposed circuit is theoretically analysed and simulated while taking into account the non-ideal characteristics. The result shows that the background suppression non-uniformity is ultra-low even for a large process mismatch. The background suppression non-uniformity of the proposed circuit can also remain very small with technology scaling.

  15. First measurement of surface nuclear recoil background for argon dark matter searches

    DOE PAGES

    Xu, Jingke; Stanford, Chris; Westerdale, Shawn; ...

    2017-09-19

    Here, one major background in direct searches for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) comes from the deposition of radon progeny on detector surfaces. A dangerous surface background is the 206Pb nuclear recoils produced by 210Po decays. In this paper, we report the first characterization of this background in liquid argon. The scintillation signal of low energy Pb recoils is measured to be highly quenched in argon, and we estimate that the 103 keV 206Pb recoil background will produce a signal equal to that of a ~5 keV (30 keV) electron recoil ( 40Ar recoil). In addition, we demonstrate that thismore » dangerous 210Po surface background can be suppressed, using pulse shape discrimination methods, by a factor of ~100 or higher, which can make argon dark matter detectors near background-free and enhance their potential for discovery of medium- and high-mass WIMPs. Lastly, we also discuss the impact on other low background experiments.« less

  16. PEN as self-vetoing structural material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Majorovits, B.; Eck, S.; Fischer, F.; Gooch, C.; Hayward, C.; Kraetzschmar, T.; van der Kolk, N.; Muenstermann, D.; Schulz, O.; Simon, F.

    2018-01-01

    Polyethylene Naphtalate (PEN) is a mechanically very favorable polymer. Earlier it was found that thin foils made from PEN can have very high radio-purity compared to other commercially available foils. In fact, PEN is already in use for low background signal transmission applications (cables). Recently it has been realized that PEN also has favorable scintillating properties. In combination, this makes PEN a very promising candidate as a self-vetoing structural material in low background experiments. Components instrumented with light detectors could be built from PEN. This includes detector holders, detector containments, signal transmission links, etc. The current R&D towards qualification of PEN as a self-vetoing low background structural material is be presented.

  17. Radiological restrictions of using red mud as building material additive.

    PubMed

    Gu, Hannian; Wang, Ning; Liu, Shirong

    2012-09-01

    Red mud remains as residue from the processing of bauxite using different methods. The chemical composition of red mud varies widely with respect to the types of bauxite ore and processing parameters. Red mud samples from Guizhou, China, were investigated using a X-ray fluorescence spectroscope, a quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer and a electron probe micro-analyzer. The results showed that red mud consisted of eight main chemical components--CaO, Al(2)O(3), SiO(2), Fe(2)O(3), TiO(2), Na(2)O, K(2)O and MgO--and dozens of trace elements, including natural radioactive elements, such as uranium and thorium. Gamma spectrometric analysis showed that the values of internal exposure index I (Ra) and external exposure index I (γ) of Guizhou red mud were 1.1-2.4 and 2.3-3.5 respectively. Thus, it should not be used as a main building material indiscriminately. The amount of red mud from Guizhou when it is used for main building materials in China should be less than 28-44%.

  18. The effect of background and illumination on color identification of real, 3D objects.

    PubMed

    Allred, Sarah R; Olkkonen, Maria

    2013-01-01

    For the surface reflectance of an object to be a useful cue to object identity, judgments of its color should remain stable across changes in the object's environment. In 2D scenes, there is general consensus that color judgments are much more stable across illumination changes than background changes. Here we investigate whether these findings generalize to real 3D objects. Observers made color matches to cubes as we independently varied both the illumination impinging on the cube and the 3D background of the cube. As in 2D scenes, we found relatively high but imperfect stability of color judgments under an illuminant shift. In contrast to 2D scenes, we found that background had little effect on average color judgments. In addition, variability of color judgments was increased by an illuminant shift and decreased by embedding the cube within a background. Taken together, these results suggest that in real 3D scenes with ample cues to object segregation, the addition of a background may improve stability of color identification.

  19. Cathodic electrodeposition of ceramic and organoceramic materials. Fundamental aspects.

    PubMed

    Zhitomirsky, I

    2002-03-29

    Electrodeposition of ceramic materials can be performed by electrophoretic (EPD) or electrolytic (ELD) deposition. Electrophoretic deposition is achieved via motion of charged particles towards an electrode under an applied electric field. Electrolytic deposition produces colloidal particles in cathodic reactions for subsequent deposition. Various electrochemical strategies and deposition mechanisms have been developed for electrodeposition of ceramic and organoceramic films, and are discussed in the present article. Electrode-position of ceramic and organoceramic materials includes mass transport, accumulation of particles near the electrode and their coagulation to form a cathodic deposit. Various types of interparticle forces that govern colloidal stability in the absence and presence of processing additives are discussed. Novel theoretical contributions towards an interpretation of particle coagulation near the electrode surface are reviewed. Background information is given on the methods of particle charging, stabilization of colloids in aqueous and non-aqueous media, electrophoretic mobility of ceramic particles and polyelectrolytes, and electrode reactions. This review also covers recent developments in the electrodeposition of ceramic and organoceramic materials.

  20. Additives for cement compositions based on modified peat

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kopanitsa, Natalya, E-mail: kopanitsa@mail.ru; Sarkisov, Yurij, E-mail: sarkisov@tsuab.ru; Gorshkova, Aleksandra, E-mail: kasatkina.alexandra@gmail.com

    High quality competitive dry building mixes require modifying additives for various purposes to be included in their composition. There is insufficient amount of quality additives having stable properties for controlling the properties of cement compositions produced in Russia. Using of foreign modifying additives leads to significant increasing of the final cost of the product. The cost of imported modifiers in the composition of the dry building mixes can be up to 90% of the material cost, depending on the composition complexity. Thus, the problem of import substitution becomes relevant, especially in recent years, due to difficult economic situation. The articlemore » discusses the possibility of using local raw materials as a basis for obtaining dry building mixtures components. The properties of organo-mineral additives for cement compositions based on thermally modified peat raw materials are studied. Studies of the structure and composition of the additives are carried out by physicochemical research methods: electron microscopy and X-ray analysis. Results of experimental research showed that the peat additives contribute to improving of cement-sand mortar strength and hydrophysical properties.« less

  1. Radon induced background processes in the KATRIN pre-spectrometer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fränkle, F. M.; Bornschein, L.; Drexlin, G.; Glück, F.; Görhardt, S.; Käfer, W.; Mertens, S.; Wandkowsky, N.; Wolf, J.

    2011-10-01

    The KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment is a next generation, model independent, large scale tritium β-decay experiment to determine the effective electron anti-neutrino mass by investigating the kinematics of tritium β-decay with a sensitivity of 200 meV/c 2 using the MAC-E filter technique. In order to reach this sensitivity, a low background level of 10 -2 counts per second (cps) is required. This paper describes how the decay of radon in a MAC-E filter generates background events, based on measurements performed at the KATRIN pre-spectrometer test setup. Radon (Rn) atoms, which emanate from materials inside the vacuum region of the KATRIN spectrometers, are able to penetrate deep into the magnetic flux tube so that the α-decay of Rn contributes to the background. Of particular importance are electrons emitted in processes accompanying the Rn α-decay, such as shake-off, internal conversion of excited levels in the Rn daughter atoms and Auger electrons. While low-energy electrons (<100 eV) directly contribute to the background in the signal region, higher energy electrons can be stored magnetically inside the volume of the spectrometer. Depending on their initial energy, they are able to create thousands of secondary electrons via subsequent ionization processes with residual gas molecules and, since the detector is not able to distinguish these secondary electrons from the signal electrons, an increased background rate over an extended period of time is generated.

  2. 76 FR 23515 - Enhanced Weapons, Firearms Background Checks, and Security Event Notifications

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-27

    ... material and would add new event notification requirements on the theft or loss of enhanced weapons...-2011-0017] RIN 3150-AI49 Enhanced Weapons, Firearms Background Checks, and Security Event Notifications... regulations governing security event notifications. These proposed regulations are consistent with the...

  3. Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement (ACME)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vickers, John

    2015-01-01

    The Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement (ACME) project is developing technology to build structures on planetary surfaces using in-situ resources. The project focuses on the construction of both 2D (landing pads, roads, and structure foundations) and 3D (habitats, garages, radiation shelters, and other structures) infrastructure needs for planetary surface missions. The ACME project seeks to raise the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of two components needed for planetary surface habitation and exploration: 3D additive construction (e.g., contour crafting), and excavation and handling technologies (to effectively and continuously produce in-situ feedstock). Additionally, the ACME project supports the research and development of new materials for planetary surface construction, with the goal of reducing the amount of material to be launched from Earth.

  4. Additive Manufacturing of Metallic and Ceramic Components by the Material Extrusion of Highly-Filled Polymers: A Review and Future Perspectives

    PubMed Central

    Cano, Santiago

    2018-01-01

    Additive manufacturing (AM) is the fabrication of real three-dimensional objects from metals, ceramics, or plastics by adding material, usually as layers. There are several variants of AM; among them material extrusion (ME) is one of the most versatile and widely used. In MEAM, molten or viscous materials are pushed through an orifice and are selectively deposited as strands to form stacked layers and subsequently a three-dimensional object. The commonly used materials for MEAM are thermoplastic polymers and particulate composites; however, recently innovative formulations of highly-filled polymers (HP) with metals or ceramics have also been made available. MEAM with HP is an indirect process, which uses sacrificial polymeric binders to shape metallic and ceramic components. After removing the binder, the powder particles are fused together in a conventional sintering step. In this review the different types of MEAM techniques and relevant industrial approaches for the fabrication of metallic and ceramic components are described. The composition of certain HP binder systems and powders are presented; the methods of compounding and filament making HP are explained; the stages of shaping, debinding, and sintering are discussed; and finally a comparison of the parts produced via MEAM-HP with those produced via other manufacturing techniques is presented. PMID:29783705

  5. Additive Manufacturing of Metallic and Ceramic Components by the Material Extrusion of Highly-Filled Polymers: A Review and Future Perspectives.

    PubMed

    Gonzalez-Gutierrez, Joamin; Cano, Santiago; Schuschnigg, Stephan; Kukla, Christian; Sapkota, Janak; Holzer, Clemens

    2018-05-18

    Additive manufacturing (AM) is the fabrication of real three-dimensional objects from metals, ceramics, or plastics by adding material, usually as layers. There are several variants of AM; among them material extrusion (ME) is one of the most versatile and widely used. In MEAM, molten or viscous materials are pushed through an orifice and are selectively deposited as strands to form stacked layers and subsequently a three-dimensional object. The commonly used materials for MEAM are thermoplastic polymers and particulate composites; however, recently innovative formulations of highly-filled polymers (HP) with metals or ceramics have also been made available. MEAM with HP is an indirect process, which uses sacrificial polymeric binders to shape metallic and ceramic components. After removing the binder, the powder particles are fused together in a conventional sintering step. In this review the different types of MEAM techniques and relevant industrial approaches for the fabrication of metallic and ceramic components are described. The composition of certain HP binder systems and powders are presented; the methods of compounding and filament making HP are explained; the stages of shaping, debinding, and sintering are discussed; and finally a comparison of the parts produced via MEAM-HP with those produced via other manufacturing techniques is presented.

  6. Accommodating Ontologies to Biological Reality—Top-Level Categories of Cumulative-Constitutively Organized Material Entities

    PubMed Central

    Vogt, Lars; Grobe, Peter; Quast, Björn; Bartolomaeus, Thomas

    2012-01-01

    Background The Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) is a top-level formal foundational ontology for the biomedical domain. It has been developed with the purpose to serve as an ontologically consistent template for top-level categories of application oriented and domain reference ontologies within the Open Biological and Biomedical Ontologies Foundry (OBO). BFO is important for enabling OBO ontologies to facilitate in reliably communicating and managing data and metadata within and across biomedical databases. Following its intended single inheritance policy, BFO's three top-level categories of material entity (i.e. ‘object’, ‘fiat object part’, ‘object aggregate’) must be exhaustive and mutually disjoint. We have shown elsewhere that for accommodating all types of constitutively organized material entities, BFO must be extended by additional categories of material entity. Methodology/Principal Findings Unfortunately, most biomedical material entities are cumulative-constitutively organized. We show that even the extended BFO does not exhaustively cover cumulative-constitutively organized material entities. We provide examples from biology and everyday life that demonstrate the necessity for ‘portion of matter’ as another material building block. This implies the necessity for further extending BFO by ‘portion of matter’ as well as three additional categories that possess portions of matter as aggregate components. These extensions are necessary if the basic assumption that all parts that share the same granularity level exhaustively sum to the whole should also apply to cumulative-constitutively organized material entities. By suggesting a notion of granular representation we provide a way to maintain the single inheritance principle when dealing with cumulative-constitutively organized material entities. Conclusions/Significance We suggest to extend BFO to incorporate additional categories of material entity and to rearrange its top-level material

  7. Planning Lessons for Refugee-Background Students: Challenges and Strategies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Jennifer; Windle, Joel Austin; Yazdanpanah, Lilly K.

    2014-01-01

    This article examines the ways teachers plan lessons for English as an Additional Language (EAL) students from refugee backgrounds in secondary school transition programs. Based on a study of teachers working with students in three Victorian schools, we identify the key challenges teachers face in planning and the strategies they adopt to confront…

  8. Manipulating crystallization with molecular additives.

    PubMed

    Shtukenberg, Alexander G; Lee, Stephanie S; Kahr, Bart; Ward, Michael D

    2014-01-01

    Given the importance of organic crystals in a wide range of industrial applications, the chemistry, biology, materials science, and chemical engineering communities have focused considerable attention on developing methods to control crystal structure, size, shape, and orientation. Tailored additives have been used to control crystallization to great effect, presumably by selectively binding to particular crystallographic surfaces and sites. However, substantial knowledge gaps still exist in the fundamental mechanisms that govern the formation and growth of organic crystals in both the absence and presence of additives. In this review, we highlight research discoveries that reveal the role of additives, either introduced by design or present adventitiously, on various stages of formation and growth of organic crystals, including nucleation, dislocation spiral growth mechanisms, growth inhibition, and nonclassical crystal morphologies. The insights from these investigations and others of their kind are likely to guide the development of innovative methods to manipulate crystallization for a wide range of materials and applications.

  9. 27 CFR 19.318 - Addition of caramel to rum or brandy and addition of oak chips to spirits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... or brandy and addition of oak chips to spirits. 19.318 Section 19.318 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and... PLANTS Production § 19.318 Addition of caramel to rum or brandy and addition of oak chips to spirits. Caramel possessing no material sweetening properties may be added to rum or brandy on bonded premises...

  10. Early space experiments in materials processing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Naumann, R. J.

    1979-01-01

    A comprehensive survey of the flight experiments conducted in conjunction with the United States Materials Processing in Space Program is presented. Also included are a brief description of the conditions prevailing in an orbiting spacecraft and the research implications provided by this unique environment. What was done and what was learned are summarized in order to serve as a background for future experiments. It is assumed that the reader has some knowledge of the physical sciences but no background in spaceflight experimentation or in the materials science per se.

  11. Characterization of Metal Powders Used for Additive Manufacturing.

    PubMed

    Slotwinski, J A; Garboczi, E J; Stutzman, P E; Ferraris, C F; Watson, S S; Peltz, M A

    2014-01-01

    Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques can produce complex, high-value metal parts, with potential applications as critical parts, such as those found in aerospace components. The production of AM parts with consistent and predictable properties requires input materials (e.g., metal powders) with known and repeatable characteristics, which in turn requires standardized measurement methods for powder properties. First, based on our previous work, we assess the applicability of current standardized methods for powder characterization for metal AM powders. Then we present the results of systematic studies carried out on two different powder materials used for additive manufacturing: stainless steel and cobalt-chrome. The characterization of these powders is important in NIST efforts to develop appropriate measurements and standards for additive materials and to document the property of powders used in a NIST-led additive manufacturing material round robin. An extensive array of characterization techniques was applied to these two powders, in both virgin and recycled states. The physical techniques included laser diffraction particle size analysis, X-ray computed tomography for size and shape analysis, and optical and scanning electron microscopy. Techniques sensitive to structure and chemistry, including X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive analytical X-ray analysis using the X-rays generated during scanning electron microscopy, and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy were also employed. The results of these analyses show how virgin powder changes after being exposed to and recycled from one or more Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) additive manufacturing build cycles. In addition, these findings can give insight into the actual additive manufacturing process.

  12. Characterization of Metal Powders Used for Additive Manufacturing

    PubMed Central

    Slotwinski, JA; Garboczi, EJ; Stutzman, PE; Ferraris, CF; Watson, SS; Peltz, MA

    2014-01-01

    Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques1 can produce complex, high-value metal parts, with potential applications as critical parts, such as those found in aerospace components. The production of AM parts with consistent and predictable properties requires input materials (e.g., metal powders) with known and repeatable characteristics, which in turn requires standardized measurement methods for powder properties. First, based on our previous work, we assess the applicability of current standardized methods for powder characterization for metal AM powders. Then we present the results of systematic studies carried out on two different powder materials used for additive manufacturing: stainless steel and cobalt-chrome. The characterization of these powders is important in NIST efforts to develop appropriate measurements and standards for additive materials and to document the property of powders used in a NIST-led additive manufacturing material round robin. An extensive array of characterization techniques was applied to these two powders, in both virgin and recycled states. The physical techniques included laser diffraction particle size analysis, X-ray computed tomography for size and shape analysis, and optical and scanning electron microscopy. Techniques sensitive to structure and chemistry, including X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive analytical X-ray analysis using the X-rays generated during scanning electron microscopy, and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy were also employed. The results of these analyses show how virgin powder changes after being exposed to and recycled from one or more Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) additive manufacturing build cycles. In addition, these findings can give insight into the actual additive manufacturing process. PMID:26601040

  13. Human Blood Typing: A Forensic Science Approach. Part I: Background.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kobilinsky, Lawrence; Sheehan, Francis X.

    1988-01-01

    In this article, part I of a series, the forensic methods used in "typing" human blood, which as physical evidence is often found in the dried state, are outlined. Background information about individualization, antibody typing, fresh blood, dried blood, and additional systems is provided. (CW)

  14. Calibration of a Background Oriented Schlieren (BOS) Set-up

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Porta, David; Echeverría, Carlos; Cardoso, Hiroki; Aguayo, Alejandro; Stern, Catalina

    2014-11-01

    We use two materials with different known indexes of refraction to calibrate a Background Oriented Schlieren (BOS) experimental set-up, and to validate the Lorenz-Lorentz equation. BOS is used in our experiments to determine local changes of density in the shock pattern of an axisymmetric supersonic air jet. It is important to validate, in particular, the Gladstone Dale approximation (index of refraction close to one) in our experimental conditions and determine the uncertainty of our density measurements. In some cases, the index of refraction of the material is well known, but in others the density is measured and related to the displacement field. We acknowledge support from UNAM through DGAPA PAPIIT IN117712 and the Graduate Program in Mechanical Engineering.

  15. The Effects of Background Information on Standarized Test Scores.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Feeley, Joan T.; Wepner, Shelley B.

    A study was conducted to determine the effects of exposure to the topics included on the comprehension subtest of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (ND), Form F, on college freshmen's performance on the test. In addition, the study investigated whether those students with background information would indicate their awareness of this knowledge on a…

  16. CdZnTe Background Measurements at Balloon Altitudes with PoRTIA

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Parsons, A.; Barthelmy, S.; Bartlett, L.; Gehrels, N.; Naya, J.; Stahle, C. M.; Tueller, J.; Teegarden, B.

    2003-01-01

    Measurements of the CdZnTe internal background at balloon altitudes are essential to determine which physical processes make the most important background contributions. We present results from CdZnTe background measurements made by PoRTIA, a small CdZnTe balloon instrument that was flown three times in three different shielding configurations. PoRTIA was passively shielded during its first flight from Palestine, Texas and actively shielded as a piggyback instrument on the GRIS balloon experiment during its second and third flights from Alice Springs, Australia, using the thick GRIS Nal anticoincidence shield. A significant CdZnTe background reduction was achieved during the third flight with PoRTIA placed completely inside the GRIS shield and blocking crystal, and thus completely surrounded by 15 cm of Nal. A unique balloon altitude background data set is provided by CdZnTe and Ge detectors simultaneously surrounded by the same thick anticoincidence shield; the presence of a single coxial Ge detector inside the shield next to PoRTIA allowed a measurement of the ambient neutron flux inside the shield throughout the flight. These neutrons interact with the detector material to produce isomeric states of the Cd, Zn and Te nuclei that radiatively decay; calculations are presented that indicate that these decays may explain most of the fully shielded CdZnTe background.

  17. 27 CFR 19.343 - Addition of oak chips to spirits and addition of caramel to brandy and rum.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... spirits and addition of caramel to brandy and rum. 19.343 Section 19.343 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and... PLANTS Storage § 19.343 Addition of oak chips to spirits and addition of caramel to brandy and rum. Oak... records. Caramel possessing no material sweetening properties may be added to rum or brandy in packages or...

  18. Dependence of the Radiation Pressure on the Background Refractive Index

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Webb, Kevin J.

    2013-07-01

    The 1978 experiments by Jones and Leslie showing that the radiation pressure on a mirror depends on the background medium refractive index have yet to be adequately explained using a force model and have provided a leading challenge to the Abraham form of the electromagnetic momentum. Those experimental results are predicted for the first time using a force representation that incorporates the Abraham momentum by utilizing the power calibration method employed in the Jones and Leslie experiments. With an extension of the same procedure, the polarization and angle independence of the experimental data are also explained by this model. Prospects are good for this general form of the electromagnetic force density to be effective in predicting other experiments with macroscopic materials. Furthermore, the rigorous representation of material dispersion makes the representation important for metamaterials that operate in the vicinity of homogenized material resonances.

  19. Spectral distortions of the cosmic microwave background

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Adams, Fred C.; Mcdowell, Jonathan C.; Freese, Katherine; Levin, Janna

    1989-01-01

    Recent experiments indicate that the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background deviates from a pure blackbody; here, spectral distortions produced by cosmic dust are considered. The main result is that cosmic dust in conjunction with an injected radiation field (perhaps produced by an early generation of very massive stars) can explain the observed spectral distortions without violating existing cosmological constraints. In addition, it is shown that Compton y-distortions can also explain the observed spectral shape, but the energetic requirements are more severe.

  20. Enhanced backgrounds in scene rendering with GTSIMS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prussing, Keith F.; Pierson, Oliver; Cordell, Chris; Stewart, John; Nielson, Kevin

    2018-05-01

    A core component to modeling visible and infrared sensor responses is the ability to faithfully recreate background noise and clutter in a synthetic image. Most tracking and detection algorithms use a combination of signal to noise or clutter to noise ratios to determine if a signature is of interest. A primary source of clutter is the background that defines the environment in which a target is placed. Over the past few years, the Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory (EOSL) at the Georgia Tech Research Institute has made significant improvements to its in house simulation framework GTSIMS. First, we have expanded our terrain models to include the effects of terrain orientation on emission and reflection. Second, we have included the ability to model dynamic reflections with full BRDF support. Third, we have added the ability to render physically accurate cirrus clouds. And finally, we have updated the overall rendering procedure to reduce the time necessary to generate a single frame by taking advantage of hardware acceleration. Here, we present the updates to GTSIMS to better predict clutter and noise doe to non-uniform backgrounds. Specifically, we show how the addition of clouds, terrain, and improved non-uniform sky rendering improve our ability to represent clutter during scene generation.

  1. Scanning Capacitance Microscopy | Materials Science | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    obtained using scanning capacitance microscopy. Top Right: Image of p-type and n-type material, obtained 'fingers' of light-colored n-type material on a yellow and blue background representing p-type material ; measurement data were obtained using scanning capacitance microscopy. Bottom Right: Image of p-type and n-type

  2. Accounting for orphaned aftershocks in the earthquake background rate

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Van Der Elst, Nicholas

    2017-01-01

    Aftershocks often occur within cascades of triggered seismicity in which each generation of aftershocks triggers an additional generation, and so on. The rate of earthquakes in any particular generation follows Omori's law, going approximately as 1/t. This function decays rapidly, but is heavy-tailed, and aftershock sequences may persist for long times at a rate that is difficult to discriminate from background. It is likely that some apparently spontaneous earthquakes in the observational catalogue are orphaned aftershocks of long-past main shocks. To assess the relative proportion of orphaned aftershocks in the apparent background rate, I develop an extension of the ETAS model that explicitly includes the expected contribution of orphaned aftershocks to the apparent background rate. Applying this model to California, I find that the apparent background rate can be almost entirely attributed to orphaned aftershocks, depending on the assumed duration of an aftershock sequence. This implies an earthquake cascade with a branching ratio (the average number of directly triggered aftershocks per main shock) of nearly unity. In physical terms, this implies that very few earthquakes are completely isolated from the perturbing effects of other earthquakes within the fault system. Accounting for orphaned aftershocks in the ETAS model gives more accurate estimates of the true background rate, and more realistic expectations for long-term seismicity patterns.

  3. Accounting for orphaned aftershocks in the earthquake background rate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van der Elst, Nicholas J.

    2017-11-01

    Aftershocks often occur within cascades of triggered seismicity in which each generation of aftershocks triggers an additional generation, and so on. The rate of earthquakes in any particular generation follows Omori's law, going approximately as 1/t. This function decays rapidly, but is heavy-tailed, and aftershock sequences may persist for long times at a rate that is difficult to discriminate from background. It is likely that some apparently spontaneous earthquakes in the observational catalogue are orphaned aftershocks of long-past main shocks. To assess the relative proportion of orphaned aftershocks in the apparent background rate, I develop an extension of the ETAS model that explicitly includes the expected contribution of orphaned aftershocks to the apparent background rate. Applying this model to California, I find that the apparent background rate can be almost entirely attributed to orphaned aftershocks, depending on the assumed duration of an aftershock sequence. This implies an earthquake cascade with a branching ratio (the average number of directly triggered aftershocks per main shock) of nearly unity. In physical terms, this implies that very few earthquakes are completely isolated from the perturbing effects of other earthquakes within the fault system. Accounting for orphaned aftershocks in the ETAS model gives more accurate estimates of the true background rate, and more realistic expectations for long-term seismicity patterns.

  4. Primary and Secondary Anisotropies of Cosmic Microwave Background

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Seljak, Uros

    2002-01-01

    The three main topics we proposed to do are linear calculations (continuing development of CMBFAST), nonlinear calculations of gas physics relevant to Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) (Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect, etc.) and nonlinear effects on CMB due to dark matter (gravitational lensing, etc.). We describe each of these topics, as well as additional topics PI and his group worked on that are related to the topics in the proposal.

  5. Additives for High Temperature Hydraulic Fluids.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    HYDRAULIC FLUIDS, ADDITIVES, TRIAZINES, FERROCENES , PHOSPHINE , SULFOXIDES, SYNTHESIS(CHEMISTRY), SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, FLUORINE COMPOUNDS, PHOSPHINE OXIDES, ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS, AMINES, HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS.

  6. Producing Hybrid Metal Composites by Combining Additive Manufacturing and Casting

    DOE PAGES

    Pawlowski, Alex E.; Splitter, Derek A.; Muth, Thomas R.; ...

    2017-10-01

    Additive manufacturing by itself provides many benefits, but by combining different materials processing techniques like traditional casting with additive manufacturing to create hybrid processes, custom materials can be tailor-made and mass produced for applications with specific performance needs.

  7. Target detection using the background model from the topological anomaly detection algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dorado Munoz, Leidy P.; Messinger, David W.; Ziemann, Amanda K.

    2013-05-01

    The Topological Anomaly Detection (TAD) algorithm has been used as an anomaly detector in hyperspectral and multispectral images. TAD is an algorithm based on graph theory that constructs a topological model of the background in a scene, and computes an anomalousness ranking for all of the pixels in the image with respect to the background in order to identify pixels with uncommon or strange spectral signatures. The pixels that are modeled as background are clustered into groups or connected components, which could be representative of spectral signatures of materials present in the background. Therefore, the idea of using the background components given by TAD in target detection is explored in this paper. In this way, these connected components are characterized in three different approaches, where the mean signature and endmembers for each component are calculated and used as background basis vectors in Orthogonal Subspace Projection (OSP) and Adaptive Subspace Detector (ASD). Likewise, the covariance matrix of those connected components is estimated and used in detectors: Constrained Energy Minimization (CEM) and Adaptive Coherence Estimator (ACE). The performance of these approaches and the different detectors is compared with a global approach, where the background characterization is derived directly from the image. Experiments and results using self-test data set provided as part of the RIT blind test target detection project are shown.

  8. Radioactivity backgrounds in ZEPLIN-III

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Araújo, H. M.; Akimov, D. Yu.; Barnes, E. J.; Belov, V. A.; Bewick, A.; Burenkov, A. A.; Chepel, V.; Currie, A.; Deviveiros, L.; Edwards, B.; Ghag, C.; Hollingsworth, A.; Horn, M.; Kalmus, G. E.; Kobyakin, A. S.; Kovalenko, A. G.; Lebedenko, V. N.; Lindote, A.; Lopes, M. I.; Lüscher, R.; Majewski, P.; Murphy, A. St. J.; Neves, F.; Paling, S. M.; Pinto da Cunha, J.; Preece, R.; Quenby, J. J.; Reichhart, L.; Scovell, P. R.; Silva, C.; Solovov, V. N.; Smith, N. J. T.; Smith, P. F.; Stekhanov, V. N.; Sumner, T. J.; Thorne, C.; Walker, R. J.

    2012-03-01

    We examine electron and nuclear recoil backgrounds from radioactivity in the ZEPLIN-III dark matter experiment at Boulby. The rate of low-energy electron recoils in the liquid xenon WIMP target is 0.75 ± 0.05 events/kg/day/keV, which represents a 20-fold improvement over the rate observed during the first science run. Energy and spatial distributions agree with those predicted by component-level Monte Carlo simulations propagating the effects of the radiological contamination measured for materials employed in the experiment. Neutron elastic scattering is predicted to yield 3.05 ± 0.5 nuclear recoils with energy 5-50 keV per year, which translates to an expectation of 0.4 events in a 1 yr dataset in anti-coincidence with the veto detector for realistic signal acceptance. Less obvious background sources are discussed, especially in the context of future experiments. These include contamination of scintillation pulses with Cherenkov light from Compton electrons and from β activity internal to photomultipliers, which can increase the size and lower the apparent time constant of the scintillation response. Another challenge is posed by multiple-scatter γ-rays with one or more vertices in regions that yield no ionisation. If the discrimination power achieved in the first run can be replicated, ZEPLIN-III should reach a sensitivity of ˜1 × 10-8pb · yr to the scalar WIMP-nucleon elastic cross-section, as originally conceived.

  9. Additive manufacturing in production: challenges and opportunities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahuja, Bhrigu; Karg, Michael; Schmidt, Michael

    2015-03-01

    Additive manufacturing, characterized by its inherent layer by layer fabrication methodology has been coined by many as the latest revolution in the manufacturing industry. Due to its diversification of Materials, processes, system technology and applications, Additive Manufacturing has been synonymized with terminology such as Rapid prototyping, 3D printing, free-form fabrication, Additive Layer Manufacturing, etc. A huge media and public interest in the technology has led to an innovative attempt of exploring the technology for applications beyond the scope of the traditional engineering industry. Nevertheless, it is believed that a critical factor for the long-term success of Additive Manufacturing would be its ability to fulfill the requirements defined by the traditional manufacturing industry. A parallel development in market trends and product requirements has also lead to a wider scope of opportunities for Additive Manufacturing. The presented paper discusses some of the key challenges which are critical to ensure that Additive Manufacturing is truly accepted as a mainstream production technology in the industry. These challenges would highlight on various aspects of production such as product requirements, process management, data management, intellectual property, work flow management, quality assurance, resource planning, etc. In Addition, changing market trends such as product life cycle, mass customization, sustainability, environmental impact and localized production will form the foundation for the follow up discussion on the current limitations and the corresponding research opportunities. A discussion on ongoing research to address these challenges would include topics like process monitoring, design complexity, process standardization, multi-material and hybrid fabrication, new material development, etc.

  10. Components of the Extragalactic Gamma-Ray Background

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stecker, Floyd W.; Venters, Tonia M.

    2011-01-01

    We present new theoretical estimates of the relative contributions of unresolved blazars and star-forming galaxies to the extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGB) and discuss constraints on the contributions from alternative mechanisms such as dark matter annihilation and truly diffuse gamma-ray production. We find that the Fermi source count data do not rule out a scenario in which the EGB is dominated by emission from unresolved blazars, though unresolved star-forming galaxies may also contribute significantly to the background, within order-of-magnitude uncertainties. In addition, we find that the spectrum of the unresolved star-forming galaxy contribution cannot explain the EGB spectrum found by EGRET at energies between 50 and 200 MeV, whereas the spectrum of unresolved flat spectrum radio quasars, when accounting for the energy-dependent effects of source confusion, could be consistent with the combined spectrum of the low-energy EGRET EGB measurements and the Fermi-Large Area Telescope EGB measurements.

  11. Effect of kaolin addition on the performance of controlled low-strength material using industrial waste incineration bottom ash.

    PubMed

    Naganathan, Sivakumar; Razak, Hashim Abdul; Hamid, Siti Nadzriah Abdul

    2010-09-01

    Incineration of industrial waste produces large quantities of bottom ash which are normally sent to secured landfill, but is not a sustainable solution. Use of bottom ash in engineering applications will contribute to sustainability and generate revenue. One way of using the industrial waste incineration bottom ash is in controlled low-strength material (CLSM). Use of bottom ash in CLSM has problems related to bleeding and excessive strength development and so an additive has to be used to control bleeding and strength development. The main objective of this research is to study the effect of kaolin addition on the performance of CLSM made using industrial waste incineration bottom ash. CLSM mixes were made with bottom ash, cement, and refined kaolin. Various tests were performed on the CLSM in fresh and hardened states including compressive strength, water absorption, California bearing ratio (CBR) and the tests for concentration of leachable substances on the bleed and leachate. The compressive strength of CLSM tested ranged from 0.11 to 9.86 MPa. CBR values ranged from 6 to 46, and water absorption values from 12 to 36%. It was shown that the addition of kaolin delayed the initial setting time of CLSM mixtures, reduced bleeding, lowered the compressive strength, and increased the values of water absorption, sorption, and initial surface absorption. The CLSM tested did not have corrosivity. It was shown that the hardened CLSM was non hazardous, and the addition of kaolin increased the concentration of heavy metals and salts in the bleed and leachate.

  12. Building a Competitive Edge with Additive Manufacturing

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-02-14

    construct ceramic molds for complex metal parts using a 3D printing technique. They estimate the new 6 technique could eliminate all of the...processes. They include 3D printing and Additive Beam Techniques.15 Most Additive Manufacturing techniques are specific to certain classes of materials...9 Example Additive Manufacturing Techniques16 3D Printing Additive Beam Stereolithography (SLA) Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS

  13. INTEGRAL/SPI γ-ray line spectroscopy. Response and background characteristics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Diehl, Roland; Siegert, Thomas; Greiner, Jochen; Krause, Martin; Kretschmer, Karsten; Lang, Michael; Pleintinger, Moritz; Strong, Andrew W.; Weinberger, Christoph; Zhang, Xiaoling

    2018-03-01

    Context. The space based γ-ray observatory INTEGRAL of the European Space Agency (ESA) includes the spectrometer instrument "SPI". This is a coded mask telescope featuring a 19-element Germanium detector array for high-resolution γ-ray spectroscopy, encapsulated in a scintillation detector assembly that provides a veto for background from charged particles. In space, cosmic rays irradiate spacecraft and instruments, which, in spite of the vetoing detectors, results in a large instrumental background from activation of those materials, and leads to deterioration of the charge collection properties of the Ge detectors. Aim. We aim to determine the measurement characteristics of our detectors and their evolution with time, that is, their spectral response and instrumental background. These incur systematic variations in the SPI signal from celestial photons, hence their determination from a broad empirical database enables a reduction of underlying systematics in data analysis. For this, we explore compromises balancing temporal and spectral resolution within statistical limitations. Our goal is to enable modelling of background applicable to spectroscopic studies of the sky, accounting separately for changes of the spectral response and of instrumental background. Methods: We use 13.5 years of INTEGRAL/SPI data, which consist of spectra for each detector and for each pointing of the satellite. Spectral fits to each such spectrum, with independent but coherent treatment of continuum and line backgrounds, provides us with details about separated background components. From the strongest background lines, we first determine how the spectral response changes with time. Applying symmetry and long-term stability tests, we eliminate degeneracies and reduce statistical fluctuations of background parameters, with the aim of providing a self-consistent description of the spectral response for each individual detector. Accounting for this, we then determine how the

  14. Background sources at PEP

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lynch, H.; Schwitters, R.F.; Toner, W.T.

    Important sources of background for PEP experiments are studied. Background particles originate from high-energy electrons and positrons which have been lost from stable orbits, ..gamma..-rays emitted by the primary beams through bremsstrahlung in the residual gas, and synchrotron radiation x-rays. The effect of these processes on the beam lifetime are calculated and estimates of background rates at the interaction region are given. Recommendations for the PEP design, aimed at minimizing background are presented. 7 figs., 4 tabs.

  15. Acoustic invisibility cloaks of arbitrary shapes for complex background media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Jian; Chen, Tianning; Liang, Qingxuan; Wang, Xiaopeng; Xiong, Jie; Jiang, Ping

    2016-04-01

    We report on the theoretical investigation of the acoustic cloaks working in complex background media in this paper. The constitutive parameters of arbitrary-shape cloaks are derived based on the transformation acoustic theory and coordinate transformation technique. The detailed analysis of boundaries conditions and potential applications of the cloaks are also presented in our work. To overcome the difficulty of achieving the materials with ideal parameters in nature, concentric alternating layered isotropic materials is adopted to approximate the required properties of the cloak. Theoretical design and excellent invisibility are demonstrated by numerical simulations. The inhomogeneous medium and arbitrary-shape acoustic cloaks grow closer to real application and may be a new hot spot in future.

  16. Background stratospheric aerosol and polar stratospheric cloud reference models

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mccormick, M. P.; Wang, P.-H.; Pitts, M. C.

    1993-01-01

    A global aerosol climatology is evolving from the NASA satellite experiments SAM II, SAGE I, and SAGE II. In addition, polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) data have been obtained from these experiments over the last decade. An undated reference model of the optical characteristics of the background aerosol is described and a new aerosol reference model derived from the latest available data is proposed. The aerosol models are referenced to the height above the tropopause. The impact of a number of volcanic eruptions is described. In addition, a model describing the seasonal, longitudinal, and interannual variations in PSCs is presented.

  17. Radon backgrounds in the DEAP-1 liquid-argon-based Dark Matter detector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amaudruz, P.-A.; Batygov, M.; Beltran, B.; Boudjemline, K.; Boulay, M. G.; Cai, B.; Caldwell, T.; Chen, M.; Chouinard, R.; Cleveland, B. T.; Contreras, D.; Dering, K.; Duncan, F.; Ford, R.; Gagnon, R.; Giuliani, F.; Gold, M.; Golovko, V. V.; Gorel, P.; Graham, K.; Grant, D. R.; Hakobyan, R.; Hallin, A. L.; Harvey, P.; Hearns, C.; Jillings, C. J.; Kuźniak, M.; Lawson, I.; Li, O.; Lidgard, J.; Liimatainen, P.; Lippincott, W. H.; Mathew, R.; McDonald, A. B.; McElroy, T.; McFarlane, K.; McKinsey, D.; Muir, A.; Nantais, C.; Nicolics, K.; Nikkel, J.; Noble, T.; O'Dwyer, E.; Olsen, K. S.; Ouellet, C.; Pasuthip, P.; Pollmann, T.; Rau, W.; Retiere, F.; Ronquest, M.; Skensved, P.; Sonley, T.; Tang, J.; Vázquez-Jáuregui, E.; Veloce, L.; Ward, M.

    2015-03-01

    The DEAP-1 7 kg single phase liquid argon scintillation detector was operated underground at SNOLAB in order to test the techniques and measure the backgrounds inherent to single phase detection, in support of the DEAP-3600 Dark Matter detector. Backgrounds in DEAP are controlled through material selection, construction techniques, pulse shape discrimination, and event reconstruction. This report details the analysis of background events observed in three iterations of the DEAP-1 detector, and the measures taken to reduce them. The 222 Rn decay rate in the liquid argon was measured to be between 16 and 26 μBq kg-1. We found that the background spectrum near the region of interest for Dark Matter detection in the DEAP-1 detector can be described considering events from three sources: radon daughters decaying on the surface of the active volume, the expected rate of electromagnetic events misidentified as nuclear recoils due to inefficiencies in the pulse shape discrimination, and leakage of events from outside the fiducial volume due to imperfect position reconstruction. These backgrounds statistically account for all observed events, and they will be strongly reduced in the DEAP-3600 detector due to its higher light yield and simpler geometry.

  18. Corporate Philanthropy: Philosophy, Management, Trends, Future, Background.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Council on Foundations, Inc., Washington, DC.

    Major policy considerations and the management of corporate philanthropy, along with new directions and future prospects of corporate philanthropy, are addressed in 40 articles written by chief executive officers, lawyers, economists, and other leading analysts. In addition, a list of resource materials, a glossary, and a list of organizations…

  19. Characterization of γ-ray background at IMAT beamline of ISIS Spallation Neutron Source

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Festa, G.; Andreani, C.; Arcidiacono, L.; Burca, G.; Kockelmann, W.; Minniti, T.; Senesi, R.

    2017-08-01

    The environmental γ -ray background on the IMAT beamline at ISIS Spallation Neutron Source, Target Station 2, is characterized via γ spectroscopy. The measurements include gamma exposure at the imaging detector position, along with the gamma background inside the beamline. Present results are discussed and compared with previous measurements recorded at INES and VESUVIO beamlines operating at Target Station 1. They provide new outcome for expanding and optimizing the PGAA experimental capability at the ISIS neutron source for the investigation of materials, engineering components and cultural heritage objects at the ISIS neutron source.

  20. A Characterization of the Ship-Effect in a Maritime Environment and Special Nuclear Material Detection

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-05-18

    fees and no tracking. 44 One of its great strengths is that it is designed to be customized to meet the needs of a specific program, mission or...moved on large vessels, detection is complicated. Additionally, the level of the radiation background on and in the immediate vicinity of the ship... on land and surrounding a ship on the water. (3) Simulating a radiation signature emitted from nuclear material aboard a ship using radiation

  1. Top-Level Categories of Constitutively Organized Material Entities - Suggestions for a Formal Top-Level Ontology

    PubMed Central

    Vogt, Lars; Grobe, Peter; Quast, Björn; Bartolomaeus, Thomas

    2011-01-01

    Background Application oriented ontologies are important for reliably communicating and managing data in databases. Unfortunately, they often differ in the definitions they use and thus do not live up to their potential. This problem can be reduced when using a standardized and ontologically consistent template for the top-level categories from a top-level formal foundational ontology. This would support ontological consistency within application oriented ontologies and compatibility between them. The Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) is such a foundational ontology for the biomedical domain that has been developed following the single inheritance policy. It provides the top-level template within the Open Biological and Biomedical Ontologies Foundry. If it wants to live up to its expected role, its three top-level categories of material entity (i.e., ‘object’, ‘fiat object part’, ‘object aggregate’) must be exhaustive, i.e. every concrete material entity must instantiate exactly one of them. Methodology/Principal Findings By systematically evaluating all possible basic configurations of material building blocks we show that BFO's top-level categories of material entity are not exhaustive. We provide examples from biology and everyday life that demonstrate the necessity for two additional categories: ‘fiat object part aggregate’ and ‘object with fiat object part aggregate’. By distinguishing topological coherence, topological adherence, and metric proximity we furthermore provide a differentiation of clusters and groups as two distinct subcategories for each of the three categories of material entity aggregates, resulting in six additional subcategories of material entity. Conclusions/Significance We suggest extending BFO to incorporate two additional categories of material entity as well as two subcategories for each of the three categories of material entity aggregates. With these additions, BFO would exhaustively cover all top-level types of

  2. Additives in fibers and fabrics.

    PubMed

    Barker, R H

    1975-06-01

    The additives and contaminants which occur in textile fibers vary widely, depending on the type of fiber and the pretreatment which it has received. Synthetic fibers such as nylon and polyester contain trace amounts of contaminants such as catalysts and catalyst deactivators which remain after the synthesis of the basic polymers. In addition, there are frequently a number of materials which are added to perform specific functions in almost all man-made fibers. Examples of these would include traces of metals or metal salts used as tracers for identification of specific lots of fiber, TiO2 or similar materials added as delustrants, and a host of organic species added for such special purposes as antistatic agents or flame retardants. There may also be considerable quantities of residual monomer or small oligomers dissolved in the polymer matrix. The situation becomes even more complex after the fibers are converted into fabric form. Numerous materials are applied at various stages of fabric preparation to act as lubricants, sizing agents, antistats, bleaches, and wetting agents to facilitate the processing, but these are normally removed before the fabric reaches the cutters of the ultimate consumers and therefore usually do not constitute potential hazards. However, there are many other chemical agents which are frequently added during the later stages of fabric preparation and which are not designed to be removed. Aside from dyes and printing pigments, the most common additive for apparel fabrics is a durable press treatment. This generally involves the use of materials capable of crosslinking cellulosics by reacting through such functions as N-methylolated amides or related compounds such as ureas and carbamates. These materials pose some potential hazards due to both the nitrogenous bases and the formaldehyde which they usually release. There is usually also some residual catalyst in fabrics which have received such treatments. Other types of chemical treatments

  3. Additives in fibers and fabrics.

    PubMed Central

    Barker, R H

    1975-01-01

    The additives and contaminants which occur in textile fibers vary widely, depending on the type of fiber and the pretreatment which it has received. Synthetic fibers such as nylon and polyester contain trace amounts of contaminants such as catalysts and catalyst deactivators which remain after the synthesis of the basic polymers. In addition, there are frequently a number of materials which are added to perform specific functions in almost all man-made fibers. Examples of these would include traces of metals or metal salts used as tracers for identification of specific lots of fiber, TiO2 or similar materials added as delustrants, and a host of organic species added for such special purposes as antistatic agents or flame retardants. There may also be considerable quantities of residual monomer or small oligomers dissolved in the polymer matrix. The situation becomes even more complex after the fibers are converted into fabric form. Numerous materials are applied at various stages of fabric preparation to act as lubricants, sizing agents, antistats, bleaches, and wetting agents to facilitate the processing, but these are normally removed before the fabric reaches the cutters of the ultimate consumers and therefore usually do not constitute potential hazards. However, there are many other chemical agents which are frequently added during the later stages of fabric preparation and which are not designed to be removed. Aside from dyes and printing pigments, the most common additive for apparel fabrics is a durable press treatment. This generally involves the use of materials capable of crosslinking cellulosics by reacting through such functions as N-methylolated amides or related compounds such as ureas and carbamates. These materials pose some potential hazards due to both the nitrogenous bases and the formaldehyde which they usually release. There is usually also some residual catalyst in fabrics which have received such treatments. Other types of chemical treatments

  4. Experiment requirements and implementation plan (Erip) for semiconductor materials growth in low-G environment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crouch, R. K.; Fripp, A. L.; Debnam, W. J.; Clark, I. O.

    1983-01-01

    The MEA-2 A facility was used to test the effect of the low gravity environment on suppressing convective mixing in the growth of Pb(1-x)Sn(x)Te crystals. The need to eliminate convection, the furnace characteristics and operation that will be required for successful experimental implementation, and to the level that is presently known, the measured physical properties of the Pb(1-x)Sn(x)Te system were discussed. In addition, a brief background of the present and potential utilization of Pb(1-x)Sn(x)Te is given. Additional experiments are anticipated in future MEA-A, improved MEA and other dedicated materials processing in space flight apparatus.

  5. Background oriented schlieren in a density stratified fluid.

    PubMed

    Verso, Lilly; Liberzon, Alex

    2015-10-01

    Non-intrusive quantitative fluid density measurement methods are essential in the stratified flow experiments. Digital imaging leads to synthetic schlieren methods in which the variations of the index of refraction are reconstructed computationally. In this study, an extension to one of these methods, called background oriented schlieren, is proposed. The extension enables an accurate reconstruction of the density field in stratified liquid experiments. Typically, the experiments are performed by the light source, background pattern, and the camera positioned on the opposite sides of a transparent vessel. The multimedia imaging through air-glass-water-glass-air leads to an additional aberration that destroys the reconstruction. A two-step calibration and image remapping transform are the key components that correct the images through the stratified media and provide a non-intrusive full-field density measurements of transparent liquids.

  6. Reference analysis of the signal + background model in counting experiments II. Approximate reference prior

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Casadei, D.

    2014-10-01

    The objective Bayesian treatment of a model representing two independent Poisson processes, labelled as ``signal'' and ``background'' and both contributing additively to the total number of counted events, is considered. It is shown that the reference prior for the parameter of interest (the signal intensity) can be well approximated by the widely (ab)used flat prior only when the expected background is very high. On the other hand, a very simple approximation (the limiting form of the reference prior for perfect prior background knowledge) can be safely used over a large portion of the background parameters space. The resulting approximate reference posterior is a Gamma density whose parameters are related to the observed counts. This limiting form is simpler than the result obtained with a flat prior, with the additional advantage of representing a much closer approximation to the reference posterior in all cases. Hence such limiting prior should be considered a better default or conventional prior than the uniform prior. On the computing side, it is shown that a 2-parameter fitting function is able to reproduce extremely well the reference prior for any background prior. Thus, it can be useful in applications requiring the evaluation of the reference prior for a very large number of times.

  7. Computational Process Modeling for Additive Manufacturing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bagg, Stacey; Zhang, Wei

    2014-01-01

    Computational Process and Material Modeling of Powder Bed additive manufacturing of IN 718. Optimize material build parameters with reduced time and cost through modeling. Increase understanding of build properties. Increase reliability of builds. Decrease time to adoption of process for critical hardware. Potential to decrease post-build heat treatments. Conduct single-track and coupon builds at various build parameters. Record build parameter information and QM Meltpool data. Refine Applied Optimization powder bed AM process model using data. Report thermal modeling results. Conduct metallography of build samples. Calibrate STK models using metallography findings. Run STK models using AO thermal profiles and report STK modeling results. Validate modeling with additional build. Photodiode Intensity measurements highly linear with power input. Melt Pool Intensity highly correlated to Melt Pool Size. Melt Pool size and intensity increase with power. Applied Optimization will use data to develop powder bed additive manufacturing process model.

  8. Evaluation of background radiation dose contributions in the United Arab Emirates.

    PubMed

    Goddard, Braden; Bosc, Emmanuel; Al Hasani, Sarra; Lloyd, Cody

    2018-09-01

    The natural background radiation consists of three main components; cosmic, terrestrial, and skyshine. Although there are currently methods available to measure the total dose rate from background radiation, no established methods exist that allow for the measurement of each component the background radiation. This analysis consists of a unique methodology in which the dose rate contribution from each component of the natural background radiation is measured and calculated. This project evaluates the natural background dose rate in the Abu Dhabi City region from all three of these components using the developed methodology. Evaluating and understanding the different components of background radiation provides a baseline allowing for the detection, and possibly attribution, of elevated radiation levels. Measurements using a high-pressure ion chamber with different shielding configurations and two offshore measurements provided dose rate information that were attributed to the different components of the background radiation. Additional spectral information was obtained using an HPGe detector to verify and quantify the presence of terrestrial radionuclides. By evaluating the dose rates of the different shielding configurations the comic, terrestrial, and skyshine contribution in the Abu Dhabi City region were determined to be 33.0 ± 1.7, 15.7 ± 2.5, and 2.4 ± 2.1 nSv/h, respectively. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. Spallation radiation effects in materials

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mansur, L.K.; Farrell, K.; Wechsler, M.S.

    1996-06-01

    Spallation refers to the process whereby particles (chiefly neutrons) are ejected from nuclei upon bombardment by high-energy protons. Spallation neutron sources (SNS`s) use these neutrons for neutron scattering and diffraction research, and SNS`s are proposed as the basis for systems for tritium production and transmutation of nuclear waste. Materials in SNS`s are exposed to the incident proton beam (energies typically about 1000 MeV) and to the spallation neutrons (spectrum of energies extending up to about 1000 MeV). By contrast the fission neutrons in nuclear reactors have an average energy of only about 2 MeV, and the neutrons in fusion reactorsmore » would have energies below about 14 MeV. Furthermore, the protons and neutrons in SNS`s for scattering and diffraction research are pulsed at frequencies of about 10 to 60 Hz, from which significant changes in the kinetics of point and extended defects may be expected. In addition, much higher transmutation rates occur in SNS-irradiated materials, On the whole, then, significant differences in microstructural development and macroscopic properties may result upon exposure in SNS systems, as compared with fission and fusion irradiations. In a more general sense, subjecting materials to new radiation environments has almost routinely led to new discoveries. To the extent that data are avaiable, however, the spallation environment appears to increase the degree of damage without introducing totally new effects. The first part of this presentation is an overview of radiation effects in materials, outlining essential concepts and property changes and their physical bases. This background is followed by a description of SNS irradiation environments and the effects on materials of exposure to these environments. A special discussion is given of the selection of target (e.g., liquid mercury), container (e.g., austenitic stainless steel or ferritic/martensitic steel), and structural materials in SNS systems.« less

  10. Half a degree additional warming, prognosis and projected impacts (HAPPI): background and experimental design

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mitchell, Daniel; AchutaRao, Krishna; Allen, Myles

    The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has accepted the invitation from the UNFCCC to provide a special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and on related global greenhouse-gas emission pathways. Many current experiments in, for example, the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP), are not specifically designed for informing this report. Here, we document the design of the half a degree additional warming, projections, prognosis and impacts (HAPPI) experiment. HAPPI provides a framework for the generation of climate data describing how the climate, and in particular extreme weather, might differ from the presentmore » day in worlds that are 1.5 and 2.0 °C warmer than pre-industrial conditions. Output from participating climate models includes variables frequently used by a range of impact models. The key challenge is to separate the impact of an additional approximately half degree of warming from uncertainty in climate model responses and internal climate variability that dominate CMIP-style experiments under low-emission scenarios.Large ensembles of simulations (> 50 members) of atmosphere-only models for three time slices are proposed, each a decade in length: the first being the most recent observed 10-year period (2006–2015), the second two being estimates of a similar decade but under 1.5 and 2 °C conditions a century in the future. We use the representative concentration pathway 2.6 (RCP2.6) to provide the model boundary conditions for the 1.5 °C scenario, and a weighted combination of RCP2.6 and RCP4.5 for the 2 °C scenario.« less

  11. Half a degree additional warming, prognosis and projected impacts (HAPPI): background and experimental design

    DOE PAGES

    Mitchell, Daniel; AchutaRao, Krishna; Allen, Myles; ...

    2017-02-08

    The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has accepted the invitation from the UNFCCC to provide a special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and on related global greenhouse-gas emission pathways. Many current experiments in, for example, the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP), are not specifically designed for informing this report. Here, we document the design of the half a degree additional warming, projections, prognosis and impacts (HAPPI) experiment. HAPPI provides a framework for the generation of climate data describing how the climate, and in particular extreme weather, might differ from the presentmore » day in worlds that are 1.5 and 2.0 °C warmer than pre-industrial conditions. Output from participating climate models includes variables frequently used by a range of impact models. The key challenge is to separate the impact of an additional approximately half degree of warming from uncertainty in climate model responses and internal climate variability that dominate CMIP-style experiments under low-emission scenarios.Large ensembles of simulations (> 50 members) of atmosphere-only models for three time slices are proposed, each a decade in length: the first being the most recent observed 10-year period (2006–2015), the second two being estimates of a similar decade but under 1.5 and 2 °C conditions a century in the future. We use the representative concentration pathway 2.6 (RCP2.6) to provide the model boundary conditions for the 1.5 °C scenario, and a weighted combination of RCP2.6 and RCP4.5 for the 2 °C scenario.« less

  12. 10 CFR 70.74 - Additional reporting requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Additional reporting requirements. 70.74 Section 70.74 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) DOMESTIC LICENSING OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIAL Additional Requirements for Certain Licensees Authorized To Possess a Critical Mass of Special Nuclear...

  13. 33 CFR 154.1125 - Additional response plan requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Additional response plan... SECURITY (CONTINUED) POLLUTION FACILITIES TRANSFERRING OIL OR HAZARDOUS MATERIAL IN BULK Additional... Prince William Sound, Alaska § 154.1125 Additional response plan requirements. (a) The owner or operator...

  14. The background is remapped across saccades.

    PubMed

    Cha, Oakyoon; Chong, Sang Chul

    2014-02-01

    Physiological studies have found that neurons prepare for impending eye movements, showing anticipatory responses to stimuli presented at the location of the post-saccadic receptive fields (RFs) (Wurtz in Vis Res 48:2070-2089, 2008). These studies proposed that visual neurons with shifting RFs prepared for the stimuli they would process after an impending saccade. Additionally, psychophysical studies have shown behavioral consequences of those anticipatory responses, including the transfer of aftereffects (Melcher in Nat Neurosci 10:903-907, 2007) and the remapping of attention (Rolfs et al. in Nat Neurosci 14:252-258, 2011). As the physiological studies proposed, the shifting RF mechanism explains the transfer of aftereffects. Recently, a new mechanism based on activation transfer via a saliency map was proposed, which accounted for the remapping of attention (Cavanagh et al. in Trends Cogn Sci 14:147-153, 2010). We hypothesized that there would be different aspects of the remapping corresponding to these different neural mechanisms. This study found that the information in the background was remapped to a similar extent as the figure, provided that the visual context remained stable. We manipulated the status of the figure and the ground in the saliency map and showed that the manipulation modulated the remapping of the figure and the ground in different ways. These results suggest that the visual system has an ability to remap the background as well as the figure, but lacks the ability to modulate the remapping of the background based on the visual context, and that different neural mechanisms might work together to maintain visual stability across saccades.

  15. Concept of Culture. Grade 4. Teacher's Background Material: Enculturation, Cultural Variation, Culture Dynamics [And] Pupil Text [And] Pupil Study Guide [And] A Sequential Curriculum in Anthropology. Test: Form 4, Composite Form for Pre- And Post-Test. (Revised, January 1968). Publications No. 13-17 and 42.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Georgia Univ., Athens. Anthropology Curriculum Project.

    This social studies unit includes teacher background material, a student text, study guide, and composite pretest/posttest explaining and discussing cultural concepts. It is part of the Anthropology Curriculum Project and is designed to be used in grade 4. The unit objective is to provide students with a background for understanding man and his…

  16. Low-background detector arrays for infrared astronomy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mccreight, C. R.; Estrada, J. A.; Goebel, J. H.; Mckelvey, M. E.; Mckibbin, D. D.; Mcmurray, R. E., Jr.; Weber, T. T.

    1989-01-01

    The status of a program which develops and characterizes integrated infrared (IR) detector array technology for space astronomical applications is described. The devices under development include intrinsic, extrinsic silicon, and extrinsic germanium detectors, coupled to silicon readout electronics. Low-background laboratory test results include measurements of responsivity, noise, dark current, temporal response, and the effects of gamma-radiation. In addition, successful astronomical imagery has been obtained on some arrays from this program. These two aspects of the development combine to demonstrate the strong potential for integrated array technology for IR space astronomy.

  17. Hard gamma radiation background from coding collimator of gamma telescope under space experiment conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aleksandrov, A. P.; Berezovoy, A. N.; Galper, A. M.; Grachev, V. M.; Dmitrenko, V. V.; Kirillov-Ugryumov, V. G.; Lebedev, V. V.; Lyakhov, V. A.; Moiseyev, A. A.; Ulin, S. Y.

    1985-09-01

    Coding collimators are used to improve the angular resolution of gamma-ray telescopes at energies above 50 MeV. However, the interaction of cosmic rays with the collimation material can lead to the appearance of a gamma-ray background flux which can have a deleterious effect on measurement efficiency. An experiment was performed on the Salyut-6-Soyuz spacecraft system with the Elena-F small-scale gamma-ray telescope in order to measure the magnitude of this background. It is shown that, even at a zenith angle of approximately zero degrees (the angle at which the gamma-ray observations are made), the coding collimator has only an insignificant effect on the background conditions.

  18. Additivity of Pyrethroid Actions on Sodium Influx in Cortical Neuronsin vitro

    EPA Science Inventory

    Background: Pyrethroid insecticides bind to voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) and modify their gating kinetics, thereby disrupting neuronal function. While previous work has tested the additivity of pyrethroids in vivo, the additivity of these compounds at the major target si...

  19. Effect of genetic background on the stability of sunflower fatty acid composition in different high oleic mutations.

    PubMed

    Alberio, Constanza; Aguirrezábal, Luis An; Izquierdo, Natalia G; Reid, Roberto; Zuil, Sebastián; Zambelli, Andrés

    2018-02-01

    The effect of genetic background on the stability of fatty acid composition in sunflower near isogenic lines (NILs) carrying high-oleic Pervenets (P) or high-oleic NM1 mutations was studied. The materials were field-tested in different locations and at different sowing dates to evaluate a wide range of environmental conditions. Relationships were established between the fatty acids and the minimum night temperature (MNT) and the response was characterized. A genetic background effect for the fatty acid composition was found in both groups of NILs. The NM1-NILs showed an oleic level higher than 910 g kg -1 and they were more stable across environments with a zero or low dependence on the genetic background; on the other hand, high oleic materials bearing the P mutation showed lower levels of oleic acid, with a higher variation in fatty acid composition and a highly significant dependence on the genetic background. The NM1 mutation is the best option to develop ultra-high oleic sunflower oil that is stable across environments and genetic backgrounds, making its agronomical production more efficient and predictable. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

  20. Correlation between model observers in uniform background and human observers in patient liver background for a low-contrast detection task in CT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gong, Hao; Yu, Lifeng; Leng, Shuai; Dilger, Samantha; Zhou, Wei; Ren, Liqiang; McCollough, Cynthia H.

    2018-03-01

    Channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) has demonstrated strong correlation with human observer (HO) in both single-slice viewing mode and multi-slice viewing mode in low-contrast detection tasks with uniform background. However, it remains unknown if the simplest single-slice CHO in uniform background can be used to predict human observer performance in more realistic tasks that involve patient anatomical background and multi-slice viewing mode. In this study, we aim to investigate the correlation between CHO in a uniform water background and human observer performance at a multi-slice viewing mode on patient liver background for a low-contrast lesion detection task. The human observer study was performed on CT images from 7 abdominal CT exams. A noise insertion tool was employed to synthesize CT scans at two additional dose levels. A validated lesion insertion tool was used to numerically insert metastatic liver lesions of various sizes and contrasts into both phantom and patient images. We selected 12 conditions out of 72 possible experimental conditions to evaluate the correlation at various radiation doses, lesion sizes, lesion contrasts and reconstruction algorithms. CHO with both single and multi-slice viewing modes were strongly correlated with HO. The corresponding Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.982 (with 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.936, 0.995]) and 0.989 (with 95% CI of [0.960, 0.997]) in multi-slice and single-slice viewing modes, respectively. Therefore, this study demonstrated the potential to use the simplest single-slice CHO to assess image quality for more realistic clinically relevant CT detection tasks.

  1. Activation energy associated with the electromigration of oligosaccharides through viscosity modifier and polymeric additive containing background electrolytes.

    PubMed

    Kerékgyártó, Márta; Járvás, Gábor; Novák, Levente; Guttman, András

    2016-02-01

    The activation energy related to the electromigration of oligosaccharides can be determined from their measured electrophoretic mobilities at different temperatures. The effects of a viscosity modifier (ethylene glycol) and a polymeric additive (linear polyacrylamide) on the electrophoretic mobility of linear sugar oligomers with α1-4 linked glucose units (maltooligosaccharides) were studied in CE using the activation energy concept. The electrophoretic separations of 8-aminopyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate-labeled maltooligosaccharides were monitored by LIF detection in the temperature range of 20-50°C, using either 0-60% ethylene glycol (viscosity modifier) or 0-3% linear polyacrylamide (polymeric additive) containing BGEs. Activation energy curves were constructed based on the slopes of the Arrhenius plots. With the use of linear polyacrylamide additive, solute size-dependent activation energy variations were found for the maltooligosaccharides with polymerization degrees below and above maltoheptaose (DP 7), probably due to molecular conformation changes and possible matrix interaction effects. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. A Fully Non-Metallic Gas Turbine Engine Enabled by Additive Manufacturing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grady, Joseph E.; Halbig, Michael C.; Singh, Mrityunjay

    2015-01-01

    In a NASA Aeronautics Research Institute (NARI) sponsored program entitled "A Fully Non-Metallic Gas Turbine Engine Enabled by Additive Manufacturing," evaluation of emerging materials and additive manufacturing technologies was carried out. These technologies may enable fully non-metallic gas turbine engines in the future. This paper highlights the results of engine system trade studies which were carried out to estimate reduction in engine emissions and fuel burn enabled due to advanced materials and manufacturing processes. A number of key engine components were identified in which advanced materials and additive manufacturing processes would provide the most significant benefits to engine operation. In addition, feasibility of using additive manufacturing technologies to fabricate gas turbine engine components from polymer and ceramic matrix composite were demonstrated. A wide variety of prototype components (inlet guide vanes (IGV), acoustic liners, engine access door, were additively manufactured using high temperature polymer materials. Ceramic matrix composite components included first stage nozzle segments and high pressure turbine nozzle segments for a cooled doublet vane. In addition, IGVs and acoustic liners were tested in simulated engine conditions in test rigs. The test results are reported and discussed in detail.

  3. A Fully Non-Metallic Gas Turbine Engine Enabled by Additive Manufacturing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grady, Joseph E.; Halbig, Michael C.; Singh, Mrityunjay

    2015-01-01

    In a NASA Aeronautics Research Institute (NARI) sponsored program entitled "A Fully Non-Metallic Gas Turbine Engine Enabled by Additive Manufacturing", evaluation of emerging materials and additive manufacturing technologies was carried out. These technologies may enable fully non-metallic gas turbine engines in the future. This paper highlights the results of engine system trade studies which were carried out to estimate reduction in engine emissions and fuel burn enabled due to advanced materials and manufacturing processes. A number of key engine components were identified in which advanced materials and additive manufacturing processes would provide the most significant benefits to engine operation. In addition, feasibility of using additive manufacturing technologies to fabricate gas turbine engine components from polymer and ceramic matrix composite were demonstrated. A wide variety of prototype components (inlet guide vanes (IGV), acoustic liners, engine access door) were additively manufactured using high temperature polymer materials. Ceramic matrix composite components included first stage nozzle segments and high pressure turbine nozzle segments for a cooled doublet vane. In addition, IGVs and acoustic liners were tested in simulated engine conditions in test rigs. The test results are reported and discussed in detail.

  4. 78 FR 12295 - Procurement List; Additions

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-22

    ... published notices of proposed additions to the Procurement List. After consideration of the material..., 508 Compliant, 12 Digit, Portable, Desktop, Battery Operated NPA: MidWest Enterprises for the Blind...

  5. Spectral feature characterization methods for blood stain detection in crime scene backgrounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Jie; Mathew, Jobin J.; Dube, Roger R.; Messinger, David W.

    2016-05-01

    Blood stains are one of the most important types of evidence for forensic investigation. They contain valuable DNA information, and the pattern of the stains can suggest specifics about the nature of the violence that transpired at the scene. Blood spectral signatures containing unique reflectance or absorption features are important both for forensic on-site investigation and laboratory testing. They can be used for target detection and identification applied to crime scene hyperspectral imagery, and also be utilized to analyze the spectral variation of blood on various backgrounds. Non-blood stains often mislead the detection and can generate false alarms at a real crime scene, especially for dark and red backgrounds. This paper measured the reflectance of liquid blood and 9 kinds of non-blood samples in the range of 350 nm - 2500 nm in various crime scene backgrounds, such as pure samples contained in petri dish with various thicknesses, mixed samples with different colors and materials of fabrics, and mixed samples with wood, all of which are examined to provide sub-visual evidence for detecting and recognizing blood from non-blood samples in a realistic crime scene. The spectral difference between blood and non-blood samples are examined and spectral features such as "peaks" and "depths" of reflectance are selected. Two blood stain detection methods are proposed in this paper. The first method uses index to denote the ratio of "depth" minus "peak" over"depth" add"peak" within a wavelength range of the reflectance spectrum. The second method uses relative band depth of the selected wavelength ranges of the reflectance spectrum. Results show that the index method is able to discriminate blood from non-blood samples in most tested crime scene backgrounds, but is not able to detect it from black felt. Whereas the relative band depth method is able to discriminate blood from non-blood samples on all of the tested background material types and colors.

  6. Bacterial biodegradation of melamine-contaminated aged soil: influence of different pre-culture media or addition of activation material.

    PubMed

    Hatakeyama, Takashi; Takagi, Kazuhiro

    2016-08-01

    This study aimed to investigate the biodegrading potential of Arthrobacter sp. MCO, Arthrobacter sp. CSP, and Nocardioides sp. ATD6 in melamine-contaminated upland soil (melamine: approx. 10.5 mg/kg dry weight) after 30 days of incubation. The soil sample used in this study had undergone annual treatment of lime nitrogen, which included melamine; it was aged for more than 10 years in field. When R2A broth was used as the pre-culture medium, Arthrobacter sp. MCO could degrade 55 % of melamine after 30 days of incubation, but the other strains could hardly degrade melamine (approximately 25 %). The addition of trimethylglycine (betaine) in soil as an activation material enhanced the degradation rate of melamine by each strain; more than 50 % of melamine was degraded by all strains after 30 days of incubation. In particular, strain MCO could degrade 72 % of melamine. When the strains were pre-cultured in R2A broth containing melamine, the degradation rate of melamine in soil increased remarkably. The highest (72 %) melamine degradation rate was noted when strain MCO was used with betaine addition.

  7. Post-Synthetic Modification of Porphyrin-Encapsulating Metal-Organic Materials by Cooperative Addition of Inorganic Salts to Enhance CO 2/CH 4 Selectivity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Zhenjie; Gao, Wen-Yang; Wojtas, Lukasz

    Keeping MOM: Reaction of biphenyl-3,4',5-tricarboxylate and Cd(NO 3) 2 in the presence of meso-tetra(N-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphine tetratosylate afforded porph@MOM-11, a microporous metal–organic material (MOM) that encapsulates cationic porphyrins and solvent in alternating open channels. Porph@MOM-11 has cation and anion binding sites that facilitate cooperative addition of inorganic salts (such as M +Cl -) in a stoichiometric fashion.

  8. Evaluation of fuel additives for reduction of material imcompatibilities in methanol-gasoline blends

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rodriguez, C. F.; Barbee, J. G.; Knutson, W. K.; Cuellar, J. P., Jr.

    1983-01-01

    Screening tests determined the efficacy of six commercially available additives as modifiers of methanol's corrosivity toward metals and its weakening of tensile properties of nonmetals in automotive fuel systems. From the screening phase, three additives which seemed to protect some of the metals were tested in higher concentrations and binary combinations in search of optimal application conditions. Results indicate that two of the additives have protective properties and combining them increases the protection of the metals corroded by methanol-gasoline blends. Half of the metals in the tests were not corroded. Testing at recommended concentrations and then at higher concentrations and in combinations shows that the additives would have no protective or harmful effects on the nonmetals. Two additives emerged as candidates for application to the protection of metals in automotive methanol-gasoline fuel systems. The additives tested were assigned letter codes to protect their proprietary nature.

  9. Hungaria asteroid region telescopic spectral survey (HARTSS) I: Stony asteroids abundant in the Hungaria background population

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lucas, Michael P.; Emery, Joshua P.; Pinilla-Alonso, Noemi; Lindsay, Sean S.; Lorenzi, Vania

    2017-07-01

    different S-subtypes are represented therein, which translates to a variety of surface compositions. We identify the Gaffey S-subtype (Gaffey et al. [1993]. Icarus 106, 573-602) and potential meteorite analogs for 24 of these S-complex background asteroids. Additionally, we estimate the olivine and orthopyroxene mineralogy for 18 of these objects using spectral band parameter analysis established from laboratory-based studies of ordinary chondrite meteorites. Nine of the asteroids have band parameters that are not consistent with ordinary chondrites. We compared these to the band parameters measured from laboratory VIS+NIR spectra of six primitive achondrite (acapulcoite-lodranite) meteorites. These comparisons suggest that two main meteorite groups are represented among the Hungaria background asteroids: unmelted, nebular L- (and possibly LL-ordinary chondrites), and partially-melted primitive achondrites of the acapulcoite-lodranite meteorite clan. Our results suggest a source region for L chondrite like material from within the Hungarias, with delivery to Earth via leakage from the inner boundary of the Hungaria region. H chondrite like mineralogies appear to be absent from the Hungaria background asteroids. We therefore conclude that the Hungaria region is not a source for H chondrite meteorites. Seven Hungaria background asteroids have spectral band parameters consistent with partially-melted primitive achondrites, but the probable source region of the acapulcoite-lodranite parent body remains inconclusive. If the proposed connection with the Hungaria family to fully-melted enstatite achondrite meteorites (i.e., aubrites) is accurate (Gaffey et al. [1992]. Icarus 100, 95-109; Kelley and Gaffey [2002]. Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 37, 1815-1827), then asteroids in the Hungaria region exhibit a full range of petrologic evolution: from nebular, unmelted ordinary chondrites, through partially-melted primitive achondrites, to fully-melted igneous aubrite meteorites.

  10. Neutron Characterization for Additive Manufacturing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Watkins, Thomas; Bilheux, Hassina; An, Ke; Payzant, Andrew; DeHoff, Ryan; Duty, Chad; Peter, William; Blue, Craig; Brice, Craig A.

    2013-01-01

    Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is leveraging decades of experience in neutron characterization of advanced materials together with resources such as the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) and the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) shown in Fig. 1 to solve challenging problems in additive manufacturing (AM). Additive manufacturing, or three-dimensional (3-D) printing, is a rapidly maturing technology wherein components are built by selectively adding feedstock material at locations specified by a computer model. The majority of these technologies use thermally driven phase change mechanisms to convert the feedstock into functioning material. As the molten material cools and solidifies, the component is subjected to significant thermal gradients, generating significant internal stresses throughout the part (Fig. 2). As layers are added, inherent residual stresses cause warping and distortions that lead to geometrical differences between the final part and the original computer generated design. This effect also limits geometries that can be fabricated using AM, such as thin-walled, high-aspect- ratio, and overhanging structures. Distortion may be minimized by intelligent toolpath planning or strategic placement of support structures, but these approaches are not well understood and often "Edisonian" in nature. Residual stresses can also impact component performance during operation. For example, in a thermally cycled environment such as a high-pressure turbine engine, residual stresses can cause components to distort unpredictably. Different thermal treatments on as-fabricated AM components have been used to minimize residual stress, but components still retain a nonhomogeneous stress state and/or demonstrate a relaxation-derived geometric distortion. Industry, federal laboratory, and university collaboration is needed to address these challenges and enable the U.S. to compete in the global market. Work is currently being conducted on AM technologies at the ORNL

  11. Studies of the Low-energy Gamma Background

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bikit, K.; Mrđa, D.; Bikit, I.; Slivka, J.; Veskovic, M.; Knezevic, D.

    The investigations of contribution to the low-energy part of background gamma spectrum (below 100 keV) and knowing detection efficiency for this region are important for both, a fundamental, as well as for applied research. In this work, the components contributing to the low-energy region of background gamma spectrum for shielded detector are analyzed, including the production and spectral distribution of muon-induced continuous low-energy radiation in the vicinity of high-purity germanium detector.In addition, the detection efficiency for low energy gamma region is determined using the GEANT 4 simulation package. This technique offers excellent opportunity to predict the detection response in mentioned region. Unfortunately, the frequently weakly known dead layer thickness on the surface of the extended-range detector, as well as some processes which are not incorporated in simulation (e.g. charge collection from detector active volume) may limit the reliability of simulation technique. Thus, the 14, 17, 21, 26, 33, 59.5 keV transitions in the calibrated 241Am point source were used to check the simulated efficiencies.

  12. The effect of various pozzolanic additives on the concrete strength index

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vitola, L.; Sahmenko, G.; Erdmane, D.; Bumanis, G.; Bajare, D.

    2017-10-01

    The concrete industry is searching continuously for new effective mineral additives to improve the concrete properties. Replacing cement with the pozzolanic additives in most cases has resulted not only in positive impact on the environment but also has improved strength and durability of the concrete. Effective pozzolanic additives can be obtained from natural resources such as volcanic ashes, kaolin and other sediments as well as from different production industries that create various by-products with high pozzolanic reactivity. Current research deals with effectiveness evaluation of various mineral additives/wastes, such as coal combustion bottom ash, barley bottom ash, waste glass and metakaolin containing waste as well as calcined illite clays as supplementary cementitious materials, to be used in concrete production as partial cement replacement. Most of the examined materials are used as waste stream materials with potential reactive effect on the concrete. Milling time and fineness of the tested supplementary material has been evaluated and effectiveness was detected. Results indicate that fineness of the tested materials has crucial effect on the concrete compressive strength index. Not in all cases the prolonged milling time can increase fineness and reactivity of the supplementary materials; however the optimal milling time and fineness of the pozolanic additives increased the strength index of concrete up to 1.16 comparing to reference, even in cases when cement was substituted by 20 w%.

  13. Multi-orifice deposition nozzle for additive manufacturing

    DOEpatents

    Lind, Randall F.; Post, Brian K.; Cini, Colin L.

    2017-11-21

    An additive manufacturing extrusion head includes a nozzle for accepting and depositing a heated material onto a work surface and/or part. The nozzle includes a valve body and an internal poppet body moveable between positions to permit deposition of at least two bead sizes of heated material onto a work surface and/or part.

  14. 10 CFR 70.65 - Additional content of applications.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Additional content of applications. 70.65 Section 70.65... Material § 70.65 Additional content of applications. (a) In addition to the contents required by § 70.22.... (b) The integrated safety analysis summary must be submitted with the license or renewal application...

  15. Rain-induced increase in background radiation detected by Radiation Portal Monitors.

    PubMed

    Livesay, R J; Blessinger, C S; Guzzardo, T F; Hausladen, P A

    2014-11-01

    A complete understanding of both the steady state and transient background measured by Radiation Portal Monitors (RPMs) is essential to predictable system performance, as well as maximization of detection sensitivity. To facilitate this understanding, a test bed for the study of natural background in RPMs has been established at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This work was performed in support of the Second Line of Defense Program's mission to enhance partner country capability to deter, detect, and interdict the illicit movement of special nuclear material. In the present work, transient increases in gamma-ray counting rates in RPMs due to rain are investigated. The increase in background activity associated with rain, which has been well documented in the field of environmental radioactivity, originates primarily from the wet-deposition of two radioactive daughters of (222)Rn, namely, (214)Pb and (214)Bi. In this study, rainfall rates recorded by a co-located weather station are compared with RPM count rates and high-purity germanium spectra. The data verify that these radionuclides are responsible for the largest environmental background fluctuations in RPMs. Analytical expressions for the detector response function in Poly-Vinyl Toluene have been derived. Effects on system performance and potential mitigation strategies are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Monte Carlo simulation for background study of geophysical inspection with cosmic-ray muons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nishiyama, Ryuichi; Taketa, Akimichi; Miyamoto, Seigo; Kasahara, Katsuaki

    2016-08-01

    Several attempts have been made to obtain a radiographic image inside volcanoes using cosmic-ray muons (muography). Muography is expected to resolve highly heterogeneous density profiles near the surface of volcanoes. However, several prior works have failed to make clear observations due to contamination by background noise. The background contamination leads to an overestimation of the muon flux and consequently a significant underestimation of the density in the target mountains. To investigate the origin of the background noise, we performed a Monte Carlo simulation. The main components of the background noise in muography are found to be low-energy protons, electrons and muons in case of detectors without particle identification and with energy thresholds below 1 GeV. This result was confirmed by comparisons with actual observations of nuclear emulsions. This result will be useful for detector design in future works, and in addition some previous works of muography should be reviewed from the view point of background contamination.

  17. An initial investigation into pseudo-coloring for ultrasonic NDE of polycrystalline materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Pamel, A.; Brett, C. R.; Lowe, M. J. S.

    2015-03-01

    Ultrasonic imaging for NDE is limited by the challenge of detection, which relies on discriminating between objects based on their intensity. Whilst this works well in ultrasonically transparent media, in polycrystalline materials however, a host where scatterers are abundant, this is no longer the case. In such media, intensity information, as a means of interpreting an image, is compromised by the background of coherent microstructural noise. In a bid to improve this, it is suggested here to use pseudo-coloring to consider frequency information and distinguish objects based on their emitted frequency spectra. This approach exploits the frequency diversity; namely the difference in frequency dependence of the noise stemming from the material's microstructure, or backscatter, and that exhibited by the targets of interest: defects. Whereas established frequency diversity techniques exploit this additional information to reconvert it into amplitude data, color enables encoding frequency and intensity information independently. This article serves as an initial exploration of pseudo-coloring ultrasonic images for ultrasonic NDE of polycrystalline materials.

  18. Geochemistry of regional background aerosols in the Western Mediterranean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pey, J.; Pérez, N.; Castillo, S.; Viana, M.; Moreno, T.; Pandolfi, M.; López-Sebastián, J. M.; Alastuey, A.; Querol, X.

    2009-11-01

    The chemical composition of regional background aerosols, and the time variability and sources in the Western Mediterranean are interpreted in this study. To this end 2002-2007 PM speciation data from an European Supersite for Atmospheric Aerosol Research (Montseny, MSY, located 40 km NNE of Barcelona in NE Spain) were evaluated, with these data being considered representative of regional background aerosols in the Western Mediterranean Basin. The mean PM 10, PM 2.5 and PM 1 levels at MSY during 2002-2007 were 16, 14 and 11 µg/m 3, respectively. After compiling data on regional background PM speciation from Europe to compare our data, it is evidenced that the Western Mediterranean aerosol is characterised by higher concentrations of crustal material but lower levels of OM + EC and ammonium nitrate than at central European sites. Relatively high PM 2.5 concentrations due to the transport of anthropogenic aerosols (mostly carbonaceous and sulphate) from populated coastal areas were recorded, especially during winter anticyclonic episodes and summer midday PM highs (the latter associated with the transport of the breeze and the expansion of the mixing layer). Source apportionment analyses indicated that the major contributors to PM 2.5 and PM 10 were secondary sulphate, secondary nitrate and crustal material, whereas the higher load of the anthropogenic component in PM 2.5 reflects the influence of regional (traffic and industrial) emissions. Levels of mineral, sulphate, sea spray and carbonaceous aerosols were higher in summer, whereas nitrate levels and Cl/Na were higher in winter. A considerably high OC/EC ratio (14 in summer, 10 in winter) was detected, which could be due to a combination of high biogenic emissions of secondary organic aerosol, SOA precursors, ozone levels and insolation, and intensive recirculation of aged air masses. Compared with more locally derived crustal geological dusts, African dust intrusions introduce relatively quartz-poor but clay

  19. Natural radionuclide and radiological assessment of building materials in high background radiation areas of Ramsar, Iran.

    PubMed

    Bavarnegin, Elham; Moghaddam, Masoud Vahabi; Fathabadi, Nasrin

    2013-04-01

    Building materials, collected from different sites in Ramsar, a northern coastal city in Iran, were analyzed for their natural radionuclide contents. The measurements were carried out using a high resolution high purity Germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometer system. The activity concentration of (226)Ra, (232)Th, and (40)K content varied from below the minimum detection limit up to 86,400 Bqkg(-1), 187 Bqkg(-1), and 1350 Bqkg(-1), respectively. The radiological hazards incurred from the use of these building materials were estimated through various radiation hazard indices. The result of this survey shows that values obtained for some samples are more than the internationally accepted maximum limits and as such, the use of them as a building material pose significant radiation hazard to individuals.

  20. An Einstein survey of the 1 keV soft X-ray background in the Galactic plane

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stanford, John M.; Caillault, Jean-Pierre

    1994-01-01

    We have analyzed 56 Einstein Observatory Imaging Proportional Counter (IPC) observations within +/- 3 deg of the Galactic plane in order to determine the low-latitude soft X-ray background flux in the 0.56-1.73 keV band. Any detected X-ray point source which fell within our regions of study was removed from the image, enabling us to present maps of the background flux as a function of Galactic latitude along 18 meridians. These maps reveal considerable structure to the background in the Galactic plane on an angular scale of approximately 1 deg. Our results are compared with those of an earlier study of the 1 keV X-ray background along l = 25 deg by Kahn & Caillault. The double-peaked structure they found is not discernible in our results, possibly because of the presence of solar backscattered flux in their data. A model which takes into account contributions to the background by extragalactic and stellar sources, the distribution of both atomic and molecular absorbing material with the Galaxy, the energy dependence of the cross section for absorption of X-rays, and the energy dependence of the detector has been constructed and fitted to these new data to derive constraints on the scale height, temperature, and volume emissivity of the unaccounted-for X-ray-emitting material. The results of this model along l = 25 deg are roughly similar to those of the model of Kahn & Caillault along the same meridian.

  1. Hungaria Asteroid Region Telescopic Spectral Survey (HARTSS): Stony Asteroids Abundant in the Background and Family Populations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lucas, Michael P.; Emery, Joshua P.; Pinilla-Alonso, Noemi; Lindsay, Sean S.; Lorenzi, Vania

    2016-10-01

    The Hungaria region represents a "purgatory" for the closest, preserved samples of the material from which the terrestrial planets accreted. The Hungaria region harbors a collisional family of Xe-type asteroids, which are situated among a background of predominantly S-complex asteroids. Deciphering their surface composition may provide constraints on the nature of the primordial building blocks of the terrestrial planets. We hypothesize that planetesimals in the inner part of the primordial asteroid belt experienced partial- to full-melting and differentiation, the Hungaria region should retain any petrologically-evolved material that formed there.We have undertaken an observational campaign entitled the Hungaria Asteroid Region Telescopic Spectral Survey (HARTSS) to record near-infrared (NIR) spectra to characterize taxonomy, surface mineralogy, and potential meteorite analogs. We used NIR instruments at two ground-based facilities (NASA IRTF; TNG). Our data set includes spectra of 82 Hungaria asteroids (61 background; 21 family), 65 were observed during HARTSS. We compare S-complex background asteroids to calibrations developed via laboratory analyses of ordinary chondrites, and to our analyses (EPMA, XRD, VIS+NIR spectra) of 11 primitive achondrite (acapulcoite-lodranite clan) meteorites.We find that stony S-complex asteroids dominate the Hungaria background population (~80%). Background objects exhibit considerable spectral diversity, when quantified by spectral band parameter measurements, translates to a variety of surface compositions. Two main meteorite groups are represented within the Hungaria background: unmelted, nebular L chondrites (and/or L chondrites), and partially-melted primitive achondrites. H-chondrite mineralogies appear to be absent from the Hungaria background. Xe-type Hungaria family members exhibit spectral homogeneity, consistent with the hypothesis that the family was derived from the disruption of a parent body analogous to an enstatite

  2. Using dynamic mode decomposition for real-time background/foreground separation in video

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kutz, Jose Nathan; Grosek, Jacob; Brunton, Steven

    The technique of dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) is disclosed herein for the purpose of robustly separating video frames into background (low-rank) and foreground (sparse) components in real-time. Foreground/background separation is achieved at the computational cost of just one singular value decomposition (SVD) and one linear equation solve, thus producing results orders of magnitude faster than robust principal component analysis (RPCA). Additional techniques, including techniques for analyzing the video for multi-resolution time-scale components, and techniques for reusing computations to allow processing of streaming video in real time, are also described herein.

  3. 27 CFR 19.303 - Addition of caramel to rum or brandy and addition of oak chips to spirits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... or brandy and addition of oak chips to spirits. 19.303 Section 19.303 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and... rum or brandy and addition of oak chips to spirits. A proprietor may add caramel that has no material... oak chips that have not been treated with any chemical to packages of spirits prior to or after the...

  4. 27 CFR 19.303 - Addition of caramel to rum or brandy and addition of oak chips to spirits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... or brandy and addition of oak chips to spirits. 19.303 Section 19.303 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and... rum or brandy and addition of oak chips to spirits. A proprietor may add caramel that has no material... oak chips that have not been treated with any chemical to packages of spirits prior to or after the...

  5. 27 CFR 19.303 - Addition of caramel to rum or brandy and addition of oak chips to spirits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... or brandy and addition of oak chips to spirits. 19.303 Section 19.303 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and... rum or brandy and addition of oak chips to spirits. A proprietor may add caramel that has no material... oak chips that have not been treated with any chemical to packages of spirits prior to or after the...

  6. 27 CFR 19.303 - Addition of caramel to rum or brandy and addition of oak chips to spirits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... or brandy and addition of oak chips to spirits. 19.303 Section 19.303 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and... rum or brandy and addition of oak chips to spirits. A proprietor may add caramel that has no material... oak chips that have not been treated with any chemical to packages of spirits prior to or after the...

  7. Background radiation: natural and man-made.

    PubMed

    Thorne, M C

    2003-03-01

    rate is about 1105 microSv a(-1). For 220Rn and its progeny, the corresponding value is 91 microSv a(-1). In both cases, the effective dose is mainly due to a particle irradiation of the bronchial tissues of the lungs. Overall, the worldwide average effective dose rate from natural background is about 2400 microSv a(-1) or 2.4 mSv a(-1). For comparison, worldwide average effective dose rates from weapons fallout peaked at 113 microSv a(-1) (about 5% of natural background) in 1963 and have since fallen to about 5.5 microSv a(-1) (about 0.2% of natural background). These values perhaps serve to emphasise that even gross insults to the natural environment from anthropogenic releases of radioactive materials are likely to be of limited significance when set in the context of the ambient radioactive environment within which all organisms, including humans, have developed.

  8. Pixel detectors in double beta decay experiments, a new approach for background reduction

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jose, J. M.; Čermák, P.; Štekl, I.

    Double beta decay (ββ) experiments are challenging frontiers in contemporary physics. These experiments have the potential to investigate more about neutrinos (eg. nature and mass). The main challenge for these experiments is the reduction of background. The group at IEAP, CTU in Prague is investigating a new approach using pixel detectors Timepix. Pixel detector offer background reduction capabilities with its ability to identify the particle interaction (from the 2D signature it generates). However, use of pixel detectors has some challenges such as the presence of readout electronics near the sensing medium and heat dissipation. Different aspects of pixel setup (identificationmore » of radio-impurities, selection of radio-pure materials) and proposed experimental setup are presented. Also, results of preliminary background measurements (performed on the surface and in the underground laboratories) using the prototype setups are presented.« less

  9. Visual signal detection in structured backgrounds. II. Effects of contrast gain control, background variations, and white noise

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eckstein, M. P.; Ahumada, A. J. Jr; Watson, A. B.

    1997-01-01

    Studies of visual detection of a signal superimposed on one of two identical backgrounds show performance degradation when the background has high contrast and is similar in spatial frequency and/or orientation to the signal. To account for this finding, models include a contrast gain control mechanism that pools activity across spatial frequency, orientation and space to inhibit (divisively) the response of the receptor sensitive to the signal. In tasks in which the observer has to detect a known signal added to one of M different backgrounds grounds due to added visual noise, the main sources of degradation are the stochastic noise in the image and the suboptimal visual processing. We investigate how these two sources of degradation (contrast gain control and variations in the background) interact in a task in which the signal is embedded in one of M locations in a complex spatially varying background (structured background). We use backgrounds extracted from patient digital medical images. To isolate effects of the fixed deterministic background (the contrast gain control) from the effects of the background variations, we conduct detection experiments with three different background conditions: (1) uniform background, (2) a repeated sample of structured background, and (3) different samples of structured background. Results show that human visual detection degrades from the uniform background condition to the repeated background condition and degrades even further in the different backgrounds condition. These results suggest that both the contrast gain control mechanism and the background random variations degrade human performance in detection of a signal in a complex, spatially varying background. A filter model and added white noise are used to generate estimates of sampling efficiencies, an equivalent internal noise, an equivalent contrast-gain-control-induced noise, and an equivalent noise due to the variations in the structured background.

  10. Mechanical properties of sheet metal components with local reinforcement produced by additive manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ünsal, Ismail; Hama-Saleh, R.; Sviridov, Alexander; Bambach, Markus; Weisheit, A.; Schleifenbaum, J. H.

    2018-05-01

    New technological challenges like electro-mobility pose an increasing demand for cost-efficient processes for the production of product variants. This demand opens the possibility to combine established die-based manufacturing methods and innovative, dieless technologies like additive manufacturing [1, 2]. In this context, additive manufacturing technologies allow for the weight-efficient local reinforcement of parts before and after forming, enabling manufacturers to produce product variants from series parts [3]. Previous work by the authors shows that the optimal shape of the reinforcing structure can be determined using sizing optimization. Sheet metal parts can then be reinforced using laser metal deposition. The material used is a pearlite-reduced, micro-alloyed steel (ZE 630). The aim of this paper is to determine the effect of the additive manufacturing process on the material behavior and the mechanical properties of the base material and the resulting composite material. The parameters of the AM process are optimized to reach similar material properties in the base material and the build-up volume. A metallographic analysis of the parts is presented, where the additive layers, the base material and also the bonding between the additive layers and the base material are analyzed. The paper shows the feasibility of the approach and details the resulting mechanical properties and performance.

  11. Inelastic neutron scattering cross sections for Ge 76 relevant to background in neutrinoless double- β decay experiments

    DOE PAGES

    Crider, B. P.; Peters, E. E.; Allmond, J. M.; ...

    2015-09-11

    The experimental signature in searches for the neutrinoless double- decay of 76Ge is a peak near 2039 keV in the spectrum. Given the low probability of the process, it is important that the background in this region be well understood. Moreover, inelastic scattering reactions with neutrons from muon-induced interactions and ( ,n) reactions in the surrounding materials or in the detector can provide contributions to the background. We also measured the production cross sections for rays from the 76Ge(n,n ) reaction in the 2039-keV region at incident neutron energies up to 4.9 MeV. In addition to determining that the crossmore » sections of a previously known 2040.7-keV ray from the 3952-keV level in 76 Ge are rather small, we find that a larger contribution arises from a 2037.5-keV ray which is attributed to a newly identified level at 3147 keV in 76Ge. Finally, a third contribution is also possible from another new level at 3577 keV. These results indicate that the 2039-keV region in 76Ge neutrinoless double- decay searches is more complex than was previously thought.« less

  12. Pair creation of higher dimensional black holes on a de Sitter background

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dias, Oscar J.C.; Lemos, Jose P.S.; CENTRA, Departamento de Fisica, F.C.T., Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro

    We study in detail the quantum process in which a pair of black holes is created in a higher D-dimensional de Sitter (dS) background. The energy to materialize and accelerate the pair comes from the positive cosmological constant. The instantons that describe the process are obtained from the Tangherlini black hole solutions. Our pair creation rates reduce to the pair creation rate for Reissner-Nordstroem-dS solutions when D=4. Pair creation of black holes in the dS background becomes less suppressed when the dimension of the spacetime increases. The dS space is the only background in which we can discuss analytically themore » pair creation process of higher dimensional black holes, since the C-metric and the Ernst solutions, which describe, respectively, a pair accelerated by a string and by an electromagnetic field, are not known yet in a higher dimensional spacetime.« less

  13. The Association between Music Training, Background Music, and Adult Reading Comprehension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haning, Marshall

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to determine whether music training is correlated with increased reading comprehension skills in young adults. In addition, an attempt was made to replicate Patson and Tippett's (2011) finding that background music impairs language comprehension scores in musicians but not in nonmusicians. Participants with musical…

  14. ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AZERBAYDZHAN. INSTITUTE OF ADDITIVE CHEMISTRY. ADDITIVES AND LUBRICANTS, QUESTIONS OF SYNTHESIS, RESEARCH ON THE APPLICATION OF ADDITIVES AND LUBRICANTS, FUELS, AND POLYMER MATERIALS (SELECTED ARTICLES),

    DTIC Science & Technology

    an alkylphenol ); Synthesis and investigation of the new antioxidative INKhP-40 Additive; Synthesis and investigation of N-butylurethane-based antioxidative additive; and Synthesis of mixed esters of dithiophosphoric acid.

  15. Neutron induced radio-isotopes and background for Ge double beta decay experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chu, Pinghan; Majorana Collaboration

    2015-10-01

    Environmental neutrons, mostly produced by muons in the cosmic rays, might contribute backgrounds to the search for neutrinoless double beta decays. These neutrons can interact with materials and generate radio-isotopes, which can decay and produce radioactive backgrounds. Some of these neutron-induced isotopes have a signature of a time-delayed coincidence, allowing us to study these infrequent events. For example, such isotopes can decay by beta decay to metastable states and then decay by gamma decay to the ground state. Considering the time-delayed coincidence of these two processes, we can determine candidates for these neutron-induced isotopes in the data and estimate the flux of neutrons in the deep underground environment. In this report, we will list possible neutron-induced isotopes and the methodology to detect them, especially those that can affect the search for neutrinoless double beta decays in 76Ge. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Nuclear Physics, the Particle Astrophysics Program of the National Science Foundation, and the Sanford Underground Research Facility. We acknowledge the support of the U.S. Department of Energy through the LANL/LDRD Program.

  16. Illuminating the Background: Topics in Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization Research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller, Nathan J.

    The cosmic microwave background provides a wealth of information about the origin and history of the universe. The statistics of the anisotropy and the polarization of the cosmic microwave background, among other things, can tell us about the distribution of matter, the redshift of reionization, and the nature of the primordial uctuations. From the lensing of cosmic microwave background due to intervening matter, we can extract information about neutrinos and the equation of state of dark energy. A measurement of the large angular scale B-mode polarization has been called the "smoking gun" of in ation, a theory that describes a possible early rapid expansion of the universe. The focus of current experiments is to measure this B-mode polarization, while several experiments, such as POLARBEAR, are also looking to measure the lensing of the cosmic microwave background. This dissertation will discuss several different topics in cosmic microwave background polarization research. I will make predictions for future experiments and I will also show analysis for two current experiments, POLARBEAR and BICEP. I will show how beam systematics affect the measurement of cosmological parameters and how well we must limit these systematics in order to get unbiased constraints on cosmological parameters for future experiments. I will discuss a novel way of using the temperature-polarization cross correlation to constrain the amount of inflationary gravitational waves. Through Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods, I will determine how well future experiments will be able to constrain the neutrino masses and their degeneracy parameters. I will show results from current data analysis and calibration being done on the Cedar Flat deployment for the POLARBEAR experiment which is currently being constructed in the Atacama desert in Chile. Finally, I will analyze the claim of detection of cosmological birefringence in the BICEP data and show that there is reason to believe it is due to

  17. Effect of lime addition during sewage sludge treatment on characteristics of resulting SSA when it is used in cementitious materials.

    PubMed

    Vouk, D; Nakic, D; Štirmer, N; Baricevic, A

    2017-02-01

    Final disposal of sewage sludge is important not only in terms of satisfying the regulations, but the aspect of choosing the optimal wastewater treatment technology, including the sludge treatment. In most EU countries, significant amounts of stabilized and dewatered sludge are incinerated, and sewage sludge ash (SSA) is generated as a by product. At the same time, lime is one of the commonly used additives in the sewage sludge treatment primarily to stabilize the sludge. In doing so, the question arose how desirable is such addition of lime if the sludge is subsequently incinerated, and the generated ash is further used in the production of cementitious materials. A series of mortars were prepared where 10-20% of the cement fraction was replaced by SSA. Since all three types of analyzed SSA (without lime, with lime added during sludge stabilization and with extra lime added during sludge incineration) yielded nearly same results, it can be concluded that if sludge incineration is accepted solution, lime addition during sludge treatment is unnecessary even from the standpoint of preserving the pozzolanic properties of the resulting SSA. Results of the research carried out on cement mortars point to the great possibilities of using SSA in concrete industry.

  18. Background Underground at WIPP

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Esch, Ernst-Ingo; Hime, A.; Bowles, T. J.

    2001-04-01

    Recent interest to establish a dedicated underground laboratory in the United States prompted an experimental program at to quantify the enviromental backgrounds underground at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. An outline of this program is provided along with recent experimental data on the cosmic ray muon flux at the 650 meter level of WIPP. The implications of the cosmic ray muon and fast neutron background at WIPP will be discussed in the context of new generation, low background experiments envisioned in the future.

  19. Controlling the Electrostatic Discharge Ignition Sensitivity of Composite Energetic Materials Using Carbon Nanotube Additives

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-08-10

    Electrostatic discharge Ignition Aluminum Thermites Energetic materials a b s t r a c t Powder energetic materials are highly sensitive to electrostatic...Fundamentals, in: Heat Conduction, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, 2012. [12] Davin G. Piercey, Thomas M. Klapotke, Nanoscale aluminum metal oxide ( thermite ) reactions for...propagation velocity in thermites with a nanoscale oxidizer, Propellants Explos. Pyrotechn. 39 (3) (2014) 407 415. [18] Kevin Moore, Michelle L

  20. Latent variable method for automatic adaptation to background states in motor imagery BCI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dagaev, Nikolay; Volkova, Ksenia; Ossadtchi, Alexei

    2018-02-01

    Objective. Brain-computer interface (BCI) systems are known to be vulnerable to variabilities in background states of a user. Usually, no detailed information on these states is available even during the training stage. Thus there is a need in a method which is capable of taking background states into account in an unsupervised way. Approach. We propose a latent variable method that is based on a probabilistic model with a discrete latent variable. In order to estimate the model’s parameters, we suggest to use the expectation maximization algorithm. The proposed method is aimed at assessing characteristics of background states without any corresponding data labeling. In the context of asynchronous motor imagery paradigm, we applied this method to the real data from twelve able-bodied subjects with open/closed eyes serving as background states. Main results. We found that the latent variable method improved classification of target states compared to the baseline method (in seven of twelve subjects). In addition, we found that our method was also capable of background states recognition (in six of twelve subjects). Significance. Without any supervised information on background states, the latent variable method provides a way to improve classification in BCI by taking background states into account at the training stage and then by making decisions on target states weighted by posterior probabilities of background states at the prediction stage.

  1. 10 CFR 70.65 - Additional content of applications.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Additional content of applications. 70.65 Section 70.65 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) DOMESTIC LICENSING OF SPECIAL NUCLEAR MATERIAL Additional Requirements for Certain Licensees Authorized To Possess a Critical Mass of Special Nuclear...

  2. Bio-Inspired Bright Structurally Colored Colloidal Amorphous Array Enhanced by Controlling Thickness and Black Background.

    PubMed

    Iwata, Masanori; Teshima, Midori; Seki, Takahiro; Yoshioka, Shinya; Takeoka, Yukikazu

    2017-07-01

    Inspired by Steller's jay, which displays angle-independent structural colors, angle-independent structurally colored materials are created, which are composed of amorphous arrays of submicrometer-sized fine spherical silica colloidal particles. When the colloidal amorphous arrays are thick, they do not appear colorful but almost white. However, the saturation of the structural color can be increased by (i) appropriately controlling the thickness of the array and (ii) placing the black background substrate. This is similar in the case of the blue feather of Steller's jay. Based on the knowledge gained through the biomimicry of structural colored materials, colloidal amorphous arrays on the surface of a black particle as the core particle are also prepared as colorful photonic pigments. Moreover, a structural color on-off system is successfully built by controlling the background brightness of the colloidal amorphous arrays. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Low-background germanium radioassay for the MAJORANA Collaboration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trimble, James E., Jr.

    The focus of the MAJORANA COLLABORATION is the search for nuclear neutrinoless double beta decay. If discovered, this process would prove that the neutrino is its own anti-particle, or a M AJORANA particle. Being constructed at the Sanford Underground Research Facility, the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR aims to show that a background rate of 3 counts per region of interest (ROI) per tonne per year in the 4 keV ROI surrounding the 2039-keV Q-value energy of 76Ge is achievable and to demonstrate the technological feasibility of building a tonne-scale Ge-based experiment. Because of the rare nature of this process, detectors in the system must be isolated from ionizing radiation backgrounds as much as possible. This involved building the system with materials containing very low levels of naturally- occurring and anthropogenic radioactive isotopes at a deep underground site. In order to measure the levels of radioactive contamination in some components, the Majorana Demonstrator uses a low background counting facility managed by the Experimental Nuclear and Astroparticle Physics (ENAP) group at UNC. The UNC low background counting (LBC) facility is located at the Kimballton Underground Research Facility (KURF) located in Ripplemead, VA. The facility was used for a neutron activation analysis of samples of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) tubing intended for use in the Demonstrator. Calculated initial activity limits (90% C.L.) of 238U and 232Th in the 0.002-in PTFE samples were 7.6 ppt and 5.1 ppt, respectively. The same limits in the FEP tubing sample were 150 ppt and 45 ppt, respectively. The UNC LBC was also used to gamma-assay a modified stainless steel flange to be used as a vacuum feedthrough. Trace activities of both 238U and 232Th were found in the sample, but all were orders of magnitude below the acceptable threshold for the Majorana experiment. Also discussed is a proposed next generation ultra-low background system designed

  4. Optic-null space medium for cover-up cloaking without any negative refraction index materials

    PubMed Central

    Sun, Fei; He, Sailing

    2016-01-01

    With the help of optic-null medium, we propose a new way to achieve invisibility by covering up the scattering without using any negative refraction index materials. Compared with previous methods to achieve invisibility, the function of our cloak is to cover up the scattering of the objects to be concealed by a background object of strong scattering. The concealed object can receive information from the outside world without being detected. Numerical simulations verify the performance of our cloak. The proposed method will be a great addition to existing invisibility technology. PMID:27383833

  5. Optic-null space medium for cover-up cloaking without any negative refraction index materials.

    PubMed

    Sun, Fei; He, Sailing

    2016-07-07

    With the help of optic-null medium, we propose a new way to achieve invisibility by covering up the scattering without using any negative refraction index materials. Compared with previous methods to achieve invisibility, the function of our cloak is to cover up the scattering of the objects to be concealed by a background object of strong scattering. The concealed object can receive information from the outside world without being detected. Numerical simulations verify the performance of our cloak. The proposed method will be a great addition to existing invisibility technology.

  6. Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee - June 5-6, 2014 Materials

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This PPDC meeting included sessions on the budget, 21st century toxicity testing, polllinator protection, school IPM, and the endocrine disruptor screening program. View presentation materials for those topics plus other background materials and updates.

  7. Causes and Consequences of Genetic Background Effects Illuminated by Integrative Genomic Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Chandler, Christopher H.; Chari, Sudarshan; Dworkin, Ian

    2014-01-01

    The phenotypic consequences of individual mutations are modulated by the wild-type genetic background in which they occur. Although such background dependence is widely observed, we do not know whether general patterns across species and traits exist or about the mechanisms underlying it. We also lack knowledge on how mutations interact with genetic background to influence gene expression and how this in turn mediates mutant phenotypes. Furthermore, how genetic background influences patterns of epistasis remains unclear. To investigate the genetic basis and genomic consequences of genetic background dependence of the scallopedE3 allele on the Drosophila melanogaster wing, we generated multiple novel genome-level datasets from a mapping-by-introgression experiment and a tagged RNA gene expression dataset. In addition we used whole genome resequencing of the parental lines—two commonly used laboratory strains—to predict polymorphic transcription factor binding sites for SD. We integrated these data with previously published genomic datasets from expression microarrays and a modifier mutation screen. By searching for genes showing a congruent signal across multiple datasets, we were able to identify a robust set of candidate loci contributing to the background-dependent effects of mutations in sd. We also show that the majority of background-dependent modifiers previously reported are caused by higher-order epistasis, not quantitative noncomplementation. These findings provide a useful foundation for more detailed investigations of genetic background dependence in this system, and this approach is likely to prove useful in exploring the genetic basis of other traits as well. PMID:24504186

  8. Monitoring Energy Calibration Drift Using the Scintillator Background Radiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Conti, Maurizio; Eriksson, Lars; Hayden, Charles

    2011-06-01

    Scintillating materials commonly used in nuclear medicine can contain traces of isotopes that naturally emit gamma or beta radiation. Examples of these are 138La contained in LaBr3 and other Lanthanum based scintillators, and 176Lu contained in LSO, LYSO, LuYAP and other Lutetium based scintillators. In particular,176Lu decays into 176Hf and emits a beta particle with maximum energy 589 keV, and a cascade of gamma rays of energies 307 keV, 202 keV and 88 keV. We propose to use the background radiation for monitoring of detector calibration drift and for self-calibration of detectors in complex detector systems. A calibration drift due to random or systematic changes in photomultiplier tube (PMT) gain was studied in a Siemens PET scanner, based on LSO blocks. Both a conventional radioactive source (68Ge, 511 keV photons from electron-positron annihilation) and the LSO background radiation were used for calibration. The difference in the calibration peak shift at 511 keV estimated with the two methods was less than 10%.

  9. Evaluation of methods to reduce background using the Python-based ELISA_QC program.

    PubMed

    Webster, Rose P; Cohen, Cinder F; Saeed, Fatima O; Wetzel, Hanna N; Ball, William J; Kirley, Terence L; Norman, Andrew B

    2018-05-01

    Almost all immunological approaches [immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot], that are used to quantitate specific proteins have had to address high backgrounds due to non-specific reactivity. We report here for the first time a quantitative comparison of methods for reduction of the background of commercial biotinylated antibodies using the Python-based ELISA_QC program. This is demonstrated using a recombinant humanized anti-cocaine monoclonal antibody. Several approaches, such as adjustment of the incubation time and the concentration of blocking agent, as well as the dilution of secondary antibodies, have been explored to address this issue. In this report, systematic comparisons of two different methods, contrasted with other more traditional methods to address this problem are provided. Addition of heparin (HP) at 1 μg/ml to the wash buffer prior to addition of the secondary biotinylated antibody reduced the elevated background absorbance values (from a mean of 0.313 ± 0.015 to 0.137 ± 0.002). A novel immunodepletion (ID) method also reduced the background (from a mean of 0.331 ± 0.010 to 0.146 ± 0.013). Overall, the ID method generated more similar results at each concentration of the ELISA standard curve to that using the standard lot 1 than the HP method, as analyzed by the Python-based ELISA_QC program. We conclude that the ID method, while more laborious, provides the best solution to resolve the high background seen with specific lots of biotinylated secondary antibody. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  10. Dilatonic parallelizable NS-NS backgrounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kawano, Teruhiko; Yamaguchi, Satoshi

    2003-08-01

    We complete the classification of parallelizable NS-NS backgrounds in type II supergravity by adding the dilatonic case to the result of Figueroa-O'Farrill on the non-dilatonic case. We also study the supersymmetry of these parallelizable backgrounds. It is shown that all the dilatonic parallelizable backgrounds have sixteen supersymmetries.

  11. 77 FR 31400 - Nixon Presidential Historical Materials: Opening of Materials

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-25

    ... NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION Nixon Presidential Historical Materials: Opening of Materials AGENCY: National Archives and Records Administration. ACTION: Notice of Opening of Additional... by the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, a division of the National Archives and Records...

  12. 77 FR 58179 - Nixon Presidential Historical Materials: Opening of Materials

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-19

    ... NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION Nixon Presidential Historical Materials: Opening of Materials AGENCY: National Archives and Records Administration ACTION: Notice of opening of additional... by the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, a division of the National Archives and Records...

  13. 76 FR 27092 - Nixon Presidential Historical Materials: Opening of Materials

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-10

    ... NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION Nixon Presidential Historical Materials: Opening of Materials AGENCY: National Archives and Records Administration. ACTION: Notice of opening of additional... by the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, a division of the National Archives and Records...

  14. 75 FR 68384 - Nixon Presidential Historical Materials: Opening of Materials

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-05

    ... NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION Nixon Presidential Historical Materials: Opening of Materials AGENCY: National Archives and Records Administration. ACTION: Notice of Opening of Additional... by the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, a division of the National Archives and Records...

  15. [Effect of biochar addition on soil evaporation.

    PubMed

    Xu, Jian; Niu, Wen Quan; Zhang, Ming Zhi; Li, Yuan; Lyu, Wang; Li, Kang-Yong; Zou, Xiao-Yang; Liang, Bo-Hui

    2016-11-18

    In order to determine the rational amount of biochar application and its effect on soil hydrological processes in arid area, soil column experiments were conducted in the laboratory using three biochar additions (5%, 10% and 15%) and four different biochar types (d<0.25 mm bamboo charcoal, 0.25 mm addition of biochar could change the phreatic water recharge, soil water-holding capacity, capillary water upward movement and soil evaporation obviously. But the effects were different depending on the type of biochar raw material and the size of particle. The phreatic water recharge increased with the increasing amount of biochar addition. The addition of biochar could obviously enlarge the soil water-holding capacity and promote the capillary water upward movement rate. This effect was greater when using the material of bamboo charcoal compared with using wood charcoal, while biochar with small particle size had greater impact than that with big particle size. The biochar could effectively restrain the soil evaporation at a low addition amount (5%). But it definitely promoted the soil evaporation if the addition amount was very high. In arid area, biochar addition in appropriate amount could improve soil water retention capacity.

  16. Afro-Americans: Resource Material.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henson, Valeria B.; And Others

    This resource guide lists activities and materials that can be used by teachers to provide students with information about the historical background and cultural heritage of Afro-Americans. Specific teaching strategies, learning activities, and informational readings are provided for the following topics: (1) prominent black Americans; (2) African…

  17. Additive Effects on Si3n4 Oxidation/Volatilization in Water Vapor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Opila, Elizabeth J.; Robinson, R. Craig; Fox, Dennis S.; Wenglarz, Richard A.; Ferber, Mattison K.

    2002-01-01

    Two commercially available additive-containing silicon nitride materials were exposed in four environments which range in severity from dry oxygen at 1 atm pressure, and low gas velocity to an actual turbine engine. Oxidation and volatilization kinetics were monitored at temperatures ranging from 1066 to 1400 C. The main purpose of this paper is to examine the surface oxide morphology resulting from the exposures. It was found that the material surface was enriched in rare earth silicate phases in combustion environments when compared to the oxides formed on materials exposed in dry oxygen. However, the in situ formation of rare earth disilicate phases offered little additional protection from the volatilization of silica observed in combustion environments. It was concluded that externally applied environmental barrier coatings are needed to protect additive-containing silicon nitride materials from volatilization reactions in combustion environments. Introduction Si3N4 is proposed for use as components, such as vanes, in turbine applications. Tens of thousands of hours of life are needed for both land-based turbines and aeropropulsion applications. Additive-containing SisN4 materials are

  18. Background Characterization Techniques For Pattern Recognition Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noah, Meg A.; Noah, Paul V.; Schroeder, John W.; Kessler, Bernard V.; Chernick, Julian A.

    1989-08-01

    The Department of Defense has a requirement to investigate technologies for the detection of air and ground vehicles in a clutter environment. The use of autonomous systems using infrared, visible, and millimeter wave detectors has the potential to meet DOD's needs. In general, however, the hard-ware technology (large detector arrays with high sensitivity) has outpaced the development of processing techniques and software. In a complex background scene the "problem" is as much one of clutter rejection as it is target detection. The work described in this paper has investigated a new, and innovative, methodology for background clutter characterization, target detection and target identification. The approach uses multivariate statistical analysis to evaluate a set of image metrics applied to infrared cloud imagery and terrain clutter scenes. The techniques are applied to two distinct problems: the characterization of atmospheric water vapor cloud scenes for the Navy's Infrared Search and Track (IRST) applications to support the Infrared Modeling Measurement and Analysis Program (IRAMMP); and the detection of ground vehicles for the Army's Autonomous Homing Munitions (AHM) problems. This work was sponsored under two separate Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) programs by the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), White Oak MD, and the Army Material Systems Analysis Activity at Aberdeen Proving Ground MD. The software described in this paper will be available from the respective contract technical representatives.

  19. Effect of the addition of by-product ash of date palms on the mechanical characteristics of gypsum-calcareous materials used in road construction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khellou, A.; Kriker, A.; Hafssi, A.; Belbarka, K.; Baali, K.

    2016-07-01

    The gypsum-calcareous materials, also known as the crusting tuff, are used in the pavement layers of low -traffic road and considered as the materials of first choice in the Saharan region of Algeria. The objective of this paper is to study the mechanical characteristics of tuff of Ouargla town that is situated in the Southeast of Algeria, by adding different percentage of ash resulted from the combustion of by-products of date palms, such as 4%, 8% and l2%, to the tuff. The results obtained have shown a remarkable improvement both in compressive strength at different ages and in the bearing index in the two cases immediate and after immersion in water. These characteristics of the mixture (tuff+ash) reach their maximum values at the 8% of ash addition.

  20. Background Oriented Schlieren (BOS) of a Supersonic Aircraft in Flight

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heineck, James T.; Banks, Daniel W.; Schairer, Edward T.; Haering, Edward A.; Bean, Paul S.

    2016-01-01

    This article describes the development and use of Background Oriented Schlieren on a full-scale supersonic jet in flight. A series of flight tests was performed in October, 2014 and February 2015 using the flora of the desert floor in the Supersonic Flight Corridor on the Edwards Air Force Base as a background. Flight planning was designed based on the camera resolution, the mean size and color of the predominant plants, and the navigation and coordination of two aircraft. Software used to process the image data was improved with additional utilities. The planning proved to be effective and the vast majority of the passes of the target aircraft were successfully recorded. Results were obtained that are the most detailed schlieren imagery of an aircraft in flight to date.

  1. Correlation between low level fluctuations in the x ray background and faint galaxies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tolstoy, Eline; Griffiths, R. E.

    1993-01-01

    A correlation between low-level x-ray fluctuations in the cosmic x-ray background flux and the large numbers of galaxies found in deep optical imaging, to m(sub v) is less than or equal to 24 - 26, is desired. These (faint) galaxies by their morphology and color in deep multi-color CCD images and plate material were optically identified. Statistically significant correlations between these galaxies and low-level x-ray fluctuations at the same positions in multiple deep Einstein HRI observations in PAVO and in a ROSAT PSPC field were searched for. Our aim is to test the hypothesis that faint 'star burst' galaxies might contribute significantly to the cosmic x-ray background (at approximately 1 keV).

  2. Effects of Background Music on Objective and Subjective Performance Measures in an Auditory BCI.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Sijie; Allison, Brendan Z; Kübler, Andrea; Cichocki, Andrzej; Wang, Xingyu; Jin, Jing

    2016-01-01

    Several studies have explored brain computer interface (BCI) systems based on auditory stimuli, which could help patients with visual impairments. Usability and user satisfaction are important considerations in any BCI. Although background music can influence emotion and performance in other task environments, and many users may wish to listen to music while using a BCI, auditory, and other BCIs are typically studied without background music. Some work has explored the possibility of using polyphonic music in auditory BCI systems. However, this approach requires users with good musical skills, and has not been explored in online experiments. Our hypothesis was that an auditory BCI with background music would be preferred by subjects over a similar BCI without background music, without any difference in BCI performance. We introduce a simple paradigm (which does not require musical skill) using percussion instrument sound stimuli and background music, and evaluated it in both offline and online experiments. The result showed that subjects preferred the auditory BCI with background music. Different performance measures did not reveal any significant performance effect when comparing background music vs. no background. Since the addition of background music does not impair BCI performance but is preferred by users, auditory (and perhaps other) BCIs should consider including it. Our study also indicates that auditory BCIs can be effective even if the auditory channel is simultaneously otherwise engaged.

  3. Materials Testing and Cost Modeling for Composite Parts Through Additive Manufacturing

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-04-30

    FDM include plastic jet printing (PJP), fused filament modeling ( FFM ), and fused filament fabrication (FFF). FFF was coined by the RepRap project to...additive manufacturing processes? • Fused deposition modeling (FDM) trademarked by Stratasys • Fused filament modeling ( FFM ) and fused filament

  4. Energetic additive manufacturing process with feed wire

    DOEpatents

    Harwell, Lane D.; Griffith, Michelle L.; Greene, Donald L.; Pressly, Gary A.

    2000-11-07

    A process for additive manufacture by energetic wire deposition is described. A source wire is fed into a energy beam generated melt-pool on a growth surface as the melt-pool moves over the growth surface. This process enables the rapid prototyping and manufacture of fully dense, near-net shape components, as well as cladding and welding processes. Alloys, graded materials, and other inhomogeneous materials can be grown using this process.

  5. Zeolite-catalyzed additions of aromatic compounds to oleic acid

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    There is significant research interest in developing new materials from vegetable oils and animal fats. Biobased materials can be more environmentally friendly because they tend to have good biodegradability and are derived from renewable resources. In this talk, efficient approaches for the addit...

  6. Additive manufacturing of microfluidic glass chips

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kotz, F.; Helmer, D.; Rapp, B. E.

    2018-02-01

    Additive manufacturing has gained great interest in the microfluidic community due to the numerous channel designs which can be tested in the early phases of a lab-on-a-chip device development. High resolution additive manufacturing like microstereolithography is largely associated with polymers. Polymers are at a disadvantage compared to other materials due to their softness and low chemical resistance. Whenever high chemical and thermal resistance combined with high optical transparency is needed, glasses become the material of choice. However, glasses are difficult to structure at the microscale requiring hazardous chemicals for etching processes. In this work we present additive manufacturing and high resolution patterning of microfluidic chips in transparent fused silica glass using stereolithography and microlithography. We print an amorphous silica nanocomposite at room temperature using benchtop stereolithography printers and a custom built microlithography system based on a digital mirror device. Using microlithography we printed structures with tens of micron resolution. The printed part is then converted to a transparent fused silica glass using thermal debinding and sintering. Printing of a microfluidic chip can be done within 30 minutes. The heat treatment can be done within two days.

  7. Neutron induced background in the COMPTEL detector on the Gamma Ray Observatory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morris, D. J.; Aarts, H.; Bennett, K.; Busetta, M.; Byrd, R.; Collmar, W.; Connors, A.; Diehl, R.; Eymann, G.; Foster, C.

    1992-01-01

    Interactions of neutrons in a prototype of the Compton imaging telescope (COMPTEL) gamma ray detector for the Gamma Ray Observatory were studied to determine COMPTEL's sensitivity as a neutron telescope and to estimate the gamma ray background resulting from neutron interactions. The IUCF provided a pulsed neutron beam at five different energies between 18 and 120 MeV. These measurements showed that the gamma ray background from neutron interactions is greater than previously expected. It was thought that most such events would be due to interactions in the upper detector modules of COMPTEL and could be distinguished by pulse shape discrimination. Rather, the bulk of the gamma ray background appears to be due to interactions in passive material, primarily aluminum, surrounding the D1 modules. In a considerable fraction of these interactions, two or more gamma rays are produced simultaneously, with one interacting in the D1 module and the other interacting in the module of the lower (D2) detector. If the neutron interacts near the D1 module, the D1 D2 time of flight cannot distinguish such an event from a true gamma ray event. In order to assess the significance of this background, the flux of neutrons in orbit has been estimated based on observed events with neutron pulse shape signature in D1. The strength of this neutron induced background is estimated. This is compared with the rate expected from the isotropic cosmic gamma ray flux.

  8. In vitro proliferation of human osteogenic cells in presence of different commercial bone substitute materials combined with enamel matrix derivatives

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    Background Cellular reactions to alloplastic bone substitute materials (BSM) are a subject of interest in basic research. In regenerative dentistry, these bone grafting materials are routinely combined with enamel matrix derivatives (EMD) in order to additionally enhance tissue regeneration. Materials and methods The aim of this study was to evaluate the proliferative activity of human osteogenic cells after incubation over a period of seven days with commercial BSM of various origin and chemical composition. Special focus was placed on the potential additional benefit of EMD on cellular proliferation. Results Except for PerioGlas®, osteogenic cell proliferation was significantly promoted by the investigated BSM. The application of EMD alone also resulted in significantly increased cellular proliferation. However, a combination of BSM and EMD resulted in only a moderate additional enhancement of osteogenic cell proliferation. Conclusion The application of most BSM, as well as the exclusive application of EMD demonstrated a positive impact on the proliferation of human osteogenic cells in vitro. In order to increase the benefit from substrate combination (BSM + EMD), further studies on the interactions between BSM and EMD are needed. PMID:19909545

  9. A background correction algorithm for Van Allen Probes MagEIS electron flux measurements

    DOE PAGES

    Claudepierre, S. G.; O'Brien, T. P.; Blake, J. B.; ...

    2015-07-14

    We describe an automated computer algorithm designed to remove background contamination from the Van Allen Probes Magnetic Electron Ion Spectrometer (MagEIS) electron flux measurements. We provide a detailed description of the algorithm with illustrative examples from on-orbit data. We find two primary sources of background contamination in the MagEIS electron data: inner zone protons and bremsstrahlung X-rays generated by energetic electrons interacting with the spacecraft material. Bremsstrahlung X-rays primarily produce contamination in the lower energy MagEIS electron channels (~30–500 keV) and in regions of geospace where multi-M eV electrons are present. Inner zone protons produce contamination in all MagEIS energymore » channels at roughly L < 2.5. The background-corrected MagEIS electron data produce a more accurate measurement of the electron radiation belts, as most earlier measurements suffer from unquantifiable and uncorrectable contamination in this harsh region of the near-Earth space environment. These background-corrected data will also be useful for spacecraft engineering purposes, providing ground truth for the near-Earth electron environment and informing the next generation of spacecraft design models (e.g., AE9).« less

  10. Praying for Mr. Right? Religion, Family Background, and Marital Expectations among College Women

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ellison, Christopher G.; Burdette, Amy M.; Glenn, Norval D.

    2011-01-01

    This study explores the relationship between multiple aspects of religious involvement--affiliation, church attendance, subjective religiosity--and marital expectations among college women. In addition, the authors investigate whether religious involvement mediates the link between family background and marital expectations. These issues are…

  11. Simplified training for hazardous materials management in developing countries

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Braithwaite, J.

    1994-12-31

    There are thousands of dangerous situations happening daily in developing countries around the world involving untrained workers and hazardous materials. There are very few if any agencies in developing countries that are charged with ensuring safe and healthful working conditions. In addition to the problem of regulation and enforcement, there are potential training problems due to the level of literacy and degree of scientific background of these workers. Many of these workers are refugees from poorly developed countries who are willing to work no matter what the conditions. Training methods (standards) accepted as state of the art in the Unitedmore » States and other developed countries may not work well under the conditions found in developing countries. Because these methods may not be appropriate, new and novel ways to train workers quickly, precisely and economically in hazardous materials management should be developed. One approach is to develop training programs that use easily recognizable graphics with minimal verbal instruction, programs similar to the type used to teach universal international driving regulations and safety. The program as outlined in this paper could be tailored to any sized plant and any hazardous material handling or exposure situation. The situation in many developing countries is critical, development of simplified training methods for workers exposed to hazardous materials hold valuable market potential and are an opportunity for many underdeveloped countries to develop indigenous expertise in hazardous materials management.« less

  12. Effect of particle size of TiO2 and additive materials to improve dye sensitized solar cells efficiency

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ali, Falah H.; Alwan, Dheyaa B.

    2018-05-01

    It became a great interest Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) as a successful alternative to silicon solar cells in terms of cost and simplicity. These cells rely on a semi-conductive material of electricity TiO2 nanocrystalline which encapsulates glass electrodes from the connected side at a temperature 450°C. In this work, the effect of nanoparticle size shows the size of atoms. The smaller the size of the atoms, the greater the surface area and thus the sufficient absorption of the dye and the stimulation of electrons, where increasing surface area increases efficiency. Then a limited amount was added and at a certain concentration, which led to a reasonable improvement in efficiency. According to this procedure commercially available TiO2 (10 nm,25 nm,33 nm, 50 nm) standard. A TiO2 paste was prepared by mixing commercial TiO2, ethanol, distilled water, F:SnO2 (FTO film thickness 14 μm) conductive glasses. By using Dr. Blade method we got films with appropriate thicknesses, then by using several particle sizes (10 nm, 25 nm, 33 nm, 50 nm),many efficiencies were founded (2.39 %, 2.1 %,1.85 %,1.65%) respectively. Improved solar cell efficiency after addition of several chemical materials and the best that got is Cu (NO3)2. Efficiency became for (10 nm) (2.61 %, 2.34 %,2.1%,1.85%) respectively under 40 mW/cm2.

  13. Development and testing of culturally sensitive patient information material for Turkish, Polish, Russian and Italian migrants with depression or chronic low back pain (KULTINFO): study protocol for a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Hölzel, Lars P; Ries, Zivile; Zill, Jördis M; Kriston, Levente; Dirmaier, Jörg; Härter, Martin; Bermejo, Isaac

    2014-07-04

    Many of the approximately 15 million people with a migration background living in Germany (19% of the population) are inadequately reached by existing healthcare provision. In the literature, the necessity for cultural adaptation of information material for patients with a migration background is often cited as a measure for improving healthcare.In this study, culturally sensitive information material will be developed and evaluated for patients with a migration background and depression or chronic low back pain. In this respect, it will be examined whether culturally sensitive information material is judged as more useful by the patients than standard translated patient information without cultural adaptation. The implementation and evaluation of culturally sensitive patient information material will occur in the framework of a double-blind randomized controlled parallel-group study in four study centres in Germany. Primary care patients with a Turkish, Polish, Russian or Italian migration background with a diagnosis of depressive disorder or chronic low back pain will be included and randomly allocated to the intervention group or the control group. In the intervention group, culturally sensitive patient information will be handed to the patient at the end of the physician consultation, while in the control group, standard translated patient information material will be provided. The patients will be surveyed by means of questionnaires following the consultation as well as after 8 weeks and 6 months. In addition to the primary outcome (subjective usefulness), several patient- and physician-rated secondary outcomes will be considered. The study will provide an empirical answer to the question of whether persons with a migration background perceive culturally sensitive patient information material as more useful than translated information material without cultural adaptation. Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien (DRKS-ID) DRKS00004241 and Universal Trial Number

  14. Children's Understanding of the Addition/Subtraction Complement Principle

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Torbeyns, Joke; Peters, Greet; De Smedt, Bert; Ghesquière, Pol; Verschaffel, Lieven

    2016-01-01

    Background: In the last decades, children's understanding of mathematical principles has become an important research topic. Different from the commutativity and inversion principles, only few studies have focused on children's understanding of the addition/subtraction complement principle (if a - b = c, then c + b = a), mainly relying on verbal…

  15. Why Kites Fly. Teacher Background for DSO for DoDDS Japan Day with Kites.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schlenker, Richard M.

    This paper discusses the physical principles behind the flying ability of both kites and airplanes. This background material was developed for a program in which a Japanese kite maker conducts kite making and flying classes in the Japan School District Elementary Schools of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS), Pacific Region. The…

  16. Acid Rain Materials for Classroom Use.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Factor, Lance; Kooser, Robert G.

    This booklet contains three separate papers suitable for use in an advanced high school or college chemistry course. The first paper provides background information on acids and bases. The second paper provides additional background information, focusing on certain aspects of atmospheric chemistry as it relates to the acid rain problem. An attempt…

  17. Active Detection of Shielded Special Nuclear Material in the Presence of Variable High Backgrounds Using a Mixed Photon-Neutron Source

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martin, Philip N.; Clemett, Ceri D.; Hill, Cassie; O'Malley, John; Campbell, Ben

    This paper describes and compares two approaches to the analysis of active interrogation data containing high photon backgrounds associated with mixed photon-neutron source flash active interrogation. Results from liquid scintillation detectors (EJ301/EJ309) fielded at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), in collaboration with the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), using the NRL Mercury Inductive Voltage Adder (IVA) operating in both a photon and mixed photon-neutron mode at a Depleted Uranium (DU) target are presented. The standard approach applying a Figure of Merit (FOM) consisting of background sigma above background is compared with an approach looking to fit only the time-decaying photon signal with standard delayed photon emission from ∼10-MeV end-point-energy Bremsstrahlung photofission of DU. Examples where each approach does well and less well are presented together with a discussion of the relative limitations of both approaches to the type of mixed photon-neutron flash active interrogation being considered.

  18. Nastic Actuation: Electroosmotic Pumping for Shape-Changing Materials

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-02-23

    ELECTROOSMOTIC PUMPING FOR SHAPE-CHANGING MATERIALS Sb. GRANT NUMBER FA9550-09-1-0125 Sc. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Sd. PROJECT NUMBER... Electroosmotic Pumping for Shape-Changing Materials Shapiro, Smela, Fourkas Introduction and Background We had developed a new type of...polymer actuator based on electroosmotic pumping of fluid from one place to another within an elastomeric material. Theoretical calculations showed that

  19. Materials for Paediatric Dentistry. Part 1: Background to the Treatment of Carious Primary Teeth.

    PubMed

    Jenkins, Natalie

    2015-12-01

    Dental caries is a disease that affects many people, including children, and presents numerous challenges to healthcare providers. As clinicians it is important that we consider the advantages and disadvantages of treating carious primary teeth, and make an informed decision about when it is appropriate or not. This paper describes the background to the treatment of carious primary teeth, looking at the differences between primary and permanent teeth, and the relevance of this. It also suggests points to consider when looking at restoration survival studies, as the ability to appraise the literature critically is important for us all in this 'evidence-based' age. CPD/Clinical Relevance: Our early life experiences have the ability to shape our future attitudes and behaviour. Children with carious teeth require careful management so that pain and suffering is minimized, and positive attitudes towards dentistry are fostered.

  20. [Effects of exposure frequency and background information on preferences for photographs of cars in different locations].

    PubMed

    Matsuda, Ken; Kusumi, Takashi; Hosomi, Naohiro; Osa, Atsushi; Miike, Hidetoshi

    2014-08-01

    This study examined the influence of familiarity and novelty on the mere exposure effect while manipulating the presentation of background information. We selected presentation stimuli that integrated cars and backgrounds based on the results of pilot studies. During the exposure phase, we displayed the stimuli successively for 3 seconds, manipulating the background information (same or different backgrounds with each presentation) and exposure frequency (3, 6, and 9 times). In the judgment phase, 18 participants judged the cars in terms of preference, familiarity, and novelty on a 7-point scale. As the number of stimulus presentations increased, the preference for the cars increased during the different background condition and decreased during the same background condition. This increased preference may be due to the increase in familiarity caused by the higher exposure frequency and novelty resulting from the background changes per exposure session. The rise in preference judgments was not seen when cars and backgrounds were presented independently. Therefore, the addition of novel features to each exposure session facilitated the mere exposure effect.

  1. Accurate Modeling of the Terrestrial Gamma-Ray Background for Homeland Security Applications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sandness, Gerald A.; Schweppe, John E.; Hensley, Walter K.

    2009-10-24

    Abstract–The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has developed computer models to simulate the use of radiation portal monitors to screen vehicles and cargo for the presence of illicit radioactive material. The gamma radiation emitted by the vehicles or cargo containers must often be measured in the presence of a relatively large gamma-ray background mainly due to the presence of potassium, uranium, and thorium (and progeny isotopes) in the soil and surrounding building materials. This large background is often a significant limit to the detection sensitivity for items of interest and must be modeled accurately for analyzing homeland security situations. Calculations ofmore » the expected gamma-ray emission from a disk of soil and asphalt were made using the Monte Carlo transport code MCNP and were compared to measurements made at a seaport with a high-purity germanium detector. Analysis revealed that the energy spectrum of the measured background could not be reproduced unless the model included gamma rays coming from the ground out to distances of at least 300 m. The contribution from beyond about 50 m was primarily due to gamma rays that scattered in the air before entering the detectors rather than passing directly from the ground to the detectors. These skyshine gamma rays contribute tens of percent to the total gamma-ray spectrum, primarily at energies below a few hundred keV. The techniques that were developed to efficiently calculate the contributions from a large soil disk and a large air volume in a Monte Carlo simulation are described and the implications of skyshine in portal monitoring applications are discussed.« less

  2. Metallic sulfide additives for positive electrode material within a secondary electrochemical cell

    DOEpatents

    Walsh, William J.; McPheeters, Charles C.; Yao, Neng-ping; Koura, Kobuyuki

    1976-01-01

    An improved active material for use within the positive electrode of a secondary electrochemical cell includes a mixture of iron disulfide and a sulfide of a polyvalent metal. Various metal sulfides, particularly sulfides of cobalt, nickel, copper, cerium and manganese, are added in minor weight proportion in respect to iron disulfide for improving the electrode performance and reducing current collector requirements.

  3. Evaluation of Additive Manufacturing for Stainless Steel Components

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Peter, William H.; Lou, Xiaoyuan; List, III, Frederick Alyious

    This collaboration between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and General Electric Company aimed to evaluate the mechanical properties, microstructure, and porosity of the additively manufactured 316L stainless steel by ORNL’s Renishaw AM250 machine for nuclear application. The program also evaluated the stress corrosion cracking and corrosion fatigue crack growth rate of the same material in high temperature water environments. Results show the properties of this material to be similar to the properties of 316L stainless steel fabricated additively with equipment from other manufacturers with slightly higher porosity. The stress corrosion crack growth rate is similar to that for wrought 316L stainlessmore » steel for an oxygenated high temperature water environment and slightly higher for a hydrogenated high temperature water environment. Optimized heat treatment of this material is expected to improve performance in high temperature water environments.« less

  4. 46 CFR 176.840 - Additional tests and inspections.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Additional tests and inspections. 176.840 Section 176.840 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) SMALL PASSENGER VESSELS (UNDER 100 GROSS TONS) INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION Material Inspections § 176.840 Additional tests and inspections. The cognizant OCMI may require that a...

  5. 46 CFR 176.840 - Additional tests and inspections.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 7 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Additional tests and inspections. 176.840 Section 176.840 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) SMALL PASSENGER VESSELS (UNDER 100 GROSS TONS) INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION Material Inspections § 176.840 Additional tests and inspections. The cognizant OCMI may require that a...

  6. Background noise in piezoresistive, electret condenser, and ceramic microphones.

    PubMed

    Zuckerwar, Allan J; Kuhn, Theodore R; Serbyn, Roman M

    2003-06-01

    Background noise studies have been extended from air condenser microphones to piezoresistive, electret condenser, and ceramic microphones. Theoretical models of the respective noise sources within each microphone are developed and are used to derive analytical expressions for the noise power spectral density for each type. Several additional noise sources for the piezoresistive and electret microphones, beyond what had previously been considered, were applied to the models and were found to contribute significantly to the total noise power spectral density. Experimental background noise measurements were taken using an upgraded acoustic isolation vessel and data acquisition system, and the results were compared to the theoretically obtained expressions. The models were found to yield power spectral densities consistent with the experimental results. The measurements reveal that the 1/f noise coefficient is strongly correlated with the diaphragm damping resistance, irrespective of the detection technology, i.e., air condenser, piezoresistive, etc. This conclusion has profound implications upon the expected 1/f noise component of micromachined (MEMS) microphones.

  7. A Fully Non-Metallic Gas Turbine Engine Enabled by Additive Manufacturing Part I: System Analysis, Component Identification, Additive Manufacturing, and Testing of Polymer Composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grady, Joseph E.; Haller, William J.; Poinsatte, Philip E.; Halbig, Michael C.; Schnulo, Sydney L.; Singh, Mrityunjay; Weir, Don; Wali, Natalie; Vinup, Michael; Jones, Michael G.; hide

    2015-01-01

    The research and development activities reported in this publication were carried out under NASA Aeronautics Research Institute (NARI) funded project entitled "A Fully Nonmetallic Gas Turbine Engine Enabled by Additive Manufacturing." The objective of the project was to conduct evaluation of emerging materials and manufacturing technologies that will enable fully nonmetallic gas turbine engines. The results of the activities are described in three part report. The first part of the report contains the data and analysis of engine system trade studies, which were carried out to estimate reduction in engine emissions and fuel burn enabled due to advanced materials and manufacturing processes. A number of key engine components were identified in which advanced materials and additive manufacturing processes would provide the most significant benefits to engine operation. The technical scope of activities included an assessment of the feasibility of using additive manufacturing technologies to fabricate gas turbine engine components from polymer and ceramic matrix composites, which were accomplished by fabricating prototype engine components and testing them in simulated engine operating conditions. The manufacturing process parameters were developed and optimized for polymer and ceramic composites (described in detail in the second and third part of the report). A number of prototype components (inlet guide vane (IGV), acoustic liners, engine access door) were additively manufactured using high temperature polymer materials. Ceramic matrix composite components included turbine nozzle components. In addition, IGVs and acoustic liners were tested in simulated engine conditions in test rigs. The test results are reported and discussed in detail.

  8. Dirac materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wehling, T. O.; Black-Schaffer, A. M.; Balatsky, A. V.

    2014-01-01

    A wide range of materials, like d-wave superconductors, graphene, and topological insulators, share a fundamental similarity: their low-energy fermionic excitations behave as massless Dirac particles rather than fermions obeying the usual Schrodinger Hamiltonian. This emergent behavior of Dirac fermions in condensed matter systems defines the unifying framework for a class of materials we call "Dirac materials''. In order to establish this class of materials, we illustrate how Dirac fermions emerge in multiple entirely different condensed matter systems and we discuss how Dirac fermions have been identified experimentally using electron spectroscopy techniques (angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling spectroscopy). As a consequence of their common low-energy excitations, this diverse set of materials shares a significant number of universal properties in the low-energy (infrared) limit. We review these common properties including nodal points in the excitation spectrum, density of states, specific heat, transport, thermodynamic properties, impurity resonances, and magnetic field responses, as well as discuss many-body interaction effects. We further review how the emergence of Dirac excitations is controlled by specific symmetries of the material, such as time-reversal, gauge, and spin-orbit symmetries, and how by breaking these symmetries a finite Dirac mass is generated. We give examples of how the interaction of Dirac fermions with their distinct real material background leads to rich novel physics with common fingerprints such as the suppression of back scattering and impurity-induced resonant states.

  9. Improved background suppression in 1H MAS NMR using composite pulses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Odedra, Smita; Wimperis, Stephen

    2012-08-01

    A well known feature of 1H MAS NMR spectroscopy, particularly of solids where the concentration of 1H nuclei is low, is the presence in the spectrum of a significant broad "background" signal arising from 1H nuclei that are outside the MAS rotor and radiofrequency coil, probably located on the surfaces of the static components of the probehead. A popular method of suppressing this unwanted signal is the "depth pulse" method, consisting of a 90° pulse followed by one or two 180° pulses that are phase cycled according to the "Exorcycle" scheme, which removes signal associated with imperfect 180° pulses. Consequently, only spins in the centre of the radiofrequency coil contribute to the 1H MAS spectrum, while those experiencing a low B1 field outside the coil are suppressed. Although very effective at removing background signal from the spectrum, one drawback with this approach is that significant loss of the desired signal from the sample also occurs. Here we investigate the 1H background suppression problem and, in particular, the use of novel antisymmetric passband composite pulses to replace the simple pulses in a depth pulse experiment. We show that it is possible to improve the intensity of the 1H signals of interest while still maintaining effective background suppression. We expect that these results will be relevant to 1H MAS NMR studies of, for example, nominally perdeuterated biological samples or nominally anhydrous inorganic materials.

  10. Brain Activation during Addition and Subtraction Tasks In-Noise and In-Quiet

    PubMed Central

    Abd Hamid, Aini Ismafairus; Yusoff, Ahmad Nazlim; Mukari, Siti Zamratol-Mai Sarah; Mohamad, Mazlyfarina

    2011-01-01

    Background: In spite of extensive research conducted to study how human brain works, little is known about a special function of the brain that stores and manipulates information—the working memory—and how noise influences this special ability. In this study, Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to investigate brain responses to arithmetic problems solved in noisy and quiet backgrounds. Methods: Eighteen healthy young males performed simple arithmetic operations of addition and subtraction with in-quiet and in-noise backgrounds. The MATLAB-based Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM8) was implemented on the fMRI datasets to generate and analyse the activated brain regions. Results: Group results showed that addition and subtraction operations evoked extended activation in the left inferior parietal lobe, left precentral gyrus, left superior parietal lobe, left supramarginal gyrus, and left middle temporal gyrus. This supported the hypothesis that the human brain relatively activates its left hemisphere more compared with the right hemisphere when solving arithmetic problems. The insula, middle cingulate cortex, and middle frontal gyrus, however, showed more extended right hemispheric activation, potentially due to the involvement of attention, executive processes, and working memory. For addition operations, there was extensive left hemispheric activation in the superior temporal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and thalamus. In contrast, subtraction tasks evoked a greater activation of similar brain structures in the right hemisphere. For both addition and subtraction operations, the total number of activated voxels was higher for in-noise than in-quiet conditions. Conclusion: These findings suggest that when arithmetic operations were delivered auditorily, the auditory, attention, and working memory functions were required to accomplish the executive processing of the mathematical calculation. The respective brain activation patterns appear to be

  11. Comparative Evaluation of Dimensional Accuracy of Elastomeric Impression Materials when Treated with Autoclave, Microwave, and Chemical Disinfection

    PubMed Central

    Kamble, Suresh S; Khandeparker, Rakshit Vijay; Somasundaram, P; Raghav, Shweta; Babaji, Rashmi P; Varghese, T Joju

    2015-01-01

    Background: Impression materials during impression procedure often get infected with various infectious diseases. Hence, disinfection of impression materials with various disinfectants is advised to protect the dental team. Disinfection can alter the dimensional accuracy of impression materials. The present study was aimed to evaluate the dimensional accuracy of elastomeric impression materials when treated with different disinfectants; autoclave, chemical, and microwave method. Materials and Methods: The impression materials used for the study were, dentsply aquasil (addition silicone polyvinylsiloxane syringe and putty), zetaplus (condensation silicone putty and light body), and impregum penta soft (polyether). All impressions were made according to manufacturer’s instructions. Dimensional changes were measured before and after different disinfection procedures. Result: Dentsply aquasil showed smallest dimensional change (−0.0046%) and impregum penta soft highest linear dimensional changes (−0.026%). All the tested elastomeric impression materials showed some degree of dimensional changes. Conclusion: The present study showed that all the disinfection procedures produce minor dimensional changes of impression material. However, it was within American Dental Association specification. Hence, steam autoclaving and microwave method can be used as an alternative method to chemical sterilization as an effective method. PMID:26435611

  12. Ultrasonic assessment of additive manufactured Ti-6Al-4V

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schehl, Norman; Kramb, Vicki; Dierken, Josiah; Aldrin, John; Schwalbach, Edwin; John, Reji

    2018-04-01

    Additive Manufacturing (AM) processes offer the potential for manufacturing cost savings and rapid insertion into service through production of near net shape components for complicated structures. Use of these parts in high reliability applications such as those in the aerospace industry will require nondestructive characterization methods to ensure post-process material quality in as-built condition. Ultrasonic methods can be used for this quality verification. Depending on the application, the service life of AM components can be sensitive to the part surface condition. The surface roughness and layered structure inherent to the electron-beam powder-bed fusion process necessitates new approaches to evaluate subsurface material integrity in its presence. Experimental methods and data analytics may improve the evaluation of as-built additively manufactured materials. This paper discusses the assessment of additively manufactured EBM Ti-6Al-4V panels using ultrasonic methods and the data analytics applied to evaluate material integrity. The assessment was done as an exploratory study as the discontinuities of interest in these test samples were not known when the measurements were performed. Water immersion ultrasonic techniques, including pulse-echo and through transmission with 10 MHz focused transducers, were used to explore the material integrity of as-built plates. Subsequent destructive mechanical tests of specimens extracted from the plates provided fracture locations indicating critical flaws. To further understand the effect of surface-roughness, an evaluation of ultrasonic response in the presence of as-built surfaces and with the surface removed was performed. The assessment of additive manufactured EBM Ti-6Al-4V panels with ultrasonic techniques indicated that ultrasonic energy was attenuated by the as-built surface roughness. In addition, feature detection was shown to be sensitive to experimental ultrasonic parameters and flaw morphology.

  13. The ``X component'' of the radio background

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Semenova, T. A.; Pariiskii, Yu. N.; Bursov, N. N.

    2009-01-01

    The recent publication of evidence for a new mechanism producing background radio emission of the Galaxy at centimeter wavelengths (in addition to synchrotron radiation, free—free transitions in ionized gas, and the weak radio emission of standard dust) gave rise to a strong reaction among observers, and requires independent experimental verification. This signal is of special concern in connection with studies of the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) using new-generation experiments. We have derived independent estimates of the validity of the “spinning-dust” hypothesis (dipole emission of macromolecules) using multi-frequency RATAN-600 observations. Test studies in the Perseus molecular cloud show evidence for anomalous extended emission in the absence of strong radio sources (compact HII regions) that could imitate an anomalous radio spectrum in this region. A statistical analysis at centimeter wavelengths over the Ratan Zenith Field shows that the upper limit for the polarized noise from this new component in the spinning-dust hypothesis is unlikely to exceed 1 µK at wavelengths of 1 cm or shorter on the main scales of the EE mode of Sakharov oscillations. Thus, this emission should not hinder studies of this mode, at least to within several percent of the predicted level of polarization of the CMB emission.

  14. LUXSim: A component-centric approach to low-background simulations

    DOE PAGES

    Akerib, D. S.; Bai, X.; Bedikian, S.; ...

    2012-02-13

    Geant4 has been used throughout the nuclear and high-energy physics community to simulate energy depositions in various detectors and materials. These simulations have mostly been run with a source beam outside the detector. In the case of low-background physics, however, a primary concern is the effect on the detector from radioactivity inherent in the detector parts themselves. From this standpoint, there is no single source or beam, but rather a collection of sources with potentially complicated spatial extent. LUXSim is a simulation framework used by the LUX collaboration that takes a component-centric approach to event generation and recording. A newmore » set of classes allows for multiple radioactive sources to be set within any number of components at run time, with the entire collection of sources handled within a single simulation run. Various levels of information can also be recorded from the individual components, with these record levels also being set at runtime. This flexibility in both source generation and information recording is possible without the need to recompile, reducing the complexity of code management and the proliferation of versions. Within the code itself, casting geometry objects within this new set of classes rather than as the default Geant4 classes automatically extends this flexibility to every individual component. No additional work is required on the part of the developer, reducing development time and increasing confidence in the results. Here, we describe the guiding principles behind LUXSim, detail some of its unique classes and methods, and give examples of usage.« less

  15. The effect of additive geometry on the integration of secondary elements during Friction Stir Processing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zens, A.; Gnedel, M.; Zaeh, M. F.; Haider, F.

    2018-06-01

    Friction Stir Processing (FSP) can be used to locally modify properties in materials such as aluminium. This may be used, for example, to produce a fine microstructure or to integrate secondary elements into the base material. The purpose of this work is to examine the effect of the properties of the metal additives on the resulting material distribution in the processed region. For this, commercially pure iron and copper were integrated into an EN AW-1050 aluminium base material using FSP. Iron in the form of powder, wire and foil as well as copper in powder form were assessed. The various additive forms represent materials with differing surface-to-volume ratios as well as varying dispersion characteristics in the processing zone. The processing parameters for each additive form remained constant; however, two- and four-pass FSP processes were conducted. The results of CT analysis proved especially insightful regarding the spatial distribution of the various additive form within the workpiece. As expected, the powder additive was most widely distributed within the welding zone. Micro-hardness mappings showed that the powder additive contributed to the hardness within the weld nugget in comparison to the processed material without secondary elements.

  16. Microwavable thermal energy storage material

    DOEpatents

    Salyer, Ival O.

    1998-09-08

    A microwavable thermal energy storage material is provided which includes a mixture of a phase change material and silica, and a carbon black additive in the form of a conformable dry powder of phase change material/silica/carbon black, or solid pellets, films, fibers, moldings or strands of phase change material/high density polyethylene/ethylene-vinyl acetate/silica/carbon black which allows the phase change material to be rapidly heated in a microwave oven. The carbon black additive, which is preferably an electrically conductive carbon black, may be added in low concentrations of from 0.5 to 15% by weight, and may be used to tailor the heating times of the phase change material as desired. The microwavable thermal energy storage material can be used in food serving applications such as tableware items or pizza warmers, and in medical wraps and garments.

  17. New in-situ neutron diffraction cell for electrode materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Biendicho, Jordi Jacas; Roberts, Matthew; Offer, Colin; Noréus, Dag; Widenkvist, Erika; Smith, Ronald I.; Svensson, Gunnar; Edström, Kristina; Norberg, Stefan T.; Eriksson, Sten G.; Hull, Stephen

    2014-02-01

    A novel neutron diffraction cell has been constructed to allow in-situ studies of the structural changes in materials of relevance to battery applications during charge/discharge cycling. The new design is based on the coin cell geometry, but has larger dimensions compared to typical commercial batteries in order to maximize the amount of electrode material and thus, collect diffraction data of good statistical quality within the shortest possible time. An important aspect of the design is its modular nature, allowing flexibility in both the materials studied and the battery configuration. This paper reports electrochemical tests using a Nickel-metal-hydride battery (Ni-MH), which show that the cell is able to deliver 90% of its theoretical capacity when using deuterated components. Neutron diffraction studies performed on the Polaris diffractometer using nickel metal and a hydrogen-absorbing alloy (MH) clearly show observable changes in the neutron diffraction patterns as a function of the discharge state. Due to the high quality of the diffraction patterns collected in-situ (i.e. good peak-to-background ratio), phase analysis and peak indexing can be performed successfully using data collected in around 30 min. In addition to this, structural parameters for the β-phase (charged) MH electrode obtained by Rietveld refinement are presented.

  18. Recycling cycle of materials applied to acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene/policarbonate blends with styrene-butadiene-styrene copolymer addition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cândido, L. H. A.; Ferreira, D. B.; Júnior, W. Kindlein; Demori, R.; Mauler, R. S.

    2014-05-01

    The scope of this research is the recycling of polymers from mobile phones hulls discarded and the performance evaluation when they are submitted to the Recycling Cycle of Materials (RCM). The studied material was the ABS/PC blend in a 70/30 proportion. Different compositions were evaluated adding virgin material, recycled material and using the copolymer SBS as impact modifier. In order to evaluate the properties of material's composition, the samples were characterized by TGA, FTIR, SEM, IZOD impact strength and tensile strength tests. At the first stage, the presented results suggest the composition containing 25% of recycled material and 5% of SBS combines good mechanical performance to the higher content of recycled material and lower content of impact modifier providing major benefits to recycling plans. Five cycles (RCM) were applied in the second stage; they evidenced a decrease trend considering the impact strength. At first and second cycle the impact strength was higher than reference material (ABS/PC blend) and from the fourth cycle it was lower. The superiority impact strength in the first and second cycles can be attributed to impact modifier effect. The thermal tests and the spectrometry didn't show the presence of degradation process in the material and the TGA curves demonstrated the process stability. The impact surface of each sample was observed at SEM. The microstructures are not homogeneous presenting voids and lamellar appearance, although the outer surface presents no defects, demonstrating good moldability. The present work aims to assess the life cycle of the material from the successive recycling processes.

  19. Composite materials based on high-modulus compounds for additive technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grigoriev, M.; Kotelnikov, N.; Buyakova, S.; Kulkov, S.

    2016-07-01

    The effect of adding nanocrystalline ZrO2 and submicron TiC to ultrafine Al2O3 on mechanical properties and the microstructure of the composites developed by hot pressing was investigated. It was shown that by means of hot pressing in argon atmosphere at the sintering temperature of 1500 °C one can obtain the composites of Al2O3-ZrO2-TiC with a fine structure and minimal porosity. It was shown that in the material a multi-scale hierarchical structure is formed, which possesses high physical and mechanical properties: the hardness and fracture toughness was 22 GPa and 5.2 MPa*m1/2, respectively. It has been shown that mechanical properties of the composite are better than those of commercial composites based on aluminum oxide (Al2O3, ZTA, Al2O3-TiC) and are comparable to those of silicon nitride.

  20. Background noise exerts diverse effects on the cortical encoding of foreground sounds.

    PubMed

    Malone, B J; Heiser, Marc A; Beitel, Ralph E; Schreiner, Christoph E

    2017-08-01

    In natural listening conditions, many sounds must be detected and identified in the context of competing sound sources, which function as background noise. Traditionally, noise is thought to degrade the cortical representation of sounds by suppressing responses and increasing response variability. However, recent studies of neural network models and brain slices have shown that background synaptic noise can improve the detection of signals. Because acoustic noise affects the synaptic background activity of cortical networks, it may improve the cortical responses to signals. We used spike train decoding techniques to determine the functional effects of a continuous white noise background on the responses of clusters of neurons in auditory cortex to foreground signals, specifically frequency-modulated sweeps (FMs) of different velocities, directions, and amplitudes. Whereas the addition of noise progressively suppressed the FM responses of some cortical sites in the core fields with decreasing signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), the stimulus representation remained robust or was even significantly enhanced at specific SNRs in many others. Even though the background noise level was typically not explicitly encoded in cortical responses, significant information about noise context could be decoded from cortical responses on the basis of how the neural representation of the foreground sweeps was affected. These findings demonstrate significant diversity in signal in noise processing even within the core auditory fields that could support noise-robust hearing across a wide range of listening conditions. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The ability to detect and discriminate sounds in background noise is critical for our ability to communicate. The neural basis of robust perceptual performance in noise is not well understood. We identified neuronal populations in core auditory cortex of squirrel monkeys that differ in how they process foreground signals in background noise and that may

  1. Radiometric spectral and band rendering of targets using anisotropic BRDFs and measured backgrounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hilgers, John W.; Hoffman, Jeffrey A.; Reynolds, William R.; Jafolla, James C.

    2000-07-01

    Achievement of ultra-high fidelity signature modeling of targets requires a significant level of complexity for all of the components required in the rendering process. Specifically, the reflectance of the surface must be described using the bi-directional distribution function (BRDF). In addition, the spatial representation of the background must be high fidelity. A methodology and corresponding model for spectral and band rendering of targets using both isotropic and anisotropic BRDFs is presented. In addition, a set of tools will be described for generating theoretical anisotropic BRDFs and for reducing data required for a description of an anisotropic BRDF by 5 orders of magnitude. This methodology is hybrid using a spectrally measured panoramic of the background mapped to a large hemisphere. Both radiosity and ray-tracing approaches are incorporated simultaneously for a robust solution. In the thermal domain the spectral emission is also included in the solution. Rendering examples using several BRDFs will be presented.

  2. Fabrication of Turbine Disk Materials by Additive Manufacturing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sudbrack, Chantal; Bean, Quincy A.; Cooper, Ken; Carter, Robert; Semiatin, S. Lee; Gabb, Tim

    2014-01-01

    Precipitation-strengthened, nickel-based superalloys are widely used in the aerospace and energy industries due to their excellent environmental resistance and outstanding mechanical properties under extreme conditions. Powder-bed additive manufacturing (AM) technologies offer the potential to revolutionize the processing of superalloy turbine components by eliminating the need for extensive inventory or expensive legacy tooling. Like selective laser melting (SLM), electron beam melting (EBM) constructs three-dimensional dense components layer-by-layer by melting and solidification of atomized, pre-alloyed powder feedstock within 50-200 micron layers. While SLM has been more widely used for AM of nickel alloys like 718, EBM offers several distinct advantages, such as less retained residual stress, lower risk of contamination, and faster build rates with multiple-electron-beam configurations. These advantages are particularly attractive for turbine disks, for which excessive residual stress and contamination can shorten disk life during high-temperature operation. In this presentation, we will discuss the feasibility of fabricating disk superalloy components using EBM AM. Originally developed using powder metallurgy forging processing, disk superalloys contain a higher refractory content and precipitate volume fraction than alloy 718, thus making them more prone to thermal cracking during AM. This and other challenges to produce homogeneous builds with desired properties will be presented. In particular, the quality of lab-scale samples fabricated via a design of experiments, in which the beam current, build temperature, and beam velocity were varied, will be summarized. The relationship between processing parameters, microstructure, grain orientation, and mechanical response will be discussed.

  3. On estimating probability of presence from use-availability or presence-background data.

    PubMed

    Phillips, Steven J; Elith, Jane

    2013-06-01

    A fundamental ecological modeling task is to estimate the probability that a species is present in (or uses) a site, conditional on environmental variables. For many species, available data consist of "presence" data (locations where the species [or evidence of it] has been observed), together with "background" data, a random sample of available environmental conditions. Recently published papers disagree on whether probability of presence is identifiable from such presence-background data alone. This paper aims to resolve the disagreement, demonstrating that additional information is required. We defined seven simulated species representing various simple shapes of response to environmental variables (constant, linear, convex, unimodal, S-shaped) and ran five logistic model-fitting methods using 1000 presence samples and 10 000 background samples; the simulations were repeated 100 times. The experiment revealed a stark contrast between two groups of methods: those based on a strong assumption that species' true probability of presence exactly matches a given parametric form had highly variable predictions and much larger RMS error than methods that take population prevalence (the fraction of sites in which the species is present) as an additional parameter. For six species, the former group grossly under- or overestimated probability of presence. The cause was not model structure or choice of link function, because all methods were logistic with linear and, where necessary, quadratic terms. Rather, the experiment demonstrates that an estimate of prevalence is not just helpful, but is necessary (except in special cases) for identifying probability of presence. We therefore advise against use of methods that rely on the strong assumption, due to Lele and Keim (recently advocated by Royle et al.) and Lancaster and Imbens. The methods are fragile, and their strong assumption is unlikely to be true in practice. We emphasize, however, that we are not arguing against

  4. 75 FR 6869 - Procurement List; Additions

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-12

    ... documents other than rules #0;or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings #0... Blind or Severely Disabled. ACTION: Additions to the Procurement List. SUMMARY: This action adds to the... Procurement List. After consideration of the material presented to it concerning capability of qualified...

  5. Characterizing the Cosmic Infrared Background Fluctuations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yanxia

    2015-08-01

    A salient feature of the Cosmic Infrared Background (CIB) fluctuations is that their spatial power spectrum rises a factor of ~10 above the expected contribution from all known sources at angular scales >20‧‧. A tantalizing large-scale correlation signal between the residual Cosmic X-ray Background (CXB) and CIB found in the Extended Groth Strip (EGS) further suggests that at least 20% of the CIB fluctuations are associated with accreting X-ray sources, with efficient energy production similar to black holes. However, there is still a controversy about the sources that produce the excess flux. They could be faint, local populations with different spatial distribution from other known galaxies, e.g., intra-halo light (emitted from stars in the outskirts of local galaxies), or really high-z populations at the epoch of reionization that we know little of. Constraining the origin of the CIB fluctuations will help to establish our understanding of the overall cosmic energy budget.In this talk, we will present our plan to break down this controversy, current state of data collection and analysis.(1) We will combine the archival Spitzer/IRAC and Herschel/PACS data, with the Chandra data of the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS), to accurately measure the source-subtracted CIB and CXB fluctuations to the largest angular scale (~1-2 deg) to date. The newly discovered link between CIB and CXB fluctuations found in the EGS will be revisited in the COSMOS, which provides better photon statistics. (2) We have been working on cross-correlating the unresolved background with the discrete sources detected at shorter wavelengths (1- 2μm), using ground-based multi-wavelength observations. In addition to exploring the Pan-STARRS 3PI and Medium Deep Survey database, we have also been awarded the telescope time of CFHT/WIRCam and Subaru/Hyper-Suprime-Cam for this purpose. The preliminary data analysis will be presented.

  6. Genetic background effects in Neuroligin-3 mutant mice: Minimal behavioral abnormalities on C57 background.

    PubMed

    Jaramillo, Thomas C; Escamilla, Christine Ochoa; Liu, Shunan; Peca, Lauren; Birnbaum, Shari G; Powell, Craig M

    2018-02-01

    Neuroligin-3 (NLGN3) is a postsynaptic cell adhesion protein that interacts with presynaptic ligands including neurexin-1 (NRXN1) [Ichtchenko et al., Journal of Biological Chemistry, 271, 2676-2682, 1996]. Mice harboring a mutation in the NLGN3 gene (NL3R451C) mimicking a mutation found in two brothers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were previously generated and behaviorally phenotyped for autism-related behaviors. In these NL3R451C mice generated and tested on a hybrid C57BL6J/129S2/SvPasCrl background, we observed enhanced spatial memory and reduced social interaction [Tabuchi et al., Science, 318, 71-76, 2007]. Curiously, an independently generated second line of mice harboring the same mutation on a C57BL6J background exhibited minimal aberrant behavior, thereby providing apparently discrepant results. To investigate the origin of the discrepancy, we previously replicated the original findings of Tabuchi et al. by studying the same NL3R451C mutation on a pure 129S2/SvPasCrl genetic background. Here we complete the behavioral characterization of the NL3R451C mutation on a pure C57BL6J genetic background to determine if background genetics play a role in the discrepant behavioral outcomes involving NL3R451C mice. NL3R451C mutant mice on a pure C57BL6J background did not display spatial memory enhancements or social interaction deficits. We only observed a decreased startle response and mildly increased locomotor activity in these mice suggesting that background genetics influences behavioral outcomes involving the NL3R451C mutation. Autism Res 2018, 11: 234-244. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Behavioral symptoms of autism can be highly variable, even in cases that involve identical genetic mutations. Previous studies in mice with a mutation of the Neuroligin-3 gene showed enhanced learning and social deficits. We replicated these findings on the same and different genetic backgrounds. In this study, however, the

  7. Additive lattice kirigami

    PubMed Central

    Castle, Toen; Sussman, Daniel M.; Tanis, Michael; Kamien, Randall D.

    2016-01-01

    Kirigami uses bending, folding, cutting, and pasting to create complex three-dimensional (3D) structures from a flat sheet. In the case of lattice kirigami, this cutting and rejoining introduces defects into an underlying 2D lattice in the form of points of nonzero Gaussian curvature. A set of simple rules was previously used to generate a wide variety of stepped structures; we now pare back these rules to their minimum. This allows us to describe a set of techniques that unify a wide variety of cut-and-paste actions under the rubric of lattice kirigami, including adding new material and rejoining material across arbitrary cuts in the sheet. We also explore the use of more complex lattices and the different structures that consequently arise. Regardless of the choice of lattice, creating complex structures may require multiple overlapping kirigami cuts, where subsequent cuts are not performed on a locally flat lattice. Our additive kirigami method describes such cuts, providing a simple methodology and a set of techniques to build a huge variety of complex 3D shapes. PMID:27679822

  8. Additive lattice kirigami.

    PubMed

    Castle, Toen; Sussman, Daniel M; Tanis, Michael; Kamien, Randall D

    2016-09-01

    Kirigami uses bending, folding, cutting, and pasting to create complex three-dimensional (3D) structures from a flat sheet. In the case of lattice kirigami, this cutting and rejoining introduces defects into an underlying 2D lattice in the form of points of nonzero Gaussian curvature. A set of simple rules was previously used to generate a wide variety of stepped structures; we now pare back these rules to their minimum. This allows us to describe a set of techniques that unify a wide variety of cut-and-paste actions under the rubric of lattice kirigami, including adding new material and rejoining material across arbitrary cuts in the sheet. We also explore the use of more complex lattices and the different structures that consequently arise. Regardless of the choice of lattice, creating complex structures may require multiple overlapping kirigami cuts, where subsequent cuts are not performed on a locally flat lattice. Our additive kirigami method describes such cuts, providing a simple methodology and a set of techniques to build a huge variety of complex 3D shapes.

  9. Innermost stable circular orbit of spinning particle in charged spinning black hole background

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yu-Peng; Wei, Shao-Wen; Guo, Wen-Di; Sui, Tao-Tao; Liu, Yu-Xiao

    2018-04-01

    In this paper we investigate the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) (spin-aligned or anti-aligned orbit) for a classical spinning test particle with the pole-dipole approximation in the background of Kerr-Newman black hole in the equatorial plane. It is shown that the orbit of the spinning particle is related to the spin of the test particle. The motion of the spinning test particle will be superluminal if its spin is too large. We give an additional condition by considering the superluminal constraint for the ISCO in the black hole backgrounds. We obtain numerically the relations between the ISCO and the properties of the black holes and the test particle. It is found that the radius of the ISCO for a spinning test particle is smaller than that of a nonspinning test particle in the black hole backgrounds.

  10. Observations and modeling of seismic background noise

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Peterson, Jon R.

    1993-01-01

    The preparation of this report had two purposes. One was to present a catalog of seismic background noise spectra obtained from a worldwide network of seismograph stations. The other purpose was to refine and document models of seismic background noise that have been in use for several years. The second objective was, in fact, the principal reason that this study was initiated and influenced the procedures used in collecting and processing the data.With a single exception, all of the data used in this study were extracted from the digital data archive at the U.S. Geological Survey's Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL). This archive dates from 1972 when ASL first began deploying digital seismograph systems and collecting and distributing digital data under the sponsorship of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). There have been many changes and additions to the global seismograph networks during the past twenty years, but perhaps none as significant as the current deployment of very broadband seismographs by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the University of California San Diego (UCSD) under the scientific direction of the IRIS consortium. The new data acquisition systems have extended the bandwidth and resolution of seismic recording, and they utilize high-density recording media that permit the continuous recording of broadband data. The data improvements and continuous recording greatly benefit and simplify surveys of seismic background noise.Although there are many other sources of digital data, the ASL archive data were used almost exclusively because of accessibility and because the data systems and their calibration are well documented for the most part. Fortunately, the ASL archive contains high-quality data from other stations in addition to those deployed by the USGS. Included are data from UCSD IRIS/IDA stations, the Regional Seismic Test Network (RSTN) deployed by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and the TERRAscope network

  11. Measurement of the fast neutron background at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Du, Q.; Lin, S. T.; Liu, S. K.; Tang, C. J.; Wang, L.; Wei, W. W.; Wong, H. T.; Xing, H. Y.; Yue, Q.; Zhu, J. J.

    2018-05-01

    We report on the measurements of the fluxes and spectra of the environmental fast neutron background at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory (CJPL) with a rock overburden of about 6700 meters water equivalent, using a liquid scintillator detector doped with 0.5% gadolinium. The signature of a prompt nuclear recoil followed by a delayed high energy γ-ray cascade is used to identify neutron events. The large energy deposition of the delayed γ-rays from the (n , γ) reaction on gadolinium, together with the excellent n- γ discrimination capability provides a powerful background suppression which allows the measurement of a low intensity neutron flux. The neutron flux of (1 . 51 ± 0 . 03(stat .) ± 0 . 10(syst .)) × 10-7cm-2s-1 in the energy range of 1-10 MeV in the Hall A of CJPL was measured based on 356 days of data. In the same energy region, measurement with the same detector placed in a room surrounding with one meter thick polyethylene shielding gives a significantly lower flux of (4 . 9 ± 0 . 9(stat .) ± 0 . 5(syst .)) × 10-9cm-2s-1 with 174 days of data. This represents a measurement of the lowest environmental fast neutron background among the underground laboratories in the world, prior to additional experiment-specific attenuation. Additionally, the fast neutron spectra both in the Hall A and the polyethylene room were reconstructed with the help of GEANT4 simulations.

  12. Additional Support Needs Reforms and Social Justice in Scotland

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Riddell, Sheila; Stead, Joan; Weedon, Elisabet; Wright, Kevin

    2010-01-01

    New additional support-needs legislation in Scotland sought to recognise the way in which poverty, as well as individual impairment, contribute to the creation of children's difficulties in learning. As well as identifying a wider range of needs, the legislation sought to provide parents, irrespective of social background, with more powerful means…

  13. Measurement and reduction of low-level radon background in the KATRIN experiment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fränkle, F. M.

    The KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment is a next generation, model independent, large scale experiment to determine the mass of the electron anti-neutrino by investigating the kinematics of tritium beta decay with a sensitivity of 200 meV/c{sup 2}. The measurement setup consists of a high luminosity windowless gaseous molecular tritium source (WGTS), a differential and cryogenic pumped electron transport and tritium retention section, a tandem spectrometer section (pre-spectrometer and main spectrometer) for energy analysis, followed by a detector system for counting transmitted beta decay electrons. Measurements performed at the KATRIN pre-spectrometer test setup showed that the decay of radon (Rn)more » atoms in the volume of the KATRIN spectrometers is a major background source. Rn atoms from low-level radon emanation of materials inside the vacuum region of the KATRIN spectrometers are able to penetrate deep into the magnetic flux tube so that the alpha decay of Rn contributes to the background. Of particular importance are electrons emitted in processes accompanying the Rn alpha decay, such as shake-off, internal conversion of excited levels in the Rn daughter atoms and Auger electrons. Lowenergy electrons (< 100 eV) directly contribute to the background in the signal region. High-energy electrons can be stored magnetically inside the volume of the spectrometer and are able to create thousands of secondary electrons via subsequent ionization processes with residual gas molecules. In order to reduce the Rn induced background different active and passive counter measures were developed and tested. This proceeding will give an overview on Rn sources within the KATRIN spectrometer, describes how Rn decays inside the spectrometer produce background events at the detector and presents different counter measures to reduce the Rn induced background.« less

  14. Measurement and reduction of low-level radon background in the KATRIN experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fränkle, F. M.

    2013-08-01

    The KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment is a next generation, model independent, large scale experiment to determine the mass of the electron anti-neutrino by investigating the kinematics of tritium beta decay with a sensitivity of 200 meV/c2. The measurement setup consists of a high luminosity windowless gaseous molecular tritium source (WGTS), a differential and cryogenic pumped electron transport and tritium retention section, a tandem spectrometer section (pre-spectrometer and main spectrometer) for energy analysis, followed by a detector system for counting transmitted beta decay electrons. Measurements performed at the KATRIN pre-spectrometer test setup showed that the decay of radon (Rn) atoms in the volume of the KATRIN spectrometers is a major background source. Rn atoms from low-level radon emanation of materials inside the vacuum region of the KATRIN spectrometers are able to penetrate deep into the magnetic flux tube so that the alpha decay of Rn contributes to the background. Of particular importance are electrons emitted in processes accompanying the Rn alpha decay, such as shake-off, internal conversion of excited levels in the Rn daughter atoms and Auger electrons. Lowenergy electrons (< 100 eV) directly contribute to the background in the signal region. High-energy electrons can be stored magnetically inside the volume of the spectrometer and are able to create thousands of secondary electrons via subsequent ionization processes with residual gas molecules. In order to reduce the Rn induced background different active and passive counter measures were developed and tested. This proceeding will give an overview on Rn sources within the KATRIN spectrometer, describes how Rn decays inside the spectrometer produce background events at the detector and presents different counter measures to reduce the Rn induced background.

  15. Microwavable thermal energy storage material

    DOEpatents

    Salyer, I.O.

    1998-09-08

    A microwavable thermal energy storage material is provided which includes a mixture of a phase change material and silica, and a carbon black additive in the form of a conformable dry powder of phase change material/silica/carbon black, or solid pellets, films, fibers, moldings or strands of phase change material/high density polyethylene/ethylene vinyl acetate/silica/carbon black which allows the phase change material to be rapidly heated in a microwave oven. The carbon black additive, which is preferably an electrically conductive carbon black, may be added in low concentrations of from 0.5 to 15% by weight, and may be used to tailor the heating times of the phase change material as desired. The microwavable thermal energy storage material can be used in food serving applications such as tableware items or pizza warmers, and in medical wraps and garments. 3 figs.

  16. Polyenergetic known-component CT reconstruction with unknown material compositions and unknown x-ray spectra

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, S.; Uneri, A.; Khanna, A. Jay; Siewerdsen, J. H.; Stayman, J. W.

    2017-04-01

    Metal artifacts can cause substantial image quality issues in computed tomography. This is particularly true in interventional imaging where surgical tools or metal implants are in the field-of-view. Moreover, the region-of-interest is often near such devices which is exactly where image quality degradations are largest. Previous work on known-component reconstruction (KCR) has shown the incorporation of a physical model (e.g. shape, material composition, etc) of the metal component into the reconstruction algorithm can significantly reduce artifacts even near the edge of a metal component. However, for such approaches to be effective, they must have an accurate model of the component that include energy-dependent properties of both the metal device and the CT scanner, placing a burden on system characterization and component material knowledge. In this work, we propose a modified KCR approach that adopts a mixed forward model with a polyenergetic model for the component and a monoenergetic model for the background anatomy. This new approach called Poly-KCR jointly estimates a spectral transfer function associated with known components in addition to the background attenuation values. Thus, this approach eliminates both the need to know component material composition a prior as well as the requirement for an energy-dependent characterization of the CT scanner. We demonstrate the efficacy of this novel approach and illustrate its improved performance over traditional and model-based iterative reconstruction methods in both simulation studies and in physical data including an implanted cadaver sample.

  17. Systems and methods for forming defects on graphitic materials and curing radiation-damaged graphitic materials

    DOEpatents

    Ryu, Sunmin; Brus, Louis E.; Steigerwald, Michael L.; Liu, Haitao

    2012-09-25

    Systems and methods are disclosed herein for forming defects on graphitic materials. The methods for forming defects include applying a radiation reactive material on a graphitic material, irradiating the applied radiation reactive material to produce a reactive species, and permitting the reactive species to react with the graphitic material to form defects. Additionally, disclosed are methods for removing defects on graphitic materials.

  18. The Legacy Archive for Microwave Background Data Analysis (LAMBDA)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller, Nathan; LAMBDA

    2018-01-01

    The Legacy Archive for Microwave Background Data Analysis (LAMBDA) provides CMB researchers with archival data for cosmology missions, software tools, and links to other sites of interest. LAMBDA is one-stop shopping for CMB researchers. It hosts data from WMAP along with many suborbital experiments. Over the past year, LAMBDA has acquired new data from SPTpol, SPIDER and ACTPol. In addition to the primary CMB, LAMBDA also provides foreground data.LAMBDA has several ongoing efforts to provide tools for CMB researchers. These tools include a web interface for CAMB and a web interface for a CMB survey footprint database and plotting tool. Additionally, we have recently developed a Docker container with standard CMB analysis tools and demonstrations in the form of Jupyter notebooks. These containers will be publically available through Docker's container repository and the source will be available on github.

  19. Background Light Bluer Than Expected

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2014-11-06

    This plot shows data from the Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment, or CIBER, rockets launched in 2010 and 2012. The experiment measures a diffuse glow of infrared light in the sky, known as the cosmic infrared background.

  20. A 3D image sensor with adaptable charge subtraction scheme for background light suppression

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shin, Jungsoon; Kang, Byongmin; Lee, Keechang; Kim, James D. K.

    2013-02-01

    We present a 3D ToF (Time-of-Flight) image sensor with adaptive charge subtraction scheme for background light suppression. The proposed sensor can alternately capture high resolution color image and high quality depth map in each frame. In depth-mode, the sensor requires enough integration time for accurate depth acquisition, but saturation will occur in high background light illumination. We propose to divide the integration time into N sub-integration times adaptively. In each sub-integration time, our sensor captures an image without saturation and subtracts the charge to prevent the pixel from the saturation. In addition, the subtraction results are cumulated N times obtaining a final result image without background illumination at full integration time. Experimental results with our own ToF sensor show high background suppression performance. We also propose in-pixel storage and column-level subtraction circuit for chiplevel implementation of the proposed method. We believe the proposed scheme will enable 3D sensors to be used in out-door environment.